The Digital Project Manager

Emotional intelligence has always mattered in project work—but in the age of AI, it’s becoming a differentiator. In this episode, Galen sits down with Nadja El Fertasi, founder of Thrive with EQ and former NATO leader, to unpack how EQ shows up in high-stakes digital transformation—and why it may be the most overlooked risk mitigation strategy in your toolkit.
Drawing from nearly two decades inside NATO’s cyber and digital transformation initiatives, Nadja shares how stakeholder engagement, influence, and emotional resilience directly impact everything from project delivery to cybersecurity. As AI accelerates automation and amplifies both opportunity and risk, the real question isn’t whether EQ still matters—it’s whether we’re investing in it fast enough.
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Thrive with EQ

In a job market that’s already shaky, it’s easy to see AI-led automation as salt in the wound. But Wade Foster flips that framing: pushing into AI is actually one of the kinder things organizations can do—because it strips away the “mysticism” and replaces it with something more useful: a pragmatic understanding of what AI can save you from (tedious, brain-draining tasks) and what it can’t replace (problem-solving, judgment, taste).
What comes through in this conversation is a more grounded promise: AI doesn’t erase the job—it helps in the “messy middle.” And when you use it as a thought partner (not just a shortcut), it can actually increase the time you spend on meaningful work… because it makes the process more enjoyable and the output better.
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Trust in AI isn’t a vibe—it’s something you can intentionally design for (or accidentally break). In this episode, Galen sits down with Cal Al-Dhubaib to unpack “trust engineering”: a shared toolkit that helps cross-functional teams (engineering, UX, governance, risk, and business) talk about the same trust risks in the same language. They get into why “boring AI is safe AI,” how guardrails and human handoffs actually preserve trust, and why the biggest failures often aren’t the model—they’re the systems (and incentives) wrapped around it.
You’ll also hear real-world examples of trust going sideways—from biased outcomes to hallucinated “gaslighting,” to AI-assisted deliverables causing accuracy issues—and what project leaders can do to prevent finger-pointing when it happens.
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PMOs are at a crossroads. As AI-led transformation accelerates, many organizations are still treating PMOs as project police—while quietly expecting them to deliver strategic clarity, risk foresight, and business value. In this conversation, Galen sits down with Amireh Amirmazaheri to unpack why that disconnect exists, what PMOs need to unlearn to move forward, and how the role must evolve if it’s going to earn (and keep) a seat at the table.
They explore the real difference between managing projects and enabling business success, why AI won’t save broken processes, and what it takes to lead a PMO with purpose instead of power. The result is an honest, human-centered look at the future of PMOs—one that prioritizes judgment, ethics, and clarity over templates, tools, and false certainty.
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Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era by James Barrat
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

Do project management methodologies still matter when AI can generate plans, notes, and schedules in seconds? In this episode, Galen sits down with Stan Yanakiev to unpack why the answer is still a firm yes—but with an important caveat: methodologies have to adapt. Together, they explore how PMs can move faster with AI without losing control, context, or the human side of delivery.
The conversation digs into lightweight project management, human-in-the-loop AI, and why speed without structure leads to “speed wobbles.” Stan shares practical examples of using AI to reduce documentation overhead, strengthen decision-making, and free PMs up to do what they do best: lead people, align stakeholders, and navigate complexity.
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