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Unlocking The Best In People With Ashley Herd - TWMJ #1036

Release Date: 05/17/2026

High Performing Teams With Ron Friedman - TWMJ #1058

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1058 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is an award-winning social psychologist, bestselling author, and expert on the science of high performance (he’s also a personal friend). His previous books, and , explored how organizations can create better workplaces and how individuals can learn from the world's most successful performers. Now, in his new book, , Ron turns his attention to a deceptively simple question: What separates extraordinary teams from everyone else? Drawing on research involving thousands of professionals across...

How Change Really Works With Julia Dhar - TWMJ #1057

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1057 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is a leading voice in behavioral science and organizational transformation, and the founder of the at . A three-time Champion and known for her work on productive disagreement, Julia has spent much of her career exploring a deceptively simple question: Why do organizations invest so much time, money, and human potential in change... only to fail so often? In her new book, , co-authored with and , she challenges the conventional wisdom that people are naturally resistant to change. Instead, she argues...

The Human Side Of Business With Mike Michalowicz - TWMJ #1056

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1056 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent much of his career trying to solve a problem he describes simply: eradicating entrepreneurial poverty. As the bestselling author of and numerous other books on entrepreneurship and business, Mike has built a body of work around challenging conventional wisdom and finding practical systems that work with human behavior rather than against it. He's also an old friend, which means our conversations have a tendency to wander into some unexpected places... and this one certainly does. His latest...

Axios And The Art Of Simplification With Roy Schwartz - TWMJ #1055

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1055 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is the co-founder of and CEO of , where he has helped redefine how organizations communicate in an age of information overload. Before launching Axios alongside and , Roy helped build into one of the most influential political news organizations in the world. Today, Axios reaches millions of readers through its distinctive format, while Axios HQ helps some of the world's largest organizations communicate more clearly and effectively. In his new book, , Roy argues that our biggest challenge isn't a...

Creating The Apple Store And Reinventing Retail With Ron Johnson - TWMJ #1054

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1054 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is one of the most influential retail innovators of the modern era. Best known for creating the (alongside ), he helped redefine what a physical store could be, transforming retail from a place that simply sold products into a destination centered on service, learning, and human connection. Before , Ron helped reshape 's merchandising strategy through groundbreaking designer collaborations, and later served as CEO of during one of the industry's most ambitious retail transformations (and it did not go...

Great Companies With Eric Ries - TWMJ #1053

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1053 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is one of the most influential entrepreneurs and management thinkers of the past two decades. Best known as the creator of the movement, his ideas fundamentally changed how founders, innovators, and established organizations build products, test ideas, and bring innovation to market. His work has shaped startups, Fortune 500 companies, governments, and nonprofits around the world, earning him recognition as one of the defining voices on modern entrepreneurship. In his latest book, , Eric turns his...

The Power Of Brands With Lifang He - TWMJ #1052

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1052 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent more than two decades helping some of the world's most influential technology companies build products that people don't just use... they love. A global brand strategist and product marketing leader, she has led branding, go-to-market, and growth initiatives for companies including , , and . During her time at Apple's longtime creative agency, , she helped shape global launches, giving her a front-row seat to one of the most successful product introductions in history. Her new book, , argues...

Data Inspired With Sebastian Wernicke - TWMJ #1051

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1051 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has built his career at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence, economics, and decision-making. He leads the Data Science and AI team at , one of Europe's leading economics consultancies, and has become widely recognized for his ability to make complex ideas about data both accessible and deeply human. Many people first encountered Sebastian through his memorable , which cleverly used data to satirize TED Talks themselves, but his work has always been driven by a much bigger question:...

Navigating Future Shock With Fredric Marshall - TWMJ #1050

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1050 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent decades helping people navigate change. An entrepreneur, investor in AI startups, CEO of , and advisor on leadership and transformation, he has watched multiple waves of technological disruption unfold from the inside. His latest book, , revisits 's famous concept of "" and argues that today's anxiety isn't a personal failing... it's the predictable result of living through an era where change, information, and technological progress are arriving faster than most people can absorb. In this...

AI Mindsets With Farid Mheir - TWMJ #1049

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1049 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent four decades at the intersection of engineering, business strategy, and digital transformation. Trained as a microelectronics engineer, he helped pioneer online grocery commerce with in the mid-1990s before building e-commerce platforms for major retailers across North America and Europe. Today, through his , and as a faculty member at the , Farid advises executives on AI strategy and organizational transformation. His new book, , distills decades of experience into thirty-one practical...

More Episodes

Welcome to episode #1036 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

Ashley Herd did not set out to become a management expert. Trained as an employment lawyer and later serving in senior HR and leadership roles supporting organizations including McKinsey & Company, Ashley built her career at the intersection of people, performance and workplace culture. What began as practical leadership advice shared through short-form social media videos evolved into a massive online following, with hundreds of thousands of managers turning to her for direct, actionable guidance on how to lead teams without burning people out. Her new book, The Manager Method - A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results, distills that experience into a deceptively simple framework built around Pause, Consider, Act… a reminder that leadership is not about reacting faster, but thinking more clearly. In this conversation, Ashley explores why so many organizations continue promoting high performers into management roles without preparing them to lead people, why workplace culture is often shaped more by individual managers than company values, and how the modern workplace has been reshaped by the pandemic, generational shifts and AI. Ashley argues that the biggest failures in leadership are rarely strategic… they are relational. Silence, unclear expectations, lack of feedback and the inability to coach people effectively create cascading organizational problems. At the same time, she remains optimistic that AI can become a meaningful thought partner for managers… not replacing judgment, empathy or coaching, but helping leaders pause long enough to think better about how they communicate and support others. Grounded in practical experience rather than abstract theory, Ashley’s work is ultimately about helping managers become more human… and helping organizations remember that people are not line items on a spreadsheet. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:00:07.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
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The Manager Method - A Practical Framework to Lead, Support, and Get Results.
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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to Ashley Herd and The Manager Method.
(02:57) - The Power of Social Media in Leadership Development.
(05:50) - The Journey from Law to Leadership.
(09:05) - Understanding Management Challenges and the Peter Principle.
(12:08) - The Role of Empathy in Management.
(15:09) - Navigating the New World of Management Post-Pandemic.
(17:54) - The Importance of Clear Expectations in Leadership.
(21:02) - The Impact of Generational Differences on Management.
(23:51) - The Role of AI in Modern Management.
(27:04) - Coaching vs. Managing: The New Paradigm.
(30:12) - Creating a Culture of Feedback and Recognition.
(32:54) - The Importance of Pausing and Reflecting in Leadership.
(36:02) - Final Thoughts and Resources for Managers.

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