351: Navigating Leadership in the Age of AI

351: Navigating Leadership in the Age of AI

351: Navigating Leadership in the Age of AI

What if you had to step into a CEO role at just 22, with no formal business training? That’s exactly what Thiago Da Costa did, and he quickly discovered that leadership is best learned on the job. In this episode, Thiago shares what it was like to build and grow a company that Autodesk later acquired, leading teams of up to 300 people and adapting to constant organizational change. He reflects on the lessons learned about authenticity, cultural alignment, and the compromises leaders must navigate to stay true to their values while driving results.

You’ll also hear how Thiago is now leveraging AI to shape the future of work. From hiring and skill development to automating routine tasks, Thiago offers a fascinating look at how AI can enhance—not replace—human leadership. He shares practical insights about using AI for personalized guidance, preparing for tough conversations, and freeing leaders to focus on what matters most: engaging meaningfully with people. His vision of AI as a partner in leadership offers a compelling roadmap for today’s leaders who want to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Thiago is a product visionary, an AI futurist, and a serial entrepreneur. He sold his first company to Autodesk and is now building the future of work with Datagrid, where he’s Founder and CEO. Datagrid is an AI platform that turns your company’s data into intelligent agents. These agents automate workflows, surface real-time insights, and supercharge decision-making.

You’ll discover:

  • The hard-earned lessons Thiago acquired as a first-time CEO at 22.
  • Why aligning with an organization’s culture and DNA is essential.
  • How AI agents are transforming routine business tasks.
  • Ways AI can enhance communication and feedback for leaders.
  • The future of hiring in an AI-driven workplace.

Watch the episode:

Connect with Thiago

Thiago’s Website

Datagrid.com 

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

350: Creating Yourself, Others, and Your World

350: Creating Yourself, Others, and Your World

350: Creating Yourself, Others, and Your World

What if you realized you’re already creating every moment of your life—yourself, others, and the world around you? In this milestone 350th episode, I reflect on what it truly means to be a creator in all three areas. Drawing inspiration from master coaches Steve Hardison and Steve Chandler, I explore how daily intentions, conscious thoughts, and deliberate actions shape who we become and how we experience others. You’ll be inspired to see every encounter and circumstance as an opportunity to create something meaningful—with kindness, awareness, and purpose.

You’ll discover:

  • How to consciously create the person you want to be each day.
  • Why your thoughts and beliefs “create” how others show up for you.
  • A powerful way to bring intention to every interaction.
  • How to transform challenges by asking, “What do I want to create?”
  • The liberating truth that you are already a powerful creator.

Watch the episode:

Connect with Meredith

          

Related Podcast Episodes

122: Making the Most of Your Moments

 

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

349: Leadership That Moves People and Missions Forward

349: Leadership That Moves People and Missions Forward

349: Leadership That Moves People and Missions Forward

What does it take to lead with both speed and heart? Danielle Fette shares how her leadership in regenerative medicine is shaped by trust, courage, and a relentless focus on impact. She reveals why running a lean company allows for faster decisions, more agility, and better outcomes—and how these same principles apply to anyone leading a team or organization. You’ll hear how she built a culture that clears roadblocks quickly and puts people first, while staying laser-focused on purpose.

Danielle also opens up about the leadership skills that matter most: hiring for curiosity and energy, creating safe spaces for honest dialogue, and approaching tough conversations with empathy. She emphasizes the role of self-awareness, intuition, and listening deeply to guide decisions and strengthen relationships. Her story offers powerful lessons for every leader who wants to combine courage, clarity, and compassion to achieve meaningful results.

Danielle is Co-founder and CEO of FetTech. She’s deeply passionate about transforming lives through groundbreaking advancements in regenerative medicine. She’s dedicated her career to developing innovative, FDA-cleared medical devices that empower the body to heal naturally—and to address some of the world’s most catastrophic injuries, diseases, and viruses.

You’ll discover:

  • How lean leadership accelerates decisions and outcomes.
  • Practical ways leaders can hire for curiosity and energy.
  • Why trust and transparency are vital to team success.
  • How empathy transforms difficult leadership conversations.
  • The role of self-awareness in effective leadership.

Watch the episode:

Connect with Danielle

    

Danielle’s Website

FetTech

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

348: Transforming from Manager to True Leader

348: Transforming from Manager to True Leader

348: Transforming from Manager to True Leader

 

What’s the real difference between managing and leading? Mark Hinderliter, former C-suite executive, business owner, and consultant, explains how shifting from managing processes to inspiring people can transform both your leadership and your organization. Drawing from his book From Manager to Leader: 6 Practices that Accelerate Transformation and his own journey, he shares practical lessons on growing through mistakes and focusing on what matters most.

You’ll also hear why trust is the foundation of strong teams and how leaders can show character, competence, connection, and consistency. Mark shares practical insights on balancing accountability with support, giving clear feedback, and creating clarity through active listening. His stories and strategies will help you reflect on your own leadership and take steps to strengthen both relationships and results.

Mark is the creator of Diamond Quality Leadership©, a workshop designed to help managers lead today’s workforce. As a senior leader in the corporate arena, Mark has taught and coached hundreds of leaders at all levels in eight countries. In his own business, Mark has coached leaders from the Director level up to the CEO.

You’ll discover:

  • The key distinction between managing tasks and leading people
  • How trust impacts culture, engagement, and performance
  • Why accountability is a vital part of servant leadership
  • Ways to improve clarity in giving feedback and instructions
  • Six practices that accelerate your growth as a leader

Watch the episode:

 

Connect with Mark

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

347: Creating a Culture of Wellbeing at ESPN

347: Creating a Culture of Wellbeing at ESPN

347: Creating a Culture of Wellbeing at ESPN

 

What would change if you paused before reacting? In this conversation, you’ll discover how mindfulness can transform both your leadership and your daily life. Anita Barbero shares her journey from running a fitness business to leading wellness initiatives at ESPN, where she partnered with senior executives to embed wellbeing practices across the organization. She explains how listening deeply to employees and integrating mindfulness into corporate culture created lasting positive results for both individuals and the company.

Anita also brings mindfulness down to earth with practical strategies leaders can use every day. From mindful eating to noticing tension in your body, she shows how small moments of awareness can make a big difference in resilience, compassion, and decision-making. You’ll hear how leaders can prevent burnout, foster empathy, and create supportive environments when wellbeing is prioritized.

Anita is the CEO of Renew Your Health, where she helps companies like ESPN and Disney embed sustainable wellbeing into their culture. She creates tailored, high-impact programs that address stress, burnout, and disengagement and turn them into energy, resilience, and renewed purpose.

This is a woman who is using her gifts to foster environments where leaders lead with empathy, teams perform with clarity, and health becomes the foundation of success.

You’ll discover:

  • Why mindfulness is different from meditation and easier to apply at work.
  • How leaders can pause and respond instead of reacting under stress.
  • Practical strategies for integrating wellbeing into your daily routine.
  • The benefits of mindful eating and taking true breaks during the day.
  • How embedding wellness into leadership training builds stronger cultures.

Watch the episode:

 

Connect with Anita

      

Anita’s Website

Anita Barbero

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

346: How Shaw Communications Built a Culture of Care

346: How Shaw Communications Built a Culture of Care

346: How Shaw Communications Built a Culture of Care

What does it look like when leadership is rooted in genuine care for people? In this conversation, you’ll hear how Peter Bissonnette’s experiences in a monastery and in the corporate world shaped a philosophy of service, humility, and trust. His journey shows that caring isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation for lasting impact with employees and customers alike.

With stories, Peter illustrates how leaders can bring humanity into business while still driving growth and innovation. From customer service initiatives that prioritize connection to employee engagement practices that value feedback, you’ll discover how an organization can thrive when its culture is built on compassion, humility, and treating people like family.

Peter is the former president of Shaw Communications Inc., one of Canada’s leading telecommunications companies. With more than three decades of experience in the cable, internet, and media industries, Peter played a pivotal role in transforming how Canadians connect and communicate.Peter has recently published a very inspiring memoir, Count on Me: My Life, Lessons, and Legacy as Former President of Shaw Communications. Peter is not just an exceptional leader, he’s also a remarkable human being. You’re sure to be inspired by a man who experienced unbelievable adversity and trauma as a boy, then created a life that’s grounded in integrity, empathy, and trust.

You’ll discover:

  • Peter’s early life experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy.
  • The values that run through Peter’s book, Count On Me.
  • Why vulnerability and humility strengthen leadership impact.
  • Practical ways Shaw Communications fosters customer loyalty and trust.
  • How employee engagement and customer feedback transformed company culture.

Watch the episode:

Connect with Peter

      

Related Podcast Episodes

160: How to Unlock the Potential in Others

 

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell