In this episode, host Taylor Baker sits down with Dr. Linda Cureton, former NASA Chief Information Officer and CEO of Muse Technologies, to discuss what it takes to lead and build resilient organizations in an era defined by chaos, complexity, and rapid AI-driven change.
What You’ll Learn
- Why Dr. Cureton started Muse Technologies immediately after retiring from government and how her vision was shaped by what she wished she’d had as a CIO.
- How leadership shifts in uncertainty: moving from “inspiring speeches” to honest sense-making alongside your team.
- Practical ways to lead in chaos and complexity, including experimentation, learning cycles, and “fail fast” behaviors that reduce fear and increase adaptability.
- How to think about AI beyond tools and security focusing on the organizational impact, adoption habits, and workforce readiness.
- Where AI can drive immediate leverage (proposal/RFP analysis, developmental editing, training, and content systems) without replacing accountable human judgment.
- Why critical thinking becomes a non-negotiable skill with AI, especially to challenge outputs, detect hallucinations, and demand sources.
- Lessons from branding and market positioning: the cost of ignoring your strengths and the value of aligning your company’s direction with your real gifts.
- How small (and especially women-owned) businesses can hit growth ceilings due to access to capital, and why planning for scale requires funding strategy not just revenue goals.
This conversation reinforces that today’s leaders can’t rely on stable conditions, predictable playbooks, or “everything will be fine” messaging. Dr. Cureton makes the case for grounded, participatory leadership helping teams interpret reality, adapt quickly, and use AI as a force-multiplier while strengthening the human skills that technology can’t replace.
To learn more about Dr. Linda Cureton and their work.