Lead Belay

ELE Group, LLC

HumanSide

This real-time exchange surfaced a truth many talent leaders are quietly wrestling with: AI isn’t just changing how work gets done—it’s revealing whether our teams have the confidence, clarity, and shared judgment to learn together in the flow of work.
The conversation didn’t drift toward tools or training catalogs. Instead, it stayed grounded in what leaders are seeing inside their organizations right now: uncertainty, acceleration, and unspoken fear. As Michael named directly:

<blockquote data-start="772" data-end="868">
“Great leaders don’t hide fear. They help people face it together.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/mike-kester" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Kester</a>, Lead Belay.
</blockquote>
That idea reframed the role of talent leaders in this moment. Before teams can build new capabilities, leaders have to design spaces where fear is discussable—where learning isn’t confused with performance, and curiosity isn’t penalized.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44497" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/WISE2024-Kester-and-Lead-Belay.jpg" alt="Mike Kester facilitating a small-group breakout discussion with senior talent and business leaders." width="759" height="441" />
From there, three insights stood out for leaders designing team-based learning experiences:
First, AI doesn’t fix weak systems—it exposes them. As Deepa put it:

<blockquote data-start="1289" data-end="1362">
“AI amplifies everything—structure and chaos.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/deepa-kartha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deepa Kartha</a>.
</blockquote>
Teams aren’t struggling because they lack tools. They’re struggling where roles, decision rights, and ways of thinking were already unclear. AI simply makes that visible—fast.
Second, the capabilities that matter most aren’t new. In a moment that brought relief to many in the discussion, Nicole DeFalco reframed the skills conversation:

<blockquote data-start="1714" data-end="1811">
“The new skills aren’t new. They’re the ones we stopped practicing.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/nicole-defalco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicole DeFalco</a>.
</blockquote>
Critical thinking, sensemaking, and judgment are no longer “soft skills.” They are the infrastructure that allows AI to be useful rather than risky.
Third, clarity—not access—is the real gap. Nearly everyone has access to AI. Far fewer teams have shared norms for when to trust it, how to validate outputs, and when human judgment must lead.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44471" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AI-Transformation-Upskilling-in-AI-Maturity-e1766111773634.png" alt="Upskilling in AI Maturity" width="609" height="585" />
The takeaway for talent leaders is clear: this isn’t about delivering more training or scaling content faster. It’s about designing experiences where teams practice thinking together—inside the work that actually matters.
Because in the age of AI, learning doesn’t live in programs. It lives in the moments when leaders slow the work down just enough for teams to learn forward—together.

Co-Creating Human-Centered Transformation in the Age of AI

Future of Work

Digital &amp; AI

Leadership

mike.kester

edward.desrosiers

liza.fernandez

anton.maletich

colin.hahn

marty.murrillo

ana.bedard

guillermo.gutierrez

tamora.martin

organizational capability

L&amp;D

matt.sernaker

AI in HR

rachel.kaberon

Workforce Transformation

erin.joslin

nicole.defalco

Future Ready Leadership

cindy.pinkstaffmiller

L&amp;D strategy

deepa.kartha

manendra.bhugra

1Q2026

mike.hoyt

AI and learning

dustin.brewer

AI reskilling

AI Era Leadership

AI and Work

leadership judgment

learning in the flow of work

talent experience design

confidence capability clarity

AI-enabled leadership

team capability building

human-centered ai

critical thinking at work

AI and culture

team-based learning

Cognitive overload is the primary constraint on 2026 execution.
As AI and information flow accelerate, the bottleneck isn't technology—it's human capacity. This Design Charrette explores how leaders can recognize overload in the work, reduce friction, and make it easier for people to focus, decide, and move.

<blockquote>Top performance, on the job or in life, depends on wellness and well-being. I read "Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being" by Martin Seligman and shared it with a tech manager I was helping. Here is some basic information as PERMA, Seligman’s concept of how to derive well-being is constructed:

PERMA is Martin Seligman’s wellbeing framework describing flourishing across five elements: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. It’s a descriptive model used to measure well-being outcomes rather than prescribe specific behaviors. -- Newt Moore

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-45075" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Flourish-Seligman.jpg" alt="Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life—for individuals, for communities, and for nations. In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about." width="165" height="165" /></blockquote>
This Charrette is fueled by real-world friction. We’re here to help you:

<ul data-path-to-node="5,1">
 	<li>
Map the Overload Points: Identify exactly where information flow is turning into execution drag for your team.
</li>
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Design Focus Blocks: Learn practical strategies to protect "deep work" and critical decision-making from the "red zone" of burnout.
</li>
 	<li>
Apply a Practical Move: Use peer-exchange to design one small experiment to restore capacity immediately.
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Don't just watch—participate. Submit your toughest roadblock below, and we'll use the Strategy &amp; Change Action Planning Worksheet to live-map a path forward for you during the session.
<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/D5BfchV4Hn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45002" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submit-a-Challenge-7.png" alt="Submit a Challenge" width="236" height="97" /></a>
</blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44985" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insight-to-action-infograph-e1774286264637.png" alt="Three-step ELE model showing Real Business Problems leading to Peer-Powered Decisions and Implementation." width="1637" height="323" />
We will use the CRIT Model as our direct thought partner to do the heavy lifting.
Cognitive overload isn't an individual problem; it's an execution constraint. The right question is key. Together, the room will apply the CRIT Model to pressure-test your specific overload challenges:

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 	<li>
The Real Work vs. Noise: Which tasks are high-value execution, and which are pure information clutter?
</li>
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The Capacity Constraint: How can we structure focus time or decision protocols to reduce friction?
</li>
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The Next Move: Design one small, practical experiment to restore team capacity.
</li>
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<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44981" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-CRIT-Model-Event-Card-2.jpg" alt="Infographic of the CRIT model for AI leading, breaking down Context, Role, Interview, and Task with icons and descriptions for each step." width="1920" height="1080" />
Participants will leave with:

<ul data-path-to-node="8,4">
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A prioritized list of "friction points" stalling their team.
</li>
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A strategic approach for removing at least one.
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The practical insights of peers who are already simplification masters.
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We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to turn your submitted challenges into momentum.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45166" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260619_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Design Charrette | When Cognitive Overload Becomes Execution Drag" width="1008" height="612" />
ELE Charrette: reframing disruption into a career opportunity using the Strategy &amp; Change worksheet

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<hr />

This ELE Design Charrette produces this Learning Circle: Leading through Disruption.
ELE's Idea Exchange: <a class="ng-star-inserted" style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwiIm7znrLeTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ8Ao">Collaborate online with your peers.</a>

Design Charrette | When Cognitive Overload Becomes Execution Drag

single-event

future of work

Your Teams

Learning Circles

digital transformation

dirk.tussing

innovation

upskilling

talent development

Complimentary

online event

complimentary event

collaboration

Engagement &amp; Culture

continuous learning

reskilling

david.scherer

HR leaders

workplace adaptation

knowledge sharing

actionable insights

practical strategies

human flourishing

2Q2026

Design Charrette

ai leaders

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Reskilling is a business conversation, not an HR program.
Most reskilling efforts fail because they are too complex—disconnected from where the work actually happens. Competency models tied to job roles are becoming irrelevant. VPs, Directors, TA, and L&amp;D often speak different skills languages. This Design Charrette explores how to simplify reskilling so it is owned by the business, practical for frontline managers, and scalable.

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This Charrette is fueled by real-world friction. We’re here to help you:

<ul data-path-to-node="5,1">
 	<li>Audit the Language Gap: Identify where HR and business leaders are speaking different skills languages—creating friction.Design Simpler Pathways: Use the Four Paths framework to give frontline managers clear ways to grow their direct reports.Pressure-Test Your Strategy: Use peer exchange to ensure your approach is "ready for real work"—not stuck in HR silos.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Don't just watch—participate. Submit your toughest roadblock below, and we'll use the Strategy &amp; Change Action Planning Worksheet to live-map a path forward for you during the session.
<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/D5BfchV4Hn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45002" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submit-a-Challenge-7.png" alt="Submit a Challenge" width="236" height="97" /></a>
</blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44985" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insight-to-action-infograph-e1774286264637.png" alt="Three-step ELE model showing Real Business Problems leading to Peer-Powered Decisions and Implementation." width="1637" height="323" />
We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to move from "HR program" to "business conversation."
Together, the room will examine:

<ul>
 	<li>Where competency models tied to job roles are breaking down</li>
 	<li>How to create a common "Skills Term Sheet" that aligns HR and business leaders</li>
 	<li>Practical tactics for making reskilling the business's responsibility—not just HR's</li>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;"></li>
</ul>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-41069" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/STCCG-Skills-Gears-v2024APR.png" alt="Skills Gears - Operational vs Talent Practices" width="1291" height="305" />
Participants will leave with:

<ul>
 	<li>A clearer view of where skills language is misaligned—and what to do about it</li>
 	<li>The Four Paths framework for simplifying growth conversations with direct reports</li>
 	<li>Insights from peers who are making reskilling a business conversation, not an HR program</li>
</ul>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44459" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Four-Paths-for-Reskilling.jpg" alt="Four Paths for Reskilling" width="1049" height="590" />
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We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to turn your submitted challenges into momentum.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45165" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260605_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Design Charrette | Simplifying Reskilling to Scale" width="1008" height="612" />
ELE Charrette: reframing disruption into a career opportunity using the Strategy &amp; Change worksheet

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<hr />

This ELE Design Charrette produces this Learning Circle: Leading through Disruption.
ELE's Idea Exchange: <a class="ng-star-inserted" style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwiIm7znrLeTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ8Ao">Collaborate online with your peers.</a>

Design Charrette | Simplifying Reskilling to Scale

Operations

AI and skills

future skills

Coaching must evolve as fast as the work itself. &gt; Most AI coaching conversations focus on the tools. This Design Charrette focuses on the Human in the Loop—using AI to strengthen reflection, judgment, and feedback without losing the human essence that drives performance.
This Charrette is fueled by real-world friction. We’re here to help you:

<ul data-path-to-node="7,1">
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Scale without diluting: Design coaching approaches that are both scalable and deeply effective.
</li>
 	<li>
Audit the Loop: Identify where AI strengthens the coaching process and where human judgment remains the critical constraint.
</li>
 	<li>
Apply Peer-Ready Experiments: Share and pressure-test specific "AI Coaching" prompts and workflows.
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Open to all attendees: Help shape the agenda by sharing your toughest roadblock.
<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/D5BfchV4Hn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45002" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submit-a-Challenge-7.png" alt="Submit a Challenge" width="236" height="97" /></a>
</blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44985" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/insight-to-action-infograph-e1774286264637.png" alt="Three-step ELE model showing Real Business Problems leading to Peer-Powered Decisions and Implementation." width="1637" height="323" />
We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to move from "coaching theory" to "coaching capacity."
In this Design Charrette, we’re moving beyond the "AI as a chatbot" narrative. Together, we will examine:

<ul data-path-to-node="3,2">
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The Judgment Gap: Where AI-generated feedback needs a human "sanity check."
</li>
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Reflection at Scale: How to use AI to help managers prepare for high-stakes 1:1s in half the time.
</li>
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The Performance Loop: Identifying the specific behaviors and support structures needed to turn AI insights into team action.
</li>
</ul>
Participants will leave with:

<ul data-path-to-node="3,4">
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Better questions to ask their AI coaching "partners."
</li>
 	<li>
A draft experiment to restore 20% of their coaching capacity.
</li>
 	<li>
Practical insights from peers who are already keeping "Humans in the Loop."
</li>
</ul>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-41208" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/event-pic-ai-driven-strategies.jpg" alt="" width="875" height="482" />
Stop launching more training. Start building coaching capacity.
Set inside the complexity of 2026, this Design Charrette is designed for leaders who want to move past "Program Overload" and toward Sustainable Performance. We’re bringing together senior Talent, HR, and Business leaders to pressure-test AI workflows that actually work for humans.
We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to turn your submitted challenges into momentum.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45164" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260522_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Design Charrette | AI in the Loop Coaching" width="1008" height="612" />
ELE Charrette: reframing disruption into a career opportunity using the Strategy &amp; Change worksheet

<hr />

This ELE Design Charrette produces this Learning Circle: Leading through Disruption.
ELE's Idea Exchange: <a class="ng-star-inserted" style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwiIm7znrLeTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ8Ao">Collaborate online with your peers.</a>

Design Charrette |  AI in the Loop Coaching

kyle.swanson

Coaching

michael.hruska

Reframe today’s challenging job market disruption and design open-minded strategies to uncover and land career opportunities that didn’t exist last year.
This Charrette is fueled by real-world friction. Submit your top-of-mind AI or Leadership challenge below, and we will live-map a solution during the session.
<blockquote>
Open to all attendees: Help shape the agenda by sharing your toughest roadblock.
<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/D5BfchV4Hn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45002" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submit-a-Challenge-7.png" alt="Submit a Challenge" width="236" height="97" /></a>
</blockquote>
AI disruption is reshaping roles, expectations, and pathways for growth. This Design Charrette will explore how leaders can turn that disruption into career opportunity rather than confusion, fear, or stalled momentum. Through practical peer exchange, participants will examine where new value is being created, how work is changing, and what people need to stay relevant, credible, and ready for what comes next.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-45180" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/About-ELE-Real-Business-Challenges.png" alt="Three-step ELE model showing Real Business Problems leading to Peer-Powered Decisions and Implementation." width="875" height="171" />
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[caption id="attachment_45009" align="aligncenter" width="819"]<img class="size-full wp-image-45009" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AI-in-the-Loop-Coaching.jpg" alt="A senior L&amp;D leader acting as an AI Workforce Transformation Strategist using a digital coaching mirror to analyze performance prompts and reflection data during an ELE Design Charrette." width="819" height="457" /> AI in the Loop: Shifting from "Chatbot" to "Performance Partner.[/caption]
Move from "AI Confusion" to "Career Clarity."
This Design Charrette is where we stop talking about disruption and start designing opportunity. We will examine how to use AI as a personal strategy partner to:

<ul data-path-to-node="7,2">
 	<li>
Identify New Value: Map where your unique judgment creates the most impact.
</li>
 	<li>
Redesign Your Role: Use AI to offload administrative friction and focus on high-stakes strategy.
</li>
 	<li>
Land Your Next Move: Create a bespoke career roadmap built for the 2026 talent landscape.
</li>
</ul>
We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to turn your submitted challenges into momentum.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45163" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260508_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Design Charrette | AI Disruption = Career Opportunity" width="1008" height="612" />
ELE Charrette: reframing disruption into a career opportunity using the Strategy &amp; Change worksheet

<hr />

This ELE Design Charrette produces this Learning Circle: Leading through Disruption.
ELE's Idea Exchange: <a class="ng-star-inserted" style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwiIm7znrLeTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ8Ao">Collaborate online with your peers.</a>

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Design Charrette | AI Disruption = Career Opportunity

deborah.lenchard

patricia.ouzounian

audra.pinter

Better listening is not a soft skill—it is a strategic leadership discipline.  Fresh off our in-person exploration at the Art Institute of Chicago, this Design Charrette brings those high-level observations into a virtual working session to solve your real-world business challenges.
This session is fueled by real-world friction. We’re moving beyond theory to help you:

<ul data-path-to-node="8,1">
 	<li>
Spot weak signals: Identify what your team is struggling to say in disruptive times.
</li>
 	<li>
Apply the "Sense-Decide-Evolve" Framework: Use our core methodology to reduce execution drag caused by flawed assumptions.
</li>
 	<li>
Design for Clarity: Turn multi-generational "noise" into stronger alignment and trust.
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Open to all attendees: Help shape the agenda by sharing your toughest roadblock.
<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/D5BfchV4Hn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45002" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submit-a-Challenge-7.png" alt="Submit a Challenge" width="236" height="97" /></a>
</blockquote>
Using art, observation, and live interactive discussion, this in-person exchange will help leaders:

<ul>
 	<li data-start="655" data-end="682">improve employee engagement</li>
 	<li data-start="685" data-end="722">spot weak signals in disruptive times</li>
 	<li data-start="725" data-end="785">hear multi-gen teams more effectively to improve performance</li>
 	<li data-start="788" data-end="847">listen across matrix organizations during periods of growth</li>
</ul>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-45180" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/About-ELE-Real-Business-Challenges.png" alt="Three-step ELE model showing Real Business Problems leading to Peer-Powered Decisions and Implementation." width="758" height="148" />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45278" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20250429_144430.jpg" alt="A selfie of a person captured in the reflective surface of an artwork at the Art Institute of Chicago, blending the observer with the museum's creative environment." width="1920" height="1081" />
Together, the room will examine:

<ul>
 	<li data-start="884" data-end="911">where listening breaks down</li>
 	<li data-start="914" data-end="938">what signals matter most</li>
 	<li data-start="941" data-end="985">how flawed assumptions create execution drag</li>
 	<li data-start="988" data-end="1057">how stronger listening improves trust, alignment, and decision-making</li>
</ul>
Participants will leave with:

<ul>
 	<li data-start="1091" data-end="1114">better questions to ask</li>
 	<li data-start="1117" data-end="1163">sharper ways to notice what is said and unsaid</li>
 	<li data-start="1166" data-end="1211">practical insights they can apply immediately</li>
 	<li data-start="1214" data-end="1280">stronger approaches for identifying real business problems earlier</li>
</ul>
We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to turn your submitted challenges into momentum.
<a href="https://www.ele.llc/events/ai-leaders-2"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45162" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260424_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Design Charrette | The Art of Strategic Listening" width="1008" height="612" /></a>
ELE Charrette: reframing disruption into a career opportunity using the Strategy &amp; Change worksheet

<hr />

This ELE Design Charrette produces this Learning Circle: Leading through Disruption.
ELE's Idea Exchange: <a class="ng-star-inserted" style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwiIm7znrLeTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ8Ao">Collaborate online with your peers.</a>

Design Charrette |  The Art of Strategic Listening

lorna.malloy

megan.bickle

employee listening

disruption

listening

Too many conversations about AI leadership stay stuck at awareness, principles, or high-level aspiration. This Design Charrette is built to move faster. Together, leaders will work through what it actually takes to build AI-driven leaders inside real teams, real decisions, and real operating constraints. Through peer exchange, practical examples, and focused working discussion, participants will surface the leadership behaviors, support structures, and capability shifts needed to turn interest into action.
This Charrette is fueled by real-world friction.

Most AI conversations stay stuck in "high-level aspiration." We’re here to move faster by:
<ul data-path-to-node="2,2">
 	<li>
Mapping your roadblocks: Submit your top-of-mind leadership or capability challenge.
</li>
 	<li>
Designing the shift: We will use the Strategy &amp; Change Action Planning Worksheet to live-map your path forward during the session.
</li>
 	<li>
Peer-Powered Decisions: Turn your friction into a practical, peer-ready example.
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Don't just watch—participate. Submit your toughest roadblock below, and we'll use the Strategy &amp; Change Action Planning Worksheet to live-map a path forward for you during the session.
<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/D5BfchV4Hn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45002" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submit-a-Challenge-7.png" alt="Submit a Challenge" width="236" height="97" /></a>
</blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-45180" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/About-ELE-Real-Business-Challenges.png" alt="Three-step ELE model showing Real Business Problems leading to Peer-Powered Decisions and Implementation." width="1254" height="245" />

<h3 data-path-to-node="2"></h3>
Participants will leave with:

<ul data-path-to-node="3">
 	<li>
The AI-Ready Roadmap: A peer-vetted draft of your Strategy &amp; Change Action Planning Worksheet to move from aspiration to execution.
</li>
 	<li>
Friction-to-Fuel Framework: A methodology for turning real-world roadblocks into scalable leadership capability.
</li>
 	<li>
Peer Insights: Direct takeaways from fellow senior leaders navigating the same 2026 operating constraints.
</li>
</ul>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44953" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AI-Driven-Leaders-are-Becoming-a-Composer-and-a-Conductor-A.jpg" alt="As an AI-driven leader you are becoming a composer of strategy and a conductor of teams and technology." width="1600" height="370" />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45010" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AI-Driven-Leaders.jpg" alt="ELE Design Charrette: diverse leadership team intensely focused on peer-exchange and live-mapping organizational 'AI-Ready Execution' strategy using the 'Strategy &amp; Change' worksheet framework to 'Stop Talking. Start Building AI-Driven Leaders.'" width="1024" height="572" />
We'll use this practical, peer-ready framework to turn your submitted challenges into momentum.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45161" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260410_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Design Charrette | Stop Talking. Start Building AI Leaders" width="1008" height="612" />
ELE Charrette: reframing disruption into a career opportunity using the Strategy &amp; Change worksheet

<hr />
This ELE Design Charrette produces this Learning Circle: Leading through Disruption.
ELE's Idea Exchange: <a class="ng-star-inserted" style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwiIm7znrLeTAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ8Ao">Collaborate online with your peers.</a>
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Design Charrette | Stop Talking. Start Building AI Leaders

michael.grubich

career mobility

Confidence Building

Career Growth

career momentum

AI Disruption

AI Driven Leadership

AI-Driven Leader

iliana.alvarado

DX Learning Solutions

Session Overview:
In the Midwest, “nice” is a leadership default, but not always a performance driver.

While being nice can create short-term harmony, it often results in long-term dysfunction: avoided conversations, a lack of clarity, and underperformance cloaked in politeness.
In this interactive, no-fluff session, <a style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/members/alex-draper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Draper</a> (Founder of DX Learning and author of CARE to Win®) and <a style="font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.ele.llc/members/richard-rykhus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Rykhus</a> (Head of Global L&amp;D at Shure) challenge the norm of “Midwest Nice” and introduce a new, practical standard: Kind Leadership, where leaders lead with a system that build an environment where candor and care can flourish.

Why? Because culture is a mirror of leadership. And if leaders model avoidance or ambiguity under the guise of being "nice," those habits cascade through teams.
This session invites HR, Talent, and Learning professionals to explore what it takes to evolve their culture from comfortable avoidance to courageous alignment.
.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-8919" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DraperAlex-crop.jpg" alt="Experiential Learning:" width="946" height="512" />

What You’ll Experience
Through candid storytelling and peer-driven discussion, you’ll explore:

<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>Why “nice” is often rooted in conflict avoidance, not care—and how it undermines trust and performance</li>
 	<li>How “kind” leaders use clarity to reduce ambiguity, accountability to inspire ownership, and care to build trust</li>
 	<li>Real-world examples of nice in action and example from those shifting norms without sacrificing empathy</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
You’ll also reflect on your organization’s spot on the DX Nice–Kind Spectrum, and leave with actionable tools to:
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>Hold people accountable without being harsh</li>
 	<li>Offer feedback without micromanaging</li>
 	<li>Build psychological safety without enabling underperformance</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Who Should Join
This session is designed for HR, Talent, and L&amp;D leaders across the Midwest who want culture to show up in day-to-day behaviors, not just posters and slogans.
If you're responsible for:
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>Building trust across levels</li>
 	<li>Helping managers lead through ambiguity</li>
 	<li>Making performance expectations more human and more clear</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
…this session is for you.
You'll connect with peers facing similar cultural friction points—especially in organizations where kindness and courage need to coexist.

How It Works
We’ll start with a short insight from Alex Draper (drawing from CARE to Win®) and then move into real-time reflection and peer dialogue.
Together, we’ll unpack:
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>How to build clarity without control</li>
 	<li>How to set high standards without shame</li>
 	<li>How to use empathy without enabling</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
This isn’t theory. You’ll walk away with:
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>Practical tools to embed CARE (Clarity, Autonomy, Relationships, Equity) into your culture</li>
 	<li>A lens to assess where leadership behaviors might be blocking performance</li>
 	<li>A renewed sense of possibility for your role in reshaping norms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Why This Matters Now
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 23% of employees are engaged globally, and trust in leadership is at a historic low.
Midwestern cultures, often defined by humility and harmony, risk stagnation if discomfort is avoided. As Alex Draper writes:

<blockquote data-start="1038" data-end="1155">
“Empathy without clarity is enabling. Clarity without empathy is cruelty. But together, they unlock accountability with care.”
</blockquote>
Want to go deeper?
This discussion draws on Care to Win: The 4 Leadership Habits to Build High-Performing Teams (Revised Edition) (Oct 28, 2025).
Explore the book on <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf?member=alex-draper">Alex's ELE Bookshelf</a>
Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.
&nbsp;

Beyond Midwest Nice: Building high performing environments of Clarity, Candor, and Courage

alex.draper

leadership development

richard.rykhus

Talent Strategy

Culture Change

psychological safety

accountability

trust

employee experience

performance

organizational culture

manager effectiveness

change leadership

High Performing Teams

people-first leadership

leadership habits

care to win

Alex Draper

DX Learning

learning leaders

values in action

leadership in practice

Zurich North America

Session Focus:  A peer design charrette focused on moving AI adoption beyond training programs toward shared practice and sustained learning.
Many organizations can launch AI upskilling. Far fewer build the change conditions that make it stick—communication, manager support, and reinforcement in real work.
This design charrette builds on insights from Kate Haney’s October  <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights/ai-practical-lab-from-whiteboard-to-workflow">✨ AI Practical Lab: From Whiteboard to Workflow</a> and recent community discussions around enterprise AI deployment.

<blockquote>
Borrowed from architecture, a design charrette brings experienced practitioners together to solve complex problems quickly. ELE Design Charrettes—introduced by <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/alaska-fu">Alaska Fu</a>, ELE’s Experience Designer—are focused, peer-powered working conversations that help leaders co-create and refine practical approaches in 50–90 minutes.
</blockquote>
Together, we’ll examine what it takes to move AI adoption from training to shared practice—where communication, support, and reinforcement drive real use. The focus is not on vendor selection, but on how leaders create conditions for experimentation, feedback, and real use.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44503" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ELE-POV-AIQ-EQ-IQ.png" alt="Diagram showing AIQ overlapping with IQ and EQ, illustrating how AI-enabled human judgment drives performance." width="699" height="393" />
Expect thoughtful peer input, design questions, and early patterns leaders can adapt inside their own organizations.
In our October AI Practical Lab, Kate Haney—leading enterprise AI reskilling at Zurich North America for more than a year—shared what’s working (and what’s stalling) in real organizations. One insight resonated deeply across the group:

<blockquote>
Successful AI upskilling isn’t just about training programs—it’s about communication, support, and real success stories that make it stick.
</blockquote>
That insight frames the AI Transformation model below—and why human-centered transformation requires far more than content or tools.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44471" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AI-Transformation-Upskilling-in-AI-Maturity-e1766111773634.png" alt="Upskilling in AI Maturity" width="501" height="481" />

Who Should Join

Leaders who are past experimenting with AI and now wrestling with a harder question: Why isn’t it sticking?
If you’re responsible for scaling AI use across managers, teams, or functions—and you’re seeing uneven adoption, stalled momentum, or “great tools, little behavior change”—you’ll be in the right room. This is especially relevant for HR, talent, learning, and transformation leaders who know AI adoption is no longer a training problem, but a practice, support, and reinforcement challenge.
How This Works

This 50-minute ELE Design Charrette isn’t a presentation. It opens with a short framing insight, then quickly moves into peer work. Participants compare notes on what actually shifts behavior at scale—how communication, manager support, and real success stories accelerate adoption, and where well-intended efforts quietly break down.
You’ll leave with clearer design patterns and sharper questions—not a framework to admire, but practical moves you can test immediately inside your organization.
Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.

Design Charrette: From AI Adoption to Shared Practice at Scale

learning strategy

tracey.wik

teri.hart

Change Management

communication

jason.gallo

organizational change

peer-learning

AI transformation

AI Adoption

AI literacy

alaska.fu

AI maturity

manager capability

ai resk

reframing hr

scaling AI

practice at scale

reinforcement

manager support

Session Focus:  A mini-workshop exploring how leaders apply strategy and change principles when decisions can’t wait for perfect information.

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<div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]"> Strategy often looks clean on slides—and messy in practice. In this interactive discussion, Aaron Olson returns to ELE to explore how leaders make better decisions amid uncertainty, disruption, and competing priorities.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Drawing from real-world experience and insights from Strategy and Change, this conversation moves beyond theory into application. Participants will work through practical scenarios, share decision tradeoffs, and examine how leaders navigate change when timing, judgment, and clarity matter most.
This is a working conversation for leaders responsible for decisions that shape teams, culture, and outcomes.

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44500" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CHIE2025-Keynote-Executive-Talent-Leaders-Panel.jpg" alt="Aaron Olson moderating a panel discussion with senior leaders during an ELE event." width="1920" height="953" />

Who Should Join
This experience is for leaders who make real decisions before the data is perfect.

If you’re responsible for setting direction, navigating change, or helping teams move forward amid uncertainty, this will resonate. It’s especially valuable for HR, talent, learning, and business leaders who are balancing speed, judgment, and competing priorities—and want to pressure-test how those decisions actually play out.

How This Works
The session begins with a short framing from Aaron Olson on applying strategy and change principles in moments that don’t allow for clean answers. From there, participants work through practical scenarios, surface decision tradeoffs, and compare how peers navigate timing, risk, and clarity.

This is active, facilitated work—not a presentation. The focus is on sharpening judgment, learning from lived experience, and leaving with clearer decision-making moves leaders can apply right away.

Want to go deeper?
This mini-workshop draws on ideas from Strategy and Change by Aaron Olson and co-authors—focused on insight, choice, and risk when leaders face disruption.
<ul>
 	<li>Explore the book on ELE’s Bookshelf (<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/strategy-and-change">learn more or purchase</a>)</li>
</ul>
Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.

Strategy & Change in Practice: Turning Uncertainty into Better Decisions

aaron.olson

decision making

strategy &amp; change

navigating uncertainty

insight choice risk

practical leadership

executive decision-making

LAK Group

Human Synergistics

Session Focus: <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/angie-zeigler">Angie Zeigler</a> will build on the foundation of the Chicago keynote to explore in greater depth why values often fail to translate into behavior. She will lead a peer discussion on identifying the cultural forces that quietly accelerate or undermine performance.
For talent leaders, the biggest culture risk isn’t unclear values—it’s the widening gap between the values on the wall and the behaviors employees experience every day.
In this follow-up live discussion, Angie Zeigler, head of culture practice with LAK Group, builds on the Human Synergistics keynote to explore why well-intentioned values initiatives stall—and what actually drives culture change at scale. Drawing on decades of research and real organizational data, Angie shares practical stories of how organizations that prioritize and reward specific, constructive behaviors are significantly more successful in closing the engagement gap.
This discussion is designed for leaders who want to move beyond culture statements and into the real work of aligning values, behaviors, and results.
Human Synergistics' research makes visible what most leaders sense—but struggle to diagnose.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44495" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CHIE2025-Kern-Keynote-80-vs-25-percent-slide.jpg" alt="Michael Kern presenting a slide showing a contrast between “&gt;80%” and “&lt;25%” to illustrate gaps between stated values and lived behaviors." width="1920" height="1133" />
What this data reveals is uncomfortable—but actionable. Most organizations believe they are values-driven, yet fewer than a quarter consistently experience those values in daily work. That gap isn’t cultural “noise”—it’s a performance signal.
In this discussion, leaders will examine how everyday behaviors, systems, and incentives quietly reinforce—or undermine—the culture they say they want, and where small, targeted shifts can create outsized impact.
Who Should Join
This discussion is designed for leaders responsible for shaping culture, performance, and behavior at scale—across HR, talent, learning, and the business. If you’re wrestling with gaps between stated values and what actually gets rewarded, or trying to understand which behaviors accelerate performance—and which quietly undermine it—you’ll be in good company.

How This Works
Each discussion runs for 50 minutes and blends a short framing insight with open, peer-driven exchange.
There are no slides to sit through and no pitches—just focused conversation designed to surface what’s working, what’s not, and what leaders are trying next as culture and performance collide in real organizations.

Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.

From Values to Behavior: Navigating Superheroes and Saboteurs

angie.zeigler

performance improvement

employee engagement

Performance Improvement

Strategic HR

Culture Transformation

Values Alignment

employee trust

practical insights

leadership behavior

cathleen.cooke

performance culture

cultural diagnostic data

targeted intervention

organizational systems

HR processes

culture risk

culture reality check

BARYONS

Session Focus: A design charrette exploring how AI mentors can support managers in building more inclusive, scalable NextGen talent pipelines.

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<hr />

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
This interactive design charrette brings talent and learning leaders together to explore how AI mentors can support managers as coaches—especially in apprenticeship and early-career pathways.

<blockquote>Borrowed from architecture, a design charrette brings experienced practitioners together to solve complex problems quickly.
<ul>
 	<li>Design Charrettes—introduced by <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/alaska-fu">Alaska Fu</a>, ELE’s Experience Designer—are focused, peer-powered working conversations that help leaders co-create and refine practical approaches in 50–90 minutes.</li>
 	<li>In ELE design charrettes, peers work through challenges using three complementary lenses—internal client, AI learning guide, and real-world skeptic—to strengthen judgment before committing to action.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Building on ELE’s <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights/apprenticeships-building-belonging-into-the-nextgen-talent-pipeline">October discussion on apprenticeships and belonging</a>, this conversation shifts from concept to design. Participants will examine where AI can strengthen manager capability, reinforce inclusion, and support learning closer to real work—without replacing human judgment.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44083" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Apprenticeships-e1766102315299.jpg" alt="Apprenticeships" width="1020" height="436" />
Here’s what that looks like in practice—leaders working through real decisions together.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44501" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/WISE2025-Hruska-Listening.jpg" alt="Mike Hruska, CEO of Baryons, participating in a peer panel discussion during ELE’s May 2025 Milwaukee conference." width="1027" height="685" />
This work builds AIQ—helping managers use AI as a thinking partner, not a replacement.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44503" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ELE-POV-AIQ-EQ-IQ.png" alt="Diagram showing AIQ overlapping with IQ and EQ, illustrating how AI-enabled human judgment drives performance." width="1115" height="627" />

This design charrette brings leaders together to explore how AI mentors can support real managerial decisions—before scaling anything.

<blockquote>
“AI mentors work when they help managers make better decisions—not faster guesses. That’s where confidence and capability actually grow.” — Mike Hruska, co-founder Baryon
</blockquote>
AIQ sits alongside IQ and EQ. It’s the ability to know what to delegate to AI, how to integrate its output into real workflows, and when human judgment matters most. Managers can tap the collective intelligence of AI mentors to move faster—without losing trust, context, or accountability.
Who Should Join
This discussion is designed for senior HR, talent, learning, business, and change leaders who are actively navigating AI-driven transformation. If you’re balancing experimentation with real organizational constraints—and want to learn from peers facing similar tradeoffs—you’ll be in the right room.

How This Works
Each discussion runs for 50 minutes and blends a short framing insight with open, peer-driven exchange. There are no slides to sit through and no pitches—just focused conversation designed to surface what’s working, what’s not, and what leaders are trying next as AI reshapes work.

Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.

Design Charrette: Building the NextGen Talent Pipeline with AI Mentors

matthew.huston

Human-Centered Transformation

NextGen Talent Pipeline

AI Mentors

Session Focus: Mike Kester sets the frame with a concise keynote on leading with humanity in the AI era, followed by a robust peer discussion on human-centered transformation.

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</div>
As we kick off 2026, this interactive video discussion invites you to rethink what human-centered transformation means in the age of AI. We’ll kick things off with Mike Kester’s keynote on human-centered leadership and then jump into a peer-powered conversation grounded in real leadership tradeoffs.
In this robust ideation, you’ll move beyond the AI hype and dive into how to shape workforce transformation that truly puts people first. We’ll reframe upskilling strategies, share real challenges, and leave with practical insights you can use as we co-create a human-centered future together.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44497" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/WISE2024-Kester-and-Lead-Belay.jpg" alt="Mike Kester facilitating a small-group breakout discussion with senior talent and business leaders." width="1920" height="1116" />
If you missed <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/kate-haney">Kate Haney</a> in our <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights/ai-practical-lab-from-whiteboard-to-workflow">October AI Practical Lab</a>, you missed one of ELE’s brightest minds—and a talent leader who has been leading enterprise AI reskilling at Zurich North America for more than a year.
Kate shared practical, hard-earned lessons from the field. One insight resonated deeply across the group:

<blockquote>
Successful AI upskilling isn’t just about training programs—it’s about communication, support, and real success stories that make it stick.
</blockquote>
That insight frames the AI Transformation model below—and why human-centered transformation requires far more than content or tools.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44471" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AI-Transformation-Upskilling-in-AI-Maturity-e1766111773634.png" alt="Upskilling in AI Maturity" width="1200" height="1200" />
Every other Friday, ELE brings senior talent, HR, business, and change leaders together on Zoom—not to deliver a generic webinar, but to exchange what’s actually working as organizations reskill for the AI era.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44489" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ELE-Fluno-Center-with-Teri-Hart.jpg" alt="Here’s the final alt text I’d use (clean, descriptive, accessibility-friendly, and ELE-appropriate):" width="640" height="311" />
These discussions are built for peers who are navigating real tradeoffs: what to scale, what to slow down, and where human judgment still matters most as AI reshapes work.
Bring your questions, your specific challenges, and your ideas. You’ll learn from leaders facing similar decisions—and contribute your perspective to a shared, evolving understanding of human-centered transformation in practice.
Who Should Join
This discussion is designed for senior HR, talent, learning, business, and change leaders who are actively navigating AI-driven reskilling and workforce transformation. If you’re balancing experimentation with real organizational constraints—and want to learn from peers facing similar tradeoffs—you’ll be in the right room.
How This Works
Each discussion runs for 50 minutes and blends a short framing insight with open, peer-driven exchange. There are no slides to sit through and no pitches—just focused conversation designed to surface what’s working, what’s not, and what leaders are trying next as AI reshapes work.
Join the ELE Conversation
These every-other-Friday discussions are part of ELE’s ongoing peer exchange for leaders shaping talent and work in the AI era. Come ready to listen, contribute, and learn alongside peers testing ideas in real organizations and sharing what they’re learning.
Recordings are posted to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/insights">ELE Insights</a> within 2–4 business days.

Talent Leadership

Leadership Tradeoffs

Executive Learning Exchange

Lurie Children's

Upsurge Advisors

Goodwill NYNJ

In this 45-minute interactive breakout, participants will experience how AI can elevate coaching into a high-performance advantage. Together, we’ll identify real business challenges, compare emerging AI coaching tools, and explore opportunities to co-create future ELE Executive Innovation Sprints focused on AI-enabled coaching.

Unlike traditional coaching platforms with fixed schedules and high dropout rates, AI coaching delivers just-in-time, scalable development. We’ll lay the groundwork for an AI Coaching Playbook—practical frameworks, prompts, and adoption guidance created by peers, for peers.

🔁 <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qFs__kIJsCLH6ynAeNopOsz6PHEpub9ntpAmvuJt588/edit?mc_cid=e7686c688f&amp;mc_eid=621cbc8540&amp;slide=id.p1#slide=id.p1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ELE Executive Innovation Sprints Proposal</a>

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What’s Next: Following this initial ideation, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/events/reskilling-127" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">on October 31st, Deepa will lead a virtual exchange</a> to refine business requirements before recruiting 4–6 members for our first Solution Sprint.

🔄 ELE Executive Innovation Sprint: High-Performance Coaching with AI

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