#439 AI, Bias and Leadership: How Business Decision Makers Can Use Artificial Intelligence Responsibly | Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Release Date: 09/10/2025
#440 How Leaders Motivate or Demotivate their HR and Recruiting Teams | Leadership Insights with Niels
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
How do leaders inspire their HR and recruiting professionals—or drive them into frustration and disengagement? In this episode, Niels Brabandt, Founder of NB Networks and internationally recognised leadership expert, explores the decisive role leadership plays in motivating (or demotivating) the very teams that shape an organisation’s future workforce. Drawing on real-world examples from Europe’s largest HR and recruiting fair, Brabandt reveals why HR and recruiting are not back-office functions but the sales engine of the “employer brand.” He analyses why flawed KPIs, excessive...
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#439 AI, Bias and Leadership: How Business Decision Makers Can Use Artificial Intelligence Responsibly | Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping recruitment, leadership, and business strategy — but are organisations prepared for the risks as well as the opportunities? In this episode, leadership expert Niels Brabandt explores how AI can deliver efficiency and speed while simultaneously creating bias, legal challenges, and reputational risks if implemented without care. Drawing on current case studies, regulatory developments, and leadership best practices, this episode provides executives and decision makers with a clear framework for integrating AI responsibly into recruitment and leadership...
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#438 Leadership Between Productivity and Self-Fulfilment: Niels Brabandt in Conversation with Saahil Mehta
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
How can leaders achieve peak productivity without sacrificing fulfilment and well-being? In this in-depth interview, leadership expert Niels Brabandt speaks with entrepreneur, mountaineer, and leadership coach Saahil Mehta about redefining success, building resilience, and leading with clarity. Drawing on his Seven Summits framework — inspired by mountaineering and applied to business leadership — Saahil Mehta outlines how executives can prioritise effectively, avoid the trap of short-term sacrifices, and adopt what he calls the “mountain mindset.” Key insights from this conversation...
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#437 Why Stories Matter in Leadership: Niels Brabandt in Conversation with Sierra Melcher
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this exclusive interview, leadership expert Niels Brabandt speaks with publishing specialist and author Sierra Melcher about the critical role of storytelling in business leadership and organisational success. While executives often rely on data and performance metrics, it is stories that create trust, credibility, and sustainable influence. Sierra Melcher explains why every leader has a story worth telling, how publishing a book can transform visibility and authority, and what pitfalls to avoid — from vanity publishing to the misuse of AI-generated content. Key insights from this...
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#436 Leadership in Times of Crisis: Restructuring, Redundancies, and Responsibility - by Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this episode, Niels Brabandt, founder of NB Networks and international expert on sustainable leadership, addresses one of the most difficult challenges leaders face: guiding organisations through crises, restructuring, and redundancies. Drawing on real-world cases, Niels Brabandt explains why vague justifications, such as “the market” or “the economy,” undermine trust, and why leaders must take accountability for difficult decisions. He highlights the triple preparation every organisation needs: transparent processes, robust support systems, and trained leaders, while showing how...
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#435 Coaching in Business and the Future of Leadership - Niels Brabandt Interviews Greg Smith
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this insightful conversation, Niels Brabandt, founder of NB Networks and international leadership expert, speaks with Greg Smith, General Manager of FranklinCovey Executive Coaching, about the role of coaching in modern business. Together, they explore why coaching is not a perk but a strategic necessity for organisations aiming to build resilient and adaptable leaders. Greg Smith shares research-backed insights on why executive coaching delivers the highest ROI of all leadership development tools, how to identify qualified coaches in a crowded marketplace, and why timing is critical when...
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#434 The Six and a Half Habits of Highly Defective Bosses - Niels Brabandt Interviews Joel Hilchey
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this exclusive interview, Niels Brabandt, founder of NB Networks and international leadership expert, speaks with Joel Hilchey, keynote speaker, entertainer, and author of The Six and a Half Habits of Highly Defective Bosses. Together, they explore what makes bosses fail, why leadership behaviour determines whether employees stay or leave, and how organisations can avoid the pitfalls of “defective leadership.” Joel Hilchey shares real-world insights from his career and new book, explaining the habits that undermine leadership—from “function forgetting” to “mediocrity...
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#433 AI in the C-Suite: Why Critical Thinking Is Non-Negotiable - by Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Artificial 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 A simple loop to de-risk AI: Analysis → Evaluation → Judgement When to insist on primary sources (and how to verify “too perfect”...
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#432 Entitlement in the World of New Work: Why Leaders Must Act on Evidence - by Niels Brabandt
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
Entitlement is no longer just a “young talent” issue. It is a leadership challenge affecting organisations at every level. In this episode, leadership expert Niels Brabandt explains why entitlement thinking thrives when decisions are based on nostalgia or hierarchy rather than evidence. Discover: How organisational entitlement is damaging recruitment and retention Why hybrid and remote work require evidence, not slogans The five leadership principles Niels Brabandt uses to transform entitlement into commitment A simple decision framework to test if office mandates make business...
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#431 Merging IT and HR: Insights, Strategies, and Real-World Cases – Niels Brabandt on Leadership in the Age of AI
The Leadership Podcast by Niels Brabandt / NB Networks
In this episode, Niels Brabandt explores why leading organisations are merging IT and HR – and how this bold move can boost decision-making, efficiency, and strategic impact. Drawing on real-world cases from Moderna, Covisian, and Bunq, you’ll learn the drivers behind this trend, the benefits it can deliver, and the pitfalls to avoid. Discover how Artificial Intelligence is accelerating the integration of people and technology functions, what the Best Fit Model looks like in practice, and why successful transformations protect jobs while empowering teams. Packed with practical advice for...
info_outlineArtificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping recruitment, leadership, and business strategy — but are organisations prepared for the risks as well as the opportunities? In this episode, leadership expert Niels Brabandt explores how AI can deliver efficiency and speed while simultaneously creating bias, legal challenges, and reputational risks if implemented without care.
Drawing on current case studies, regulatory developments, and leadership best practices, this episode provides executives and decision makers with a clear framework for integrating AI responsibly into recruitment and leadership processes.
Key insights include:
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Why “something with AI” is not a strategy but a liability.
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How bias in data accelerates discrimination risks and lawsuits.
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Where AI genuinely creates measurable value in recruitment and HR.
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Why human–AI collaboration outperforms full automation.
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The critical role of leadership, compliance, and employer branding in AI adoption.
For business leaders, the message is clear: AI will not replace executives — but leaders who fail to adapt and use AI responsibly risk being replaced.
Host: Niels Brabandt / [email protected]
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/