In part two of our conversation with Dr. Shannon McCarty, Vice President of Learning and Instruction at Calbright College, we shift from Calbright’s mission to the challenges and lessons of leading innovation.

Shannon shares candidly about her leadership journey, the mentors who shaped her path, and the values she carries into her role. She reflects on how authenticity, feedback, and even humor create stronger teams, and why being open and vulnerable is key for leaders navigating change.

Highlights from this episode include:

• How to stay authentic and resilient while leading disruptive innovation.
• The cultural values that guide Calbright’s “small but mighty” team.
• The role of AI in course design, assessment, and tutoring — and why it’s about the right tech at the right time.
• Rethinking general education around “durable skills” like communication, problem solving, and digital literacy.
• Shannon’s vision for the future includes three-year degree models and integrating AI literacy across programs.

Shannon leaves us with a challenge: to know your purpose and let it guide your innovation and leadership.

In this episode of the Engaged by Design podcast, Vernon Smith and Michael Cottam reconnect with their longtime colleague and friend, Dr. Shannon McCarty, Vice President of Learning and Instruction at Calbright College.

Shannon shares her journey from faculty at Rio Salado College to leadership roles at National University and Bay Path University, and now to her work at Calbright — California’s 116th and newest community college. Together, they explore:

• How Calbright’s startup culture is challenging the status quo in higher education.
• The mission to expand equity and access through free, competency-based programs.
• The role of human-centered design and employer partnerships in creating relevant learning.
• Real-world success stories of micro-internships with companies like HubSpot that led directly to jobs.
• How Calbright is rethinking assessment and demonstration of skills to prepare students for the workforce.

Shannon reminds us that meaningful innovation isn’t about adding more technology — it’s about designing around student needs, fostering equity, and keeping the focus on outcomes.

Reflection Question for Listeners:
What lessons can you beg, borrow, or steal from Calbright that might apply to your context and your institution?

Next Episode Teaser:
In part two of our conversation, we’ll go deeper into Calbright’s team culture, the challenges of building something new, and the role of AI in shaping the future of higher education.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kathy Hagler and Robin Graham, we explore the Four Path Journey, the conscious habits of thriving, and the “flock logic” that turns individuals into leaderful teams.

In this follow-up to Part 1, we dive deeper into the leadership lessons inspired by nature’s most graceful display of collective intelligence, murmuration. Dr. Kathy Hagler and Robin Graham, co-authors of The ABCs of Murmuration: Collective Wisdom of Nature, share practical stories and tools for building leaderful cultures in any organization.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How the Four Path Journey moves leaders and teams from “me” to “we” to “us.”
• What it means to embrace an evolutionary mindset and envision murmuration in your workplace.
• The power of the conscious habits of thriving: Step Up, Step Back, and Step Together.
• Why “flock logic” favors small, connected groups—and how to apply this principle in your team.
• How TD Industries built a century-long culture of leaderful leadership.

1. Which idea from the Four Path Journey resonates most with your current leadership context?
2. How can you embrace an evolutionary mindset as you lead your team?
3. Where could stepping back create more space for others to lead?

The ABCs of Murmuration book on Amazon

Learn more at https://www.abcsofmurmuration.com

Engaged by Design Podcast: https://www.engagedbydesign.com/podcasts/engaged-by-design

In this first of a two-part conversation, we explore the wisdom of nature with Dr. Kathy Hagler and Robin Graham, co-authors of The ABCs of Murmuration. Discover how the synchronized flight of starlings offers profound lessons for leadership, teamwork, and thriving organizations.

What can leaders learn from the mesmerizing dance of starlings? In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Kathy Hagler and Robin Graham, co-authors of The ABCs of Murmuration: Collective Wisdom of Nature, we explore how the patterns in nature can guide us toward more harmonious, effective leadership.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What “murmuration” is and why it matters for leaders and teams.

• The ABCs framework—Awareness, Beliefs, and Connect—and how it moves individuals from “me” to “we” to “us.”

• How Ubuntu—“I am because you are”—shapes leaderful cultures.

• Stories from the field, including how Kathy brought together disconnected organizations to solve complex workforce challenges.

• How to spot and foster murmuration in your own teams.

• Kathy and Robin share practical tools, inspiring stories, and a call to embrace nature’s collective wisdom in our leadership practice.

Reflection questions:

1. Where have you seen harmonious “murmuration” in your organization?

2. What happens when that harmony doesn’t emerge?

3. What’s one thing you can do this week to apply murmuration to your leadership?

Resources & Links:

• The ABCs of Murmuration book on Amazon

• Learn more at Robin's website: https://inneractivebeliefs.com/

• Engaged by Design Podcast: https://www.engagedbydesign.com/podcasts/engaged-by-design

In this episode, Michael and Vernon talk with longtime friend and colleague Jarred Truschke—designer, instructional leader, and the creator of MyPurpose, a journal and AI-powered app that helps people align goals with their identity and values.

Jarred shares the personal journey that led to the creation of the MyPurpose framework, which guides users through defining their purpose in eight life areas, clarifying core values, setting identity-based goals, and translating those into meaningful daily actions.

The conversation also explores how AI can support personal growth (without replacing your job), and how tools like MyPurpose empower both individuals and leaders to make progress with intention. Whether you're leading a team, mentoring students, or just trying to figure out your next steps, this episode will help you pause, reflect, and prioritize with purpose.

Order your copy of MyPurpose on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4oAfF8S

Storytelling is a leadership superpower—but too often, we don’t use it well. In this episode, Michael and Vernon dive into why stories matter, especially in leadership roles where influence matters more than control.

They share three of the essential story types every leader should have in their toolbox—value, founder, and purpose stories—inspired by Kindra Hall’s book Stories That Stick. You’ll hear: How Kindra Hall’s Normal–Explosion–New Normal model compares to the Hero’s Journey and the MACRO PPP (Problem–Path–Payoff) structure.

Real leadership stories told live on the podcast—with feedback from AI voices Sarah and Imogene!

Tips on how to craft your own leadership stories that connect with your team and inspire meaningful change. Whether you're a mid-level manager or a senior leader, this episode will challenge you to reflect, connect, and tell your own story better.

🎙️ Storytelling Challenge: This week, record a short version of one of your own leadership stories—value, founder, or purpose. Then share it with a colleague, your team, or even a voice memo to yourself. Not sure how to begin? Visit engagedbydesign.com to download our free storytelling prompts or reach out for a coaching session.

Affiliate Links:

Books referenced in this episode

• MACRO Leadership, by Michael Cottam: https://amzn.to/476zHRP
• Stories That Stick, by Kindra Hall: https://amzn.to/4lZ9Ksk
• Building a StoryBrand 2.0, by Donald Miller: https://amzn.to/4ocHGmG
• Storyworthy, by Matthew Dicks: https://amzn.to/4fbCxqN

The technology we used

• Shure MV7+ Microphone: https://amzn.to/4obxnPC
• Shure MV7i Microphone with Audio Interface: https://amzn.to/3GX0Jkb

In this second episode of our two-part series, Michael and Vernon explore what happens after unbundling: how faculty and other academic professionals are adapting, defending, and rebundling their roles in an AI-powered world. This episode outlines four irreducibly human responsibilities, three common defense strategies of professions under threat, and four emerging faculty archetypes for the AI era. Whether you're a professor, designer, advisor, or leader, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and offer a hopeful path forward. Stick around for a set of reflection questions you can bring back to your team.

These are the sources mentioned inside the episode’s dialogue as well as some helpful links.

• Smith, V. C. (2008). The Unbundling and Rebundling of the Faculty Role in E-Learning Community College Courses. University of Arizona dissertation. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194795

• Associated Press (2023). “Automated Earnings Stories Multiply.” https://www.ap.org/the-definitive-source/speaker-spotlights/applying-automation-in-the-newsroom/

• American Federation of Teachers (2024). “Resolution on Artificial Intelligence.” https://www.aft.org/resolution/artificial-intelligence

• American Federation of Teachers (2024). “AFT Launches National Academy for AI in Instruction.” https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-launch-national-academy-ai-instruction-microsoft-openai-anthropic-and-united

• American Association of University Professors (2023). “Artificial Intelligence, Academic Freedom, and the Evolving Debate over Forgery and Truth in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Academic Freedom, 15. https://www.aaup.org/JAF15/artificial-intelligence-academic-freedom-and-evolving-debate-over-forgery-and-truth-twenty

• Freidson, E. (2001). Professionalism: The Third Logic. University of Chicago Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/Professionalism_the_Third_Logic.html?id=Tgn3sThG8QEC

• Abbott, A. (1988). The System of Professions. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo5965590.html

• World Economic Forum. (2023). The Future of Jobs Report 2023. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023

Welcome to Season 2 of the Engaged by Design podcast! In this kickoff episode, Dr. Michael Cottam interviews his co-host Dr. Vernon Smith—this time in the role of featured guest—to explore how artificial intelligence, economic pressures, and platformization are driving the unbundling of professional roles in higher education.

Drawing from Vernon's dissertation research and recent policy shifts, this episode dives deep into what’s happening behind the scenes of your course shell, syllabus, or advising software.

🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What “unbundling” means and how it applies to the faculty role
• Examples from other industries (like restaurants and healthcare) that mirror higher ed’s transformation
• The difference between Craft, Collegial, and Virtual Assembly Line course models
• How AI and automation are accelerating labor and capital substitutions
• What roles and tasks are most likely to remain “bundled”—and which will be offloaded or outsourced

🧠 Reflective Questions:

1. Is your role being unbundled as we speak?
2. Where do you see unbundling happening in your institution or department?
3. What parts of your professional bundle feel irreplaceable—and what could be supported or restructured?

🎧 Mentioned in the Episode:

• Vernon's dissertation on course production models in community college e-learning
• The rise of OPMs (Online Program Managers) and revenue-share outsourcing
• William Baumol’s theory of cost disease and its relevance to education
• Real-world analogies from restaurants, healthcare, and gig-based platforms

🔗 Next Up:

In Episode 2, we’ll explore how to rebundle intentionally—focusing on human-centered leadership, MACRO strategies, and what should never be outsourced in the student experience.

💬 Share your thoughts or questions with us at EngagedByDesign.com and join the conversation on LinkedIn or your favorite podcast platform.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with colleagues navigating the future of learning and leadership!