With Special Guest: Michael Neece, President of Our Future Is Kind and Co-Founder of the Human Summit

In a marketplace driven by quarterly results, relentless urgency, and constant disruption, kindness rarely makes the shortlist of competitive strategies. But what if it should?

In this episode of Ask for Change, Meridith sits down with international bestselling author and kindness researcher Michael Neece to challenge the assumption that soft skills are secondary skills. Michael makes a compelling, data-backed case that kindness is not niceness - it's the foundation of psychological safety, the driver of team performance, and a measurable bottom-line differentiator.

They unpack Google's Project Aristotle research on high-performing teams, dig into the real cost of unkind workplace cultures (hint: your best people leave first), and discuss why ego management and focus management are essential components of genuine kindness. Meridith and Michael also address one of the hardest questions leaders face right now: how do you stay kind when uncertainty is fueling fear, anger, and unkindness all around you? The answer will challenge how you think about your daily choices as a leader. If you've been looking for a competitive edge you haven't tried yet, this episode will make you rethink everything.

Connect with Michael Neese:

Linkedin Primary

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yournextkeynotespeaker/

Linkedin Our Future is Kind

https://www.linkedin.com/company/our-future-is-kind

FB

https://www.facebook.com/meteormike/

IG

https://www.instagram.com/michaelgneece/

Youtube

www.youtube.com/@YourNextKeynoteSpeaker

With Special Guest: Ken Hartley, Certified Speaking Professional and Author of Calling the Presidents

History doesn't repeat itself - but it does offer a playbook. In this episode of Ask for Change, Meridith welcomes speaker and author Ken Hartley, whose new book Calling the Presidents goes where most business books don't: straight into the leadership crucibles of every U.S. president to extract timeless lessons on navigating uncertainty, change, and crisis.

What made Washington lay down power when no one in history had done it before? What can Harry Truman's first days in office - inheriting a world war he knew nothing about - teach today's executives about leading blind? And what separated the presidents history remembers from the ones who became trivia questions?

Ken's answer is both simple and unsparing: the leaders who endure are the ones who serve the needs of their people at the moment that matters most, own their mistakes without flinching, and embrace change instead of retreating from it. This episode is a compelling reminder that uncertainty is not a new problem - and that the strategies to turn it into advantage are already written. Meridith and Ken close with a challenge every leader needs to hear: everything you've ever wanted as a leader is waiting on the other side of the fear and uncertainty you've been avoiding.

Ken Hartley:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-hartley/

https://www.facebook.com/kenhartley777

https://www.youtube.com/@kenhartleyspeaks

www.kenhartley.com

With Special Guest: Justin Jones-Fosu, Speaker, Author, and Founder of the Work Meaningful Foundation

Most leaders are chasing meaningful work. Justin Jones-Fosu argues they've got it backwards - meaningful work isn't something you find, it's something you create. In this deeply personal and strategically powerful episode of Ask for Change, Meridith sits down with speaker, author, and accidental foundation-starter Justin Jones-Fosu to explore what it actually takes to thrive - not just survive - in a world of relentless uncertainty and change. Justin's journey is anything but linear: from nearly getting fired while working in HR, to forgiving an absent father, to building schools in Ghana, he's a living case study in the power of choice, ownership, and intentional meaning-making. He introduces listeners to the research-backed framework of Job Crafting and his own "Choose, Commit, Cultivate" model - practical tools senior leaders can use to stop letting uncertainty happen to them and start creating outcomes with intention. This episode hits differently for leaders who feel the weight of what's happening in the world right now and are searching for a way to move forward with clarity and purpose. If you're tired of chasing and ready to start creating, this conversation is your next step.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iworkmeaningful/ (Justin Jones-Fosu)