Poets & Thinkers
Poets & Thinkers explores the humanistic future of business leadership through deep, unscripted conversations with visionary minds – from best-selling authors and inspiring artists to leading academic experts and seasoned executives.
Hosted by tech executive, advisor, and Princeton entrepreneurship & design fellow Ben Lehnert, this podcast challenges conventional MBA wisdom, blending creative leadership, liberal arts, and innovation to reimagine what it means to lead in the AI era.
If you believe leadership is both an art and a responsibility, this is your space to listen, reflect, and evolve.
Podcasting since 2025 • 21 episodes
Poets & Thinkers
Latest Episodes
Make Doing Good Look Good: On designing for belonging, moral ambition and the pitfalls of privilege with Harald Dunnink
Can designing a movement get the smartest people to work on the biggest problems instead of disappearing into what one author calls “the Bermuda Triangle of talent”: consulting, tech, and banking?In this episode, Ben sits down with Haral...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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40:55
For The Culture: On beauty, AI slop, and what lasts when software companies die with Andy Allen
What if the best business advice ever came from a five-year-old: “I think you should add some googly eyes and rainbow colors!”In this episode, Ben sits down with Andy Allen, co-founder of Not Boring Software, 2 times Apple Design Award w...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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55:31
Holder of Stories of the Heart: On radical self-inquiry and being a good leader in unsettling times with Jerry Colonna
What if the most radical question you can ask yourself as a leader isn’t about strategy or growth – but simply “How am I actually feeling?”In this very personal episode, Ben sits down with Jerry Colonna, legendary executive coach, former...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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41:48
Design Against Racism: On the myth of design’s neutrality, lack of critical thinking and the future of design leadership with Omari Souza
In this episode, Ben sits down with Omari Souza, design researcher and professor, founder of the State of Black Design Conference, and author of his newly released book Design Against Racism. A first-generation American of Jamaica...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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46:16
Brain Hacking & Trauma-Informed Leadership: Creating space for human ingenuity to flourish with Christina Goldschmidt
What if the only way to unlock ingenuity in our organizations is by showing up as authentic leaders who first and foremost know how to “hack their brain” and lead themselves?In this episode, Ben sits down with Christina Goldschmidt, VP o...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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45:15
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