Your Working Life

In this episode, Caroline interviews Jana Werner, an executive in residence at Amazon Web Services. Throughout her career, Jana led transformations across financial services, tech startups, and global logistics to help Fortune 500 leadership teams build more adaptive, customer-focused organizations. She gathers what she's learned in her latest book, The Octopus Organization, co-authored with fellow AWS executive Phil Le-Brun. The book makes the case that most organizations are fundamentally stuck — trapped by bureaucracy, risk-averse systems, and costly top-down transformation efforts that ultimately make things worse. Drawing on the octopus as a model — intelligent, adaptable, and able to act both collectively and independently — the book offers a compelling new blueprint for how organizations can become more fluid and resilient. More from Jana Werner: Learn more about Jana's work and order the book from www.theoctopusorganization.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music in this episode: The Soft Approach by P C III. Free Music Archive, CC BY.

Emily Tedards is a Harvard researcher and senior consultant whose work examines how businesses, governments, and civil society organizations collaborate to tackle complex challenges — from climate change to economic development. Her new book, Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation, co-authored with leadership scholar Linda Hill and former Microsoft executive Jason Wild, argues that in today's era of constant disruption, successful innovation doesn't just happen — it has to be deliberately led. To make this happen, the authors identify three essential leadership roles — the Architect, who builds a culture capable of innovation; the Bridger, who forges partnerships across teams and organizations; and the Catalyst, who activates broader movements across entire ecosystems. More from Emily Tedards: Learn more about Emily's work and her new book at linkedin.com/in/emily-tedards More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music in this episode: The Soft Approach by P C III. Free Music Archive, CC BY.

Dr. Sheila Gujrathi is a biotech entrepreneur and physician who has spent 25 years developing medicines for serious diseases, building biotech companies, and championing women and underrepresented groups in leadership. Her new book, The Mirror Effect: A Transformative Approach To Growth For The Next Generation Of Female Leaders, Dr. Gujrathi offers a roadmap for women and underrepresented professionals to break through the barriers — both internal and external — that hold them back in the workplace. The book is built around the concept of the "Mirror Effect," which describes the transformative power of surrounding yourself with people who reflect your authentic strengths back to you. More from Sheila Gujrathi: Learn more about Sheila's work and order her book at sheilagujrathimd.com More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music in this episode: Hurt by Unheard Music Concepts, Free Music Archive, CC BY

Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and co-founder of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging — the nation's only DEI center based at a law school. In his new book, How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America, co-authored with David Glasgow, Yoshino tackles the urgent question of how institutions can advance equality in the wake of affirmative action's dismantling and relentless attacks on DEI. Drawing on their frontline advisory work following the Supreme Court's 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions, Yoshino and Glasgow offer research-backed strategies for reimagining DEI — from reclaiming the concept of merit to fostering free speech and welcoming groups that felt overlooked by traditional DEI efforts. More from Kenji Yoshino: Order the book and learn more about Kenji's work at kenjiyoshino.com More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music in this episode: Week Thirteen by Ben von Wildenhaus( Free Music Archive)(CC BY)

Dr. Karen Lisko is a persuasion expert with more than 30 years of experience helping professional women amplify their influence in the workplace. Her new book, Kind Dynamite: Six Ways Women Can Use Our Uniquely Explosive Power to Persuade in Meetings, is a game-changer for any woman who wants to show up with confidence and credibility. Dr. Karen makes the case that women don't have to choose between being kind and being direct — in fact, our unique combination of warmth and dynamism is a superpower. More from Karen Lisko: Get Karen's book and learn more about her work at karenlisko.com More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Krista White is a co-founder of Culture Design Lab, where she combines research, in-depth interviews, and storytelling to craft powerful narratives around intentional culture design, inclusion, and racial justice. Caroline talks to Krista about her latest book Culture Design: How to Build a High-Performing, Resilient Organization with Purpose, which offers an invaluable multigenerational perspective and accessible roadmap for creating authentic workplace culture that resonates with teams—especially critical as organizations navigate AI adoption, political turmoil, and evolving work arrangements. More from Krista White: Learn more about Krista's book and other work at thekristawhite.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is challenging the focus on authenticity in his latest book, Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated and What to Do Instead. Caroline interviews Chamorro-Premuzic about our collective obsession with authenticity, exposing a deep disconnect between popular beliefs and what science actually reveals about success and fulfillment. Drawing on three decades of research, he argues that common authenticity principles—like "always be honest," "follow your heart," and "bring your whole self to work"—are enticing traps that derail personal and professional goals, and instead advocates for cultivating the best version of ourselves by being mindful of our reputations, accommodating differing values, and focusing on others rather than rigid self-expression. More from Tomas: You can follow along with Tomas' work on his LinkedIn. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Caroline interviews Samantha Gadd, author of the book Employee Experience Design: How to Co-Create Work Where People and Organizations Thrive. Samantha presents a proven, step-by-step methodology for implementing Employee Experience Design (EXD)—an approach that designs with employees rather than for them, leading to more engaged teams and superior organizational performance. Drawing on decades of HR and leadership experience, the book introduces essential tools including the PREP Framework, which breaks employee experience into Purpose, Relationship, Enabling, and Performance categories, and the Double Diamond design process used by companies like Apple and Microsoft. More from Samantha: Check out more of Samantha's work at samanthagadd.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Lily Zheng is a leading organizational consultant, speaker, and strategist specializing in systemic workplace change. Their latest book, Fixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All, introduces the FAIR Framework—a practical model grounded in Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation—designed to move organizations beyond performative DEI practices toward creating workplaces that are fair by design. More from Lily: Follow Lily on LinkedIn and subscribe to their newsletter, Fixing Fairness, on Substack. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett has dedicated her career to understanding workplace dynamics and leadership. Her updated book, Executive Presence 2.0: Leadership in an Age of Inclusion, builds on her groundbreaking earlier work that identified the essential components of executive presence—gravitas, communication, and appearance—showing how these qualities have evolved in our post-pandemic world. More from Sylvia: Follow Sylvia on LinkedIn and Instagram. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

In this episode, Caroline sits down with Dr. Rebecca Hinds, Stanford-trained organizational behavior expert to discuss one of the workplace's most universal frustrations: unproductive meetings. In her new book, Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done, Rebecca reveals how outdated meeting practices are costing American companies $1.4 trillion annually—and offers a research-backed framework to fix them. Drawing on her work with Fortune 500 companies and her leadership of Asana's Work Innovation Lab, she shares actionable principles like measuring Return on Time Invested, creating "Meeting Doomsday" audits, and designing gatherings that actually drive collaboration and results. More from Rebecca Hinds: Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn or visit her webiste, www.rebeccahinds.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

When the pandemic started in 2020, many employees learned how to work from home for the first time. But six years later, what is the state of work-from-home and is it working? In this episode, Caroline welcomes Dr. Ranya Nehmeh, senior HR strategist and co-author of In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work. The book explains what the evidence actually shows about when in-office, remote, and hybrid arrangements work best—and when they don't. Drawing on real data about career advancement, organizational culture, and employee wellbeing, Ranya offers practical guidance for leaders and employees navigating the future of work, with insights that challenge assumptions on all sides of the debate. More from Ranya Nehmeh: Follow Ranya on LinkedIn and check out her website www.ranyanehmeh.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

In this episode, Caroline sits down with Kathy Miller, a manufacturing executive turned leadership coach and author of MORE Is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence. Kathy has led multi-billion-dollar operations across aerospace, automotive, and industrial sectors, and she brings a unique perspective on building high-performance cultures where people genuinely thrive. Drawing from both her decades in the C-suite and her master's degree in applied positive psychology, she reveals the science-backed strategies that connect meaningful work, optimism, and strong relationships to operational excellence. Whether you're leading from the plant floor or the executive suite, Kathy offers practical tools for engaging every team member's hands, head, and heart—proving that when people flourish, results follow. More from Kathy Miller: Follow Kathy on LinkedIn and check out her website at www.more4leaders.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music Credits for this episode: Kumaon Foothills by Scanglobe is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

In this episode Caroline interviews Debra Clary, author of the new book The Curiosity Curve: A Leader's Guide to Growth and Transformation through Bold Questions. Clary believes curiosity isn't just a nice-to-have soft skill but a competitive edge that drives agility, innovation and collaboration. Drawing from more than three decades of executive experience, she shows leaders how to turn "quiet quitters" into passionate advocates by creating cultures where structured exploration and bold questioning are woven into daily operations. Learn more about Deb and order her book at debraclary.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

If you can tell a good story, you can persuade someone of something. That's the premise of strategic storytelling expert Sally Perkins's new book, From Story to Action. In this episode, Sally and Caroline talk about how neuroscience research shows well-told stories literally sync the brains of listeners with the storyteller—creating shared experiences that drive decisions and inspire action. More from Sally Perkins: Order Sally's book and read more about her work at sallyperkins.net. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

In this episode, Caroline interviews Eveline Shen, a social change strategist who teaches leaders how to navigate oppression, adversity, and complex challenges without compromising their values or burning out. In her new book, Choosing to Lead Against the Current: The Courageous Operating System for Changemakers, Shen shares her revolutionary framework for helping leaders cultivate sustainable power, turn setbacks into sources of strength, and redefine success on their own terms. More from Eveline Shen: Order her book and learn more about her work at her website leadingcourageously.com. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

After Steph Wagner experienced financial devastation following an unexpected divorce—despite being financially savvy person—she transformed her pain into purpose, dedicating her career to ensuring other women never feel financially powerless. In her new book, FLY! A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom and Building a Life You Love, Wagner tackles a sobering reality: 80% of women will manage their finances alone at some point, yet half still defer financial planning to partners. Drawing from both her professional expertise and personal journey, she offers women an empowering, tools-based approach to conquering their fears about money and taking control of their financial futures. Whether you're navigating a life transition, part of the sandwich generation, or simply want to feel more prepared for the unexpected, Wagner's honest and empathetic guidance will help you build the confidence to live life on your own terms. More from Steph Wagner: Order Steph's book and learn more about her work at her website stephlwagner.com. Connect with Steph on LinkedIn. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch. Music credits for episode: Kumaon Foothills by Scanglobe from Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA

Kate Lowry is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author who has made it her mission to help people not just survive but thrive under toxic leadership. In this episode, Caroline interviews Kate about her new book, Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders, where Lowry explains why domineering, manipulative leadership is making a troubling comeback—and offers tactical strategies for maintaining your autonomy when working under such leaders. Drawing from her own experience growing up in a hierarchical family and working in high-pressure environments at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners, she's developed a powerful methodology for understanding and navigating fear-based leaders. More from Kate Lowry: Order Kate's book and learn more about her work at her website, katelowry.com. Connect with Kate on LinkedIn and Substack. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

What if the key to sparking real innovation isn't unlimited freedom—but strategic constraints? In this episode, Caroline sits down with Sheri Jacobs, author and innovation strategist, to explore this counterintuitive fact: boundaries don't stifle creativity, they fuel it. In her latest book, The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Rethinking the Rules, Risks, and Real Drivers of Innovation, Sheri challenges conventional wisdom about creativity and shares practical strategies for making innovation a repeatable habit rather than a lucky accident. Through stories from Pixar to polar expeditions, she shows how the right structure actually nourishes ideas and empowers people to take smarter risks. More from Sheri Jacobs Order Sheri's book at learn more about her work at her website: sherijacobs.com. Connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.

What if the very thing we've been taught drives success is actually holding us back? In this episode, Caroline sits down with Ruchika T. Malhotra, founder of global inclusion strategy firm Candour and author of the groundbreaking new book UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success. Ruchika challenges one of the workplace's most fundamental assumptions: that competition is necessary for excellence. Drawing on her extensive work with major corporations, insights from business leaders, and cutting-edge research, she makes a compelling case that our obsession with competing is actually fueling exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, and isolation—while preventing us from reaching our true potential. More from Ruchika: Buy Ruchika's book and learn more about her work at www.ruchika.co. More from Caroline Dowd-Higgins: Head to carolinedowdhiggins.com to book Caroline as your next keynote speaker, check out her books or get in touch.