Leadership

The Leadership Skills We’ll Need Most When Everything Is Changing: Me2We 2026

Think Fast, Talk Smart
Think Fast, Talk Smart•Jun 1, 2026

Why It Matters

In a rapidly changing, AI‑augmented world, leaders who foster safe dissent, eliminate unnecessary work, and double‑down on people‑first fundamentals will preserve performance and competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways

  • •Ask for dissent, acknowledge, appreciate, act, and amplify ideas.
  • •Leaders should practice relentless subtraction, removing unnecessary work.
  • •Teach and develop talent; focus on coaching over doing.
  • •Appreciate team members to retain talent and boost morale.
  • •AI will disrupt roles; fundamentals of team building become critical.

Summary

The Stanford GSB panel at Me2We 2026 explored the leadership capabilities required as business environments become increasingly volatile and divided. Host Matt Abrahams guided faculty and a coach through practical communication tools, emphasizing that clear, consistent messaging underpins effective leadership.

Celine Teo introduced the "five A's" framework—Ask, Acknowledge, Appreciate, Act, Amplify—to invite dissent and turn conflict into constructive dialogue. Huggy Rao warned against the "addition bias," urging leaders to become editors‑in‑chief who subtract wasteful tasks. Tara VanDerveer highlighted coaching as a talent‑development engine, while Dave Dobson warned that AI will erode technological advantages, making core team‑building fundamentals paramount.

Memorable quotes punctuated the discussion: Rao’s reminder that “when the tide goes down you see the rocks,” and VanDerveer’s adaptation of Augustus Caesar’s counsel to “make haste slowly.” These anecdotes reinforced the need for humility, patience, and strategic restraint.

The panel’s advice signals a shift toward psychological safety, lean operations, and relentless focus on people. Executives who embed dissent, prune complexity, and prioritize coaching will navigate AI‑driven disruption more resiliently and sustain high‑performing cultures.

Original Description

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions — it’s about how you communicate them. As Matt Abrahams puts it, “Communication is operationalized leadership.”
At a recent Me2We event, in connection with Stanford GSB's Executive Education LEAD program, Abrahams held a live discussion with four of the podcast’s most popular guests: Celine Teoh, facilitator of the GSB’s famous Interpersonal Dynamics course; Huggy Rao, organizational behavior professor and co-author of The Friction Project; legendary Stanford basketball coach Tara VanDerveer; and Dave Dodson, lecturer and author of The Manager's Handbook.
In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, the panel shares frameworks and lessons for leading and communicating more effectively. From Teoh’s five A’s for inviting dissent to Rao’s warning against “jargon monoxide,” from VanDerveer’s relationship-first approach to Dodson’s case for leading like a teacher, this conversation explores what it takes to communicate as a leader — and lead as a communicator.
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