SPOS #985 – Kathleen deLaski On A Future Where Degrees Won't Matter
Release Date: 05/25/2025
Why Authenticity Is Overrated With Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - TWMJ #1010
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1010 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if the search for our “true selves” has been leading us away from who we actually need to become? That’s the tension at the heart of ’s work, a globally respected authority on people analytics, talent, leadership, and the Human–AI interface whose career spans , , , , , and decades of research that have shaped how organizations understand human behavior. His latest book, challenges one of the most cherished modern beliefs - that success comes from projecting our raw, unfiltered selves - and...
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Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). The future isn’t something to predict... it’s something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than , a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet - from , , and to , where he served as head of design. In his new book, , Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets - could, should, might, and don’t - that shape how individuals and organizations...
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Radical Humanness In The Age of AI With Henrik Werdelin - TWMJ #1008
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1008 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if artificial intelligence didn’t just build faster startups... but redefined what it means to be an entrepreneur? has been exploring that question for years. As the co-founder of (the company behind and the new ) and (the startup studio that helped launch ventures like , , and ), Henrik (who also has a great podcast called, ) has spent his career creating businesses that live at the intersection of creativity, community and technology. Now, with his new book , he’s rethinking...
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In Praise Of The Office WIth Peter Cappelli - TWMJ #1007
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1007 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). The debate over hybrid work has become one of the most emotionally charged topics in business... but few people have studied it as deeply as , the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at the and Director of its . In his latest book, , co-authored with , Peter challenges the idea that remote work is the inevitable future of knowledge work. Drawing from decades of research and real-world case studies, he argues that while technology has allowed us to untether from our desks, it has also quietly eroded...
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Epic Disruptions And The Future of Innovation With Scott Anthony - TWMJ #1006
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1006 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Disruption isn’t always loud. It’s often quiet, slow and deeply human. That’s one of the lessons has spent his career unpacking. As a leading voice on innovation and the managing partner emeritus at (the consultancy founded by the late ), Scott has helped global companies navigate the uncertainty that comes with change. He si currently a Clinical Professor of Strategy at 's . His latest book, , reframes how we think about progress through stories that stretch from gunpowder to generative AI,...
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Inventing The Future With Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard - TWMJ #1005
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1005 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Every major leap in human connection starts as a simple question: what if? For , that question led to the invention of the cable modem and the birth of broadband internet access as we know it. Often called the “father of the cable modem,” Rouzbeh is a visionary engineer and entrepreneur whose work transformed how billions of people access information. His new book, , traces the improbable journey from an idea nobody believed in (“why would anyone want the internet at home?”) to the global...
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The Future Of Work And Leadership With Robert Glazer - TWMJ #1004
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1004 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What does it really mean to lead with values when so much of modern business seems built on quarterly results and surface-level culture? has spent his career proving that sustainable performance isn’t just about financial results. It’s about the alignment between who you are and what you stand for. As founder and chairman of (a marketing agency), Bob built a company repeatedly recognized as one of the best places to work. Beyond the accolades, he is an author of seven books, including , and his...
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Manage Yourself To Lead Others With Margaret Andrews - TWMJ #1003
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1003 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). When you look closely at leadership, it often seems like a conversation about others… how to motivate, how to manage, how to inspire. But what if the real work starts somewhere far more intimate… with yourself? , a distinguished educator, consultant and leadership expert, has spent years making the case that true leadership begins with self-awareness. It’s the quiet realization that the patterns of your past, your assumptions and your worldview don’t just shape who you are… they shape how you...
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From Magic To Machines... The Wonder (And Worry) Of Code With Sam Arbesman
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1002 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if code isn’t just software, but the culture script of our age shaping what we notice, how we decide and who holds power? That’s the provocation at the heart of ’s new book, which he uses to reveal how programming moves from the screen into the fabric of everyday life. Sam is Scientist in Residence at and a visiting scholar at He connects emerging technologies with human systems and helps founders, leaders and the rest of us make sense of complexity. He is also the author of two other...
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Status... Humanity’s Most Powerful Invisible Force With Toby Stuart - TWMJ #1001
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1001 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is a Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the , , where he directs the and the . Over his career, he has also taught at , , and , and he is recognized globally as one of the leading thinkers on entrepreneurship, networks and organizational strategy. Beyond academia, Toby sits on the boards of multiple technology companies, cofounded the , and serves as the founding Chairman of . His latest book, , examines the invisible hierarchies that govern so much of human life and why small...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #985 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.
Kathleen deLaski is one of the most important voices rethinking the purpose, structure, and future of higher education. As founder of the Education Design Lab and board chair of Credential Engine, she’s spent the last decade helping over 1,200 colleges, organizations, and regional economies reimagine learning pathways for next-generation students - particularly the new majority learners often left behind by traditional institutions. Her new book, Who Needs College Anymore? is a provocative and optimistic look at how postsecondary education must evolve, drawing on over a decade of field research, human-centered design, and more than 150 interviews with educators, employers, learners, and policymakers. In this conversation, we unpack the diploma divide, the rising cost of education, the friction between what college teaches and what employers expect, and how AI is rewriting the script for entry-level jobs and professional training. Kathleen - whose career spans time as a journalist at ABC News, a Pentagon spokesperson, working at AOL in the early days of the Internet, and a philanthropic force behind education reform - brings not just perspective but practical ideas on how colleges, businesses, and society must adapt. This one challenges what we think college is for, and what meaningful learning might look like in a skills-based future. Enjoy the conversation…
- Running time: 51:11.
- Hello from beautiful Montreal.
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- Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
- Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
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- or you can connect on LinkedIn.
- ...or on X.
- Here is my conversation with Kathleen deLaski.
- Who Needs College Anymore?.
- Education Design Lab.
- Follow Kathleen on LinkedIn.
Chapters:
(00:00) - The Rise of Human-Centered Design in Education.
(02:45) - Challenges in Higher Education and the Need for Innovation.
(06:00) - Cultural Shifts and the Value of College.
(08:53) - The Diploma Divide and Its Societal Implications.
(11:54) - Affordability and Access to Education.
(14:47) - The Disconnect Between Degrees and Job Market.
(18:06) - The Importance of Experience Over Degrees.
(21:13) - Networking and Its Role in Career Success.
(29:38) - The Impact of AI on Job Markets.
(32:36) - The Future of Entry-Level Jobs.
(36:05) - Reevaluating Professional Education.
(41:35) - The Value of Trades in Modern Society.
(43:06) - Digital Learning and Its Challenges.
(47:17) - Generational Perspectives on Work Ethic.