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Hosted by Athena · EN-US · 57 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Leading Without Illusions is Athena’s podcast for leaders navigating the fast-moving, often misunderstood world of artificial intelligence. Co-hosts Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly bring candid conversations with innovators on what AI is, where it goes wrong, and how to lead with better questions, sharper judgment, and real accountability. Expect practical clarity on bias, trust, risk, and the human choices shaping what comes next.
Athena hosts Leading Without Illusions, a business show with 57 episodes published.
What does it take to build a culture where people genuinely love coming to work? In this episode of Leading Without Illusions , Holly Smithson and Jay Connolly sit down with leadership icon and former WD-40 CEO Garry Rid
In a world shaped by disruption, uncertainty, and accelerating AI adoption, what does effective leadership actually look like? In this episode of Leading Without Illusions , Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly are joined by
Artificial intelligence is moving fast—but is it really as disruptive as it seems? In this episode of Leading Without Illusions , Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly sit down with Dr. Carlos Nunez of ResMed to separate sign
In this episode of Athena’s Leading Without Illusions , hosts Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly sit down with Dr. Stephen Morse, founder of Unchained Solutions, an Australian-based consulting firm focused on modern slaver
What happens when traditional leadership models stop working? In this episode of Leading Without Illusions , Athena leaders Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly join Reverend Sean Harvey of the Warrior Compassion Institute t
In the launch episode, Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly welcome Claire Roberts and Antony Roberts, co-founders of Full Fathom five, for a raw conversation on AI’s biggest illusions. They unpack why AI isn’t a panacea, wh
In this episode of Lifting While Climbing , Holly Smithson sits down with “hug dealer” Angela Pennella to explore the movement behind Hugs in the Wild. Angela shares how intentional connection, nervous system awareness,
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Tina Rinker —co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer of Syantra Inc. —joins host Holly Smithson to unpack a breakthrough approach to early detection: a simple blood test that
From the slopes of Mount Kenya to the halls of Cambridge and the UN General Assembly, Esther Mutuma, founder & CEO of the Boreka Group , shares how a village girl with a love of math became a banking leader turned climat
In this episode of the Lifting While Climbing podcast, Athena CEO Holly Smithson sits down with Claude Jones, CEO of Do It With AI, for a powerful, perspective-shifting conversation about what it really means to lead wit
In this powerful episode of Athena’s Lifting While Climbing , host Holly Smissen sits down with biotech trailblazer Dr. Tina Nova for an intimate, candid conversation about resilience, leadership, and purpose. From humbl
As political pressure mounts and corporate DEI efforts are being quietly rebranded or rolled back, Athena’s leadership is standing firm. In this powerful episode, Athena CEO Holly Smithson is joined by Board Chair Susan
In this month’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, we spotlight the unstoppable Rijon Charne —a lawyer, cancer warrior, and fierce advocate who turned every obstacle into ammunition for change. Just two days after graduatin
In Athena’s April edition of Lifting While Climbing , CEO Holly Smithson welcomes Dr. Nima Alamdari, Chief Science Officer at Ritual, as the podcast’s first featured workplace ally. Against the backdrop of today’s politi
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Athena was honored to spotlight powerhouse entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and business reality show host Misti Cain on our Lifting While Climbing podcast. And if you missed i
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Lara Wynne, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Gate Sciences, on this month’s episode of Lifting While Climbing. Lara shares her remarkable journey from being a stay-at-
In this dynamic episode of Athena’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, Athena’s President and CEO, Holly Smithson, sits down with trailblazing leader Kiva Allgood for a candid and inspiring conversation. Kiva shares her ext
Tune in to the latest episode of Athena’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, where CEO and host Holly Smithson dives into an inspiring conversation with Dr. Manna Semby. Dr. Semby shares her extraordinary journey from a suc
In this episode of Athena's Lifting While Climbing podcast, Holly Smithson, President and CEO of Athena, sits down with Lifting While Climbing Summit speaker Dr. Sheila Gujrathi. Dr. Gujrathi shares her inspiring journey
In the latest episode of Athena’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, host Holly Smithson, Athena’s President and CEO, welcomes Sarah Hassan, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion at ResMed. Sarah shares her inspiring journey
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Leading Without Illusions is hosted by Athena. The show is categorised under business (careers) and has published 57 episodes.
Leading Without Illusions has published 57 episodes.
Leading Without Illusions regularly covers business, careers. It sits in the business category, with a careers focus.
Leading Without Illusions is accessible for guests with genuine business expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
Leading Without Illusions hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of Leading Without Illusions average 37 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
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