Episode 33 | Marc Coleman on Why Nobody Has Budget for Theory Anymore

Описание: UNLEASH founder and CEO Marc Coleman joins Amy and Meg for a conversation about what 5,000 HR leaders actually need right now — not in theory, in practice. From launching a disastrous first conference with tangled lanyards and no sleep to building one of the world's largest HR technology events, Marc shares how he reads market signals, why he shifted from benefit-led to decision-led content, and the L'Oréal "journey book” that changed how he thinks about the value of gathering. Plus: why companies winning with AI won't tell you how, the real tension between boards and HR, and Marc's Vegas wedding story. Leadership Corner: what happens when your promotion makes your peers not your peers anymore.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 "Repurposing humanity in the age of machines"
00:14 Introduction — what do 5,000 HR leaders actually need?
01:02 Building communities around big ideas
03:29 The UNLEASH origin story — Chelsea FC and sore heads
06:42 First event chaos: tangled lanyards and one hour of sleep
07:47 How to separate signal from noise as an insider
08:07 The politician effect — why HR leaders can't share secrets
11:26 "I leave the clothes of yesterday behind me"
13:42 "Everyone has the same data — the ones who win make different decisions"
14:37 The L'Oréal journey book — 100 HR leaders, 38 brands, one week of decisions
18:05 What does "good" look like for a conference speaker?
20:44 One sentence can change your career — and a Vegas wedding
22:35 The gap between what boards want and what HR delivers
23:23 Why the hardest part of transformation is always the people
25:12 Boards want capital efficiency. HR manages human complexity.
26:45 Doing your homework — Ethan Mollick and the jaw on the floor
29:17 Why companies succeeding with AI won't share how
31:05 2026 is the year — doing nothing is very costly
32:24 "The execution lives and dies in HR"
33:11 Areas of hope — SAP, Walmart, and pioneering CHROs
34:20 The power of in-person learning and serendipity
37:40 UNLEASH America — March 17–19, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas
39:01 Leadership Corner: Promoted past your peers — now what?
42:23 Build your org structure first, then map the people
46:01 "This is a new job — not a step function of your old one"
47:10 Wrap-up: What HR leaders should focus on in 2026


🔑 KEY INSIGHTS:
Everyone has the same data — the winners make different decisions, not luckier ones
L'Oréal sends 100 HR leaders to UNLEASH annually with a custom "journey book" mapping decisions to sessions — the future of how organizations extract value from learning
AI capability is outpacing organizational design — companies think it's about tools when it's actually about human beings
The "politician effect": companies succeeding with AI treat it as competitive advantage and won't share publicly
Boards optimize for capital efficiency while HR manages human complexity — the leaders who win translate between both worlds
The execution of AI transformation lives and dies in HR — it's not a side initiative, it's the competitive advantage
Workforce transformation is a team sport — you can't do it alone behind a closed door
After a promotion: soothe your heart, then build your org completely separate from the relationships in place
A promotion isn't a step function — it's a new job requiring fresh onboarding and relationship building


📚 RESOURCES:
UNLEASH America 2026: March 17–19, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas
https://www.unleash.ai/

Ethan Mollick: https://www.oneusefulthing.org/

Jess Von Bank:   / jessvonbank  

Kirstin Ferguson Episode (Season 1):    • Episode 22 | Dr. Kirstin Ferguson on Blind...  


🔗 CONNECT:

Marc Coleman:   / marccoleman  
Submit Leadership Questions: [email protected]
Instagram:   / megandamyshow  
LinkedIn:   / the-meg-amy-show  


#Leadership #AITransformation #UNLEASH #FutureOfWork

#HRLeadership #DecisionMaking #MegAndAmyShow