What if some of the courage we need most right now isn't about standing our ground -- but knowing when to negotiate, admit we're wrong, or put the common good ahead of our own side? In a polarized culture that often rewards strident loyalty to our group and political self-protection, those choices can carry a real cost. So, what does courage actually look like—and do we have enough of it?

In this episode of The Space In Between, host Leigh Morgan talks with Marine Corps veteran and New York Times bestselling author Rye Barcott, about what courage looks like inside one of the hardest environments to practice it: the highest echelons of elected office. In his new book, Courage Can Save US, Rye examines the experiences of five elected officials – five Democrats and five Republicans - to understand what enables people to take principled risks when political and personal cost are all too real.

Rye offers a refreshing and tender perspective on what he’s learned about the nature of courage itself, and how to transcend the vexing incentives that elected leaders face – even when they aspire to do the right thing.

Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-morgan-speaks

Detailed Show Notes: http://spaceinbetweenpodcast.com/can-courage-can-save-us/

Rye's website & book: https://couragecansaveus.com/

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Artificial intelligence is advancing at dizzying speed. But the hardest questions about AI may not be technical at all. Who should decide what responsible AI looks like? Can we create meaningful AI regulation without stifling innovation? And at a moment of deep distrust in both government and Big Tech, how do leaders build the coalitions needed to move forward?

In this episode of The Space In Between, Leigh Morgan sits down with Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, Senior Advisor for Emerging Technologies at the Milken Institute, to make sense of the fault lines shaping AI policy, governance, innovation, and leadership. Their conversation moves beyond the familiar choice between “let technology run” and “regulate it before it harms us.” Instead, they explore a more demanding space in between: how thoughtful guardrails, public accountability, human agency, and innovation can coexist—and what leaders can do right now rather than waiting for perfect answers.

In This Episode

Karen and Leigh unpack a central tension of the AI era: we need innovation, but we also need institutions capable of protecting the public interest and earning trust. Rather than treating AI as one enormous problem, Karen argues for breaking the challenge into specific, understandable issues—from data rights and accountability to the local impact of data centers—where people can see the stakes and exercise agency.

Their conversation also challenges the assumption that guardrails automatically suppress innovation. Thoughtful rules can shape incentives, clarify responsibility, and help leaders address risk before a crisis forces the issue.

Practices for Leading in AI Times

· Demand more. Ask whether technology, government, and your vendors are actually serving people, organizations, families, and communities.

· Make it tangible. Choose one concrete AI issue rather than trying to solve “AI” as a whole. Look for a decision, cost, risk, or policy you can actually influence.

· Meet people where they are. Use language and forums that make sense to the people you serve—not just to experts inside your institution.

· Find your agency. Pay attention to local and organizational decisions, including data-center impacts, data use, reporting, and accountability, where your voice can affect what happens next.

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Check out the Space In Between website for more detailed show notes: http://spaceinbetweenpodcast.com/leading-across-ai-fault-lines/

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Imaginal Leadership Strategies — Advisory Work

When division deepens and confidence in our institutions erodes, ordinary people still have far more influence than we may realize. In this episode, Leigh speaks with author and civic-engagement leader Paul Loeb about citizenship—not as a legal status, but as a civic mindset: the choice to care about what happens beyond our individual lives and to participate in shaping our communities, institutions, and democracy. At its heart, engaged citizenship is an expression of agency—the belief that our choices and actions matter, even in difficult and uncertain times. Their conversation offers a hopeful reminder that each of us can help change what happens next.

Drawing on decades of research and the enduring lessons of his landmark books Soul of a Citizen and The Impossible Will Take A While, Paul offers practical, accessible ways to put that civic mindset into action. He and Leigh explore how to move forward without waiting for perfect circumstances, find courage through community, resist the paralysis of relentless bad news, and sustain hope when progress feels impossible. Leigh and Paul have a spirited discussion - sharing stories of principled action, times when things didn’t always go right, and sorting through the reality that agency matters even when the way ahead is not clear. A key take away is that history often turns because ordinary people decide to participate even amid risk and uncertainty. These are powerful lessons for citizens and leaders who work hard to build connection and alignment in polarized times.

Four Key Themes

1. Citizenship Is Agency in Action: Citizenship extends beyond voting, political affiliation, or legal status. It is the everyday practice of participating in the life of a community. Each of us can examine the roles we hold, the people we know, and the institutions we influence—and decide how to use that power responsibly.

2. Hope Means Acting Without Guarantees: Hope is not certainty that everything will turn out well. It is the willingness to contribute even when results are delayed, unclear, or invisible. An action that appears unsuccessful may still sustain another person, expand what is possible, or become part of a longer arc of change.

3. Perfection Can Become an Excuse for Inaction: Waiting for perfect knowledge, language, timing, or circumstances can keep us from ever beginning. Meaningful participation starts when we take a useful step with what we know and have today—then remain willing to learn, adjust, and repair mistakes along the way.

4. Courage Grows Through Community: Agency becomes stronger when people act together. Communities provide encouragement, protection, and staying power. One person’s brave choice can make it easier for others to follow, allowing small acts to build into collective influence.

Learn more about Paul and his books here: https://www.paulloeb.org/take-awhile/

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Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-morgan-speaks/

Check out Leigh's advisory work: www.imaginal-leadership.com