Vince Chan
speaker
6,989 appearances
347 recordings
1 series
first heard Nov 2024
last heard Jun 2025
Vince Chan’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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Appearances
My guest is Lisa Burdell, the top 40 global speaker on simplification, innovation, and change, as well as the CEO of FutureThink. She's helped companies like Google and Pfizer cut through the clutter, kill heinous rules, and actually get things done. In this two-part series, we'll dive into her journey, how she went from advertising to futurism, why most organizations resist change,
and how simplicity is the secret weapon for real innovation. We'll also unpack why AI won't replace human skills, but overcomplicated systems just might. If you've ever sat in a meeting thinking this could have been an email, you won't want to miss this one.
let's get started simplicity matters not just for organizations and teams to work more efficient simplicity matters not just for organizations and teams to work more efficiently and productively but also for us as individuals When we first met, you mentioned that this concept applies to everyone. And I completely agree.
Especially in today's world, social media, endless noise, misinformation is super overwhelming. And with mental health being a major issue, simplifying our lives feels more important than ever. So how can we do that? How can we personally practice simplicity in a way that helps us stay focused, clear-headed, and mentally strong?
Yeah, as you were explaining, it reminded me of my own corporate days. Looking back, I think a big reason I burnt out was because I did not practice some of the things we just mentioned. Saying no, setting boundaries, not taking on everything that came my way. And that hustle culture we saw over the last 10 years, especially in tech and entrepreneurship, only made it worse.
Everyone was always on the go, jumping from meeting to meeting, catching flights, attached to their phones as if being constantly busy meant being successful. But these same ideas about simplicity apply to personal life too. Half the things we own, we don't even need to buy them. And if we buy them but never use them, they just turn into clutter.
Even small things like deleting old files, clearing out storage make a difference. Sure, maybe you have a big house, a basement full of stuff, but it is not useful. What is the point? I was just talking to a friend about getting rid of things before a bag moves, and it really hit me. Simplicity is key.
Let's move on to something closely related. Mental health, productivity, and of course, the future. Earlier, you mentioned how everyone these days calls themselves an AI expert. But the reality is, AI isn't just hype. It's not a passing trend. It is a new paradigm, a new economy, and it's here to stay. Now, you and I are on the same page about this.
Human skills or what I call human intelligence are going to become more important, not less. In fact, I believe they will become a premium asset while technology itself becomes a commodity. Think about it. Apps, automation, AI tools, they're all becoming more accessible, more standardized.
But deep human skills like critical thinking, independent thinking, storytelling, problem solving, connecting with people, those are irreplaceable. Those are unique. The challenge, though, is that we've lost a lot of these skills over the last 10, 20, even 30 years. I talk about this often on my show, how social media, for example, has contributed to this decline.
We've lost the art of thinking, writing, and real human connection. Lisa, I know this is something you think about a lot, Looking ahead, how do you see this playing out? How can we rediscover and nurture our human skills in a world increasingly dominated by AI? What needs to change?
As you were sharing, I started thinking about how school used to be, how we had all these different subjects, mathematics, English, French, history, biology, chemistry. Some of us love math, some hate it. Some are naturally good at languages or humanities. Now, imagine if schools today didn't just teach subjects, but instead focused on specific human skills.
Curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, empathy, adaptability. Just like some kids are naturally drawn to math or writing. Maybe some will be more inclined towards curiosity as a skill, while others might naturally excel in problem solving.
If we started recognizing human skills as areas of talent, just like academic subjects, it could completely reshape the way we educate not just kids, but also working professionals. Maybe that's part of the future of learning. a shift from memorizing subjects to mastering the skills that truly set us apart in an AI-centric world.
Now for my last question, this one is a bit personal. You talk about change, the future and human skills, but you're also a mother. Your daughter is still a student studying at one of the top schools in the States. How have you personally nurtured her to be a future-ready human? And if she ever came to you and said, Mom, I need to figure out my future career direction, how would you guide her?
Yeah, I completely relate to that. It's not just a US thing. It's universal. Back in the 80s, when I was in middle school, my father gave me a book about how getting an MBA was the golden passport to success. And back then, that was true, especially in banking and consulting. By the time I finished my MBA studies in 2002, right after 911, the economy wasn't great.
But finance was still one of the best paying industries. I got into it. In terms of salary, it was good. But at some point, I felt lost. I had followed the standard playbook, but I had no real sense of who I was. I wish someone like you had spoken to me back then, given me real, genuine advice about the future.
So I'm curious, when raising your daughter, did you do anything special to make her more future-sensitive, more future-ready?
The last question I asked about your parenting is because I really believe in walking the walk, talking the talk when it comes to leadership. And you, as both a leader and a parent, I think role modeling is everything. Maybe in a future episode, we can focus more on future humans. How we raise the next generation to be ready for what's ahead. A lot of listeners might be parents themselves.
They may not have your exact background and resources, but they are shaping the future in their own families. My parents never had the chance to learn from people like you. But today's parents do, and that's powerful.
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