CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel
In just five minutes a day, Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer of Workforce and Labor for Culture Partners, unpacks the latest research, trends and strategies shaping workplace culture, and driving business results. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Culture Work or Gossip?
In today's episode:
Breaking a lifelong gossip habit came with an unexpected cost before it made relationships stronger.
The test that reveals whether a workplace conversation is genuine culture work or gossip wearing a disguise.
A CEO has a bold move for handling complaints about coworkers, and it's stopped people from bringing him problems in the first place.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica unpacks the blurry line between gossip and legitimate culture work, and shares...
Never Ignore the Younger Generation
In today's episode:
A senior leader admits some of the youngest people on his team are already outperforming him, and it's forcing him to rethink his own biases.
The surprising connection between emotional intelligence and what a generation has been through.
Why earning a theater degree might be one of the smartest career moves you can make.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to challenge assumptions...
Experiences You Create as a Leader
In today's episode:
A stranger walked into a formal church service dressed nothing like anyone else in the room, and what happened next silenced everyone watching.
The most powerful thing a leader can do to shift culture often has nothing to do with what they say.
How one personâs actions said more about âwelcomeâ than any words ever could.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica shares a story from a church service that reveals how action...
Calendar Theology
In today's episode:
What someone values is actually sitting right in their calendar app.
How introverts and extroverts prepare for the spotlight in completely different ways.
The simple exercise that reveals what leaders claim matters to them and where their actual hours go.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to explore the idea that a calendar reveals a person's true priorities, and how they each handle...
Flexible Work Hours
In today's episode:
How âmissingâ a meeting without noticing reveals what flexibility actually looks like.
The research linking return-to-office mandates to a specific personality, and why it has nothing to do with collaboration or culture.
If your best performer finishes an eight hour job in three⌠who owns those other five hours?
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica explores the debate over flexible work hours, from return to office motivations to who really owns the time employ...
The 'Prove It' Phase of AI
In today's episode:
Two tech giants both bet big on AI this earnings season, but investors rewarded one and punished the other, and the reason has nothing to do with belief in the technology.
Every major transformation follows the same arc: vision, investment, then a moment when people stop asking what you're building and start asking what it's actually doing.
How a CEO found a clever way to prove progress before there were real numbers to point to.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where...
Generational Labels Are a Lie
In today's episode:
Years of research into what different generations want at work led to a surprising conclusion.
Why labeling employees by birth year does something to workplace culture that most leaders never intend.
What to measure and change about workplace culture that actually works.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica shares findings from her doctoral research and first book, Unfairly Labeled, on why generational stereotypes at work say more about culture than they do about...
Hiring Skill Check
In today's episode:
Candidates want speed AND personalization. There's a way to give them both without slowing the process down.
How a "day in the life" approach lets applicants test drive a job while a company learns everything it needs to know.
How a social network built entirely around verified skills could change how people carry their careers with them.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Mike Hudy, Chief Science Officer of Hirevue, returns...
Just Call Me
In today's episode:
Every back and forth email trying to schedule a meeting adds up to far more wasted time than the meeting itself.
A simple habit that feels awkward at first could save you an hour of scheduling ceremony.
Why the norm of "asking for time" might be a culture problem worth changing.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica makes the case for skipping the scheduling dance altogether: picking up the phone...
AI Hiring Arms Race
In today's episode:
AI is flooding recruiter inboxes with thousands of applications for a single job, and the old way of sorting candidates can't keep up anymore.
Resumes and cover letters are starting to look identical thanks to AI polish, which means companies need a completely different signal to find the right person.
There's a new step happening before a recruiter ever looks at a resume, and it changes who gets noticed first.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism...
Disagreeing with Your Peers
In today's episode:
How executives should treat their peer group, and why it flips the instinct to protect your own team first.
Budget cuts reveal who's really aligned at the top, and the wrong response can create cracks employees notice before anyone says a word.
When three executives each offered something remarkable to protect their company.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to...
Can You Handle the Truth?
In today's episode:
The one reason you hold info back from your team, and it has nothing to do with protecting feelings!
When leaders stay quiet, something else fills that silence, and it's rarely good.
How employees have a built in radar for dishonesty, and why ignoring it can cost you.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to discuss where the line sits...
Trusting Your Intuition
In today's episode:
Success can rewire how leaders make decisions. Why trusting past wins might be a big mistake.
Not all intuition is created equal. Discover the difference between grounded instinct and ego dressed up as confidence.
The simple rule for moments of uncertainty that runs against everything corporate culture teaches about speed and decisiveness.Â
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack w...
Guest Appearance: The Jacquelyn Social Exchange Podcast
Check out this exclusive clip of Jessica with co-owner of The Jacquelyn, Mary Daffin, speaking about the meaning of culture and what taking real accountability looks like in our modern workplace.
For the full conversation, watch Activating Change on The Jacquelynâs YouTube channel.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Mary Daffin is co-owner of the Jacquelyn, a private social club in Sacramento.
Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn
The Jacquelynâs Homepage
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The Art of Workplace 'Divorce'
In today's episode:
Why some relationships, habits, and beliefs need the same break as a bad marriage.
How a little "preventative divorce" at work can free up energy for the things that actually move you forward.
The 'George Costanza' trap that keeps people chasing approval from coworkers who will never give it.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to talk about applying the...
Employee Alignment & Recognition
In today's episode:
How you REALLY measure alignment and know if your team is on the same page.
The results pyramid trick that tells you if a goal is truly on track.
The public "reply all" celebration habit that does more for the sender's ego than for the person being praised.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack how to tell real...
IBM: No Safe Bets
In today's episode:
IBM just posted its steepest single-day stock drop since 1968, and the story behind the sell-off says more about corporate tech spending than about IBM itself.
Where companiesâ IT budgets are actually headed.
How a research report that predicted AIâs reshaping of software sales is starting to come true.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack IBM's historic stock drop...
Fighting in the Workplace
In today's episode:
How a hostile comment on LinkedIn sparked the use of âThe Mirror Exercise.â
Two very different ways of handling conflict at work and why only one actually leads to lasting peace.
How a six-month standoff with a boss ended, not with an apology, but through a single, deliberate choice.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
In this episode, Jessica explores what happens when people fight â whether in the workplace or online â and how...
The Room Where It Happens with Mary Daffin
In today's episode:
Mary introduces her private social club in Sacramento built around one core belief: that who is in the room matters more than ever.
AI has made resumes look flawless on paper. The one thing it can't fake, and why face-to-face connection has become the real differentiator.
Curating community on purpose, not by accident, and why diversity of voices at the table changes the conversation entirely.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
...
Positive Productivity with AI
In todayâs episode:
Why working long hours may no longer be the mark of a top performer.
Johnâs story of how one data scientist turned six hours of client notes into two slides that nailed the message in minutes.
How you use AI will determine who multiplies their output and who gets left behind.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica this week...
Cruise Culture
In today's episode:
A six month contract, no days off, and a shared cabin: what one crew member's story reveals about pay and value on a cruise ship.
How being stuck on a boat strips away the polish that hides workplace inequity.
Dealing with DJ rules and regulations at a private party.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack what a week...
Excuses, Lies, & Accountability
In today's episode:
A simple mental model that separates leaders who drive results from those stuck making excuses. Which side of the line are you on?
The most common workplace coping mechanisms that can kill careers.
Just how much of your corporate meeting time is spent on blame, denial, and avoidance?
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica breaks down the accountability model and the excuses, from "wait and see" to finger pointing, that...
Is AI (Still) Coming for My Job?
In today's episode:
New research reveals a strange contradiction with employees who believe AI could take over much of what they do, while still feeling personally safe.
The line between preparing for change and ignoring it.
Falling birth rates and rising AI capability are colliding in ways that could reshape the labor market. Is that collision good news or bad news?
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies...
Living Your Core Values
In today's episode:
Ask three executives at the same company what the core values are, and you'll likely get three different answers. Why that gap matters and how to fix it!
How JM lives his core values in his home and how that affects his corporate work.
Why building a new habit always feels awkward and the mindset shift that makes that discomfort worth it.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
In this selection...
SHRM's Intriguing Job Engagement Report
In today's episode:
New global data reveals which countries report the highest job engagement scores, and the answer has little to do with pay, perks, or economic strength.
The countries with the lowest engagement also share one quality that might explain why their workers feel like they're always falling behind.
A simple equation for happiness and why some cultures score high and others low.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head...
Getting Keynote Gigs 101
In today's episode:
There's no shortcut, no bureau, and no $25,000 workshop that guarantees a speaking career. Here's what actually moves the needle instead.
The biggest fear event organizers have when booking a new speaker.
A simple three-word answer reveals what separates speakers who get invited back from those who don't.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica goes solo this week to answer the question she gets asked most: how to build a speaking...
Change Management Versus Activation
In today's episode:
Why the old A-to-B model of change management is failing organizations, and what companies do differently to stay ahead.
The Stanford finding that revealed which culture type outperformed all others on revenue growth over three years.
What Ironman training has to do with how your team handles the next big organizational shift.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Jessica Kriegel breaks down the difference between traditional change management and change activation...
The Introduction Economy
In today's episode:
The quality that made John immediately want to introduce Martin to everyone he knew.
How to tell within the first two minutes whether a new connection will be worth your time.
Why surrounding yourself with people who think exactly like you is the slowest path to growth.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, and Martin Gutmann, a professor of leadership in Switzerland...
How to Teach Accountability
In today's episode:
The four-question framework that gets people to take ownership without ever using the word "accountability."
Why letting someone vent and play the blame game for a minute can actually be the fastest path to a real solution.
How to spot "advice hiding in a question" and why it quietly undermines the whole framework.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Today, Jessica shares a four-part conversation framework, built around the steps to...
The Hidden Cost of Mental Health
In today's episode:
The moment a workplace situation starts being about something much deeper
The Ted Lasso insight that reframes every difficult colleague you may have written off
A two-word mindset shift from Ram Dass that could change how you walk into work tomorrow
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to discuss what leaders miss when mental health struggles stay hidden at work...
The Action Fallacy
In today's episode:
What a 100-year-old polar expedition reveals about leadership qualities that most companies still get wrong today.
Why the "turnaround story" distorts peopleâs idea of what great leadership can be
Why the least exciting leader in the room might be delivering the best results.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Martin Gutmann, author and a professor of leadership in Switzerland, joins Jessica to discuss the action fallacy: a collection of biases th...
I Quit (Or Do I?)
In today's episode:
Why threatening to quit has less leverage than you think
The counterintuitive strategy for finding real satisfaction at work
What Jessica did at Oracle that changed everything about how she felt at work
The one question worth asking yourself before you decide to stay or walk away
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to discuss why workforce anger...
Combating a Rudderless World
In today's episode:
What happens to society when there's simply too much information to process
The personal anchor John lost recently, and how it shakes up more than just his routine
Why "doing vs. being" might be the most important debate to have right now
How John and Jessica both deal with the feeling of being ârudderlessâ and find peace
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Stra...
Is Lead Gen Dead?
In today's episode:
How AI tools provide less value in the outreach process, and what fills the gap
Why messaging the inbox is incredibly fraught, and what it means for anyone trying to win new business
What separates a keynote from a white paper and how it makes a huge impact
How "thought leadership" is changing to âdoing leadershipâ
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jess...
Luck is Not a Safety Strategy
In today's episode:
The factory floor habit that actually prevents accidents from those who just hope for the best
What "psychological safety" actually looks like in practice
Why listening to your team without following through may be worse than not asking at all
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Luigi Cusano, a manufacturing leader and longtime listener of the show, joins Jessica and John Frehse to discuss why relying on luck in workplace safety...
The Psychology of Workplace Design
In today's episode:
How your office experience can be shaped by the environment that surrounds it
What âCathedrals in the Cityâ are
What a private equity office designed to feel like a social club reveals about the real driver of workplace trust
The frictionless future of the physical office experience
âŚAnd clowns in the lobby!
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins...
Compliance Versus Curiousity
In today's episode:
What the 3.1 million UNFILLED manufacturing jobs reveal about the American workforce
Why the country that once led the world in innovation is starting to look a lot more like its competitors
The one habit leadership mistakes for alignment, and why it can be concerning
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to explore how compliance culture is replacing curiosity in the...
Are You Post-Social Media?
In today's episode:
The telltale phrases that instantly reveal AI-generated content, and why even professional communicators fall into the trap.
Why the algorithm is no longer connecting you to your community and what it actually optimizes to show you instead.
A surprising prediction about where elite education is headed, according to tech moguls.
Whether brands will ever let go of the need to stay constantly present, and what a permanent social media "break" might look like at scale.
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is...
Change the Experience
In today's episode:
The four-type framework that reveals exactly which workplace moments you can control and which ones will backfire
What skipping a team meeting without a word can cost you, and the one sentence that changes everything
Why Zuckerberg's yacht reveal is a masterclass in what not to do
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn
Other Ways to...
"Real Quick"
In today's episode:
The two-word phrase your employees say that signals the complete opposite
Why this phrase subtly devalues your ideas, and what to say instead
The surprising link between a baseball game, a t-shirt cannon, and the shrinking attention spans of your workforce
CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack the workplace psychology behind the phrase "real quick," what it reveals...
