Stepsero

Matteo Casini
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

Modern work is demanding. Even for people who are good at what they do, the human complexity around it can be exhausting. Stepsero is a podcast for professionals who want to feel less overwhelmed by it all. Every episode is a focused, honest conversation on one of the topics that make modern work challenging: leadership, communication, difficult conversations, AI, mental well-being, and more. No filler. No hour-long rambles. One short conversation at a time, towards a little more clarity.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    #99: How to give a presentation that actually lands

    Most business presentations fail for the same reason: we confuse the slides with the message. Andrea Pacini has spent his career helping business leaders fix that. Andrea is the author of “Confident Presenter” and “Timeless Presenter”, and head of Ideas on Stage UK. In this conversation, we explore why simplicity is so hard to apply even when everyone agrees it’s the right approach, what Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch can teach us about business communication, and the one principle from Timeless Presenter that Andrea wants every presenter to remember. We also get into the difference between a slide deck and a document, and why confusing the two is one of the most common and costly mistakes in business communication. A practical and honest conversation for anyone who presents, pitches, or communicates ideas at work. Our Guest: Andrea Pacini   Andrea Pacini is the author of Confident Presenter and the upcoming Timeless Presenter (2026). He’s a presentation coach and Head of Ideas on Stage UK. He specialises in helping business owners, leaders and teams deliver clear presentations to prospects – presentations that guide potential clients to the next step. In 2024 he was awarded Best Virtual Speaker in The Speaker Awards. Andrea is on a mission to stop strong ideas from failing because of unclear communication, especially in client-facing situations. His vision is to help hundreds of thousands of business leaders inspire their audiences, increase their influence, and make a positive impact in the world. References: Andrea Pacini LinkedIn profile www.ideasonstage.com/uk   Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    19 min

  2. 5 DAYS AGO

    #98: AI is not replacing you: It’s moving you up the stack

    The dominant narrative around AI and work is built on fear. But is the replacement narrative historically illiterate, and is there a more nuanced argument to make?”. Tessa is the founder and CEO of HireGains.ai, an AI-powered platform, and author of the Human Centric AI newsletter on Substack. In this conversation, we explore three converging forces reshaping the future of work: remote work, generational shift, and AI, and what they mean for knowledge workers trying to figure out where they stand. We also get into the idea of moving up the stack, what it means, why the repetitive transactional work AI takes over is actually an opportunity rather than a threat, and what Tessa believes a good day at work looks like in 2030. A rare and genuinely optimistic take on a topic most people approach with anxiety. Our Guest: Tessa James   Tessa James, CEO and Founder of HireGains.ai, is a talent strategist at the intersection of psychology, organisational transformation, and human-centred technology. With 20 years of experience spanning corporate leadership, talent acquisition, and product thinking, she has worked across global organisations to strengthen teams, accelerate hiring, and reduce misalignment at every level. Tessa’s work is grounded in a simple but often overlooked truth: hiring isn’t broken: our understanding of humans is. That conviction drives her work building HireGains.ai, a next-generation hiring platform that goes beyond matching and automation to help companies see people fully: their skills, alignment, motivation, and the energy they bring to a team. She believes the future of work belongs to organisations that understand humans as deeply as they understand technology, and she’s building the tools to make that possible. References: Tessa James LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    17 min

  3. 18 MAY

    #97: The freedom to overwork

    For most of history, workplaces controlled people by telling them what they couldn’t do. Today the control works differently, by removing all restrictions and letting people push themselves to their own limits. In this conversation, Mark Orlic unpacks what philosopher Byung-Chul Han calls “The Burnout Society” where individuals are both victim and perpetrator of their own exhaustion. We also discuss what AI is doing to the human fabric of organisations, why multitasking is an animal behaviour rather than a human one, and what Mark noticed about himself only after stepping back from corporate life. Our Guest: Mark D. Orlic Mark D. Orlic spent over two decades at Big Four consulting firms, as a Partner and AI Leader, where he advised governments, multinationals, and institutions across Europe on strategy, digital transformation, and the economic forces reshaping the continent. He was responsible for building and leading the AI practice in Germany at a moment when the gap between institutional ambition and institutional readiness was at its most consequential. He brings to his book, Geisterfahrer, what no purely German perspective could: a triple-identity shaped by Croatian roots, an American upbringing, and long-term residency in Germany. It is a vantage point that produces neither the insider’s blind spots nor the outsider’s condescension – only the particular impatience of someone who loves a place enough to tell it the truth. He is a lecturer at the University of Mannheim on social and fiscal policy questions that form the book’s analytical core, and speaks regularly on strategic transformation, Germany’s economic crossroads, and the leadership demands of the AI transition. He lives with his wife and three young children in Germany. References: Mark D. Orlic LinkedIn profile Geisterfahrer: Germany at a Societal, Political and Economic Crossroads (English Edition) Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    18 min

  4. 14 MAY

    #96: Personality, leadership, and remote teams: what the research actually shows

    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Henry Mullins, senior operations and strategy leader, and PhD in industrial-organizational psychology, to dig into what personality traits actually drive leadership performance in virtual and remote settings. Henry shares findings from his research on remote leadership, including where the existing literature falls short, the key theories connecting personality to leadership, and practical strategies you can apply to lead more effectively in a virtual environment. Our Guest: Dr. Henry Mullins Dr. Henry C. Mullins is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel whose career spanned more than thirty years across both enlisted and officer ranks. Beginning his service in 1992, he advanced through a wide range of leadership positions including platoon leader, company commander, battalion staff officer, brigade operations officer, and  brigade deputy commanding officer. His career included deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and reflects a rare blend of tactical, operational, and executive‑level experience. After retiring from the military, Dr. Mullins transitioned into senior leadership roles in the private sector, focusing on technical delivery, organizational effectiveness, and people‑centered leadership. His work draws on both real‑world command experience and the science of human behavior and performance, giving him a distinctive perspective on how leaders and teams operate under pressure, adapt to change, and build sustainable cultures. Dr. Mullins holds a BA in Criminal Justice, an MA in Ancient & Classical History, and a PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, where his research examined virtual leadership, personality, and performance. Today, he continues to support leaders, teams, and organizations seeking clarity, alignment, and measurable improvement—bringing a practitioner‑scholar approach to modern leadership challenges. Outside of his professional work, he stays active through martial arts, mountain biking, skiing, and public service. He lives in Georgia with his wife Buffy and their youngest daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, and is the proud father of Courtney and Madison—herself a U.S. Army veteran. References: Dr Henry Mullins LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    16 min

  5. 12 MAY

    #95: Performance management: The Revolut way

    In a world where performance can make or break a company, creating a high-performance culture is essential. In this post, we dive into a conversation with Andrei Oprisor, the head of the people product department at Revolut, to explore how their internal human resource management system, Revolut People, emphasizes performance and meritocracy. We uncover the key components that drive this approach and how you can implement similar strategies in your organization. Our Guest: Andrei Oprisor Engineer turned product leader, Andrei Oprisor is the creator of Revolut People, the performance management platform that helped scale Revolut to 12,000+ employees across 60+ countries. Originally from Bucharest, Andrei joined Revolut during its early hyper-growth phase as one of the company’s first data engineers. Within months, he was working directly with Revolut’s founder, Nik Storonsky, to tackle a challenge no off-the-shelf software could solve: how to build and scale a high-performance culture, with systems designed around quality, not bureaucracy. What started as an internal tool quickly evolved into Revolut People: a full-stack platform covering goal setting, performance cycles, engagement, compensation, core HR, and recruitment. After five years of internal development and hundreds of thousands performance reviews processed, Andrei now leads the global go-to-market of the product to hundreds of scale-ups building exceptional teams. References: Andrei Oprisor LinkedIn profile https://www.revolut.com/people/   Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    21 min

  6. 11 MAY

    #94: Ambiguity at work: moving forward without all the answers

    Ambiguity at work is not new. Yet, it feels harder than ever, and it’s one of the most underrated sources of anxiety for knowledge workers and leaders alike. Costas (executive coach and former banker) has navigated plenty of uncertainty across his career. In this conversation, we explore how to move forward when the information is incomplete, why the best leaders share the burden of uncertainty rather than carrying it alone, and why ambiguity and lack of clarity are not the same thing, even if they feel identical in the moment. One short conversation. A little more clarity on one of the foggiest parts of modern work. Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas Costas is the Founder & CEO of In Tune Executive Coaching. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. To know more about Costas, please visit any of the links below. References: Costas Kalisperas LinkedIn profile www.intune-exec.com Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

  7. 8 MAY

    #93: Trauma awareness at work, what nobody talks about

    Some children learn that performing is the safest way to stay connected, and that pattern follows them into adulthood. Dr. Caroline Böttiger, psychotherapist and neuroscientist, explores how childhood trauma shapes the way we behave at work, why high achievers often struggle when they’re asked to lead people, and what trauma awareness could mean for how we build healthier workplaces. A rare and honest conversation about attachment styles, psychological safety, and the patterns most organisations never talk about. Our Guest: Caroline Böttiger Dr. Caroline Böttiger holds a PhD in Neuroscience and works as a psychotherapist and business coach in her office “Das Mitte Institut” in Berlin. She also runs a neurofeedback training method to improve mental health, focus and emotional regulation in the brain. In 2019 she published the book “Das Hungertier in Dir” about emotional eating and the connection between mental and physical health. Being an expert in mental health, burnout, leadership, team building and psychological safe communication skills, she provides workshops and coaching for multiple companies in Germany and Europe. References: www.mitte-praxis.de www.mitte-institut.de www.emotional-mind.com Dr Caroline Böttiger Linkedin profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    17 min

  8. 5 MAY

    #92: Hiring in 2026: what candidates and companies get wrong

    Episode Notes Konstanty Sliwowski has spent over two decades in hiring, interviewing more than 12,000 candidates along the way. In this conversation we explore what a broken hiring process actually costs, why mass applying rarely works, and what both candidates and companies get fundamentally wrong. A practical and honest conversation for anyone navigating the job market or responsible for building a team. Our Guest: Konstanty Sliwowski Konstanty Sliwowski is a 3x founder with 2x exits, and Oxford-educated practitioner who has spent over twenty years advising leadership teams across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East on the decisions that shape organisations. He has conducted more than 12,000 interviews, facilitated over 1,000 hires, and today runs School of Hiring, where he works with founders and people leaders on the questions that keep them up at night: Should we hire? Should we promote from within? Should we invest in training? Or is AI now the smarter answer? His argument is simple. Most leaders treat these as separate problems. They are not. They are one decision, and most organisations are making it without a system. References: Konstanty Sliwowski LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

    20 min
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About

Modern work is demanding. Even for people who are good at what they do, the human complexity around it can be exhausting. Stepsero is a podcast for professionals who want to feel less overwhelmed by it all. Every episode is a focused, honest conversation on one of the topics that make modern work challenging: leadership, communication, difficult conversations, AI, mental well-being, and more. No filler. No hour-long rambles. One short conversation at a time, towards a little more clarity.

Information

  • Creator
    Matteo Casini
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Stepsero