How to Create Companies That Outlast Radical Uncertainty with Humanocracy's Michele Zanini

What happens when bureaucracy — the very operating system of most companies — becomes the biggest barrier to innovation, agility, and human potential? In this episode of The Conscious Capitalists’ Summer Series, hosts Timothy Henry and Kate Adams speak with Michele Zanini, co-author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Humanocracy and global expert on management innovation. Together, they explore how organizations can move beyond outdated, control-heavy structures to thrive in a future defined by radical uncertainty, technological disruption, and human ingenuity. Michele takes us inside bold organizational experiments — from Haier’s micro-enterprise model in China to Buurtzorg’s nurse-led healthcare revolution in the Netherlands — and explains how even giants like Roche are dismantling bureaucracy to become more agile and resilient. His message: organizations that unleash human creativity and distribute leadership will outpace those clinging to industrial-age hierarchy. This isn’t just a conversation about management theory — it’s a roadmap for building human-centered, future-ready companies that thrive in disruption and unlock the full potential of their people. Listeners will gain insights into:Why traditional bureaucratic models are collapsing — and what’s replacing themHow Haier built an internal marketplace of micro-enterprises to fuel innovationBuurtzorg’s “humanity over bureaucracy” approach to healthcare at scaleHow Roche transformed by shifting from command-and-control to empowermentThe principle of freedom within a framework — and how to apply itWhy unleashing human creativity is the ultimate competitive advantagePractical steps for leaders to future-proof their organizations Whether you’re a CEO fighting inertia, a startup founder designing for scale, or a leader ready to reimagine culture and structure, this episode offers powerful insights into how to build organizations that are truly capable of thriving into the future. ** If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com This show is presented by Conscious Capitalism, Inc. (https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/) and is produced by Rainbow Creative (https://www.rainbowcreative.co/) with Matthew Jones as Executive Producer, Rithu Jagannath as Lead Producer, and Nathan Wheatley as Editor. Thank you for your support! - Timothy & Kate