Dr Scott Bolland is an executive coach, international speaker, facilitator and futurist. His PhD and background (of 25 years) are in the area of Cognitive Science – the scientific study of how the mind works, spanning areas such as psychology, neuroscience, philosophy and artificial intelligence. His passion is playing in the intersection between these areas, in particular how to best prepare individuals, teams, schools and organisations to flourish in the digital age.
His expertise and interests fall into two main areas: people and technology.
People and peak performance were the subject of Scott’s early academic years. Working alongside global experts he developed a deep understanding of the psychology and neuroscience of memory, learning and creativity. Driven by the profound realisation that people are at the centre of performance Scott began to investigate the science of human flourishing, and this remains the field that he is most passionate about today. Over the years he has brought the latest research backed insights from Positive Psychology, leadership, and high-performance teamwork to his clients. Scott has worked with diverse groups including MBA students, the military, police services, resource companies, education providers and financial institutions. He has delivered large scale Positive Psychology based events to 1000s of school and corporate staff, utilising a compelling mix of experiential and rich multimedia environments including live music as a way to “challenge the mind, and inspire the soul.”
Scott’s main interest in technology is the application of rapidly emerging Artificial Intelligence platforms and techniques for the betterment of society. His company, New Dawn Technologies, which he founded with Sean Howard (one of Australia’s leading tech entrepreneurs), utilises AI to help personalise education, to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.
Scott’s TEDx talk entitled “Neuroscience, AI, and the Future of Education” has been seen by close to 100,000 viewers, and has led to him consulting for Ministries of Education across the globe and running strategy workshops for the Education Policy makers of the European Commission.
Scott brings with him years of practical experience in corporate education and executive coaching coupled with a deep academic background the future of work, and the science of human flourishing.
Sample Topics
Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education
If the aim of education is to prepare students to flourish in the real world, the science suggests we are doing a remarkably unremarkable job. It is foreseen that jobs of the future will not just require technical competence but will require high degrees of emotional intelligence competencies such as creativity, teamwork, and emotional resilience. Unfortunately, current systems of education are failing our students in both areas, with low levels of student engagement resulting in poor performance in technical skills, and with ‘soft skills’ being absent in the standard curriculum.
This talk examines the potential role of artificial intelligence in helping rethink and reshape education, helping better personalise the student journey to increase engagement and learning in an optimised manner, freeing up class time for more meaningful and enjoyable group-based projects in which social and emotional competencies can be explored naturally as part of the learning process.
This talk ties together cutting-edge research from a range of areas including Positive Psychology (the science of human flourishing), the Neuroscience of Learning, Complexity Theory, Design Thinking, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work.
Leading in a Disruptive Age: A Survival Guide
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted society on numerous levels and is the first time that many of us have experienced rapid and exponential change. However, it will not be the last. Exponential technologies such as artificial intelligence are already starting to radically reshape and disrupt the way we work, play and interact with each other. The only thing that we can be certain of is uncertainty.
This talk explores the issue of leading ourselves, others and companies through volatile and uncertain times. It outlines practical strategies for boosting resilience at both an individual, team, and organisational level, drawing on insights from complexity theory, positive psychology, leadership theory as well as agile and design thinking methodologies. It also explores how and what we need to be teaching our children to best prepare them to flourish in the uncertain and volatile world that lies ahead.
