DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley

Decoding AQ with Ross Thornley Feat. Kyle M.K. - Talent Strategy Advisor

Ross Thornley + Special Guests Episode 159

Kyle M.K. is a best-selling author, executive strategy advisor, and keynote speaker helping organizations become more emotionally intelligent and people-centered. Based in Austin, Texas, Kyle currently serves as Talent Strategy Advisor at Indeed, where he guides employers through the complexities of the future of work.

He is the author of The Economics of Emotion: How to Build a Business Everyone Will Love, a book that explores how emotional intelligence can become a core business advantage. His career spans more than a decade of work across startups and enterprises, including Apple and multiple entrepreneurial ventures such as The Heart Company and Human Planet.

Kyle’s strategic approach focuses on brand loyalty, leadership development, and transforming customer and employee experiences. His work has been recognized by organizations like the Disney Institute, which invited him to speak about customer experience, leadership, and emotional engagement.

Known for blending heart and strategy, Kyle empowers leaders to design businesses that thrive by putting people at the centre.

Ross and Kyle talk about cult brands, Apple, hiring, showing interest, Indeed, business around human emotion, work wellbeing, performance, advice for employers, prediction to preparation, optimising data,  mindset shifts, skills we've always had, helping people, unlocking human potential, adapting and changing jobs. The pair also discuss company growth, identifying change, empowering environments, reutilising talent, loving work, wellbeing, how people feel, business performance, AQ Index, skills first hiring, emotional intelligence, humancentric, matching jobseekers with employers, long term relationships, matching people, mentors, storytelling, enriching lives, being fulfilled, emotional nutrition and embracing negative emotions.  

Timecodes:
00:19 Intro to Kyle
01:33 Surprises from Kyles book
02:41 Events leading to Kyles success
05:34 The role of a Talent Strategy Advisor
09:28 Future Kyle's perfect year
12:14 Work moving towards humanity
17:09 De-humanising, robotics and AI in a humane world
21:15 Helping businesses transition
26:52  Internal conflict and overcoming barriers with budgets
32:43 Advice for scaling up projects, hiring and talent strategy  
36:52 Current exciting initiatives
42:19 The last time Kyle did something for the first time  
46:47 Quantifying feelings 


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