The CEO Turning a ”Sleepy Telecom” Into AI’s Fiber Backbone

In this episode of Leadership Next, cohosts Diane Brady and Kristin Stoller speak with Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen, about her bold effort to reinvent a legacy telecom as the digital backbone of the AI era. Johnson shares how Lumen is capitalizing on its vast fiber network to support the explosive data demands of artificial intelligence—and how partnerships with innovators like Corning are helping supercharge that capacity. 

Johnson opens up about the cultural overhaul she led inside the company, shifting Lumen’s mindset from “play not to lose” to “play to win,” and implementing leadership frameworks like Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead across tens of thousands of employees. 

She also reflects on her personal evolution as a leader, the phases of AI adoption she sees ahead, and why she believes human creativity and empathy will remain central in an AI-driven world.