Leadership thinker and author Digby Scott joins Zoë Routh for a deep, reflective conversation on leadership transitions, success, and what it truly means to matter.

As leaders move into later stages of their careers, familiar formulas begin to lose their power. Hustle becomes exhausting. Achievement feels hollow. The question shifts from What more can I do? to How do I contribute differently now?

Drawing on decades of leadership experience, Digby explores the shift from ego to eco, from hero leadership to host leadership, and from achievement to contentment. Together, Zoë and Digby unpack how mature leaders can create leader-full, resilient organizations and meaningful lives, without clinging to authority, identity, or legacy.

Key Quotes

"Much of what got me here won't get me where I need to go next." - Digby Scott

"Leadership matures when we move from ego to eco, from focusing on ourselves to stewarding the whole system." - Digby Scott

"Don't try to create a legacy. Do good work, and let what lasts take care of itself." - Digby Scott

"Success later in life is less about achievement and more about contentment." - Digby Scott

"Practice is the path. You don't need to know where it leads, only that you can take the next step." - Zoë Routh

Questions Asked

• What does success really mean at this stage of my leadership journey?
• How do I know when it's time to step back, step aside, or step in differently?
• Am I leading in ways that create dependency or resilience?
• How do I move from being the hero to becoming the host?
• What does "mattering" look like when titles and authority fall away?
• Which of my daily choices enlarge my life and which diminish it?

Take Action

Identify one responsibility you can intentionally hand over to grow someone else's leadership.

Shift one focus this week from doing the work to creating the conditions for others to thrive.

Reduce one thing, urgency, obligation, or noise and notice what space it creates.

Key Moments

00:00 Introduction and the Question of What's Next
00:42 Meet Digby Scott
01:42 The Big Questions Facing Mature Leaders
03:17 Redefining Success and Legacy
06:05 From Hero Leadership to Host Leadership
11:52 Reflective Practice and Organizational Culture
16:59 Ego, Responsibility, and Power
32:47 Mattering and Meaning
37:01 Ego vs. Eco
39:26 Contentment Over Achievement
46:17 Reflective Questions for Leaders
49:06 Fast Three Questions
56:23 Final Reflections

Sign up for Podcast Insider special deals and insights here:
https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast-news

In this solo reflection, Zoë Routh explores leadership and what it means to live a life well lived, inspired by This One Wild and Precious Life by Sarah Wilson and Mary Oliver's The Summer Day.

Against a backdrop of ecological, political, and personal uncertainty, Zoe reflects on languishing, disconnection, and the chrysalis moments of change. Drawing on minimalist living, nature, art, spirituality, and everyday activism, she invites leaders to slow down, pay attention, and ask what truly enlarges their lives.

Ultimately, this episode asks a simple but profound question:

What will you do with your one wild and precious life?

"Practice is the path. You don't need to know where it leads, only that you can take the next step." - Zoë Routh

"What makes a life worth living will be different for each of us." - Zoë Routh

"The question isn't 'Am I doing this right?' but 'Does this choice enlarge or diminish my life?'" - quotes from Sarah Wilson's book, This One Wild and Precious Life

1. What does a life well lived mean for me at this stage of my leadership journey?

2. Where am I languishing and what might be quietly emerging beneath it?

3. What is time well spent, really?

4. Which of my daily choices enlarge my life, and which diminish it?

5. What practices help me feel more connected, to myself, others, and the world?

1. Choose one small practice that helps you slow down and pay attention, walking, journaling, reading poetry, or time in nature.

2. Apply the filter: Does this choice enlarge or diminish? Use it for decisions big and small this week.

3. Reduce one thing. consumption, noise, or obligation and notice what space it creates.

Key Moments

Leadership thinker and author Dan Pontefract joins Zoë to explore the demographic forces reshaping the future of work. With ageing populations and declining birth rates, the question is simple: are organisations ready?

Drawing on The Future of Work Is Gray, Dan reframes ageing as a strategic advantage, not a liability. The conversation explores ageism, longevity, and outdated career ladders, offering practical alternatives like phased retirement, career "canvases," and new ways to value experience at work.

Kickstarter link:
Support Olympus Dawn (Gaia Series finale)

Key Quotes

"Demographics isn't ideology, it's just math." - Dan Pontefract
"The future of work isn't a ladder. It's a canvas." - Dan Pontefract
"We're living longer, but our systems haven't caught up." - Dan Pontefract
"Aging is not the problem. Ignoring it is." - Zoë Routh

Questions Asked

• What does declining fertility mean for the future of work and leadership?
• Why are organisations unprepared for an ageing workforce?
• How does ageism quietly drain experience and wisdom from organisations?
• What are Rivers, Rocks, and Rubies and why are generations the wrong lens?
• How can leaders redesign careers for longevity, not burnout?
• What responsibility do organisations have beyond short-term profit?

Take Action

Audit Your Workforce: Look at your age profile and succession plans, where are you exposed?
Redesign Careers: Move beyond ladders toward flexible, contribution-based career paths.
Value Wisdom: Create formal roles for mentoring, knowledge transfer, and phased transitions.

Key Moments

00:00 Introduction and Weekly Question
00:59 Demographic Pressure and Aging Population
02:39 The Future of Work Is Gray
03:49 Demographic Apocalypse and Age Debt
07:26 Ageism and Organisational Blind Spots
17:18 Technology, Automation, and Workforce Gaps
24:19 Grandparental Leave and New Work Models
28:10 From Career Ladders to Career Canvases
30:59 Rivers, Rocks, and Rubies Explained
34:29 The Longevity Lens
37:08 Fast Three Questions
40:35 Final Reflections and Hope for the Future

#futureofwork #agingworkforce #leadershipdevelopment #longevity #workforcedesign
#danpontefract #zoërouth #demographics #careerdesign #humanleadership

In this episode of The Future of Leadership, host Zoë Routh reflects on the idea of place, how where we are shapes who we become, prompted by Australia Day and the launch of Olympus Dawn, the final book in her Gaia series.

Go to the Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zoerouth/olympus-dawn-the-complete-gaia-series-finale

Zoë is joined by Richard Anderson, a microbiologist and science-fiction author whose work sits at the intersection of evolution, ethics, and humanity's future beyond Earth. Richard shares his journey from writing about the origins of life to imagining what it might truly take to live and govern on Mars.

Together, they explore the biological realities of space living, from food production to gravity, and move into deeper territory: the ethics of AI sentience, the risks of disinformation, and the leadership and governance challenges that emerge when technology evolves faster than social systems. The conversation considers what responsibility looks like when human survival depends on collective intelligence, not just innovation.

Share your thoughts on Substack here: https://open.substack.com/pub/zoerouth/p/how-place-affects-who-we-become?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

The episode closes with reflections on leadership, curiosity, and the kinds of futures worth imagining and working towards.

00:00 Welcome

00:28 Australia Day, identity, and reflection

00:34 Olympus Dawn and imagining future worlds

01:18 The power of place

02:34 Mars, AI, and humanity's next frontier

03:36 Microbiology and space colonisation

04:58 Living systems, food, and gravity in space

11:21 Ethics and AI sentience

14:28 Governance, disinformation, and leadership

34:36 Rapid-fire reflections

43:23 Closing thoughts

Leadership change isn't always loud. Sometimes it's quiet, disorienting, and deeply personal.

In this episode, Zoë Routh returns to the podcast after a six-month break to explore what she calls The Chrysalis Concept, a leadership transition phase where old identities dissolve before new ones take shape.

This conversation is for leaders navigating:
-career transitions later in life
-burnout after success
-identity shifts beyond titles and roles
-uncertainty about "what's next"
-redefining retirement, contribution, and purpose

Zoë reflects on stepping back from work that no longer fit, relocating cities, letting go of certainty, and resisting the pressure to reinvent too quickly. Instead, she offers a different lens on leadership transformation, one that values listening, curiosity, and emergence over answers and action plans.

The episode also includes an exclusive opening excerpt from Olympus Dawn, the final book in the Gaia science-fiction series, now live on Kickstarter.

If you're in a season of transition, not a crisis, but a chrysalis, this episode will meet you there.

Key Moments:

00:00 Leadership transition & return to the podcast
02:03 The Chrysalis Concept explained
04:35 Identity shifts after burnout or success
06:18 Redefining work, retirement & life stages
10:36 Uncertainty, loss of certainty & the in-between
13:01 From reinvention to re-authoring
16:30 Season themes & upcoming conversations
19:55 Olympus Dawn, exclusive excerpt
27:36 Closing reflections

Go Deeper:
Join the Substack conversation:
https://open.substack.com/pub/zoerouth/p/not-a-crisis-a-chrysalis?r=11wpaq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Back Olympus Dawn on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zoerouth/olympus-dawn-the-complete-gaia-series-finale

#leadership #careertransition #identityshift #leadershippodcast #womeninleadership #leadershippodcast #purposeandmeaning #redefiningsuccess

I'm back! After a crazy half year of transition, adventure, and being in the murky mess of a 'chrysalis' experience, I've surfaced for some insights for you to wrap up 2025.

Here's what's up for you:

A process for reflection that uses visual representation of your last twelve months

A reflective practice that will surface insights for next year

How to make use of these insights in a practical way.

My own updates:

Travel, adventure, heartbreak, moving house: it's the bitter sweetnes of not yet and not anymore.

Enjoy!

Zoë

We explore the future of inclusive leadership with Kelli Lester, co-founder of Onyx Rising. Zoë opens with reflections on ageing, robotics in aged care, and the value of connection. And introduces Kelli, who shares insight on navigating today's polarised workplace and equipping leaders for diverse, resilient teams.

Kelli unpacks the backlash against DEI programs, reframing them as essential business strategies rather than politically charged mandates. She explores how organisations can move beyond performative initiatives by anchoring their diversity efforts in clear objectives—be it talent, innovation, or community alignment.

This conversation covers emotional and cultural intelligence, generational divides, psychological safety, and the systemic barriers to inclusion. Practical frameworks like Kelli's seven inclusive leadership traits provide a tangible pathway to fostering a thriving, human-centred workplace.

SHOWNOTES are here:
https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leading-through-difference

Planet Human:
Robots in aged care boost retention by reducing carer injuries and burnout.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1069918

Kickstarter link:
Support Power Games: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zoerouth/power-games-stop-toxic-power-in-the-workplace

Key Quotes:
"Maps are helpful, but they are not the territory." – Zoë Routh
"Inclusive leadership is not just nice to have. It's the future of leadership." – Kelli Lester
"Any time you don't share your thoughts, you're hurting the company." – Kelli Lester
"Just because someone's pro-Black doesn't mean they're anti-white." – Kelli Lester

Questions Asked:

1. Why is there so much resistance to DEI in today's climate?

2. How can leaders reframe diversity as a business enabler?

3. What are the seven traits of inclusive leadership?

4. How do we build psychological safety and trust across generations?

5. What does it take to dismantle systemic bias in hiring and promotion?

Take Action:

• Self-Audit: Reflect on your own lens—what influences how you see the world, and how does that shape your leadership?

• Amplify Voices: In your next meeting, actively include perspectives from quieter or less-represented team members.

• Define It Clearly: Have a leadership-level conversation about what diversity, equity, and inclusion means in your context and why it matters.

Tip of the Week
Facilitate a "Bias Interrupt" session: Identify where decisions are being made based on assumptions—hiring, promotions, even meeting invitations—and ask, "Who's missing and why?"

Key Moments

00:00 Introduction and Weekly Question

00:15 Robots in Nursing Care Homes

02:07 Kickstarter Campaign for Power Games

03:48 Understanding Human Behavior and Categorization

07:27 Inclusive Leadership with Kelly Lester

08:26 Challenges and Misconceptions of DEI

28:48 America's Mythmaking and Cultural Conflicts

30:23 Polarization and Political Correctness

34:27 The Importance of Self-Awareness and Valuing Differences

37:49 Promoting Psychological Safety and Amplifying Voices

40:25 Emotional and Cultural Intelligence in Leadership

41:49 Managing Inclusively and Effective Mentoring

45:49 Fast Three Questions with Kelly

50:01 Book Recommendation: Why Are We Yelling?

51:05 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Changes

We explore the power of systems thinking and strategic foresight with futurist Donna Dupont, as we challenge assumptions about leadership, innovation, and our collective future. Zoë shares an exciting update on her new book Power Games launching on Kickstarter, and we dive into the emerging vision of a moon-based data centre and what it means for the future of digital infrastructure.

In this episode, Donna brings clarity to the often-misunderstood world of foresight work. She breaks down how mapping complexity, anticipatory thinking, and systems framing can shift the way leaders respond to crises, craft policy, and design for change. From Arctic policy to leadership development, this conversation unpacks how to lead with deeper awareness in an increasingly unpredictable world.

SHOWNOTES are here:
https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/regenerating-teams-from-inside-out

Planet Human:
LoneStar's moonshot: Data centres on the lunar surface by 2025
https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/lonestars-moonshot-firm-aims-place-data-center-lunar-surface-2025-01-21/

Power Games Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zoerouth/power-games-stop-toxic-power-in-the-workplace

Key Quotes:
"Strategic foresight isn't about predicting the future. It's about preparing to act in it with intelligence and compassion." – Donna Dupont
"When we slow down to map the system, we see possibilities we couldn't before." – Zoë Routh
"Every assumption is a doorframe some keep us safe, some keep us stuck." – Donna Dupont

Questions Asked:

1. What is strategic foresight, and why is it critical for future-ready leadership?

2. How can leaders build the capacity to map complex systems in times of uncertainty?

3. What role does anticipatory thinking play in solving today's wicked problems?

4. How do we challenge deeply held assumptions that limit innovation and inclusive decision-making?

Take Action:

• Identify one system you're part of (team, community, organisation) and begin mapping its inputs, outputs, and actors.

• Use Donna's approach: define the system's boundaries, identify the stakeholders, and uncover any blind spots.

• Bring this framework into your next strategic conversation and notice what shifts.
  
  

Tip of the Week:
Host a "Future Now" workshop: Gather your team and spend 60 minutes exploring trends, weak signals, and strategic responses using foresight tools. Even one hour can unlock radically different insights.