How Skills-Powered Organizations Are Built
DisrupTV Episode 381 — with Kirstie Papworth & Ravin Jesuthasan
In DisrupTV Episode 381, hosts R “Ray” Wang and Vala Afshar sit down with Kirstie Papworth, psychologist and author of Compassionate Leadership, and Ravin Jesuthasan, futurist and co-author of The Skills-Powered Organization: The Journey to the Next-Generation Enterprise. Together, they explore how organizations can thrive by combining human-centered leadership with strategic skill development—two pillars for building adaptable, innovation-ready enterprises.
Why This Episode Matters
Challenging Leadership Myths
Papworth debunks the outdated belief that compassion is a sign of weakness. Backed by research, she shows how empathy in leadership can boost retention, engagement, and trust—critical ingredients for sustaining high-performance teams.
Navigating a Shifting Skills Economy
Jesuthasan explains how AI adoption, automation, and the climate crisis are transforming the market value of skills. His framework helps leaders:
- Read demand signals
- Identify skill gaps
- Deploy talent effectively
Embedding a Learning Culture
Both guests stress that skills-powered organizations don’t emerge by accident—they are intentionally built through continuous learning and proactive up-skilling at all levels.
Key Takeaways
Leading with compassion is not a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage. Papworth explains that empathy, trust, and genuine care can strengthen loyalty and engagement across the organization. Jesuthasan builds on this by emphasizing the importance of strategic skill development, where leaders must anticipate future market needs and align talent accordingly using his three-step framework: understanding demand signals, translating skill gaps into actionable priorities, and deploying skills productively. Both guests agree that resilience comes from creating a culture of continuous learning, embedding up-skilling into everyday workflows so teams remain adaptable and ready for the challenges ahead.
Related Content for Deeper Learning
What Makes a Great Leader? — DisrupTV Ep. 386
Driving the Next Big Innovation — DisrupTV Ep. 383
Final Thoughts
Episode 381 reframes the future of work conversation by placing human leadership and skill agility at the center of business transformation. Leaders who blend compassion with strategic up-skilling aren’t just preparing for tomorrow—they’re actively creating it.
