GA 642 | The Future of Work with Jonathan David Lewis

Something fundamental has shifted in how people relate to work, and most leaders are still operating from a story that the workforce has already left behind. Jonathan David Lewis, president of brand strategy firm McKee Wallwork and author of The Rebuilders, makes the case that the old shared narrative of careers, retirement, and institutional trust has fractured. What comes next depends entirely on whether leaders choose to rebuild it.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What forgetting obvious things costs a leader over time (2:34)
• Why Jonathan wrote a daily reader instead of a conventional leadership book (5:05)
• How the shared story of work collapsed and what replaced it (8:14)
• What TFS reveals about the current workforce’s relationship to the future (11:41)
• Why counter-trends in the trades and faith communities signal a rebuilding moment (16:29)
• How the shift from print-first to digital-first thinking is reshaping the workforce (19:30)
• What inside-out leadership means when the burden gets heavy (24:41)
• Whether optimism is a feeling or a daily choice (28:30)
• Why the era of postmodernism is over and what younger generations are seeking instead (30:41)

“When you see the crack, look for the light that’s being let in.” – Jonathan David Lewis

Keep Learning

If Jonathan’s argument about inside-out leadership resonated, the School of Leadership offers a structured way to develop the character and practices that sustain that kind of work over time.
Learn More About School of Leadership at https://www.gembaacademy.com/leadership

Podcast Resources

• Jonathan on LinkedIn
• McKee Wallwork
• “The Rebuilders”

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What Do You Think?

In your organization, which part of the old story of work is your team still holding onto, and what would it look like to rebuild something more honest in its place?

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