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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.

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Books referenced in this episode

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