Jun 2, 2026 · 33 min · 11 segments
In a world flooded with information, the greatest leadership challenge may be managing how we respond to ideas that challenge our assumptions. Philosopher and cognitive immunology researcher Andy…
Andy NormanGuestJennifer ColosimoHost
I had the good fortune to take a, a mediation training course where I was really taught to listen properly in my 30s.
It helped me become a much better person, and I th- I think that leaders everywhere have to become good listeners to be successful.
Um, and if you can show your, your willingness to listen to others, then they will reciprocate by being willing to listen to you.
Um, but often you have to put in the time and, and have the patience, um, to be the, um, the person willing to su- su- suppress your reactive impulses and be a wholehearted listener first.
On Leadership provides insight to our listeners through discussions with senior leaders, thought leaders, researchers, all focused on the human side of strategy and transformation.
In a world where we are constantly bombarded by shifting market trends, rapid technological disruption, and an endless stream of data, the challenge for a leader isn't just managing the information, it's managing how our minds react to it.
Andy is a philosopher, an award-winning author, and a researcher at the forefront of an emerging field called cognitive immunology.
He currently serves as the director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, and is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative, an institute dedicated to understanding how the mind protects itself against bad ideas and misinformation.
His groundbreaking work explores the concept of mental immunity, the science of how we can inoculate our minds and our organizations against rigid thinking to become more curious, reliant, resilient, and effective leaders.
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I had the good fortune to take a, a mediation training course where I was really taught to listen properly in my 30s.
It helped me become a much better person, and I th- I think that leaders everywhere have to become good listeners to be successful.
Um, and if you can show your, your willingness to listen to others, then they will reciprocate by being willing to listen to you.
Um, but often you have to put in the time and, and have the patience, um, to be the, um, the person willing to su- su- suppress your reactive impulses and be a wholehearted listener first.
On Leadership provides insight to our listeners through discussions with senior leaders, thought leaders, researchers, all focused on the human side of strategy and transformation.
In a world where we are constantly bombarded by shifting market trends, rapid technological disruption, and an endless stream of data, the challenge for a leader isn't just managing the information, it's managing how our minds react to it.
Andy is a philosopher, an award-winning author, and a researcher at the forefront of an emerging field called cognitive immunology.
He currently serves as the director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, and is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative, an institute dedicated to understanding how the mind protects itself against bad ideas and misinformation.
His groundbreaking work explores the concept of mental immunity, the science of how we can inoculate our minds and our organizations against rigid thinking to become more curious, reliant, resilient, and effective leaders.
