Dr. Laura Jana explains that the human abilities we develop earliest—curiosity, self‑management, empathy, adaptability, and creative thinking—are the same ones adults need to navigate today’s fast‑changing, AI‑shaped workplace. She draws on neuroscience and early‑childhood research to show how these capacities are built through environments and interactions, and why they’re becoming even more valuable than technical expertise. Her framework helps leaders see these so‑called “soft skills” as concrete, developable strengths that directly improve collaboration, innovation, and performance.

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AI is advancing so quickly that schools are struggling to keep pace, and learning‑innovation researcher Mario Chiasson argues that this gap is reshaping what students actually need from education. Instead of focusing on memorization, he says the priority should shift toward critical thinking, reflection, and problem‑solving — the human skills that become more valuable as AI takes on routine knowledge work. That shift requires rethinking teacher preparation, redesigning learning environments, and helping students use AI in ways that strengthen their thinking rather than replace it. The big challenge ahead is aligning how students learn with how the world now works.

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Meetings offer one of the clearest windows into an organization — who speaks, how decisions are made, and whether people feel included all reveal the real state of culture and performance. Our latest research shows that when leaders pay attention to these everyday dynamics, culture shifts from something abstract to a measurable driver of alignment, fairness, and better work. Hear more on the Work Better podcast, where Khalil Smith, Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement at Akamai Technologies, unpacks the gap between what leaders think people need at work and what employees actually say they need.

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Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful, argues it’s possible to find joy in our physical environment even if we’re not feeling happy. Ingrid helps us understand how even small changes to our workplace can make a significant difference in how we feel.

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Ninety percent of our day is spent feeling something, which makes it unrealistic to expect emotions to stay out of work. Ethan Kross explains that emotions are useful when kept in proportion, and the real opportunity is helping people shift – not suppress – them. Both personal strategies and the physical environment act as powerful emotional shifters, making space design an overlooked tool for supporting healthier emotional experiences.

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