Episode 107

Caroline Stokes: Leading in a world of systemic shocks

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When the world is breaking apart what kind of leader do you need to be?

With the environmental, technological and societal challenges we face our systems and playbooks can no longer be fit for purpose. So, who must we become to tackle the most pressing problems we are facing?

My guest in this episode, Caroline Stokes, author of AfterShock to 2030 is trying to answer these questions. Her book is a wake-up call for leaders, arguing that if we want to thrive in the next five years, we must rewrite, not just tinker with the operating system of leadership.

We explore how CEOs can use AI as an enhancement, as a multiplier, rather than a mask, and why neuroplasticity might just be able to help us with the meaning of life.

There couldn’t be a more prescient, deeply personal conversation that is essential for leaders of today and tomorrow. So, what kind of leader are you going to be?

You’ll hear about:

Why leading during systemic shocks requires a new operating system
How hope becomes an antidote to global complexity and despair
The role of AI as a leadership multiplier, not a mask
How to regulate your nervous system to lead under pressure
Why pattern recognition is essential for navigating uncertainty
The importance of extreme accountability in leadership teams

More about Caroline

A global leadership strategist for the Fifth Industrial Revolution, Caroline Stokes is the author of AfterShock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse, a radical roadmap for leaders navigating our disruptive new reality.

A Sony alum who contributed to the launch of PlayStation, and a PCC-level, EQ 2.0–certified coach, Caroline has evolved from executive headhunter to one of the few global authorities on psychological and strategic leadership reinvention. She works with founders, boards, and executive teams to build intelligent, sovereign, and trust-based systems aligned with the complexity of our time.

She is also the author of Elephants Before Unicorns: Emotionally Intelligent HR Strategies to Save Your Company (2019), a co-author in the HBR Guide to Navigating the Toxic Workplace (2024), and contributor to Coach Me! (2022). Her insights have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Globe and Mail.

Caroline’s profile
Caroline’s book AfterShock to 2030

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“Hope is the first step.”

Caroline Stokes — author & coach

VIEW RUNNING ORDER

03.57	Leading through systemic shocks.
06.25	Hope as an antidote to complexity.
09.24	Leaving behind outdated mindsets.
10.40	Extreme accountability in leadership.
14.14	AI as a leadership multiplier.
17.30	Radical listening in action.
21.52	Pattern recognition in uncertainty.
29.55	Regulating your nervous system.
34.24	CEO’s first 100 days.
40.40	Reinventing yourself as a leader.
44.52	Caroline’s impact and legacy.