• Bliss, Not Burnout: How To Cope With Pressure
    Nov 18 2025

    Dr. Roberta Garceau shares insights from her book 'Bliss Not Burnout,' emphasising the importance of finding the gift in adversity, practising self-care through self-awareness, and the transformative power of vulnerability.

    00:00 Introduction

    02:41 Exploring the Concept of Bliss

    07:36 The Gift in Adversity

    14:37 Navigating Career Challenges and Personal Growth

    20:22 Supporting Growth Through Adversity

    25:15 The Wisdom of Parenting and Leadership

    26:40 The Importance of Health and Small Steps to Wellness

    28:29 Integrative Healthcare and Ancient Wisdom

    30:48 Balancing Physical and Mental Health

    33:33 Making Exercise a Priority

    38:45 Dealing with Stress Through Breath and Mindfulness

    42:29 A Positive Perspective on Work Challenges

    45:06 Final Thoughts and Resources

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe



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    46 m
  • Why Creative Leadership Is the Most Important Skill of the Next Decade
    Oct 15 2025

    Fredrik Haren, a 'creativity explorer,' shares insights from his extensive global journey covering 75 countries, explaining how different cultures perceive and harness creativity. He highlights the importance of understanding one's personal creative process and environment, debunking the myth that creativity is facilitated solely through structured processes and techniques.

    Instead, he emphasises the role of inspiration and the need to balance it with actual creative production. Frederick also discusses his upcoming book 'The World of Creativity,' which explores diverse perspectives on creativity across different cultures and professions.

    00:00 Introduction

    01:07 Meet Fredrik Haren: The Creativity Explorer

    02:37 Defining Creativity: Perspectives and Insights

    06:59 Global Exploration of Creativity

    14:05 The Role of Environment in Creativity

    16:47 Exploring Your Creative Process with AI

    17:48 Creating a Culture of Innovation in Teams

    18:36 Understanding Group Creative Processes

    20:23 The Myth of Brainstorming

    21:26 Unique Creative Journeys

    22:30 Fredrik's Speaking Insights

    25:15 The World of Creativity Book

    26:28 The Essence of Curiosity

    28:58 Connecting with Fredrik

    30:22 Conclusion and Farewell

    LinkedIn

    * Connect with Fredrik Haren

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe



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    31 m
  • Dr Maya Ackerman on Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us
    Oct 7 2025

    Dr. Maya Ackerman is a generative AI pioneer, CEO of WaveAI, and author of Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us. In this episode, we dive deep into what it means for machines to be creative, how to build AI that empowers humans, and why the real threat isn’t AI itself, but how we choose to use it.

    Takeaways

    1. AI is Already Creative (Whether We Like It or Not)

    2. “Humble Creative Machines” Should Be the Goal

    3. ChatGPT Succeeded Because It Feels Like a Partner

    4. The Real Bottleneck Isn’t Model Size, It’s Interaction

    5. AI Music Creation Is Evolving Fast

    6. We’re Underestimating Human Intelligence

    7. Advice for Parents and Young Creatives

    8. The Real Threat? Greed.

    Resources & Links

    * Maya’s book: Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us

    * WaveAI – Tools for songwriters

    * LyricStudio

    00:00 AI Art Shocks the World

    01:38 Introducing Dr. Maya Ackerman

    04:27 The Journey into Generative AI

    08:49 The Rise of Creative Machines

    24:00 Exploring AI in Music

    26:53 AI and Music Diversity

    28:41 AI's Commercial Focus vs. Creativity

    29:58 The Future of AI and Human Roles

    35:22 Advice for the Next Generation

    40:37 The Importance of Adaptability

    43:58 Challenges in AI Development

    46:51 The Misuse of AI in Search Engines

    50:17 Final Thoughts

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe



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    54 m
  • Master Product Discovery with AI - John Gordon
    Sep 23 2025

    John Gordon shares his journey from the military to launching his startup, Acelo, focusing on AI-driven automation in sales and marketing.

    He demonstrates the practical applications of AI in building product requirement documents without any code, emphasising the importance of context engineering.

    Key takeaways for product people include:

    1) The importance of context engineering in AI to avoid hallucination.

    2) Utilising low-code tools like n8n and make.com for automation.

    3) The significant shift from code writing to mastering requirements documentation.

    4) Emphasising the reduction of manual tasks, allowing more time for strategic product thinking and client interactions.

    00:00 Introduction

    00:57 Meet John Gordon: From Military to AI Innovator

    03:17 The Rise of AI in Product Development

    07:38 Understanding AI Agents and Context Engineering

    09:13 Live Demo: Building a Requirements Document with AI

    19:17 Practical Applications and Workflow Automation

    29:22 Getting Started with AI Tools and Automation

    35:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    Resources mentioned in the episode:

    https://www.youtube.com/@TheAIAutomators

    https://www.youtube.com/@nateherk

    https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGPope

    https://www.youtube.com/@ColeMedin

    Contact:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gordon-39135287/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-martin-3aa28490/

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe



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    36 m
  • The Question is the Answer and Why Great Leaders Don’t Give the Best Answers
    Sep 16 2025

    Laura Ashley-Timms, COO of Notion and co-author of 'The Answer is a Question,' discusses the revolutionary impact of operational coaching.

    Laura shares insights from a comprehensive study with the London School of Economics, revealing how operational coaching can significantly enhance productivity, collaboration, and job satisfaction.

    Practical scenarios, such as dealing with urgent problems and delivering bad news, are explored to illustrate the effectiveness of the STAR model.

    The episode also highlights the emotional and practical benefits of adopting this coaching style in personal and professional settings, emphasizing its universal applicability and potential to transform workplace cultures.

    00:00 Introduction

    03:06 Meet Laura Ashley-Timms: A Global Leader in Coaching

    04:08 The Missing Superpower: Operational Coaching

    13:15 The STAR Model: A Framework for Effective Management

    18:41 Applying the STAR Model in Real Scenarios

    23:04 Managing Overwhelm and Taking on Too Much

    23:22 Delivering Bad News with Empathy

    24:11 Preparing for Challenging Conversations

    28:38 Surprising Research Findings on Coaching

    33:27 Measuring the Impact of Coaching

    36:34 AI's Role in Future Management

    39:02 Applying Coaching Techniques in Personal Life

    41:28 Abolishing the Line Manager Lottery

    44:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe

    Guest: Laura Ashley-Timms

    Laura Ashley-Timms is recognised as one of the UK’s top Executive Coaches and is the co-creator of the STAR® model (2010) and the multi-award-winning STAR® Manager program (STARmanager.global).

    She is an expert and thought leader on how to leverage Operational Coaching™ behaviors across organizations to drive commercial results and improve productivity and engagement levels.

    As the co-founder and COO of Notion, a performance improvement consultancy established in 2000, Laura has led the team to win a string of awards for innovation, learning design and academic partnerships and for its work with FTSE and Fortune 500 clients, including Personnel Today magazine's prestigious Learning & Development Supplier of the Year award in 2021.

    The Answer is a Question

    LinkedIn



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    45 m
  • Rewiring Your Mind for AI with Dr David Wood
    Sep 9 2025

    This week on the podcast I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr David Wood, Glenn D. Ardis Professor of Accounting at Brigham Young University, prolific author of over 200 publications, and the mind behind the new book Rewiring Your Mind for AI. David is not only an academic voice in accounting, but a leading thinker on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we learn, work, and create.

    He discusses the concept of neuroplasticity, the growth of AI capabilities, and the importance of a transformational mindset in leveraging AI. The conversation highlights the rapid evolution of AI and its dual potential to enhance or disrupt various aspects of life and work.

    00:00 Masako Wakamiya's Coding Journey

    03:06 Meet Dr David Wood: Integrating AI in Education

    04:26 The Role of AI in Modern Education

    05:55 AI as a Superpower: Transforming Knowledge Access

    07:48 Rewiring Your Mind for AI

    14:04 The Future of Jobs in an AI-Driven World

    18:25 Embracing AI: From Fear to Transformation

    19:39 Mindset Shift: Embracing AI for Personal Growth

    20:21 The Journey of Writing a Book with AI

    23:31 AI's Rapid Advancement and Future Potential

    26:53 Creative Uses of AI in Everyday Tasks

    28:28 Feedback and Future Predictions for AI

    34:13 Concluding Thoughts

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe

    Guest: Dr. David A. Wood

    Dr. David A. Wood is passionate about understanding new technologies and implementing them into the curriculum of Brigham Young University, where he works as the Glenn D. Ardis professor of accounting. He has published over 200 articles in a combination of respected academic and practitioner journals, monographs, books, and cases, including a recently released book on AI titled, “Rewiring your Mind for AI: How to Think, Work, and Thrive in the Age of Intelligence”. He has been awarded more than 30 awards for teaching, research, and service contributions. He has helped companies and organizations around the world learn about and implement GenAI and other tech topics. In 2023, he was named by Accounting Today one of the 100 most influential people in accounting. He is a cocreator of a free generative AI governance framework (see here), and of two companies related to GenAI training and reviewing Excel workpapers (http://skillabyte.com/ and https://hiddenhawkai.com).



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    37 m
  • How to Build Communities of Practice That Actually Work (In a Virtual World, With Real Impact)
    Jul 23 2025

    Originally recorded for: Comparative Agility Podcast with Dee Rhoda

    In this episode, Dee Rhoda chats with Superpowers School host Paddy Dhanda (yes, that's me!) about how Communities of Practice (CoPs) can go from being side projects to powerful tools for collaboration, culture, and learning.

    Drawing from my experience of leading one of the UK's most vibrant visual thinking communities, and creating a new Communities of Practice Health Check with Comparative Agility, I share practical insights on what actually keeps communities alive, what causes them to fizzle out, and how community leaders can stop chasing vanity metrics and start focusing on real impact.

    00:00 Introduction

    00:20 Deep Dive into Communities of Practice

    01:03 Comparative Agility and the Health Check Survey

    05:43 Challenges and Solutions in Community Engagement

    18:45 The 90-9-1 Rule of Participation

    23:12 Virtual Communities and Visual Thinking

    30:05 The Role of AI in Communities of Practice

    34:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    Try the Communities of Practice Health Check from Comparative Agility: Click Here

    This episode was first recorded for the Comparative Agility Podcast, hosted by the brilliant Dee Rhoda.



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    37 m
  • The Value-Driven Business Analyst with Laura Brandenburg
    Jul 15 2025

    Laura Brandenburg, an internationally recognised leader in business analysis, shares insights from her new book, 'Value-Driven Business Analyst,'

    She discusses the importance of aligning business analysis with organisational outcomes. We delve into her eight-step business analysis process, the significance of being value-driven, and how to leverage AI in the field. Laura also talks about her journey into business analysis, her motivations for writing the book, and addresses how business analysts can future-proof their careers in an AI-driven world.

    00:00 Introduction

    01:35 The Role and Impact of Business Analysts

    03:15 Laura's Journey and Insights into Business Analysis

    05:36 The Value-Driven Business Analyst

    23:11 The Eight-Step Business Analysis Process

    26:01 Future-Proofing with AI in Business Analysis

    31:13 Sustainability and Business Value

    33:57 Conclusion and Farewell

    ⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.

    Host: Paddy Dhanda

    Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.

    Contact Paddy: paddy@superpowers.school

    Subscribe to my newsletter:

    👉 Newsletter: https://www.superpowers.school/subscribe

    Guest: Laura Brandenburg

    Laura Brandenburg, CBAP, is an internationally-recognized leader who helps mid-career professionals start and thrive in business analysis careers. She is the founder of Bridging the Gap, author of The Value-Driven Business Analyst and How to Start a Business Analyst Career, and creator of The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program. With over 20 years of experience, Laura is passionate about building the profession one business analyst at a time and empowering others to achieve confidence and success.

    Book: https://www.bridging-the-gap.com/value/

    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BridgingtheGapBA

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabrandenburg/



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    35 m