High Performance Leadership in the Age of AI: Building Self Aware Teams and Meaningful Workplaces
December 4, 2025
Discover how AI is reshaping meaningful work and leadership in this powerful conversation with industry experts Bob Batchelor and Jackie Ferguson. Together, they provide practical strategies for creating self aware leadership, fostering psychological safety, and implementing AI effectively across organizations of all sizes.
Whether you're leading a startup or a Fortune 500 company, gain valuable perspective on building high performing teams through meaningful work and intentional leadership development.
Meaningful work isn't just a perk, it's a fundamental necessity for driving employee engagement, wellbeing, and business success in today's workplace.
In this episode of High Octane Leadership, host Donald Thompson engages in an insightful discussion with Bob Batchelor and Jackie Ferguson about creating meaningful work environments, leveraging AI effectively, and developing self awareness as a leader. The conversation draws from their collective experiences in transforming organizations and building high performance cultures.
What You'll Learn:
In this episode of High Octane Leadership, host Donald Thompson engages in an insightful discussion with Bob Batchelor and Jackie Ferguson about creating meaningful work environments, leveraging AI effectively, and developing self awareness as a leader. The conversation draws from their collective experiences in transforming organizations and building high performance cultures.
What You'll Learn:
- Lead with Purpose: Connect everyday tasks to your organization’s larger mission to create truly meaningful work experiences.
- Adopt AI with Intention: Use the Education → Experimentation → Execution framework to integrate AI responsibly, balancing innovation with transparency and trust.
- Master Self Aware Leadership: Combine humility and confidence to lead authentically, build psychological safety, and drive results that strengthen both culture and the bottom line.
About the Guest(s)
Bob Batchelor is a globally recognized communications strategist, award winning author, and cultural historian. His passion lies at the intersection of business, culture, and storytelling. In executive leadership roles, he has led high performing teams delivering data driven marketing that enhanced thought leadership and drove brand growth. He is also the author of 16 books, editor of 19 books.
Jackie Ferguson is cofounder and vice president of content and programming at The Diversity Movement. A member of the 2023 Inc. Female Founders 200 list, she wrote the bestselling book The Inclusive Language Handbook: A Guide to Better Communication and Transformational Leadership.
Resources:
High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence.