“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
• Sanyin’s Substack: Superpowers with Sanyin
• Sanyin’s LinkedIn Learning Courses
• Duke’s Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics
• Pre-order Leading for Tomorrow by Scott Barry Kaufman and Chris Shipley
• The Geography of Genius by Eric Weiner

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com