How We Future: Stories of Hope, Hype, and Gratitude

Assembling Tomorrow: Designing a Thriving Future with Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter

What do you do when the world changes faster than you can make sense of it? The Season 3 finale of How We Future features Stanford educators Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter for a conversation about design, technology, and what it actually means to adapt in a moment of runaway change. Scott and Carissa are the creative and academic leaders behind Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and the co-authors of Assembling Tomorrow, a book that offers language and tools to design a better future. In this episode, you’ll hear: * Why if you feel NUTS! Or “Never Up To Speed,” you’re not alone. * What “bothness” looks like when technologies can simultaneously help and harm * Why speculative fiction and “histories of the future” help us think more clearly about the present * How playful practices like mapping your monsters lower fear and open better conversations This finale invites us to slow down just enough to notice the narratives we’ve inherited, question the ones that no longer serve us, and practice designing — not just reacting — inside uncertainty. Links from the episode; * Assembling Tomorrow [https://dschool.stanford.edu/shop/assembling-tomorrow] by Carissa Carter and Scott Doorley * d.school [http://d.school] mission [https://dschool.stanford.edu/about] * d.school [http://d.school] Design Abilities: “Let’s stop talking about The design process” [https://dschool.stanford.edu/stories/lets-stop-talking-about-the-design-process] * The Secret Language of Maps [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781984858009] by Carissa Carter * Make Space: How To Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration [https://dschool.stanford.edu/shop/make-space] by Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft * Map the problem space [https://dschool.stanford.edu/tools/map-the-problem-space] activity * Scott’s website [https://www.scottdoorley.com/] Follow How We Future: * Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/] * @lisakaysolomon on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisakaysolomon/] * @howwefuture on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@howwefuture] * howwefuture.substack.com [http://howwefuture.substack.com] Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com [hello@howwefuture.com]

How to Bring Your Human to Work with Workplace Strategist Erica Keswin

“The absence of intentionality is a recipe for resentment.” This episode of How We Future features Erica Keswin, a longtime advocate for human-centered leadership and the author of Bring Your Human to Work, Rituals Roadmap, and The Retention Revolution. Lisa and Erica explore how leaders can intentionally design work environments that honor connection, dignity, and trust in an era defined by AI, hybrid work, and constant change. Erica shares three strategies to improve human connection that, data shows, increases ROI, productivity, and morale. In this episode, you’ll hear: * How return to office policies may be working against an organization's best interest * How clear protocols can dramatically improve trust and engagement * Why connection, empathy, and dignity are measurable business advantages * How trust determines whether employees embrace or resist AI and change At a moment when many organizations are defaulting to control, compliance, or exhaustion, this conversation is a reminder that bringing your human to work may be the most future-ready move of all. Links from the episode: * Erica’s website [https://ericakeswin.com/] * Erica’s blog [https://ericakeswin.com/blog/] * Erica on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakeswin/] * Bring Your Human to Work [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781260118094] * Rituals Roadmap [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781260461893] * The Retention Revolution [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781265158682] * EXTRA Commercial [https://youtu.be/jyl8eKa6faA?si=Xj4AqYT4ZfLfon-S] * Thank You For Being Late [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781250141224] by Thomas Friedman Follow How We Future: * Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/] * @lisakaysolomon on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisakaysolomon/] * @howwefuture on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@howwefuture] * howwefuture.substack.com [http://howwefuture.substack.com] Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com [hello@howwefuture.com]

How to Stay Human amid Advancing Technology with Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman & Tech Journalist Chris Shipley

What kind of leadership do we need right now? In this episode of How We Future, Lisa sits down with cognitive scientist and host of The Psychology Podcast Scott Barry Kaufman and longtime technology strategist Chris Shipley to explore what it means to lead with humanity in a world shaped by AI, uncertainty, and nonstop change. The conversation centers on their upcoming book, Leading for Tomorrow, and the question of how we use our most powerful technologies to become more human, not less. Drawing from psychology, history, and decades at the frontier of technological change, Scott and Chris reflect on agency, bravery, and why leadership today is less about control and more about creating the conditions for people to thrive. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why continuous disruption demands a fundamentally different model of leadership * How AI can amplify creativity and self-understanding when used with intention * What it looks like to shift from efficiency and performance toward learning and becoming * Why optimism, humility, and agency are leadership skills we can all practice Let’s try to rethink leadership as a shared, human endeavor where technology supports our best qualities instead of crowding them out, and where the future is something we actively shape together. Links from the episode: * Pre-order Leading for Tomorrow: Unlocking Human Potential in the Era of Continuous Change and Endless Possibility [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Leading+for+Tomorrow%3A+Unlocking+Human+Potential+in+the+Era+of+Continuous+Change+and+Endless+Possibility-p-9781394366279] * If you Pre-order the book, fill out this form to receive special offers! [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOpHlHUFJndMeIyRyhv3nx5iBHudTRHh6ouQLu7AOz5GXLKQ/viewform] * Scott Barry Kaufman’s website [https://scottbarrykaufman.com/] * Chris Shipley’s website [https://www.cshipley.com/] * The Psychology Podcast [https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/] * Scott’s theory on Maslow’s sailboat [https://scottbarrykaufman.com/sailboat-metaphor/] * Scott’s course with Oprah on gratitude [https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a41441542/watch-oprahs-the-life-you-want-class-on-gratitude-dr-scott-barry-kaufman/] Follow How We Future: * Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/] * @lisakaysolomon on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisakaysolomon/] * @howwefuture on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@howwefuture] * howwefuture.substack.com [http://howwefuture.substack.com] Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com [hello@howwefuture.com]

Discover New Ways to Learn (and Teach) with Thought-Leader Sanyin Siang

“Curation is putting two pieces in dialogue with each other. And there’s a dynamism to that.” — Sanyin Siang In this episode of How We Future, Lisa is joined by Sanyin Siang, one of today’s most influential voices on human-centered leadership. Drawing on her work as Executive Director of the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics at Duke University, Sanyin shares how we can build trust, foster meaningful mentorship, and develop the relational skills we’re rarely taught. Sanyin works at the intersection of theory and practice. She designs leadership labs for undergraduate and graduate students at Duke and helps organizations build high-performing cultures in moments of uncertainty. Her insights are shaped by patterns she sees across business, engineering, sports, public service, and space exploration—and by her deep belief that leadership starts with how we treat people. This conversation explores what it really means to learn from others, why curation and connection are core leadership skills, and how mentorship works best when it’s grounded in curiosity rather than checklists. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How to build mentorship relationships without forcing them * Why curation, deciding who and what belongs together, is a critical leadership skill in an algorithm-driven world * How to be a powerful apprentice, even when no formal mentor is present * How to effectively read a bio so you know what questions to ask Whether you’re a student, a manager, or a senior leader, this episode offers practical ways to build stronger relationships, take agency over your learning, and lead with greater intention. Links from the episode: * Sanyin’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanyin/] * Sanyin’s Substack: Superpowers with Sanyin [https://leadershipplaybook.substack.com/] * Sanyin’s LinkedIn Learning Courses [http://structors/sanyin-siang] * Duke’s Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics [https://centers.fuqua.duke.edu/cole/index.html] * Pre-order Leading for Tomorrow by Scott Barry Kaufman and Chris Shipley [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Leading+for+Tomorrow%253A+Unlocking+Human+Potential+in+the+Era+of+Continuous+Change+and+Endless+Possibility-p-9781394366279] * The Geography of Genius by Eric Weiner [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781451691672] Follow How We Future: * Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/] * @lisakaysolomon on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisakaysolomon/] * @howwefuture on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@howwefuture] * howwefuture.substack.com [http://howwefuture.substack.com] Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com [hello@howwefuture.com]

Learn About Futurism with Foresight Specialist Sabrina Sullivan

Why are people inside the same organization planning for completely different futures? In this episode of How We Future, Lisa talks with foresight expert Sabrina Sullivan about what futures work looks like beyond buzzwords and trend decks. Drawing on her experience working with global organizations, like Ford Motor Company and Deloitte, Sabrina explains how shared future scenarios help teams surface assumptions, align decisions, and move forward even in uncertain times. The conversation explores the Foresight Spectrum—a framework that names the many roles foresight practitioners actually play, from explorers and translators to facilitators and connectors. Sabrina emphasizes outcomes: building future literacy, enabling better conversations, and helping turn insight into action. Lisa and Sabrina also dive into the human side of futures work: trust, emotional readiness, and why this work can feel uncomfortable by design. They discuss tools like scenario rehearsal, playful facilitation, and the Leaders for Humanity card deck, all designed to help people practice navigating uncertainty before they’re forced to react to it. The episode closes with Sabrina’s work bringing futures thinking to younger learners and a powerful reminder that asking “What problems do I care about?” may be more important than asking “What job do I want?” In this conversation, you’ll learn: * The different roles futurists actually play day to day * Why uncertainty can be a source of agency rather than anxiety * How practicing the future through play and reflection changes how we lead This episode is a thoughtful look at how we can rehearse what’s ahead, build common language for complexity, and create futures that are more intentional, inclusive, and human. Links from the episode: * Sabrina’s Website [https://www.byandby.ca/] (by+by) * The Foresight Spectrum [https://theforesightspectrum.substack.com/] * Leaders for Humanity card game [https://www.leadersforhumanity.ca/] * Uncertain [https://www.bookpassage.com/book/9781493096954] by Maggie Jackson Follow How We Future: * Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/] * @lisakaysolomon on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisakaysolomon/] * @howwefuture on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@howwefuture] * howwefuture.substack.com [http://howwefuture.substack.com] Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com [hello@howwefuture.com]