What can you learn about leadership from Michael Jackson, Magic Johnson, Marlon Brando — and your own family?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler talk with Aaron Walton, co-founder of Walton Isaacson and longtime partner of Earvin “Magic” Johnson, about what it really means to lead with precision, empathy, and service.

Aaron shares:

• What he learned spending 18 months on the road with Michael Jackson, watching him rehearse “Billie Jean” for more than an hour until every detail was perfect
• How Magic Johnson changed the way he thinks about investing in diverse communities and using his influence to open doors
• The moment a client said “we’re colorblind here,” and why he replied, “when is being blind a good thing?” — plus what Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha expect from brands now
• How losing his mother forced him to rethink being “busy,” start monthly family Zooms, and rediscover the value of rest and doing nothing
• Why he believes arts education is a necessity, not a luxury, and how his board work with organizations like Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Young Audiences New York keeps him grounded
• The way his agency uses “Kaizen” sessions after big projects to ask what worked, what didn’t, and how to do it better next time
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If you care about leadership, culture, or building brands that actually reflect the world we live in, Aaron’s stories are a masterclass in leading human — on stage, in the boardroom, and at home.

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What does it really take to lead a modern marketing organization without burning out or losing yourself?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Lauren Weinberg – former CMO of Peloton, global CMO of Square, and longtime marketing leader – to talk about grit, energy, and choosing work that actually fills you up, not empties you out. Lauren shares how she thinks about the fork in the road between entrepreneurship and big-company leadership, why relationships are everything inside large organizations, and how she tries to lead with listening, not ego.

She unpacks her idea of “energy vampires” at work and in life, how COVID forced her to reset her priorities as a mom of two teenage boys, and why she now sets unapologetic boundaries around the moments she refuses to miss. Lauren also explains why she avoids the old “brand vs performance” fight and instead talks about creating and capturing demand, including how she partners with CFOs to get on the same page about timelines, metrics, and risk.

From leading Peloton’s marketing through a turnaround, to learning from Jack Dorsey’s blend of confidence and humility, to her own AI learning journey, Lauren offers a grounded, practical playbook for anyone trying to grow a career, a team, and a life at the same time.

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What does it take to lead tens of thousands of people without burning out or becoming a robot?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Dave Penski, Global CEO of Connected Media, Publicis Groupe, to talk about leadership at massive scale, three-part happiness at work, and why “winning at work means nothing if you lose at home.”

Dave breaks down how he thinks about his career in thirds (pay, the work itself, and how it fits your life), why he refuses to sacrifice his family for more travel, and how his job didn’t really change from leading 1,000 people to overseeing 65,000—so long as the right 12–15 leaders are in the right seats.

He shares the inside story of the COVID decision not to lay off thousands of people, how that became a long-term advantage, and the simple culture mantra he uses to run a giant organization: “No silos. No solos. No bozos.”

Dave also explains his “Take Four” mentoring program for diverse talent, why he answers every hard question in town halls, and what he thinks leaders owe the people who bet their careers on them.

If you’re a manager, executive, or ambitious human trying to grow without losing yourself, this conversation is a masterclass in leading big while staying human.

New episodes of Lead Human every week.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the happiest person actually wins?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler talk with Evan Shapiro – producer, professor, and “media cartographer” – about how to navigate a media world where every kid with an iPhone is your competition.

Evan opens up about:

• Growing up resisting control and why he’s always in a “constant search for change”
• How he uses real data (earnings reports, not just headlines) to speak truth to power
• Why traditional media mistook a rising bubble for brilliance – and what happens when it pops
• How we went from limited competition to “infinite competition” overnight
• Why he tells young people to work at small companies first if they actually want to learn
• His simple philosophy: “the happiest person wins,” and how that changes how you build a life and career
• What it really means to be a creator today: “a writer writes, a creator creates” – every day, like a job

Along the way, Jack and Tim dig into what leaders can steal from Evan’s approach: using facts instead of fear, representing the audience inside broken systems, and building a career that isn’t just successful on paper, but livable.

If you’re a leader, creator, or ambitious human trying to make sense of a collapsing old model and a chaotic new one, this episode is part warning, part playbook, and very human.

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In a world obsessed with data, dashboards, and AI, Lead Human asks: what does it really mean to lead as a human being right now?

Media ecologist Jack Myers and industry leader Tim Spengler talk with CEOs, creators, founders, veterans, and culture builders about how they actually lead through disruption. They dig into navigating AI without losing your soul, building teams and cultures people want to stay in, making hard calls when the data is messy but the stakes are human, and living your values on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

No performative hot takes—just candid conversations and practical ideas you can use with your team next week.

New video episodes every Wednesday. In an age of machines, the real competitive advantage is still a human one.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.