The Future of Work Begins With the Future of Leadership

Why heartset matters more than ever—and how we can start leading from a deeper place.

I believe that we are living through a seismic shift in how we work, lead, and connect.

Personally, I feel it in the fatigue that follows endless meetings. In the silence after a big launch. In the longing so many of us carry... not for more tools or tactics, but for meaning. For depth. For spaces where we can bring more of ourselves, not less.

This is the invitation of the future of work... but also its challenge: To move from extraction to regeneration. From performance to presence. From mindset to heartset.

Below are five deeply personal provocations: anchored in real data, human stories, and the shared questions I've been sitting with over the past few months. These aren’t “tips.” They’re starting points for a different kind of leadership conversation. One where empathy, curiosity, and emergence take the lead.

1. Human First Isn’t Just a Value. It’s a Reclamation

“The longest journey you will ever take is from your head to your heart.” ~ Sioux Proverb

80% of employees say they’d be more engaged if they felt cared for by their leader (Workhuman, 2023).

We’ve all felt the pull toward performance, output over connection, speed over stillness. But real leadership is a return to what makes us human. Empathy doesn’t live in our job descriptions. It lives in the pause. In the eye contact. In the way we ask someone how they are, and actually mean it. This isn’t softness. It’s strength. The kind that builds trust, not just teams.

Reflection: When was the last time you felt truly seen at work, not for your role, but for your presence? How can you offer that to someone else this week?

2. Presence Over Performance

“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” ~ Simone Weil

82% of employees feel unheard and undervalued at work (Gallup, 2022).

In our efforts to “show up” as leaders, we often forget to be with our teams. We lead with agendas, KPIs, and plans. But, what many of our people really crave is attention. Not the flashy kind, but the grounded kind. The kind that says, “I’m here. I see you. I’m listening.” Heartset reminds us that presence is not a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation for belonging.

Reflection: Start your next meeting with a check-in, not a deck. Ask: What’s one thing you’re carrying that others might not see? Then listen with your full self.

3. Empathy Doesn’t Scale ~ But It Lands

“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” ~ Mohsin Hamid

Teams led by empathetic leaders outperform others by 17% in innovation and collaboration (Catalyst, 2020).

In a world obsessed with scale, empathy refuses to be commodified. You can’t systematize true care. But you can create conditions for it to thrive: slowness, space, intention. A message sent when no one expects it. A silence held without rushing to fill it. These are the moments that shape culture. And, they cost nothing.

Reflection: Who’s one person in your world right now who might need empathy, not answers? Reach out. Don’t solve. Just see.

4. Lead What’s Still Forming

“We do not think ourselves into new ways of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” ~ Richard Rohr

74% of employees say they’re navigating unclear expectations without enough support (McKinsey, 2023).

The pace of change has outgrown our need for control. What if leadership wasn’t about having the map, but, about holding the compass? We need leaders who aren’t afraid to say: “This is still forming, and you’re invited to help shape it.” That kind of leadership doesn’t pretend to know, it co-creates. It invites others into the process, not just the product.

Reflection: Next time you feel pressure to present a polished answer, pause and say: “Here’s what’s emerging. What do you see that I don’t?”

5. Empathy is a Quiet Rebellion in a Loud World

“Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.” ~ Gloria Steinem

Only 30% of employees strongly agree their workplace supports emotional well-being (Harvard Business Review, 2023).

Busyness has become a badge. But speed isn’t always strength, and silence isn’t absence. When we choose empathy in a system built for productivity, we’re doing something radical. We’re saying: You matter more than what you produce. Your presence matters, even when you’re quiet. This is how we shift the culture. Not with declarations, but with small rebellions, acts of care, of slowness, of intentional pause.

Reflection: Before your next decision, ask: What would love, not fear, choose here? Then lead from that place.

The future of work isn’t something we implement. It’s something we inhabit. And it starts not with a strategy, but with a question:

What kind of leader, what kind of human, do I want to be in the world I’m helping to shape?

Let’s find out. Together. 

What Freedom Feels Like: Reflections from the Statue of Liberty

Last year, on the Fourth of July, my family and I found ourselves at the base of the Statue of Liberty. We were sweaty, a little overwhelmed by the crowds, and totally immersed in the moment. There’s something surreal about standing at a monument so tied to the idea of freedom, especially when you're holding the hands of the people who make you feel most free.

This year, we're back in the same place. Same date. Same crew. A few new inside jokes. A few new bruises from life. A deeper sense of what freedom really means.

We talk about freedom a lot in this country, often in big, abstract ways. But the older I get, the more I realize that freedom is deeply personal. For me, it’s rooted in relationships. Not the kind that box us in or perform the roles we're told we're supposed to play. But the kind that liberate us. The kind that let us be messy, growing, contradictory, and still loved.

Radical relationships are my declaration of independence. They’re the spaces where honesty is welcomed, boundaries are respected, and care is abundant. They remind me that love isn’t just about comfort, it’s also about accountability, courage, and co-creation.

As I watch my family laugh and lean on each other, I’m reminded that freedom isn’t a solo journey. It’s something we practice together. In the ways we show up. In the ways we listen. In the ways we challenge each other to be more whole and more human.

So on this 4th of July, I’m not just celebrating a country’s freedom. I’m celebrating the freedom I find in the people around me, the ones who dare to love radically, live truthfully, and build a better world one relationship at a time.

Here’s to love that liberates. Here’s to showing up for each other, again and again.

With gratitude, Shawn

John Ospitia is has 15+ years of experience driving marketing success, he specializes in growth marketing, lead generation, and digital strategy to help businesses scale and maximize revenue.

As a CMO and Fractional CMO, he's worked with startups, mid-sized companies, and enterprises to build high-performing marketing teams, optimize funnels, and implement data-driven strategies that fuel business growth. Whether leading in-house teams or consulting as a Fractional CMO, his approach is always data-driven, customer-focused, and growth-oriented.

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Pay it forward! Believe in others! Invest in people! Teamwork is the way to go! Robin Daniels is always talking about this, but actions speak louder than words. Which is why he is so excited to announce Cranked Up!

This is a new docu-series (and a huge passion project) where they follow a team of women cyclists as they strive to win, get promoted, and grow as a team to ultimate make it to the big leagues. It's one of those moments you dream about but rarely get to realize, especially when you are inspired by the underdogs, like they saw in Welcome to Wrexham. The journey with Team Sydbank, Quooker, Njord Law (The Human Success Team), and the incredible riders has been nothing short of extraordinary. Honestly, his not sure the team fully knew what they were signing up for when they decided to partner with them. Heck, we were not sure they did either, but they don't do things small, we take it to 11!

Website here: https://cranked-up.com/

Blog post here: https://zensai.com/articles/cranked-up-meet-the-women-redefining-cycling