The Phoenix Leadership Podcast
The Future-Ready Leader Podcast—a space where we explore the evolving world of leadership and provide practical insights to help leaders navigate the future with confidence. Hosted by Afsheen Ismail-Wey | CEO, Leadership and HR Advisor at The Phoenix Coaching Co., this podcast is designed to empower leaders with the tools, strategies, and mindsets needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Episodes

Saturday Mar 29, 2025
Saturday Mar 29, 2025
What happens when AI stops just supporting leadership—and starts defining it?
In this episode of The Future-Ready Leader, Afsheen Ismail-Wey, CEO of The Phoenix Coaching Co., dives into the opportunities and risks of AI in leadership development.
From real-time coaching platforms to bias in AI-driven assessments, she explores the human cost of leaving leadership to algorithms—and how we can lead with both innovation and intention.
🎯 You’ll learn:
- How organizations are using AI in performance, talent, and leadership decisions - The risks of algorithmic bias in leadership pipelines
- Why emotional intelligence, ethics, and lived experience can’t be automated
- What a balanced, human-centred approach to AI looks like in modern leadership
🔗 Want to build future-ready leaders in your organization?
Learn more about our leadership development framework here:
👉 https://www.thephoenixcoachingcompany.com/our-leadership-solution
🎧 Listen or watch the episode:
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePhoenixCoachingCo./videos
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Z8G6Wwb4WsT4quiEtAhEm
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-phoenix-leadership-podcast/id1730899556
🌐 Podcast Website: https://www.thephoenixcoachingcompany.com/podcast-2

Friday Mar 14, 2025
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Future-ready organisations need future-ready leaders ready to create a sustainable impact on the business.
The workplace is evolving faster than ever.Leaders who embrace external curiosity and adaptability are the ones who drive innovation, navigate uncertainty, and create real impact. But how can organizations identify and cultivate these traits in their leaders?
🔎 In this episode of The Future Ready Leader podcast, Afsheen Ismail-Wey, CEO of The Phoenix Coaching Co., explores:✅ Why external curiosity gives leaders a competitive edge in decision-making✅ How adaptability is the key to sustaining success in volatile markets✅ The top interview and assessment strategies for hiring and developing future-ready leaders
🎯 If you're in HR, talent acquisition, or leadership development, this episode is packed with insights you can apply right away.
📢 Want to go deeper?Join Afsheen Ismail-Wey & Dr. Beat Habegger at HR FESTIVAL Europe 2025, where they’ll be diving into this topic LIVE.
📅 When? March 26, 2025 | 12:00 - 13:00📍 Where? Messe Zürich🎟 Secure your free ticket with code PHO_HRF25_88DS🔗 Register here: HR Festival Registration
🔊 Listen to the full episode now!🎧 Spotify: The Future Ready Leader
🍏 Apple Podcasts: Listen here📺 Watch on YouTube: The Phoenix Coaching Co.
#LeadershipDevelopment #FutureReadyLeaders #HRInnovation #TalentManagement #PhoenixCoachingCo

Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
The Real Issue Isn’t Women’s Talent—It’s Who Holds the Power
Women don’t lack the skills, the ambition, or the qualifications to lead. The real issue? Who holds the power—and the systemic barriers designed to keep it that way.This year we don’t need yet another polite conversation about Women in Leadership on International Women’s Day. We need real accountability, real power shifts, and real change. Because right now the powers that be are actively wrestling back any progress made so far.And despite decades of work, only 29% of executive roles are held right now by women, according to McKinsey’s latest Women in the Workplace report. At this rate, we won’t see gender parity for another 50 years. The question is: Who benefits from keeping things the same or even making it harder for Women to Lead?What We’re Breaking Down in This Episode:
✅ Why the pay gap is actually a power gap—and how companies continue to get away with underpaying women✅ How leadership structures were built to exclude women—and why DEI programs are failing✅ The biggest biases still holding women back (hint: it’s not a “confidence gap”)✅ Why fixing leadership—not women—is the only way forward
🎧 Listen on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Z8G6Wwb4WsT4quiEtAhEm?si=e2dcc6abaf524146
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-phoenix-leadership-podcast/id1730899556Our website: https://www.thephoenixcoachingcompany.com/podcast-2
Hear the raw truth and the action we need to take.What’s Your Take? What’s the biggest barrier to more women in leadership today?Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s build a system that actually works for women.
📢 Join the HR Festival Europe 2025
Change isn’t just about awareness—it’s about action. If you’re ready to build a leadership pipeline that actually works, let’s take the conversation further:
HR Festival Europe 2025🎤 Presentation: Future-Ready Leaders: Why External Curiosity and Adaptability Are the Top Predictors of Success⏰ Date & Time: March 26, 2025 | 12:00 - 12:30 PM📍 Stage: Recruiting Stage👥 Speakers: Afsheen Ismail-Wey (CEO, Leadership & HR Advisor, The Phoenix Coaching Co.) & Dr. Beat Habegger (Professor, FHNW)📌 Booth No: D.01.8
🔗 Secure Your Free Ticket Here using our code (PHO_HRF25_88DS): HR Festival Registration
🔔 Subscribe for more bold leadership conversations.
📩 Work with us: The Phoenix Coaching Company

Friday Feb 28, 2025
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Losing top talent is costing your organization more than you think.
HR leaders and functional managers know that turnover is expensive—but do you really know the full financial impact of regrettable employee attrition? It’s more than just recruitment costs. It’s lost institutional knowledge, disengaged teams, and disrupted workflows.
🔍 In this episode, we break it all down:✅ The overlooked costs of losing high-performing employees✅ How weak leadership directly impacts retention and business performance✅ A real-world case study: How one company lost over 1.3 million CHF per leader✅ How to quantify attrition costs using our FREE Regrettable Employee Attrition Cost Tool
Every leader plays a role in retention. Are your leadership behaviors helping or hurting your team?
💾 Download the FREE Attrition Cost Tool now → https://www.thephoenixcoachingcompany.com/regrettable-employee-attrition-cost-tool
💬 Let’s talk solutions. If your organization is serious about reducing turnover and building a leadership strategy that retains top talent, let’s connect. Schedule a call today. https://www.thephoenixcoachingcompany.com/
🎧 Prefer to listen? Subscribe to The Future-Ready Leader Podcast!🔗 Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-phoenix-leadership-podcast/id1730899556
🔗 Spotify: [https://open.spotify.com/show/4Z8G6Wwb4WsT4quiEtAhEm?si=e2dcc6abaf524146
📲 Let’s Stay Connected:🔹 LinkedIn - The Phoenix Coaching Co.: Follow Us🔹 LinkedIn - Afsheen Ismail-Wey: Connect with Afsheen
📞 Contact Us:📱 Phone: +41 768 23 9091📧 Email: info@thephoenixcoachingcompany.com

Friday Feb 21, 2025
Friday Feb 21, 2025
The Future-Ready Leader Podcast | Episode 1: Future-Proofing Leadership: Essential Skills for 2025 and Beyond
Welcome to the very first episode of The Future-Ready Leader Podcast—your go-to source for leadership insights that help you navigate the future of work. Hosted by Afsheen Ismail-Wey, CEO and Leadership & HR Advisor of The Phoenix Coaching Co., this episode explores the essential leadership skills that will define success in 2025 and beyond.
💡 What You’ll Learn:✅ How successful leaders stay ahead in a rapidly evolving world✅ Why humanity is essential in the age of AI✅ How adaptability and communication drive innovation and resilience✅ Practical strategies to future-proof your leadership skills and lead with confidence
💼 Want to Learn More? Join Us LIVE at HR FESTIVAL Europe 2025 in Zurich!Topic: Future Ready Leaders - Why External Curiosity and Adaptability are the top Predictors of Success📅 Date: March 26, 2025⏰ Time: 12:00 - 12:30🎯 Stage: Recruiting Stage🎙️ Speakers:
Afsheen Ismail-Wey | CEO and Leadership Advisor, The Phoenix Coaching Co.
Dr. Beat Habegger | Professor, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
🔗 Register and secure your free ticket using our discount code (PHO_HRF25_88DS) here: HR Festival Registration
📲 Let's Stay Connected:👉 LinkedIn - The Phoenix Coaching Co.: Follow Us👉 LinkedIn - Afsheen Ismail-Wey: Connect with Afsheen✅ Subscribe for more insights on leadership, innovation, and growth: SUBSCRIBE HERE
📞 Contact Us:📱 Phone: +41 768 23 9091📧 Email: info@thephoenixcoachingcompany.com👍 Like, comment, and share to help others future-proof their leadership!

Thursday Aug 15, 2024
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
In our latest trailer, Afsheen and her coaching client delve into the complex desire to conform. We open up about fear that non-conformity might lead to rejection and how this underlying desire to conform and please paradoxically is less fulfilling and pleasing to the client herself.

Thursday Aug 15, 2024
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
In this Episode, our guest talks about his love for coaching but also his concern about finances. This dual focus creates a feeling of pressure, leading to frustration. He wonders if he lacks something within himself and fears missing out on opportunities as a result.

Thursday Aug 15, 2024
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
In this episode, our guest shares his journey of providing pro bono coaching because it brings him joy. However, he also craves financial stability. As time goes by, his concern grows. With colleagues getting more leads and achieving success, leaving him questioning what he might be doing wrong.

Thursday Aug 15, 2024
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
In this episode, our guest discusses how her current environment doesn't resonate with her. She feels a profound absence of friendship, warmth, and relationships in her life.

Monday Jul 08, 2024
Monday Jul 08, 2024
In this trailer, our guest shares her longing for more color in life. Listen in on the trailer to hear more about what that means for her and stay tuned for the full episode this week.