The Story in Your Head

In this episode of “The Story in Your Head,” Ron and Deb explore cognitive surrender: what happens when we accept an AI-generated answer without questioning it. They consider why handing over our thinking is not a new problem, and how AI makes it especially tempting to trust a convincing response. From invented sources to the comfort of letting someone else be responsible, Ron and Deb discuss critical thinking, personal choice, and using AI as a challenge partner rather than an authority. The c

In this episode of “The Story in Your Head,” Ron and Deb welcome Jason Tanaka for a conversation about AI, leadership, and the difference between real strategy and what Jason calls “AI theater.” Jason brings a background in software, technology, financial services, and AI advisory work, helping leaders make consequential technology decisions and turn them into reality. Together, they explore a question many leaders are facing right now: how do you know whether an AI solution is actually useful,

In this episode of “The Story in Your Head,” Ron and Deb explore the idea of social agency: the story that you can choose to talk to anyone. From the person sitting next to you on an airplane to the speaker at a conference to the leader in your organization, every interaction carries the possibility of learning, connection, and transformation. But most people give up their social agency before the conversation ever begins. They decide someone is too busy, too important, too different, or not int

In this episode of “The Story in Your Head,” Ron and Deb explore the idea of philosophical agency: the ability to notice, choose, and change the stand we take in life. Agency is not just about making decisions. It is about recognizing that many of the beliefs, assumptions, and “truths” we live by are stories we picked up along the way. Some came from family. Some came from culture. Some came from painful experiences. Some came from communities, workplaces, schools, religions, politics, or social

In this episode of “The Story in Your Head,” Ron and Deb continue their conversation on the difference between thinking and imagination – and why that distinction matters more than ever in the age of artificial intelligence. In the previous episode, Ron and Deb explored how children naturally begin life with imagination, curiosity, and creativity, only to enter systems that often reward right answers over new possibilities. Now, they take that conversation one step further. If AI can outthink h

In this episode of “The Story in Your Head,” Ron and Deb explore the difference between imagination and thinking – and why that distinction matters more than ever for leaders, teams, and organizations. Beginning with a simple observation: young children are naturally imaginative. But somewhere along the way, that imagination begins to fade. Ron and Deb ask a powerful question for anyone invested in leadership development, company culture, and the future of work: What happens when people spend ye