Episode 2: Agentic AI Is Changing Leadership: Naviant CEO Mike Carr on Radical Candor & Trust
On this episode of RATCHET-UP, Allan Breidenbach sits down with Michael Carr, President & CEO of Naviant, to talk about leading people through the fastest wave of technological change most leaders have ever faced: agentic AI. Mike shares how Naviant is transforming from a 40-year-old value-added reseller into an agentic AI-first consulting company — and what that shift demands from leaders, teams, and culture.
They dig into why change management has to come top-down in the AI era, how “human in the loop” keeps AI accountable, why younger, AI-native employees may have a hidden advantage, and how the Radical Candor framework (care personally + challenge directly) helps leaders have the hard conversations that build trust instead of eroding it.