Reflections on profound challenges and opportunities
SUMMARY:
In this conversation on Meta-Conscious Leaders, Greg Suart talks with Professor Anthea Roberts – a remarkable thinker who bridges law, governance, strategy, and the future of AI with clarity and creativity.
Professor Anthea Roberts BIO
Anthea, a legal scholar and expert in complexity thinking, discusses her journey into understanding complex systems and the role of meta-cognition in leadership. She emphasizes the importance of integrating multiple perspectives and the need for resilience in today’s interconnected world. The discussion also explores the implications of AI on human cognition and the necessity of balancing competition and cooperation in various systems.
Anthea introduces her concept of Dragonfly Thinking, which aims to enhance decision-making by considering diverse viewpoints and fostering innovative solutions. Anthea is a Professor at the Australian National University’s RegNet School of Regulation and Global Governance, and a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School. She is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading scholars in international law and governance, winning awards such as the American Society of International Law’s Book Prize for her ground breaking Is International Law International?, and co-authoring Six Faces of Globalization, selected by the Financial Times and Fortune as a Best Book of the Year.
Her global expertise isn’t just academic. Anthea has worked with governments and institutions including Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Treasury, and Defence, as well as the UK Foreign Office, bringing her frameworks for navigating risk, reward, and resilience into the heart of policy and strategy. Through her Dragonfly Thinking initiative, she is pioneering how structured frameworks and AI-driven analysis can be combined to help leaders and organizations see complexity more clearly and act more decisively.
What makes Anthea extraordinary is her ability to move fluidly between disciplines -law, economics, geopolitics, and AI – while keeping an eye on what it means for people, leaders, and systems. She doesn’t just study complexity; she helps people navigate it. If you’re curious about where global governance meets consciousness, and how AI is reshaping the way we think, this episode is not to be missed.
LINKS TO Professor Anthea Roberts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthea-roberts-a8596b142/
https://www.dragonfly.net
SPONSORED BY:
This podcast by Meta-Conscious Leaders is sponsored by: Ultimate Goal Ltd: Partners in Personal, Leadership & Business Growth, Developing Personal Mastery, Emotional Intelligence and Transcendent Leadership https://www.ultimategoal.co.uk
TAKE AWAYS
• Anthea Roberts is a recognized expert in complexity thinking and meta-cognition.
• Her work emphasizes the importance of understanding multiple perspectives.
• Dragonfly Thinking integrates structured analytic techniques with AI.
• Resilience is crucial for navigating complex systems and crises.
• AI should be used as a tool, not a decision-maker.
• The balance between competition and cooperation is essential for progress.
• Meta-cognition involves understanding one’s own thinking and the thinking of others.
• Transformative resilience is necessary for sustainable change.
• Leaders must be aware of their biases and perspectives.
• The future of AI requires ethical considerations and guardrails.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Anthea Roberts and Her Work
02:10 Anthea’s Journey into Complexity Thinking
07:08 The Role of Super Forecasters and Structured Analytic Techniques
10:06 The Intersection of Left and Right Brain Thinking
13:15 Integrating Consciousness into Dragonfly Thinking
15:15 Meta-cognition Meets Meta-consciousness
19:40 Purpose and Perspective in Collaboration
21:40 Metacognition and AI: Expanding Our Thinking
29:18 Resilience: Balancing Risk and Reward
32:20 Cooperation vs. Competition in Complex Systems
37:41 AI Governance: The Need for Guardrails
50:03 Closing Thoughts: Navigating Complexity in Business
52:29 Engaging Conversations: The Importance of Feedback