The extra-Ordinary Leader with Dolly Waddell
The extra-Ordinary Leader is a show that takes a collaborative approach to uncover what it means to be a leader in the 21st century.
Through a series of open and honest conversations with a selection of top business leaders and leadership coaches, Dolly Waddell takes us on a journey to unravel the complex world of leadership in the 21st century.
The extra-Ordinary Leader with Dolly Waddell
S3 08: The Future of Leadership: Digital Twins, Decision-Making & the Power of AI with Daniel Hulme
In this thought-provoking episode of The extra-Ordinary Leader, I sat down with Daniel Hulme, AI expert and CEO, to explore what leadership looks like in the age of artificial intelligence, data-driven decisions, and flatter, decentralised organisations.
Together, we unravelled:
- Why extra-Ordinary leadership starts with getting out of the way
- How to use AI to surface team dynamics and friction points
- What digital twins are (and why your employees might love them)
- How to lead without hierarchy
- Practical ways to integrate AI into leadership, L&D, and performance management
- The power of frameworks (data → information → knowledge → understanding → wisdom)
- Why pressure should come from clients, not internal politics
Daniel also shares how his leadership philosophy has been influenced by Jean-Luc Picard, agile methods, and a desire to grow organisations that get faster and smarter with scale.
If you’re a leader looking for practical wisdom on staying future-fit, creating meaningful work environments, and navigating AI without losing the human touch—this one is for you.
If something in this conversation resonated, I’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch, and let’s talk about how extra-Ordinary leadership could look in your team:
https://www.dollywaddell.com/
Find Out More about Satalia:
https://www.satalia.com/about-us/
Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome
02:00 – What extra-Ordinary leadership means to Daniel
04:45 – Creating “fertile ground” and removing blockers
06:30 – How AI is reshaping organisational design
08:00 – The 3 ways AI is impacting business (productivity, supply chains, disruption)
10:00 – How to apply AI to solve real business frictions
12:30 – The Pyramid of Understanding (Data → Wisdom)
14:45 – How AI helps predict and understand behaviour
17:00 – The magic of assigning people to projects
19:00 – Building digital twins of employees
21:00 – Bridging the “intention-impact” gap with AI
23:00 – Feedback, skill-mapping, and performance through AI
26:00 – Can AI get it wrong?
28:00 – The L&D world and using AI for behaviour change
31:00 – Dolly’s approach to team transformation & where AI can enhance it
34:00 – When the data shows us what ego and culture try to hide
36:00 – Starting digital twin implementation—what’s step one?
38:00 – Attachment styles & leadership dysfunctions
40:00 – Why the “gardener” is the best kind of leader
41:20 – Structured naming systems & the tech you actually need
43:00 – It’s not a tech problem—it’s a leadership one
45:00 – Why organisations reflect the personality of their leaders
47:00 – Are hierarchies really helping decision-making?
48:00 – Teal, Humanopathy & fluid teams
50:00 – Why pressure should come from clients, not internal structures
51:00 – The power of seven & ambidextrous leadership
53:00 – Dolly’s final question: What item at home reflects extra-Ordinary leadership?
54:00 – Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard and leadership lessons
54:30 – Wrap-up and thank you