Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract

Dan Pontefract
  • 5.0 (5)
  • BUSINESS

Dan Pontefract is an award-winning author, leadership strategist, and culture change expert. Dan's podcast explores all aspects of leadership, organizational culture, purpose, and professional development. Dan is the best-selling author of five books: WORK-LIFE BLOOM, LEAD. CARE. WIN., OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT, and FLAT ARMY. A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Dan is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business, and has garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career. Previously, as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS—a Canadian telecommunications company with revenues of $14 billion and 50,000 global employees—he launched the Transformation Office, the TELUS MBA, and the TELUS Leadership Philosophy, all award-winning initiatives that dramatically helped to increase the company’s employee engagement to record levels of nearly 90%. Prior to TELUS, he held senior roles at SAP, Business Objects, and BCIT. He is honoured to be on the Thinkers50 radar list.

  1. Change Fluency with Author Jay Kiew

    3D AGO

    Change Fluency with Author Jay Kiew

    If change is constant, why do so many workplaces still treat it like an occasional project—complete with a timeline, a comms plan, and a hope that people “buy in”? Jay Kiew argues that this is exactly why leaders keep running into fatigue, cynicism, and whiplash. In his book "Change Fluency: 9 Principles to Navigate Uncertainty and Drive Innovation," Jay’s thesis is straightforward: change can’t be managed; it requires fluency—built through mindset, norms, and cultural conditions that help people adapt without detaching from the work. In this episode of Leadership NOW, Jay and Dan explore: the four change mindsets, the “Discover, Design, Differentiate” framework, the five chains that stall transformation, organizational learned helplessness, and why the tyranny of the urgent has become one of the most ruthless blockers of creativity and better leadership decisions. More about Jay Kiew: https://changefluency.com More about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com

    44 min
  2. When Learning Finally Becomes The Work with Lori Niles-Hofmann

    12/20/2025

    When Learning Finally Becomes The Work with Lori Niles-Hofmann

    Corporate learning used to measure success by the size of its course catalogue and the number of completions. That world is fading. Employees now have access to commercial-grade learning inside tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and leaders expect proof that learning actually shifts performance, culture and results. Lori Niles-Hofmann thinks this is the reckoning the profession has needed for years. Lori is a long-time learning strategist and co-founder of Eight Levers, with more than twenty years of experience in L&D across international banking, consulting and marketing. She specializes in large-scale digital learning transformation and helps organizations use data, platforms and design to make learning a business driver instead of a content factory. Her book, "The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation: A Field Guide to the New Future-Focused L&D," lays out a practical model for CLOs who know that the role must evolve. In this episode of Leadership NOW, we talk about: • Why L&D will be under extreme pressure from external learning experiences if it does not change • What it means to stop being a course factory and start running campaigns built around triggers and performance • Her view of the LMS as invisible middleware, living inside tools like Copilot, rather than a portal people “go to” • How to work with HR, IT and finance as part of a skills supply chain instead of a standalone training shop • The learning–work continuum, where every task can become a learning opportunity that feeds directly into output • Learning triage, closed-loop reporting and how data can move L&D from order taker to strategic partner Lori also shares why she believes we are only millimeters away from truly contextualized, personalized learning experiences at scale, and what learning leaders must do now to be ready. Find out more: Lori Niles-Hofmann: https://www.loriniles.com/ Dan Pontefract and the Leadership NOW podcast: https://www.danpontefract.com

    36 min
  3. Leadership In The Longevity Era with Leanne Clark-Shirley (American Society on Aging)

    12/11/2025

    Leadership In The Longevity Era with Leanne Clark-Shirley (American Society on Aging)

    There is a demographic shift hiding in plain sight. In a few short years, the United States will have more people over 60 than children under 18. For Leanne Clark-Shirley, that statistic is not a curiosity for actuaries. It is “the mega trend of our moment” and a direct test of how leaders think about work, culture and contribution. Leanne is the President and CEO of the American Society on Aging, a seventy-one-year-old professional home for everyone who cares about aging, from community nutrition sites and academics to tech startups and interior designers. She is a social gerontologist who has spent more than two decades in aging-related nonprofit, consulting and academic roles, including senior work at AARP and in policy research and evaluation. In this episode of Leadership NOW, we discuss: • why executives continue to treat aging as a backstage topic about benefits and pensions • how language, especially words like “elderly”, quietly swindles older workers out of opportunity • the evidence that older entrepreneurs and older workers are powerful sources of innovation and stability • the practical moves leaders can make to design “with, not for” across ages • two simple experiments Leanne recommends to change how you notice age in your own life and organization Leanne also shares ASA’s North Star, captured in her line that “longevity is the goal, and aging is how we get there”, and what it means for leaders who want their organizations to thrive in the longevity era. Find out more: American Society on Aging: https://www.asaging.org Dan Pontefract: www.danpontefract.com

    36 min
  4. Ron Tite: Purpose Is A Growth Strategy

    12/06/2025

    Ron Tite: Purpose Is A Growth Strategy

    Purpose has become the corporate word of the decade, yet in many organizations it behaves more like a slogan than a strategy. In this Leadership NOW conversation, I sit down with Ron Tite, author of "The Purpose of Purpose," to explore what changes when leaders treat purpose as a true engine of growth rather than a glossy story for the website. We dig into the tension between what organizations claim to stand for and what people actually experience, the danger of turning purpose into a marketing side project, and the discipline required to align actions with beliefs over time. Ron and I talk about the link between purpose and performance, why employees and customers both use it as a trust barometer, and how leaders can close the gap between the PowerPoint version of purpose and the lived reality inside the firm. If you are wrestling with culture, growth, and credibility in your own leadership, this episode offers a candid, practical lens on what purpose can be when you take it seriously. More information about Ron Tite: https://rontite.com/books More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

    37 min
  5. Dr. Megan Gerhardt On Gentelligence And Leading Across Generations

    11/25/2025

    Dr. Megan Gerhardt On Gentelligence And Leading Across Generations

    Dr. Megan Gerhardt joins Leadership NOW to unpack Gentelligence, her research-driven approach to leading an intergenerational workforce. We talk about why the narrative around generations has been so negative and how chronocentrism quietly convinces each age group that its way is the only right way to work. Megan explains how Gentelligence reframes age differences as a form of intelligence rather than a headache and why standards can stay high even as leaders expand the paths people take to meet them. We get into mental health expectations, feedback styles, and the small clashes that can either harden into resentment or become fuel for better practice. We close with practical ideas for building age-inclusive climates on purpose, from mutual mentoring and cross-generational projects to benefits and learning programs that work for early-career talent and older workers alike. More information about Megan Gerhardt: https://www.gentelligence.org/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

    39 min
  6. Serve the Customer’s Customer with Executive Coach Shakeel Bharmal

    11/10/2025

    Serve the Customer’s Customer with Executive Coach Shakeel Bharmal

    Shakeel Bharmal lays out a practical playbook for relevance and performance. Begin with the customer’s customer to escape your own lens and create value that sticks. Coach as your default leadership stance—“Leadership is 80% about being a coach.” Make strategy a conversation that welcomes challenge and builds a stronger team, not just a document—“The real opportunity is digging into the genius in the room.” Use AI to deepen thinking—ask it to interview you—while resisting “cut and paste” shortcuts. For more information about Shakeel Bharmal, visit: https://www.shakeelbharmal.com/ For more information about Dan Pontefract, visit www.danpontefract.com

    37 min
  7. James Root of Bain & Company - Designing Work Around Six Archetypes

    10/14/2025

    James Root of Bain & Company - Designing Work Around Six Archetypes

    James Root of Bain & Company unpacks "The Archetype Effect"—six distinct motivations that show up across roles, industries, and countries—and why a one-path ladder misses most of the value. We explore how to design work around what people actually care about, not what old systems assume. We get practical: keep the ladder for Strivers while building credible paths for Artisans, Explorers, Givers, and Pioneers. We also push back on generational clichés and discuss how country context and career era shape what matters. Finally, we look at older-worker design, the rise of interesting work and autonomy, and the importance of intentional knowledge capture so wisdom keeps moving. James points to Bain’s quick worker-archetype quiz as a low-stakes way for teams to compare notes and improve collaboration. More information about James Root: https://www.bain.com/insights/books/the-archetype-effect/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

    37 min
  8. CEO Victoria Tomlinson on Unretirement, Age Inclusion, and Older Workers

    09/30/2025

    CEO Victoria Tomlinson on Unretirement, Age Inclusion, and Older Workers

    Victoria Tomlinson, chief executive of Next-Up, FRSA, BBC Expert Woman, bestselling author, TEDx and international speaker, explains how to value and invest in 50+ talent before and after retirement. We explore the Three R’s—recruitment, retention, redundancy by age—succession done properly, tech confidence vs. capability, and intergenerational teams. Victoria’s track record spans EY’s leadership team, 30 years at Northern Lights, and WILD Digital, plus her Re-think Retirement podcast. At the age of 63, Victoria founded Next-Up, a firm that helps employers to maximize the value of 50+ workers, have difficult conversations, and remotivate employees in their last years at work. More information about Victoria Tomlinson: https://next-up.com/ More information about Dan Pontefract: https://www.danpontefract.com/

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Dan Pontefract is an award-winning author, leadership strategist, and culture change expert. Dan's podcast explores all aspects of leadership, organizational culture, purpose, and professional development. Dan is the best-selling author of five books: WORK-LIFE BLOOM, LEAD. CARE. WIN., OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT, and FLAT ARMY. A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Dan is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business, and has garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career. Previously, as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS—a Canadian telecommunications company with revenues of $14 billion and 50,000 global employees—he launched the Transformation Office, the TELUS MBA, and the TELUS Leadership Philosophy, all award-winning initiatives that dramatically helped to increase the company’s employee engagement to record levels of nearly 90%. Prior to TELUS, he held senior roles at SAP, Business Objects, and BCIT. He is honoured to be on the Thinkers50 radar list.

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