From Firefighting to Foresight: How Leaders Can Think Beyond the Crisis

From Firefighting to Foresight: How Leaders Can Think Beyond the Crisis

Joanna Lepore, Global Foresight Strategist and Executive Vice President of Foresight and Global Strategy at Dig Insights, joins Maril to explore what strategic foresight actually means in a business context and why most leaders misunderstand it. With experience building foresight practices from the ground up at Mars Wrigley and McDonald's, Jo challenges the assumption that looking ahead requires abandoning the present and makes the case that even a small amount of space to imagine can unlock better decisions. Resources Mentioned: Joanna Lepore [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalepore/]  DIG Insights  [http://diginsights.com] Jo's Podcast, Looking Outside [https://www.looking-outside.com/] Gagen MacDonald's Five Priorities for 2026 White Paper [https://www.gagenmacdonald.com] ABOUT LET GO & LEAD Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald. Maril brings together provocateurs, pioneers, thought leaders and those leading the conversation around culture, transformation and change. Over the course of the past 14 years, Let Go & Lead has existed in many forms, from video interviews to resource guides to its current iteration as a podcast. At its core, it remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership. Maril is also working on a book incorporating these insights gathered over the past several years from global leaders and change makers. Maril has interviewed over 140 leaders — from business to academia and nonprofits to the arts — through the years. In each conversation, from personal anecdotes to ground-breaking scientific analysis, she has probed the lessons learned in leadership. From these conversations, the Let Go & Lead framework has emerged. It is both a personal and organizational resource that aims to serve the individual leader or leadership at scale. ABOUT GAGEN MACDONALD At Gagen MacDonald, we are dedicated to helping organizations navigate the human struggle of change. We are a people-focused consulting firm and our passion is improving the employee experience — for everyone. For more than 25 years, we have been working with companies to create clarity from chaos by uniting employees across all levels around a single vision so they can achieve results and realize their future. We have been a pioneer in bringing humanity to strategy execution, leading in areas such as organizational communication, culture, leadership and employee engagement. Our Vision is to lift all humanity by transforming the companies that transform the world. Full episodes also available on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A — Gagen MacDonald is a woman-owned, human-focused transformation consulting firm and trusted partner to the C-suite. We specialize in internal communications, employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com. #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalChange #CorporateCulture

Divya Demato | The Shift From Sustainability to True Operational Resilience

Divya Demato [https://www.linkedin.com/in/divyakapasidemato/], CEO and co-founder of https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodopsGoodOps [https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodops], joins Maril to discuss the intersection of supply chain sustainability and operational resilience. With over two decades of experience, Divya explains how business leaders navigate global disruptions and rethink their physical operations. She highlights the importance of maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with suppliers. She also explores how teams use AI as an efficiency tool rather than a replacement for human expertise. Divya emphasizes the critical shift from moving fast and breaking things to moving smart and fixing things. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 01:01 Divya traces her career path and early understanding of global trade. 03:00 The motivation to start independent consulting to protect people and the planet. 06:54 Why leaders shift toward resilience over traditional linear sustainability models. 11:16 Applying the Gartner Hype Cycle to assess corporate sustainability maturity. 15:04 Unlocking fresh solutions by partnering directly with existing teams and suppliers. 18:41 The reality of fast consumer delivery expectations and supply chain impacts. 20:26 How human oversight ensures AI actually improves supply chain efficiency. 26:38 The necessary transition from breaking things to moving smart and fixing things. 29:23 Treating future generations and the natural world as vital business stakeholders. Resources Mentioned: Divya Demato [https://www.linkedin.com/in/divyakapasidemato/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/divyakapasidemato/ GoodOps [https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodops] | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodops GoodOps [https://goodops.co/] | Website  https://goodops.co/ Navigating Geopolitical Disruption: A Supportive Approach for Supply Chain Leaders [https://www.gagenmacdonald.com/blog/navigating-geopolitical-disruption-a-supportive-approach-for-supply-chain-leaders] https://www.gagenmacdonald.com/blog/navigating-geopolitical-disruption-a-supportive-approach-for-supply-chain-leaders ABOUT LET GO & LEAD Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald. Maril brings together provocateurs, pioneers, thought leaders and those leading the conversation around culture, transformation and change. Over the course of the past 14 years, Let Go & Lead has existed in many forms, from video interviews to resource guides to its current iteration as a podcast. At its core, it remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership. Maril is also working on a book incorporating these insights gathered over the past several years from global leaders and change makers. Maril has interviewed over 140 leaders — from business to academia and nonprofits to the arts — through the years. In each conversation, from personal anecdotes to ground-breaking scientific analysis, she has probed the lessons learned in leadership. From these conversations, the Let Go & Lead framework has emerged. It is both a personal and organizational resource that aims to serve the individual leader or leadership at scale. ABOUT GAGEN MACDONALD At Gagen MacDonald, we are dedicated to helping organizations navigate the human struggle of change. We are a people-focused consulting firm and our passion is improving the employee experience — for everyone. For more than 25 years, we have been working with companies to create clarity from chaos by uniting employees across all levels around a single vision so they can achieve results and realize their future. We have been a pioneer in bringing humanity to strategy execution, leading in areas such as organizational communication, culture, leadership and employee engagement. Our Vision is to lift all humanity by transforming the companies that transform the world. Full episodes also available on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525]  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A [https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A]  — Gagen MacDonald is a woman-owned, human-focused transformation consulting firm and trusted partner to the C-suite. We specialize in internal communications, employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com. #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalChange #CorporateCulture

Mary Berner | Turning Around a Toxic Culture

Mary Berner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-berner-a36b996b/], president and CEO of Cumulus Media Inc. [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cumulus-media-llc/], joins Maril to discuss transforming a toxic company culture into a major corporate asset. Drawing on her extensive background in media, Mary shares her journey of stepping into a struggling organization and using radical transparency to rebuild trust. She details how open communication, regular employee surveys and vulnerability at the leadership level helped stabilize a massive workforce.  As Mary Burner's story reminds us, a leader's job has never been more complex. Each year, we publish Gagen McDonald's priorities paper to help leaders navigate this complexity and keep humans at the centre as they do. Download [https://go.gagenmac.com/40k49U0] it on our site. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 01:58 Direct questions to employees uncover the real root of systemic issues. 05:08 Culture acts as a reservoir of trust when tough decisions arise. 08:29 Fixing a toxic culture requires a clear framework and measurable milestones. 13:59 Leaders build trust through honest answers and transparent survey results. 20:06 Organizational restructuring must reinforce the culture you want to build. 26:27 “Highest and best use” helps teams focus on what they can control. 29:35 Vulnerability from leaders strengthens connection and trust with employees.  Resources Mentioned: Mary Berner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-berner-a36b996b/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-berner-a36b996b/ Cumulus Media Inc. [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cumulus-media-llc/] | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cumulus-media-llc/ Cumulus Media Inc. [https://www.cumulusmedia.com/] | Website https://www.cumulusmedia.com/ Gagen MacDonald’s Five Priorities in 2026 for Human-Centric Leaders [https://www.gagenmacdonald.com/blog/white-paper-five-priorities-in-2026-for-human-centric-leaders] https://www.gagenmacdonald.com/blog/white-paper-five-priorities-in-2026-for-human-centric-leaders ABOUT LET GO & LEAD Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald. Maril brings together provocateurs, pioneers, thought leaders and those leading the conversation around culture, transformation and change. Over the course of the past 14 years, Let Go & Lead has existed in many forms, from video interviews to resource guides to its current iteration as a podcast. At its core, it remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership. Maril is also working on a book incorporating these insights gathered over the past several years from global leaders and change makers. Maril has interviewed over 140 leaders — from business to academia and nonprofits to the arts — through the years. In each conversation, from personal anecdotes to ground-breaking scientific analysis, she has probed the lessons learned in leadership. From these conversations, the Let Go & Lead framework has emerged. It is both a personal and organizational resource that aims to serve the individual leader or leadership at scale. ABOUT GAGEN MACDONALD At Gagen MacDonald, we are dedicated to helping organizations navigate the human struggle of change. We are a people-focused consulting firm and our passion is improving the employee experience — for everyone. For more than 25 years, we have been working with companies to create clarity from chaos by uniting employees across all levels around a single vision so they can achieve results and realize their future. We have been a pioneer in bringing humanity to strategy execution, leading in areas such as organizational communication, culture, leadership and employee engagement. Our Vision is to lift all humanity by transforming the companies that transform the world. Full episodes also available on: Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525 Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A — Gagen MacDonald is a woman-owned, human-focused transformation consulting firm and trusted partner to the C-suite. We specialize in internal communications, employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com. #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalChange #CorporateCulture #EmployeeEngagement

Tim Gabel | Delivering True Transformation Through Disruption

Tim Gabel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgabel/], President and CEO of RTI International [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rti-international/], joins Maril to reflect on leading a mission-driven scientific organization through growth, disruption and profound change. Drawing on more than four decades at RTI, Tim shares how purpose, transparency and disciplined decision-making shape his approach to leadership. Tim explores the responsibility of moving from peer to CEO, the balance between science and art in leadership, and what it takes to guide people through uncertainty while staying grounded in values. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 04:41 A leadership journey shaped by mentorship, curiosity and long-term commitment. 07:21 Why moving from peer to CEO changes everything. 10:41 Blending scientific rigor with the human side of leadership. 13:49 Applying the Stockdale Paradox to lead with realism and hope. 16:58 Leading transparently through major federal funding cuts. 19:24 Turning crisis into an opportunity to redesign the organization. 23:26 Using purpose and a North Star goal to sustain morale and momentum. 26:20 Why leaders must let go of perfection and the past. Resources Mentioned: Tim Gabel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgabel/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgabel/ RTI International [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rti-international/] | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/rti-international/ RTI International [https://www.rti.org/] | Website https://www.rti.org/ ABOUT LET GO & LEAD Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald. Maril brings together provocateurs, pioneers, thought leaders and those leading the conversation around culture, transformation and change. Over the course of the past 14 years, Let Go & Lead has existed in many forms, from video interviews to resource guides to its current iteration as a podcast. At its core, it remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership. Maril is also working on a book incorporating these insights gathered over the past several years from global leaders and change makers. Maril has interviewed over 140 leaders — from business to academia and nonprofits to the arts — through the years. In each conversation, from personal anecdotes to ground-breaking scientific analysis, she has probed the lessons learned in leadership. From these conversations, the Let Go & Lead framework has emerged. It is both a personal and organizational resource that aims to serve the individual leader or leadership at scale. ABOUT GAGEN MACDONALD At Gagen MacDonald, we are dedicated to helping organizations navigate the human struggle of change. We are a people-focused consulting firm and our passion is improving the employee experience — for everyone. For more than 25 years, we have been working with companies to create clarity from chaos by uniting employees across all levels around a single vision so they can achieve results and realize their future. We have been a pioneer in bringing humanity to strategy execution, leading in areas such as organizational communication, culture, leadership and employee engagement. Our Vision is to lift all humanity by transforming the companies that transform the world. Full episodes also available on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525]  Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A [https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A]  Gagen MacDonald is a woman-owned, human-focused transformation consulting firm and trusted partner to the C-suite. We specialize in internal communications, employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com. #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalChange #CorporateCulture

Mick Ebeling | Mastering Team Impact by Eliminating Distractions

Mick Ebeling [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickebeling/], Founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs [https://www.linkedin.com/company/not-impossible/], shares his journey from filmmaking to human-centered innovation. He talks about creating technology for real people and building teams around purpose rather than expertise. Mick touches on egoless leadership, the power of storytelling and why solving for one person can unlock scalable impact. He also explores failure, change and how leaders can remove distractions to help teams do their best work. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 01:48 Meaningful innovation often begins with empathy for a real human problem. 04:41 Leaders can commit to ambitious goals before knowing how to achieve them. 11:03 Focusing on one person can create clarity and broader impact. 14:52 Failure plays a critical role in learning and long-term progress. 17:00 Removing ego helps teams stay aligned on purpose and outcomes. 20:49 Naivete and fresh perspectives can challenge limiting status quos. 23:48 Change is constant, and resisting it often creates more risk than embracing it. 28:45 Letting go of ego allows leaders to adapt, learn and lead more effectively. Resources Mentioned: Mick Ebeling [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickebeling/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickebeling/ Not Impossible Labs [https://www.linkedin.com/company/not-impossible/] | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/not-impossible/ Not Impossible Labs [http://www.notimpossible.com] | Website http://www.notimpossible.com TED Talks [https://www.ted.com/] https://www.ted.com/ Time Magazine [https://time.com/] https://time.com/ The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) [https://www.moma.org/] https://www.moma.org/ ABOUT LET GO & LEAD Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald. Maril brings together provocateurs, pioneers, thought leaders and those leading the conversation around culture, transformation and change. Over the course of the past 14 years, Let Go & Lead has existed in many forms, from video interviews to resource guides to its current iteration as a podcast. At its core, it remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership. Maril is also working on a book incorporating these insights gathered over the past several years from global leaders and change makers. Maril has interviewed over 140 leaders — from business to academia and nonprofits to the arts — through the years. In each conversation, from personal anecdotes to ground-breaking scientific analysis, she has probed the lessons learned in leadership. From these conversations, the Let Go & Lead framework has emerged. It is both a personal and organizational resource that aims to serve the individual leader or leadership at scale. ABOUT GAGEN MACDONALD At Gagen MacDonald, we are dedicated to helping organizations navigate the human struggle of change. We are a people-focused consulting firm and our passion is improving the employee experience — for everyone. For more than 25 years, we have been working with companies to create clarity from chaos by uniting employees across all levels around a single vision so they can achieve results and realize their future. We have been a pioneer in bringing humanity to strategy execution, leading in areas such as organizational communication, culture, leadership and employee engagement. Our Vision is to lift all humanity by transforming the companies that transform the world. Full episodes also available on: Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525]  Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A [https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A]  Gagen MacDonald is a woman-owned, human-focused transformation consulting firm and trusted partner to the C-suite. We specialize in internal communications, employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com [http://www.gagenmacdonald.com].  #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalChange #CorporateCulture