Crisis Leadership, AI, & Team Trust

ControlUp CEO Jed Ayres and Chief Product Officer Gadi Feldman share the decision to bring 400 employees to Dubai while the company was operating through war and crisis—and what happened to morale, trust, and connection afterward.

IN THIS CONVERSATION

• How leaders make decisions during war and crisis

• Why 400 employees were brought together in Dubai

• What changed when distributed teams met in person

• How flatter organizations affect trust and accountability

• Where AI can improve employee experience and support

• How AI may reshape jobs, roles, and organizational structure

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Jed Ayres and Gadi Feldman

08:33 Leading during war and crisis

11:03 The decision to fly 400 employees to Dubai

12:57 Unifying dispersed teams across countries

15:07 Building trust through physical presence and culture

17:05 Moving from hierarchical to flat organizations

19:00 Balancing support and overstepping as a leader

20:10 Listening strategies in leadership

22:27 One-on-one leadership and employee growth

24:14 Debate and innovation in Israeli culture

25:56 The future of flat, empowered organizations

28:47 Using data to improve employee experience

33:01 AI in IT support and automation

36:10 Preparing for the future of work with AI

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Jed Ayres is CEO of ControlUp. Gadi Feldman is Chief Product Officer of ControlUp.

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