What should difference makers be reading right now? These are the books that shaped leadership, courage, and voice in 2025. Chapters: 00:00 Why books matter 01:30 Leadership & AI 04:50 Courage & toxic workplaces 09:00 Psychological safety 13:30 Career pivots & presence 17:45 Trauma, recovery & hope 19:30 Looking ahead…
Are you feeling the weight of leadership decisions that seem to pull you away from your core values? You're not alone in wrestling with what it means to lead authentically when the world around us feels increasingly divided and transactional. What happens when kindness becomes your greatest strength, not your…
Are you feeling the weight of this year's challenges while trying to maintain your authentic leadership voice? You're not alone. As we close out what's been an intense year of AI transformation, geopolitical shifts, and workplace upheaval, many executives are questioning what kind of leaders they want to be moving…
Are you walking into meetings wondering why that high-performing team member suddenly shuts down during feedback? Or why your most talented employee seems to overreact to simple workplace conversations? You're witnessing something most leadership training never addresses—the invisible impact of trauma in your workplace. What if I told you that…
Are you leading teams across cultures but feeling like you're constantly misreading the room? You're not alone. Most executives I work with struggle with the same challenge—they know cultural differences matter, but they don't know how to move beyond surface-level awareness to actual competence. What if I told you the…
Ever wonder what real courage at work actually looks like? Spoiler: it’s not all about big speeches or dramatic moments. It’s about those everyday choices, like speaking up in a meeting when it would be easier to stay quiet or sticking to your values even when it feels risky. Host…
Ever feel like work keeps asking for more while you’re running on empty, and wonder if there’s a better way? You’re not alone. Host Lori Adams-Brown just sat down with Dr. Nona Djavid, and she’s living proof that you don’t have to buy into nonstop hustle to be a strong,…
Ever thought that the messiest chapters of your life might actually be the best invitations to something new? On this episode of A World of Difference, host Lori Adams-Brown sat down with Laura Munson (she’s a bestselling author and the founder of Haven Writing Retreats) to talk about how those…
There comes a time when we all face a situation where our values are crossed. What will you do? We are living in those times now. It's time to speak up. Not sit down. Not shut up. It's time to let your voice be heard. What do you stand for?…
The biggest threat to authentic leadership isn't AI itself. It's how we're choosing to use it. Both approaches miss the mark entirely. Here's what lecturer Allison Shapira learned working with executives navigating this shift: The human isn't just "in the loop" the human IS the loop. This reframe changes everything.…
Authentic leadership isn't about maintaining perfect composure through every crisis. It's about holding multiple truths simultaneously. As leaders in C-Suites, in communities and in classrooms we face a constant tension: acknowledging real organizational challenges while maintaining team morale and forward momentum. Here's what host Lori Adams-Brown has learned through navigating…
I'm so grateful for this A World of Difference podcast community of Difference Makers, and for each guest who has shown up to bring their differences around the table to make a difference with us over the past year. As we bring in #AI tools to our #workplaces, staying human-centered…
Cultural conflicts in your organization aren't personality clashes. They're misunderstood value systems. When your Dutch colleague gives you brutally direct feedback, they're not being mean. When your Latin American team member wants to discuss your family before diving into quarterly projections, they're not wasting time. They're operating from completely different…
What if I told you 80% of your team is carrying workplace trauma, but only 56% even recognize it as trauma? This massive gap between experience and awareness represents one of the biggest blind spots in leadership today. We're operating with traumatized workforces while completely missing the signs. That employee…
Are you leading with the assumption that your team is operating from a place of psychological safety? The reality might shock you. Recent research reveals that 80% of workplace professionals have experienced trauma that directly impacts how they show up at work—and most leaders have no idea it's happening. What…
Are you leading teams across cultures but struggling to understand why brilliant strategies fail and talented people clash? The answer might be simpler than you think, and more complex than you've imagined. What happens when the biggest barrier to global leadership isn't language or logistics, but the invisible assumptions we…
Are you struggling to hold space for both gratitude and grief in your leadership? In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, many executives are finding it difficult to navigate the tension between authentic appreciation and the very real pain their teams are experiencing. What happens when toxic positivity meets genuine…
Are you feeling the tension between staying authentic and using AI tools in your leadership? You're not alone. Many executives are grappling with this exact challenge, and the stakes have never been higher. What happens when the biggest threat to authentic leadership isn't AI itself, but how we choose to…
Are you feeling the tension between using AI tools and staying true to your authentic leadership voice? You're not alone. Many executives I work with worry that adopting AI will somehow diminish their human connection with their teams. What if I told you the biggest threat to authentic leadership isn't…
There comes a time when we all face a situation where our values are crossed. What will you do? We are living in those times now. It's time to speak up. Not sit down. Not shut up. It's time to let your voice be heard. What do you stand for?…
Lori Adams-Brown, a Strategic Transformation Executive, Board Director, Global Speaker and Podcast Host challenges audiences to get clear on your personal values, to speak up when there is a values misalignment, and to reject self-limiting beliefs that hold leaders back in an era of capitulation from Silicon Valley to Washington…
Lori Adams-Brown, a Strategic Transformation Executive, Board Director, Global Speaker and Podcast Host challenges audiences to get clear on your personal values, to speak up when there is a values misalignment, and to reject self-limiting beliefs that hold leaders back in an era of capitulation from Silicon Valley to Washington…
In this engaging conversation, Lori Adams-Brown interviews Mita Mallick about her book "The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses." Mita shares personal stories and insights on leadership, workplace culture, and the impact of bad bosses on mental health. The discussion covers the importance of…
So, what if the “messy middle” moments in your life—the stuff you’d rather sweep under the rug—are actually secret doorways to real creativity? Laura Munson, bestselling author and founder of Haven writing retreats, has wandered from Montana’s wild woods to ancient stones in Ireland, and she’s convinced that wonder isn’t…
