Humanity Leads

Tanner Bechtel
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Humanity Leads exists because the leadership conversation got too focused on tools and not enough on people. Founded by Tanner Bechtel — global technology executive and a sought-after voice on empathy, culture, and the human implications of AI — the platform spans a weekly podcast, executive coaching and consulting practice, and a growing archive of essays on leadership and technology. The thesis is simple and stubborn: the next decade of work won't be won by the leaders who automate the most. It will be won by the ones who stay most human while everything around them changes.

  1. Oct 27

    What Mr. Rogers Understood About Leadership

    In 1997, Fred Rogers turned the biggest spotlight of his life into 10 seconds of silence. Here are 3 moves to tell stories where someone else is the hero. Most leaders tell the "hero edit": I saw the problem, I made the call, I fixed it. It turns everyone else into an extra — and extras don't run through walls. In part three of the Humanity Leads storytelling series, Tanner Bechtel shows how to be the guide instead of the hero, and how to tell a 90-second story that makes the people around you feel valued — at work, at home, or around the dinner table. You'll learn: - What Mister Rogers did with his Lifetime Achievement Emmy, and why the room went quiet - The "hero edit," and why "I saved the day" stories make people check out - The IKEA effect: why people care more about what they helped build - Spotlight vs. flashlight: be the guide, not the hero (Yoda, not Luke) - The three moves: their choice, their words, their impact — plus your part in one sentence - Why "Great job, team" isn't real recognition - The study where a few words of thanks led to about 50% more calls Who's someone whose story you should be telling? Give them the credit in one sentence in the comments. RESEARCH & CREDIT - Fred Rogers, Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance, 24th Daytime Emmy Awards (1997) — transcript: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fredrogerslifetimeachievementemmyaward.htm - Donald Miller, Building a StoryBrand (2017) — the idea that the customer is the hero and the brand is the guide - Norton, Mochon & Ariely (2012), "The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love," Journal of Consumer Psychology - Grant & Gino (2010), "A little thanks goes a long way," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology THE STORYTELLING SERIES A four-part series on telling stories people remember — and act on. Part 1 — How to Communicate Better Using Steve Jobs' Rule of Three → https://youtu.be/uiRHZd4MnUY Part 2 — How to Tell a Failure Story That Makes You More Likable (The Pratfall Effect) → https://youtu.be/LhfXKh9jGTA Part 3 — You're watching it Part 4 — How to end it: the one line people carry out the door → coming next week ABOUT THE CHANNEL Humanity Leads with Tanner Bechtel is a weekly show about staying human while everything changes: leadership, communication, intentional living, and technology worth your time. Watch more → https://www.youtube.com/@HumanityLeadsHQ Subscribe → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTtBdPZ5DHO4NdiAiEVbC1w?sub_confirmation=1 #HumanityLeads #Leadership #Storytelling

  2. Oct 13

    How to Tell a Failure Story That Makes You More Likable (The Pratfall Effect)

    The pratfall effect explains why admitting a mistake can make people trust you more — and how to tell a failure story in 60 seconds without losing credibility. In 1966, psychologist Elliot Aronson found that a brilliant quiz contestant who spilled coffee on himself became more likable. An average contestant who did the same became less likable. That fine print is the whole episode. In part two of the Humanity Leads storytelling series, Tanner Bechtel shows why opening with your wins makes people quietly root against you — and why opening with a healed scar builds trust faster than any success story. You'll learn: - The pratfall effect, and the competence catch almost everyone leaves out - What Harvard Business School research found when successful people shared their failures - Sara Blakely's dinner-table question: "What did you guys fail at this week?" - The Four Lines: what broke, what it cost, what I saw, what I do now - How to answer "Tell me about a time you failed" in a job interview It works in a team meeting, a one-on-one, a job interview, or at the kitchen table. What's one scar you'd be willing to share? One sentence in the comments. RESEARCH MENTIONED - Aronson, Willerman & Floyd (1966), "The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness," Psychonomic Science - Brooks et al. (2019), "Mitigating malicious envy: Why successful individuals should reveal their failures," Journal of Experimental Psychology: General - Sara Blakely on her father's dinner-table question (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/03/self-made-billionaire-spanx-founder-sara-blakely-sold-fax-machines-before-making-it-big.html - Johannes Haushofer's CV of Failures, inspired by Melanie Stefan's 2010 Nature column (Times Higher Education): https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/princeton-academics-failure-cv-sparks-debate-success THE STORYTELLING SERIES Part 1 — How to Communicate Better Using Steve Jobs' Rule of Three → https://youtu.be/uiRHZd4MnUY Part 3 — You Are Not the Hero of Your Story → coming next week Subscribe to Humanity Leads with Tanner Bechtel for weekly episodes on leadership, intentional living, and technology worth your time → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTtBdPZ5DHO4NdiAiEVbC1w?sub_confirmation=1 #HumanityLeads #Leadership #PratfallEffect

  3. Oct 7

    How to Communicate Better Using Steve Jobs' Rule of Three

    How to communicate better? Steal Steve Jobs' most powerful tool — the rule of three. In this episode of Humanity Leads, Tanner Bechtel breaks down how Steve Jobs used three simple ideas to launch the iMac, introduce the iPhone as three revolutionary products in one, and deliver the unforgettable Steve Jobs speech at Stanford. You'll learn why our brains remember threes, how to simplify any message, and how to use this for public speaking, presentations, and everyday leadership. If you want stronger communication skills, better presentation skills, and messages that actually stick in a world of endless scroll — this is your playbook. What are YOUR three? Drop them in the comments. Subscribe to Humanity Leads with Tanner Bechtel for weekly episodes on leadership, intentional living, and technology worth your time. https://www.youtube.com/@HumanityLeadsHQ

  4. Sep 18

    Why Your Explanations Fail (And How to Fix Them)

    When someone doesn't understand your explanation, adding more detail can make things worse. Here's how to explain complex ideas clearly without losing the accuracy people need. In this episode of Humanity Leads, Tanner Lee Bechtel draws on Steve Jobs's communication examples to explore a practical leadership skill: giving people a familiar way into a complicated subject. We work through three questions: • What's familiar? • What's different here? • Where does the comparison stop working? You'll learn how to replace jargon with a concrete example, use an analogy without making a false promise, and recognize when a simpler explanation has left out a detail that matters. The goal is to help people understand an idea well enough to question it, contribute their judgment, and use it responsibly. Try this before your next meeting: explain one thing you know well without using its specialist name. Add one limitation your listener needs to understand. Then ask, “What would you expect this to do?” Their answer will show you where to revise. What do you explain often that people still find confusing? Share it in the comments. Subscribe to Humanity Leads for practical conversations about leadership, executive presence, and communicating with care. #CommunicationSkills #ExecutivePresence #Leadership

  5. Sep 15

    Why You Ramble in Meetings--and How to Fix It

    Learn how to stop rambling in meetings without sounding abrupt or leaving out what matters. If you’ve ever given a good answer—and then kept talking until your point disappeared—this episode is for you. I’m Tanner Bechtel, and this is Humanity Leads. In this episode, we’ll work through practical communication skills that help you give a clear answer, keep the necessary nuance, and recognize when it’s time to let someone else respond. You’ll learn: A simple structure for answering questions: answer, reason, next step.Why a neutral face doesn’t automatically mean you need to explain more.How to be concise while being honest about uncertainty.What to say when you catch yourself rambling.A practice exercise you can try before your next meeting. These communication tips are about making your meaning easier to understand while keeping your warmth and personality. That’s a useful kind of executive presence: people leave the conversation knowing what you meant. What question tends to make your answers longer than you intended? Share yours in the comments—please keep names and workplace details private. Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, communication, and the human side of work: Humanity Leads on YouTube Follow me on Instagram: @humanityleadsHQ #CommunicationSkills #ExecutivePresence #HumanityLeads

  6. Sep 1

    Never Run Out of Things to Say Again — Just Picture This House

    Tanner Bechtel shares a unique approach to engaging in meaningful conversations, using a visual map of six places that typical human conversations can go. Each place represents a different aspect of a person's life, allowing for deeper and more enjoyable conversations and a system of never running out of things to talk about. Takeaways Engage in meaningful conversations by exploring six key areas of a person's life.Listening and genuine curiosity are essential for building real human connections during conversations. Chapters 00:00 The Art of Conversation03:09 The Visual Map of Conversation03:40 The House: Home and Origins04:40 The Chimney: Work and Profession05:35 The Jet: Travel and Exploration06:34 The Golf Club: Hobbies and Play08:03 The Trophy: Accomplishments and Pride09:30 The Light Bulb: Ideas and Convictions

  7. Aug 27

    Experts Series: Agentic AI

    The conversation delves into the topics of assurance and observability, the impact of AI on enterprise networking, the role of Model Context Protocol (MCP) in enterprise integration, the future landscape of AI and enterprise, the importance of humanity in the age of AI, fear and opportunity in the age of AI, agentic AI and its applications, learning and leading in the age of AI, and personal leadership and responsibility. Takeaways AI's impact on enterprise networkingThe importance of humanity in the age of AI Chapters 00:00 Understanding Assurance and Observability02:34 The Impact of AI on Enterprise Networking04:28 Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Enterprise Integration07:45 The Future Landscape of AI and Enterprise10:18 The Importance of Humanity in the Age of AI12:06 Fear and Opportunity in the Age of AI14:51 Agentic AI and its Applications17:21 Learning and Leading in the Age of AI20:29 Personal Leadership and Responsibility

  8. Aug 18

    The Four Traits of Insecure Leaders

    In this episode, Tanner explores the subtle nature of insecurity in leaders and its impact on team dynamics. It delves into behavioral indicators of insecurity, the impact on team dynamics, and the difference between genuine courage and the performance of confidence. The key takeaways include the recognition of insecurity in leaders and the importance of self-awareness in leadership. Takeaways Insecurity in leaders can manifest in subtle and harmful waysSelf-awareness and self-doubt are part of leadership, but should not be projected onto the team Chapters 00:00 The Subtle Nature of Insecurity in Leaders03:02 Behavioral Indicators of Insecurity in Leadership08:20 Impact of Insecurity on Team Dynamics12:04 The Difference Between Courage and the Costume of Courage Find Humanity Leads on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever else you go for great podcasts.

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About

Humanity Leads exists because the leadership conversation got too focused on tools and not enough on people. Founded by Tanner Bechtel — global technology executive and a sought-after voice on empathy, culture, and the human implications of AI — the platform spans a weekly podcast, executive coaching and consulting practice, and a growing archive of essays on leadership and technology. The thesis is simple and stubborn: the next decade of work won't be won by the leaders who automate the most. It will be won by the ones who stay most human while everything around them changes.

Information

  • Creator
    Tanner Bechtel
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tanner Bechtel
  • Show Website
    Humanity Leads