How the past can help us face the future - Alessandro De Arcangelis

"Organisations are operating at a time of unusually intense and overlapping change. But history provides us with an optimistic message about our ability to adapt." This week on the How to Thrive podcast, Claire and Helen are joined by Alessandro De Arcangelis, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at Lewis Silkin. Alessandro spent a decade in universities studying and teaching the history of political thought, before he eventually felt the pull of wanting his work to matter closer to where decisions are being made, and made the move into the corporate world via Lewis Silkin, where his research now focuses on the future of work. In this episode, Claire and Helen explore what history can teach us about the moment we're living through right now - the AI revolution, geopolitical instability, the collapse of the linear career, and why organisations are so dangerously obsessed with short-term thinking. Alessandro argues that disruption always looks catastrophic from the inside, that human adaptability has never yet failed us, and that the language we use about AI is often shaped more by tech companies' PR than by any neutral reading of the evidence. They also discuss what COVID took from the generation of junior professionals who missed out on osmotic learning, why universities are failing to prepare graduates for the world that actually awaits them, and why becoming comfortable with uncertainty might be the most important organisational skill of the next decade. With thanks to our sponsors for this episode: **Lewis Silkin** — a full service law firm that works closely with organisations to help protect and enhance what matters most. Thoughtful, commercial and deeply human. Find out more at lewissilkin.com. **JHB & Partners:** https://jhbandpartners.com/ Many of the in-house lawyers who listen will recognise Josh Blake as an expert in legal resourcing. Last year he established JHB & Partners and continues to support in-house legal teams to build, scale and optimise their legal functions. With their extensive experience in resourcing and strategic insight, Josh and his team at JHB & Partners provide a real sense of calm and reassurance, which is exactly what you need whether you're hiring or looking for a role. You can find out lots more about Josh and his team at www.jhbandpartners.com. Get in touch and don't forget to mention the podcast when you do. **How to Thrive events:** Our events are a chance to come together with other Community Members to network and share learnings in a safe space. All of our events are focussed on HOW to thrive and deliver practical skills that you can incorporate into your work and home lives. Visit our website to find out more. **Your How to Thrive hosts:** Claire Sanders, former Corporate Lawyer, General Counsel and Co-Founder of Being Human Consulting. Helen Silver-MacMahon, Human Factors Specialist, Veterinary Nurse and Co-Founder of Being Human Consulting. **Music Credit:** Lo-Fi Hip Hop (Never Old Fashioned) by Alex Kizenkov **Podcast Production:** Anthony Zahra * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.