2025 Leadership Insights from Better Experiences by Design

Episode Overview

In a year defined by rapid change — from AI acceleration to shifting client expectations — one truth became increasingly clear: while technology evolves, the fundamentals of leadership endure. In this Best Of episode of Better Experiences by Design, host Susan Quinn revisits some of the most powerful moments from conversations with industry leaders across business, strategy, innovation, and growth. Each insight reflects a timeless leadership principle — curiosity, intentionality, confidence, and human connection — that remains essential regardless of market conditions. Below are the moments that stood out most.

Key Takeaways & Featured Guests

• Creating Relevance Through Narrative: As Gen Z matures and Gen Alpha enters the workforce, Steve Robertson challenges leaders to rethink how relevance is built. His message is clear: culture is shaped not by policies, but by stories. Relevance, he reminds us, is never accidental.
• Embracing Change Before It’s Forced: Bill Coppel offers a candid reminder that success can become a trap if leaders stop questioning what’s next. Organizations that wait for disruption often find themselves reacting too late.  True adaptability, Bill notes, requires looking beyond today’s success and preparing for tomorrow’s expectations.
• Being Ready Before Opportunity Knocks: Steve Boehler reframes how leaders should think about growth opportunities, particularly in competitive B2B environments. Most decisions, he explains, are made long before an RFP is issued. Opportunity doesn’t start at the pitch — it starts with preparation.
• Turning Strategy into a Thinking Practice: Innovation architect Carla Johnson reminds us that strategy is not reserved for the executive suite — it’s a mindset anyone can develop. Curiosity, she explains, is not inefficient — it’s essential.
• Reclaiming Confidence in Value: Casey Brown addresses one of the most overlooked leadership challenges: fear-based pricing. Too often, organizations price defensively, focused on not losing rather than on winning with confidence.Value is not just communicated. It’s embodied.
• Reinventing from the Inside Out: Chris Martínez shares how rethinking the role of marketing transformed not only his team, but his entire organization. By operating like a creative agency within a firm, his team shifted internal perceptions of marketing from overhead to revenue driver.
• Planning for Continuity and Legacy: Laurie Barkman closes the episode with a grounded reminder: every leader will eventually leave their organization. The question is whether that transition happens intentionally or by default.

A Timeless Takeaway

Across every conversation, a pattern emerges–leadership evolves, but its core principles endure.

• Relevance is built through narrative.
• Readiness comes from clarity.
• Innovation begins with curiosity.
• Value requires confidence.
• Legacy depends on intention.

As markets shift and technology accelerates, these fundamentals remain constant — shaping better leaders, stronger organizations, and more meaningful experiences.