Engaged By Design - Leading Through VUCA with Innovation and Purpose

🎙️ EPISODE 1 Introducing Engaged By Design — Leading Through VUCA With Innovation and Purpose Welcome to the first episode of the Engaged By Design podcast! Your co-hosts, Dr. Michael Cottam and Dr. Vernon Smith, kick off the series with a conversation about who we are, why we started this podcast, and how we plan to help leaders thrive in the middle of change. In this premiere episode, you'll hear: How we used (and corrected) ChatGPT to write our intros The meaning and implications of the VUCA environment (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) A preview of the MACRO Leadership model — an agile framework for leading change in higher education Our mission is to help organizations engage more learners, more effectively, for sustainable growth How real innovation must go beyond committees and tweaks—it must transform systems The purpose of this podcast is to give practical, leadership-level insight you can apply immediately We share stories from decades of leadership experience in community colleges, private universities, online institutions, and national-scale innovation initiatives. Whether you're a department chair, director, faculty leader, or senior administrator, we know what it’s like to lead from the middle — and that’s who this podcast is for. KEY TAKEAWAYS VUCA is real — and it’s reshaping higher ed. Strong leadership embraces, not avoids, complexity. MACRO is your anti-micromanagement approach: Match → Assign → Coach → Reflect → Ovation. Radical innovation is possible — and necessary — even in risk-averse institutions. We built Engaged By Design to help people like you lead, innovate, and engage with purpose MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE MACRO Leadership: Leading Agile Change and Innovation in Higher Education – available now on Amazon Claim a free copy of the book (first 10 podcast listeners only): visit the site and use the contact form Learn more about us at: www.engagedbydesign.com Thank you for joining us on this journey. There are so many podcasts you could be listening to — we're honored you chose ours. SUBSCRIBE & SHARE If this episode sparked a new idea or helped you reframe a challenge, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network. Future episodes will feature expert guests, live coaching moments, and real-world strategies to drive innovation and engagement in higher education. 🔗 AFFILIATE LINKS MACRO Leadership, by Michael Cottam: https://amzn.to/476zHRP Shure MV7+ Microphone: https://amzn.to/4obxnPC Shure MV7i Microphone with Audio Interface: https://amzn.to/3GX0Jkb