Flexibility in Tech with Juniper Network’s Sharon Mandell

Lean In, by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, explores the professional, personal and societal hurdles holding women back from leadership positions in the workforce. The hurdles include discrimination, family-unfriendly policies, and a lack of help at home. To get more women into leadership positions and make true changes, Sandberg urges women to “lean in” to their careers, taking risks and being ambitious in their professional goals, while demanding more help at home. To do this, women must fight a lack of self-confidence and internalized gender stereotypes to forge fulfilling and rewarding personal and professional lives.

In The Manager’s Path, engineering executive Camille Fournier introduces the field of engineering management—the management of software engineers, who design and code software systems and programs. This can be a challenging field, as there’s little information available on balancing technical knowledge with management skills. Fournier seeks to close this gap, drawing from her experience as an engineer-turned-manager to identify skills and techniques that can help new engineering managers handle the transition.

In this guide, we’ll explore three main skills that can help you succeed as an engineering manager: clear communication, strategic planning, and adaptability. We’ll discuss each skill’s importance, how they evolve throughout your career, and Fournier’s suggestions for developing them. In our commentary, we’ll compare Fournier’s ideas to those of other software engineers, as well as tech business experts like Marty Cagan.

Artificial Intelligence could revolutionize every aspect of our lives, but only if we can develop AI that reliably carries out its tasks. While some see AI as a cornucopia that will free the human race from drudgery, others see dangers in ceding so much power to digital, non-human minds. In Rebooting AI, Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis argue that modern AI underdelivers on its promise while AI proponents oversell what it can do. Marcus and Davis are AI advocates who feel that current AI research is heading in the wrong direction, with its narrow focus on “big data” and machine learning.

In this guide, we’ll examine how the public perception of modern AI differs from reality, how AI works, and the many ways in which it fails. We’ll then describe Marcus and Davis’s prescription for producing stronger AI systems to benefit the human race. We’ll also highlight where modern AI trends are leading, other experts’ thoughts on machine cognition, and how AI development is affecting business and society at large.

Have you ever had a sudden burst of inspiration that led you to a new solution to a problem? Or have you ever marveled at seemingly impossible modern inventions like the internet? If so, you may wonder how individuals are able to come up with such incredible innovations and how they develop them over time. In Where Good Ideas Come From, best-selling author and theorist Steven Johnson explains how good ideas grow from minor inklings to groundbreaking inventions, and how you can use this knowledge to come up with the best ideas possible.

In our guide, we’ll explore how good ideas grow from previous knowledge and networks. We’ll also look at how hunches lead to full-fledged ideas, often as a result of sudden insights, and how mistakes and the repurposing of other ideas can lead to new ones. Finally, we’ll compare Johnson’s ideas with ideas from other authors, contextualize them in other fields, and add tips for putting Johnson’s recommendations into practice.

Dive into the transformative world of artificial intelligence with "The Daily," where host Michael Barbaro and tech experts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton engage with OpenAI's Sam Altman in an enlightening discussion on AI's current and future impact. In this compelling episode, Altman unpacks the challenges and successes of OpenAI, from the initial hype around the ChatGPT launch to the intricate dynamics within the organization and the cautious deployment of the much-anticipated GPT-4.

Discover how AI is redefining the way humans interact with the digital realm, pointing towards an increasingly ad-light and tailored online experience. Altman explores the ethical considerations and regulatory needs crucial for shaping a society where AI enhances work satisfaction and where sensitive applications of technology are governed wisely. As Altman unveils his personal and professional philosophy on the progression of AI, listeners are invited to ponder a future harmoniously interwoven with AI innovation, underscored by transparent governance and a user-centric approach to forming the social fabric of tomorrow.

In Weapons of Math Destruction, data scientist Cathy O’Neil details the insidious ways mathematical models are being used to determine everything from interest rates to prison sentences. She contends that while mathematical models—simulations of real-world events—can efficiently sort through vast amounts of information, they can produce dangerous results when used broadly, opaquely, and without incorporating feedback. Specifically, O’Neil argues that dangerous mathematical models treat poor people worse than rich people, reinforce bias by lumping people into groups, and produce judgments that become self-fulfilling prophecies.

In our guide, we’ll explore the difference between benign mathematical models and dangerous ones and describe the negative effects that dangerous mathematical models produce. Then, we’ll consider O’Neil’s recommendations for how to rein in dangerous mathematical models. We’ll also discuss other research and perspectives on data science and digital ethics.

Artificial Intelligence could revolutionize every aspect of our lives, but only if we can develop AI that reliably carries out its tasks. While some see AI as a cornucopia that will free the human race from drudgery, others see dangers in ceding so much power to digital, non-human minds. In Rebooting AI, Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis argue that modern AI underdelivers on its promise while AI proponents oversell what it can do. Marcus and Davis are AI advocates who feel that current AI research is heading in the wrong direction, with its narrow focus on “big data” and machine learning.

In this guide, we’ll examine how the public perception of modern AI differs from reality, how AI works, and the many ways in which it fails. We’ll then describe Marcus and Davis’s prescription for producing stronger AI systems to benefit the human race. We’ll also highlight where modern AI trends are leading, other experts’ thoughts on machine cognition, and how AI development is affecting business and society at large.

Lean In, by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, explores the professional, personal and societal hurdles holding women back from leadership positions in the workforce. The hurdles include discrimination, family-unfriendly policies, and a lack of help at home. To get more women into leadership positions and make true changes, Sandberg urges women to “lean in” to their careers, taking risks and being ambitious in their professional goals, while demanding more help at home. To do this, women must fight a lack of self-confidence and internalized gender stereotypes to forge fulfilling and rewarding personal and professional lives.

Dive into "The Mel Robbins Podcast" where Mel Robbins tackles the all-too-common issue of dream deferral and the art of taking action. Robbins uses the analogy of a melting ice cube to illustrate the urgency of life and the necessity of taking immediate steps towards fulfilling one's ambitions. Dismissing the myth of the perfect moment, she emphasizes the importance of rejecting procrastination and seizing the present to work towards your goals, offering insight into the psychological barriers such as imposter syndrome and fear of failure that often stand in our way.

Throughout the episode, Robbins not only shares her own experiences with putting off dreams but also offers practical advice for listeners to make their aspirations more tangible, such as taking courses and strategic planning. Putting the focus on personal accountability and self-love, she advocates for the significance of daily actions, no matter how small, in the pursuit of one's dreams. By also inviting audience reflections, she builds a community of mutual encouragement and emphasizes the journey in achieving dreams as an expression of self-affirmation and love. Robbins concludes with a call for interaction, underscoring her commitment to support her listeners in their strides toward purpose and fulfillment.

Lean In, by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, explores the professional, personal and societal hurdles holding women back from leadership positions in the workforce. The hurdles include discrimination, family-unfriendly policies, and a lack of help at home. To get more women into leadership positions and make true changes, Sandberg urges women to “lean in” to their careers, taking risks and being ambitious in their professional goals, while demanding more help at home. To do this, women must fight a lack of self-confidence and internalized gender stereotypes to forge fulfilling and rewarding personal and professional lives.

The Leadership Challenge is a field guide for becoming the kind of leader that other people want to follow. International bestselling authors and longtime research partners James Kouzes and Barry Posner have compiled thousands of case studies and millions of responses to surveys over decades, and have used them to distill leadership into five overall principles supported by 10 concrete guidelines. These principles are based on two primary understandings: first, that leadership is a relationship, and second, that leadership is a skill—one that can be learned, practiced, and mastered by anyone willing to put in the effort.