You don't have to fix what failed you. You can build what frees you.

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon and Nilofer Merchant talk about Nilofer’s new book, Our Best Work, and why to question the invisible norms that are limiting the way we work and lead.

Nilofer argues that many of the ways we measure work today focus on what has already happened—revenue, productivity, efficiency—rather than the leading indicators that tell us whether we’re actually doing the work needed to create a better future.

In this conversation, Lisa and Nilofer explore:

• Expanding our definition of intelligence to include intuition, context, synthesis, vulnerability, and the unique perspectives each person brings.
• The difference between actually helping people grow or simply making ourselves feel helpful.
• Building trust through integrity, where our actions consistently match our words.
• Walking toward the unknown without needing to know the entire path ahead.

What are you spending your energy trying to fix that you could instead imagine and begin building differently?

Links from the episode:

• Nilofer’s newest book, Our Best Work
• Explore Nilofer’s work on her website
• Nilofer’s “Sitting Is the Smoking of Our Generation” TED Talk

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

What if you can become your best self by changing the situation around you?

In our season 4 finale of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon talks with psychologist, University of Pennsylvania professor, and author Angela Duckworth about her new book, Situated, and the powerful role our environments, relationships, and circumstances play in shaping what we think, feel, and do.

Angela’s previous book, Grit, explores how to leverage our inner qualities. Now, she’s examining the “outside game”: the mentors, peers, teams, spaces, and systems that can help us thrive.

Listen to the full episode to learn strategies for changing your environment, building supportive relationships, making behavior change easier, and using your agency to create better conditions for yourself and others.

Lisa and Angela talk about:

• Angela’s three-box model for changing behavior
• Why changing your environment can be smarter than relying on willpower
• What Michael Phelps and Jerry Seinfeld teach us about situational agency

And as always, we’d love to hear from you: What’s one part of your situation you could change to make the future you want a little easier to reach?

Links from the episode:

• Learn more about Angela on her website
• Buy Angela’s new book, Situated
• Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankel

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

Your career doesn’t have to follow a straight line to have a clear purpose.

Lisa talks with Jennifer Dulski on this week’s episode of How We Future. Jennifer is an entrepreneur, Stanford Business School Professor, and author of Purposeful.

Jennifer’s own career has taken her from teaching and nonprofits to Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Change.org, and her current company, Rising Team. But what all these roles have in common is that Jennifer has been devoting her life to amplifying the potential in other people.

Together, Lisa and Jennifer explore what it means to build a purposeful life and career, how to make an impact even when you feel too small to make a difference, and why sometimes the best career strategy is simply to just add value.

They also get into what Jennifer learned as a college crew coxswain about leading teams, knowing when to push and when to ease up, adapting to different people’s motivations, and being willing to “take one for the team.”

In this episode, we explore:

• Finding the thread of purpose across a winding career
• Why high expectations + support can help people reach their potential
• How teaching can make you a better learner and leader

And because the future of leadership is changing fast, Jennifer shares how she’s experimenting with AI to help people practice difficult conversations. You won’t want to miss this episode.

Links from the episode:

• Purposeful by Jennifer Dulski
• Jen’s company, Rising Team
• How We Future featuring Coach John Tanner

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

When the future feels brittle, how do we find hope?

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa talks with futurist Bob Johansen and Bishop Andy Doyle, co-authors of Disciplines of Hope: Generating Faith in the Future for an Anxious Age, about what it means to build faith in the future when the world feels increasingly uncertain, brittle, and chaotic.

Bob and Andy explore why clarity is more useful than certainty, how we can use hope as a discipline, and why navigating the future requires practicing together.

They also unpack the power of asking discerning questions, and how generative AI might help us stretch our thinking rather than simply make things faster or easier.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to navigate a BANI future: brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible
• Why faith can be reframed as something we do rather than something we simply have
• The Credible Hope Compass and how it can help us navigate uncertainty
• What generativity means and why creating a future beyond ourselves matters
• How generative AI can extend and challenge human thinking

In a world where we can't know exactly what's coming, perhaps the work is to practice our way toward one we want to be part of creating.

How We Future is hosted by Lisa Kay Solomon, a futurist, educator, and designer who explores how we can shape better tomorrows by changing what we do today.

Links from the episode:

• Pre-Order Disciplines of Hope
• Navigating the Age of Chaos by Bob Johansen, Jamais Cascio, and Angela F. Williams
• Institute for the Future
• How We Future featuring Bob Sutton
• How We Future featuring Roman Krznaric
• The Friction Project by Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao
• Future shock by Alvin Toffler

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

What kind of future becomes possible when we lead with empathy?

This episode of How We Future features Notre Dame Leadership professor, executive coach, and Master Teacher of Business Ethics Christopher Adkins. Chris and Lisa explore why empathy may be one of the most essential skills for navigating an increasingly complex future.

Drawing on decades of experience designing transformative learning experiences, Chris shares how empathy goes far beyond simply understanding another person's perspective. It's about creating the conditions for people to feel seen, heard, and capable of contributing their unique experiences. Whether you're leading a team, designing products, facilitating conversations, or building community, empathy is a powerful tool for unlocking creativity, trust, and possibility.

In this conversation, you'll hear about:

• Why meaningful learning begins with listening before solving.
• How great facilitators create spaces where everyone feels they belong.
• The role of vulnerability and trust in building stronger teams and communities.
• Practical ways to strengthen your empathy in everyday conversations and leadership.

If this conversation sparked a new way of thinking, we'd love to hear from you. Share your reflections in the comments, subscribe to How We Future, and leave a rating or review to help more people discover conversations about building better futures together.

Links from the episode:

• Chris’s LinkedIn
• Mendoza College of Business
• Exploring the Science of Empathy, Lisa’s reflection on Chris’s visit to the d.school
• Give and Take by Adam Grant

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

How can curiosity change the way you approach a challenge?

In this special episode of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon travels to the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity in Richmond, California, for a conversation with Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator of the Institute and granddaughter of legendary designers Ray and Charles Eames.

Surrounded by the Eames collection itself, Lisa and Llisa explore the stories, philosophies, and design principles that shaped Ray and Charles' extraordinary work. From iconic furniture to exhibitions, films, architecture, toys, and educational experiences, the Eames believed that design is about solving problems with empathy, curiosity, and care.

Together, they discuss why prototyping beats perfection, why asking better questions matters more than having quick answers, and how designing for everyone who touches a product—not just the end user—can transform the way we solve problems.

In this conversation, you'll hear about:

• How curiosity, play, and experimentation fueled decades of innovation.
• The importance of learning through failure.
• Why great design considers every person involved
• The story behind the famous Eames chairs

Whether you're a designer, educator, leader, parent, or simply someone trying to navigate an increasingly complex world, this conversation is a reminder that curiosity is a skill we can all practice.

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to hear from you.

What's one problem in your own life or work that could benefit from a little more curiosity?

Share your thoughts in the comments, and if you enjoyed this episode, follow How We Future wherever you get your podcasts and leave a rating or review. It helps more curious minds discover the show.

Links from the episode:

• Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity
• Learn more about The Curious 100
• Powers of Ten film
• Moments of Impact by Lisa Kay Solomon and Chris Ertel

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

How do you stay optimistic in a world that feels increasingly uncertain?

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon sits down with futurist, bestselling author, and digital anthropologist Brian Solis to explore why the future will reward people who are willing to slow down, stay curious, and rethink what they know.

Drawing from his latest book, Mindshift, Brian shares why innovation begins with self-awareness, how to break free from reactive thinking, and why it’s crucial to develop an open mind. Together, they discuss the power of storytelling, the importance of psychological safety, and how leaders should use AI to imagine new possibilities, instead of just increasing productivity.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Brian's Mindshift framework for navigating uncertainty and leading through change.
• What companies like Pixar and Airbnb can teach us about innovation through storytelling.
• How curiosity, wonder, and optimism can become leadership practices.

Links from the episode:

• ServiceNow Futures
• Brian’s new book: Infinite: How Visionary Leaders Transform Today's Businesses into AI-Forward Companies
• Brian’s Books
• Brian’s website
• Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Leading for Tomorrow (the collaborative book Lisa and Brian both have chapters in!)

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

Where are you on your growth curve?

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon talks with bestselling author and disruption expert Whitney Johnson about when and how to change your path, stick with something new, or challenge yourself.

Drawing on Clayton Christensen's theory of disruption, Whitney shares how embracing change can unlock personal growth and new opportunities.

Together, Lisa and Whitney explore the S Curve of Learning, why feeling like an imposter is often a sign you're growing, the power of reaching out to people who inspire you, and the relationship between stability and disruption.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why personal disruption is the key to continued growth.
• Why learning often feels uncomfortable before it feels rewarding
• How understanding the "S Curve" can help us recognize where we are in our own development
• A preview of Whitney’s upcoming book, Steady

Along the way, they share stories about taking risks, reaching out to mentors, and why one well-crafted email can change the course of your career.

Whether you're starting something new, considering your next career move, or simply feeling ready for another season of growth, this conversation offers practical frameworks—and plenty of encouragement—for embracing what's next.

Links from the episode:

• Disruption Advisors
• Whitney’s Books
• About Clayton Christensen
• The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
• The Innovator's DNA by Clayton Christensen, Jeff Dyer & Hal Gregersen
• Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

• FutureMe.org (write a letter to your future self)

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