#433 AI in the C-Suite: Why Critical Thinking Is Non-Negotiable - by Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Release Date: 08/27/2025
#451 Ghosting in Business: Why Leaders Must Stop Disappearing | Insights from Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Ghosting has become one of the most underestimated risks in today’s professional world. Whether it appears in leadership communication, recruiting processes, internal collaboration, or high-stakes sales negotiations, disappearing without explanation damages credibility, weakens employer branding, and undermines organisational culture. In this episode, Niels Brabandt, international leadership expert and Founder of NB Networks (London & Zurich), analyses why ghosting is rising inside organisations and why business decision makers can no longer afford to ignore its impact. Drawing from...
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#450 Why Hybrid Work Depends on Great Leadership — Insights from MIT Sloan and Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this episode of The Leadership Podcast, Niels Brabandt explores the decisive factor that determines whether hybrid work succeeds or fails: leadership quality. Drawing on new evidence from the MIT Sloan Management Review, Brabandt examines why hybrid work itself is not the real challenge — ineffective leadership is. He unpacks how executives fall into filter bubbles and echo chambers, how opinion replaces evidence in boardrooms, and why leaders who manage by presence rather than by performance undermine both trust and results. Listeners will gain practical, research-based insights on: ...
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#449 Are Strong Opinions Dangerous? – How Effective Leaders Separate Confidence from Competence - with Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this episode of The Leadership Podcast, Niels Brabandt, Founder and Owner of NB Networks (London | Zurich), explores one of the most pressing challenges for today’s leaders: When does a strong opinion become a leadership asset – and when does it turn into a liability? In a world dominated by loud voices and instant expertise, leaders face a crucial task: separating conviction backed by evidence from confidence fuelled by ego. This episode provides a clear framework for evaluating opinions and decision-making processes in complex organisations. You will learn: Why freedom of speech...
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#448 Do You Have a Right to Get Answers? – Leadership, Communication, and Accountability | Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this episode, Niels Brabandt, Founder and Owner of NB Networks, explores one of the most overlooked questions in modern leadership: Do people have a right to get an answer? In a world of constant messages, endless meetings, and overflowing inboxes, silence has become a management habit—and a dangerous one. Leaders often justify non-responsiveness as efficiency, while employees interpret it as neglect. Both are wrong. Niels Brabandt examines why communication is not a courtesy but a core leadership responsibility. Drawing on his expertise in Sustainable Leadership, he explains: Why...
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#447 Leading Change with SAP – Transforming Business, Technology, and People | Niels Brabandt & Christopher Carter
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this episode, Niels Brabandt, Founder and Owner of NB Networks, speaks with Christopher Carter, globally recognised SAP expert and CEO of Approyo, about how true digital transformation succeeds only when leadership understands both technology and human behaviour. SAP is often seen as complex, costly, and intimidating. Yet, as Christopher Carter explains, it can become one of the most powerful tools for creating transparency, compliance, and operational excellence—if implemented with the right mindset. Together, Brabandt and Carter explore the real challenges of SAP migration: Why...
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#446 Career Minimalism vs. Maximalism – What the New Work Divide Reveals About Leadership | Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
What defines success in today’s workplace — ambition or balance? In this episode, Niels Brabandt, international leadership expert and Founder of NB Networks, explores one of the most important debates shaping modern business: career minimalism versus career maximalism. Across industries, a cultural shift is unfolding. Younger professionals value security, flexibility, and meaning more than titles or long hours. At the same time, organisations still depend on individuals who push boundaries and pursue growth. The result is a widening gap — and a test for leadership. In this episode, Niels...
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#445 Perspectives in Recruiting and Leadership – Why Many Organisations Fail at Their Own Viewpoint | Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Recruiting today rarely fails because of a lack of candidates — it fails because of a lack of perspective. In this episode, Niels Brabandt, Founder and Owner of NB Networks (Zurich | London), examines why so many organisations struggle to attract, select, and lead the right people — and how unexamined biases, poor communication, and outdated thinking undermine both recruitment and leadership. Drawing on current global cases — from the EEOC lawsuit against Delta Air Lines to allegations of discrimination involving Workday’s AI recruiting system — Brabandt analyses where employers and...
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#444 Leading Beyond Labels – Rethinking Leadership, Identity, and Organisational Culture | Niels Brabandt with Merry Carole Powers
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Modern leadership is drowning in labels — titles, job descriptions, and identity categories that once helped structure organisations but now often divide them. In this episode, Niels Brabandt, Founder and Owner of NB Networks (Zurich | London), speaks with Merry Carole Powers, leadership strategist and author of The Great Human Rebrand, about what it means to lead beyond labels. Together, they explore how leaders can move from categorisation to connection, from representation to recognition, and from management by title to leadership by substance. Key insights include: Why DEI labels...
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#443 The Truth About Annual Appraisal Interviews: How Great Leaders Turn Routine Reviews into Real Results - with Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Annual appraisal interviews are one of the most misunderstood leadership tools in modern business. For some employees, they are a source of motivation and recognition. For others, they are nothing but an annual formality — arbitrary, subjective, and often frustrating. In this episode of The Leadership Podcast with Niels Brabandt, you will learn what separates meaningful appraisal interviews from ineffective bureaucratic rituals. Leadership expert Niels Brabandt explains why the traditional once-a-year review often fails, how the burden of proof always lies with the leader, and how a...
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#442 Handling Leadership Mistakes: Why Accountability Defines Sustainable Leadership | Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Leadership is not about avoiding mistakes—it is about how leaders respond when they happen. In this episode, Niels Brabandt, founder of NB Networks and internationally recognised expert on Sustainable Leadership, explains why the way business leaders handle errors determines trust, reputation, and long-term success. Drawing on real-world cases and decades of leadership practice, Niels Brabandt discusses: Why pseudo-apologies damage credibility and weaken organisations. The key elements of a genuine apology and how it strengthens leadership. How professional preparation, training, and...
info_outlineArtificial intelligence can speed decisions — and, if unchecked, speed mistakes. In this episode, leadership expert Niels Brabandt shows how to harness AI without sacrificing judgement, governance or trust. From “plausible but wrong” outputs (like optimistic walk times or misread PDFs) to high-risk failures (fabricated case law, myth-based policies), Niels explains why critical thinking belongs at the heart of every AI workflow.
What you will learn
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A simple loop to de-risk AI: Analysis → Evaluation → Judgement
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When to insist on primary sources (and how to verify “too perfect” citations)
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The quality gates every team needs: fact-check, bias screen, hallucination red flags
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Data hygiene & access control: stop internal AIs exposing sensitive information
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A practical 30/60/90-day plan to embed policy, red-teaming and measurable KPIs
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How boards can balance speed with accountability — and avoid the “cheap & fast” trap
Who it is for
CEOs, founders, board members and senior leaders who want AI-driven speed and decision-grade reliability.
About the host
Niels Brabandt is a leadership expert and host of the Leadership Podcast, advising organisations on evidence-based, situational leadership and AI governance.
Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com
Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/
Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: http://expert.nb-networks.com/
Niels Brabandt's Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/