When we think about the future of work, it’s easy to focus on technology, AI, and automation. But for Simon Hill — CEO of Wazoku and champion of workplace innovation — the future is less about machines and more about people.

In a lively conversation on The Bliss Business Podcast, Simon joined hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa to discuss why rigid structures are holding businesses back, and how flexible, democratized, and purpose-driven models are unlocking the next wave of innovation.

Work Is Being Rewritten — One Idea at a Time

Wazoku, which means “great idea” in Swahili, is built on a simple yet radical belief: everyone has the capacity to solve big problems, if given the chance. From helping NASA and pharmaceutical companies crowdsource breakthroughs to empowering remote workers across the globe, Simon’s work sits at the intersection of trust, collaboration, and outcome-based leadership.

“If you ask the right question to the right crowd, you can unlock genius that traditional hiring methods would never even consider,” Simon said.

His company’s open innovation platform has created a global crowd of nearly one million solvers, many of whom work on challenges purely out of passion — before they’re even promised compensation. Why? Because they love it.

The Rise of Pixelated Work and Trust-Based Leadership

Simon believes that the most progressive companies are moving toward “pixelated work” — breaking projects into smaller outcomes that can be tackled by distributed teams, sometimes asynchronously, and often judged solely on results — not résumés.

This evolution requires a reprogramming of traditional leadership:

• Leaders must let go of control and manage by outcomes, not hours.
• Employees must learn to self-direct and find motivation in purpose, not micromanagement.
• Organizations must build cultures of trust, where people feel safe to think differently and act autonomously.

“If you need someone sitting in front of you to do your job well as a leader, that’s not a people problem — that’s a leadership problem,” Simon said candidly.

Purpose Is the Power Source

One of the most resonant parts of the conversation came when Simon described how his solvers — who range from students to intensive care doctors — view their contributions as a calling.

“This is my way of exercising my brain. I do this because it gives me meaning,” one solver told Simon over lunch.

In an era where more employees want to align their work with something meaningful, this model represents not just a shift in structure — but a shift in soul. It’s about finding the joy in solving problems, the fulfillment in contributing, and the pride in being part of something bigger.

The Bottom Line?

Flexible, purpose-aligned organizations aren’t just more human — they’re more effective.

Companies that embrace open innovation and decentralized talent strategies are solving complex challenges faster, with more diverse perspectives, and at lower cost than traditional R&D models.

Simon’s message is clear: The future of work belongs to those who are willing to trust, empower, and innovate — with people at the center.

Check out our full conversation with Simon Hill on The Bliss Business Podcast.

Originally Featured on The Bliss Business Podcast Blog

Leaders who embrace their full humanity are better equipped to lead others. In a world obsessed with performance metrics and bottom-line thinking, it’s easy to overlook the most transformative leadership tool available — self-awareness. In a recent episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, co-hosts Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski sat down with Stacey Estrella, co-founder of Mastering Your Human Design, for a conversation that pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to lead with empathy.

Stacey’s path to purpose-driven leadership has been anything but conventional. From competing on Project Runway to facilitating immersive brand storytelling events, her journey is marked by continual reinvention. But it wasn’t until she discovered Human Design — a system that integrates elements of astrology, chakras, and quantum physics — that everything truly clicked.

What she found wasn’t a mystical shortcut, but a deeply grounding framework that gave her permission to stop performing and start leading as her whole self. “It allowed me to release everything I’m not,” Stacey explained. “And when you do that for yourself, you can’t help but do it for others. That’s where real empathy begins.”

Self-Awareness: The Leadership Superpower

Throughout the conversation, Stacey made one thing clear: there’s no shortcut to empathetic leadership. It begins with radical self-acceptance — the willingness to look at your strengths, your flaws, and even the decisions you regret through the lens of understanding rather than judgment.

“When you can love on all those decisions — especially the ones that make you cringe — you unlock a kind of emotional elasticity,” she shared. “It creates space to connect with others from a place of compassion rather than control.”

The data backs her up. A Korn Ferry study found that leaders with high self-awareness are significantly more effective, in part because they are better equipped to manage their own emotions and understand the perspectives of others. It’s the foundation of emotional intelligence — and emotional intelligence is a key driver of performance.

Empathy is Not Weakness — It’s Strategic

Mike pointed to a Harvard Business Review study showing that companies scoring highest on empathy indices outperform their peers by 50% in profit generation. The takeaway? Empathy isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive advantage.

But as Stacey warned, empathy without boundaries can lead to emotional burnout. “You can’t confuse feeling with carrying,” she said. “Empathy means being present with someone’s experience — not absorbing it as your own.”

This is where Stacey’s work with Human Design comes into play. It helps leaders differentiate between their own energy and the emotional energy of others, enabling them to support their teams without sacrificing themselves in the process.

Leading With Empathy in a Digital Age

Stacey also reflected on the role of technology in fostering or eroding human connection. “I never want technology to come between me and a client,” she said. “I use AI to learn — but not to create. That’s a line I draw because it keeps the work human.”

Instead, Stacey sees technology as a tool to support meaningful one-to-one interactions — not replace them. It’s a mindset more organizations will need as automation becomes increasingly prevalent.

The Future of Business is Personal

Perhaps the most powerful insight Stacey offered was this: the organizations of the future will succeed not by standardizing people, but by recognizing and optimizing their differences.

“When leaders start with empathy and build from the individual up, they create cultures of trust and resilience,” she said. “That’s when teams move beyond productivity and into purpose.”

Her advice for businesses looking to stay ahead? Replace rigid efficiency models with systems that prioritize well-being and human wholeness. “We’re entering an era where love will be the cornerstone of successful business,” she said. “And that starts with how leaders show up for themselves and their people.”

Final Thought

Leadership isn’t about being everything to everyone. It’s about being fully yourself so you can see — and support — others in doing the same. As Stacey reminded us, empathy begins within. And when leaders operate from that place of self-awareness and authenticity, they create organizations where people don’t just perform — they thrive.

Check out our full conversation with Stacey Estrella on The Bliss Business Podcast.

Originally Featured on The Bliss Business Podcast Blog