The Future of Purpose-Driven Leadership: AI, Diversity, and Sustainability

Welcome back to The Purpose and Profit Podcast! I’m your host, Dr. Ty Wenglar, and today, we’re looking ahead at the future of leadership—because staying relevant means staying ahead.

And if you follow me on social media, you may have seen that I was recently a featured guest on The Conversations About Power Podcast with Lynn Coleman. If you haven’t checked that out yet, I highly recommend it. It was one of the most engaging and insightful conversations I’ve had, and I’d love for you to be part of that dialogue. You’ll find the link in the show notes, or just search for it wherever you get your podcasts. 

https://yourepicbusiness.com/podcast/

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Leadership is evolving faster than ever, and today we explore three game-changing forces shaping the next decade:

✅ Artificial Intelligence (AI) – A powerful tool, but only if used strategically to enhance—not replace—leadership.
✅ Diversity – A competitive advantage when aligned with merit and mission—but a liability when it becomes the mission itself.
✅ Sustainability – More than just “going green,” it’s about building organizations that last by anchoring them in purpose.

💡 Key Insights from This Episode:
🔹 AI isn’t optional. Peter Diamandis put it best: “By the end of this decade, there will be two types of companies—those that embraced AI and those that went out of business.” Are you on the right side of that equation?
🔹 Diversity must support, not replace, merit. We break down why Boeing and the FAA’s diversity-first hiring practices are failing—and how purpose-driven leaders get it right.
🔹 Sustainability is about longevity, not politics. Companies that embed long-term thinking into their DNA aren’t just surviving; they’re thriving.

And if you follow me on social media, you may have seen that I was recently a featured guest on The Conversations About Power Podcast with Lynn Coleman. If you haven’t checked that out yet, I highly recommend it. It was one of the most engaging and insightful conversations I’ve had. You’ll find the link in the show notes or just search for it wherever you get your podcasts: Listen Here.

🎯 Challenge for You: This week, take one step to future-proof your leadership—whether it’s exploring AI, rethinking diversity, or aligning sustainability with your strategy.

📩 Want more? Get The Profit Optimization Handbook—a free guide to aligning profit with purpose. Download it now: www.lucentraprofitadvisors.com/free-book.

Next week, we’re diving into my upcoming TEDx talk and new book, The Purpose/Profit Paradox—a conversation that will challenge everything you think you know about success.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. Until next time—stay curious, stay courageous, and lead with purpose.

Transcript

Podcast Episode 10
 The Future of Purpose-Driven Leadership: AI, Diversity, and Sustainability 

 Welcome back to The Purpose and Profit Podcast! I’m your host, Dr. Ty Wenglar, and as always, I want to start by thanking you for sharing your time with me today.

 Time is your most valuable resource, and the fact that you choose to spend it here, investing in your growth as a leader, means everything. My goal is to make that investment pay dividends—by equipping you with the insights and strategies that set apart leaders who thrive in uncertainty from those who simply survive it.

 I hope you enjoyed last week’s unique episode—our deep dive into how AI perspectives analyzed my work and Lucentra’s mission. It was a fascinating shift in perspective, showing how even machine intelligence recognizes the power of purpose-driven leadership.

 And if you follow me on social media, you may have seen that I was recently a featured guest on The Conversations About Power Podcast with Lynn Coleman. If you haven’t checked that out yet, I highly recommend it. It was one of the most engaging and insightful conversations I’ve had, and I’d love for you to be part of that dialogue. You’ll find the link in the show notes, or just search for it wherever you get your podcasts.

 In fact, I enjoyed our conversation so much that Lynn will be joining this podcast in the coming weeks. Stay tuned—it’s going to be an episode you won’t want to miss.

 Now, back to our usual discussions. Over the past several episodes, we’ve explored how purpose-driven leadership builds trust, fuels innovation, and creates lasting impact.

 But today, we’re turning our attention forward.

 Because leadership isn’t just about what has worked—it’s about what will work.

 And the future of leadership is changing. The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and the best leaders aren’t just keeping up; they’re anticipating what’s next.

 So today, we’re diving into three seismic shifts that will shape leadership in the years ahead:

 ·         Artificial Intelligence – How do we harness AI without losing the human touch that makes leadership effective?

·         Diversity – Why diversity isn’t a buzzword, but an untapped advantage when aligned with purpose.

·         Sustainability – How long-term thinking isn’t just responsible—it’s a competitive edge.
 

If you’ve been wondering how to future-proof your leadership, how to stay ahead while staying true to your mission, you’re in the right place.

 Let’s dive in.

 AI is revolutionizing every industry—healthcare, finance, manufacturing—and leadership is no exception. This isn’t just another passing trend; it’s a seismic shift in how we operate. A decade from now, we’ll look back and see a clear divide: those who embraced AI and those who got left behind.

 Recently, I attended a lunch-and-learn seminar hosted by my local Chamber of Commerce, where the speaker quoted Peter H. Diamandis—named by Fortune as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” and the founder of the XPRIZE Foundation, which pioneers large-scale incentive competitions to drive innovation. What struck me most wasn’t just who said it, but what was said:

 "By the end of this decade, there will be two types of companies—those that embraced AI and those that went out of business."

 That statement hit hard. AI isn’t optional—it’s a competitive necessity. But here’s the real question: How do we integrate AI in a way that enhances our mission, strengthens our values, and drives long-term success—rather than simply chasing the latest trend?

 AI has the potential to:

·         Enhance decision-making

·         Streamline operations

·         Improve efficiencies we never imagined a decade ago

 But it also carries risks.

·         Bias in algorithms

·         Data privacy concerns

·         The dehumanization of leadership

 The best leaders don’t let AI lead them—they lead AI. Purpose-driven leaders understand that technology is a tool, not a substitute for human integrity, connection, and ethical decision-making.

 At Lucentra, we help organizations harness AI without compromising the human touch that drives trust and engagement.

 Practical Insight:

Before implementing AI, ask yourself:

·         Does this tool help us live out our mission more effectively?

·         Does it enhance trust, transparency, and impact?

 The future belongs to those who use AI strategically—not blindly.

 Let’s Talk About Diversity—Not as a Trend, Not as a Quota, But as a Competitive Advantage

 Before we dive in, I want to take a quick sidebar on the current pushback against DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives—pushback that, quite honestly, is well deserved in many cases. But here’s the thing: the problem isn’t diversity itself. The problem arises when DEI replaces merit instead of complementing it.

 Diversity should never come at the expense of excellence. Instead, it should be a secondary advantage that strengthens an organization’s ability to perform at its best. Merit must always be the priority. When the best and most capable individuals are chosen based on skill, ability, and performance—diversity should naturally follow, bringing fresh perspectives and greater innovation.

 Diverse teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones because they bring:

·         More innovation

·         Fresh and differing perspectives

·         Better problem-solving

·         A stronger connection to a diverse customer base

 Now you may be asking, if that’s the case, why are we seeing resistance to diversity efforts? Because in too many cases, diversity stopped being a strategy to enhance success and instead became the end goal itself—often at the expense of merit.

 Boeing Is a Prime Example

I honestly didn’t look up Boeing’s actual stated mission but it should be crystal clear:

“Build the best, safest airplanes in the world. Period.”

 Any diversity initiative should exist to serve that mission—by fostering innovation, improving decision-making, and ensuring they have the absolute best talent, regardless of background.

 But when diversity itself becomes the mission, or when hiring practices prioritize quotas over selecting the most qualified individuals, organizations lose focus. Merit should always come first—diversity should follow as a natural result.

 When organizations abandon merit-based decision-making in favor of meeting diversity metrics, they create confusion, friction, and resistance—not because diversity is bad, but because it was never tied to excellence and purpose.

  And that's, is that the flight the Air Traffic Controller Academy, which is located in Oklahoma, It has been running classes that are only 70 to 80 percent full. Not because there is a lack of qualified candidates and applicants, but because there are mandated. DEI ratios that cannot be exceeded. So as a result, there are qualified individuals, people that have the merit, that are being excluded from classes because there's not enough of this race or that race or this gender or that gender.

 That is where the issue comes in. That is making DEI The mission rather than using DEI to better the mission. The bottom line is that when organizations abandon merit based decision making in favor of meeting some diversity metric, they create confusion, friction, and resistance. Not because the diversity in itself is bad, but because it is not being tied to excellence or the purpose of the organization.

 And that’s where things go wrong.

 Practical Insight

Ask yourself:

·         Does our diversity strategy enhance our mission, or has it become the mission?

·         Are we prioritizing merit and excellence first, ensuring diversity strengthens rather than replaces it?

·         Are diverse voices not only heard—but acted upon in ways that drive better performance?

 At Lucentra, we help leaders move beyond surface-level diversity and embed true inclusion and belonging—not as a box to check, but as a business asset that drives real results.

 Because when diversity aligns with purpose and merit remains the foundation, it doesn’t divide—it multiplies success.

 Sustainability: Long-Term Thinking as a Competitive Advantage

The current generation of employees, customers, and investors are demanding more than profit.

 They want organizations that:

·         Stand for something.

·         Act responsibly.

·         Contribute to something bigger than themselves.

 Sustainability Isn’t About Politics—It’s About Purpose, Sustainability isn’t just about being green. It’s not about climate change or denying climate change. It’s not about electric cars or gas-powered cars.

 At its core, sustainability is about longevity. It’s about building an organization that lasts—because it believes in something greater than itself.

 True sustainability means having a purpose-driven mission that your organization believes in, lives by, and follows—one that stands the test of time, no matter the shifting landscape of industries, markets, or opinions.

 Because when your business is anchored in clarity of purpose, it doesn’t just survive. It thrives.

 Take Unilever, for example. Their Sustainable Living Plan has:

·         Reduced their environmental footprint

·         Strengthened their brand loyalty

·         Created measurable financial success

 Sustainability isn’t a side project—it’s a core strategy for future-proofing your business.

 Practical Insight:

Ask yourself:

·         How can we integrate sustainability into our business model?

·         What small shifts today can create a lasting impact tomorrow?

 At Lucentra, we help organizations adopt long-term thinking, ensuring they’re profitable today—and thriving tomorrow.

 Final Takeaways & Challenge

Let’s recap:

·         AI is a tool, not a leader. Use it wisely.

·         Diversity is an asset—but only when aligned with mission.

·         Sustainability is the key to future success.

 Here’s your challenge for this week:

·         Take one action to future-proof your leadership.

·         Explore how AI could enhance your operations.

·         Start a meaningful conversation about diversity within your team.

·         Reevaluate your approach to sustainability.

 Every small step compounds into a lasting impact.

 Next week, we shift gears to something big—the TEDx talk I’m currently applying to give and upcoming book I’ve been working on:

 The Purpose/Profit Paradox

 It’s counterintuitive, it’s challenging, and it’s one of the biggest truths in business today.

 I promise—you won’t want to miss this discussion.

If today’s message inspired you, like and share this podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite platform. Together, we can amplify the impact of purpose-driven leadership. You deserve clarity, confidence, and strategies that align profit with purpose. Ready to take the next step? Visit www.lucentraprofitadvisors.com to book a free consultation and discover how we can guide you toward greater clarity and impact.

Because transformation begins with the right tools, we’re offering The Profit Optimization Handbook—a free resource filled with actionable insights to elevate your leadership and organization. It’s our gift to you as you start this journey. Download your copy at www.lucentraprofitadvisors.com/free-book.

Until next time—stay curious, stay courageous, and lead with purpose.