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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Jim Detert, John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and author of Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work. In this conversation, Jim Detert shares how we can become more courageous by developing our courage capabilities. Jim Detert also shares how leaders can nurture a psychologically safe organizational culture, enabling and encouraging more courageous interactions and decisions at work.
Some highlights:
-Why attributing courage just to historical figures can be counterproductive
-The importance of being more courageous and how to develop our courage muscle
-Jim Detert on the benefits of courage at work
-How leaders can create a psychologically safe environment that encourages team members to speak up and contribute their best at work
Mentioned:-Amy Edmondson, Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School and author of Fearless Organization and Creating Psychological Safety
-Vanessa Bohns (Listen to Partnering Leadership conversation with Vanessa Bohns)
-Gary Bolles (Listen to Partnering Leadership conversation with Gary Bolles)
-Difficult Conversations by Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, and Sheila Heen
-Radical Candor by Kim Scott
-Giving Voice to Values by Mary C. Gentile
-The Silent Language Of Leaders by Carol Goldman
Connect with Jim Detert:
Jim Detert Website
Choosing Courage on Amazon
Jim Detert on Facebook
Jim Detert on LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Laura Hamill, organizational psychologist, startup co-founder, and author of The Power of Culture. Laura shares how her early experiences and leadership journey at Microsoft shaped her passion for understanding the hidden forces that drive organizational behavior and business outcomes.
Laura emphasizes that culture is not a branding exercise or an HR initiative — it is a core leadership responsibility and a strategic lever for success. She discusses the disconnect many organizations face between their stated values and the actual employee experience, warning of the costly "cultural betrayal" that can occur when leaders aren't intentional about culture.
Drawing from real-world examples, Laura outlines how power dynamics, leadership behavior, and systematic feedback are crucial to building a culture that truly supports business goals. Whether you're leading a global company or managing a key division, this conversation offers pragmatic strategies to turn culture from an abstract idea into a business advantage.
Actionable Takeaways
Hear how Laura’s early life and career experiences built her deep expertise in organizational culture.Learn why executives — not just HR — must lead culture initiatives for real impact.Find out how to avoid "cultural betrayal" and strengthen employee trust.Discover why behavior modeling, not slogans, is essential to culture change.Learn simple ways to assess culture health in your teams without massive initiatives.Understand how hybrid work is reshaping how leaders must communicate culture.Connect with the Guest
Website: Paris Phoenix GroupLinkedIn: Laura HamillBook: The Power of Culture available on AmazonConnect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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What does it take to build something that lasts—not just for years, but across generations? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Alfredo De Massis, a globally recognized expert on family enterprise and author of The Family Business Book: A Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Families to Prosper Across Generations. As one of the most cited scholars in the field and a trusted advisor to multi-generational family businesses around the world, De Massis offers a rare combination of academic rigor and real-world relevance.
But don’t expect a conversation limited to family-owned companies. This episode is about how all leaders—especially those responsible for long-term value—can rethink legacy, leadership, and innovation. De Massis argues that great leaders don’t just pass down businesses; they design systems that outlast them. From ownership mindsets to innovation strategy and governance architecture, the conversation provides a blueprint for building organizations that remain relevant and resilient across time.
A central theme of the discussion is the distinction between succession planning and legacy design. De Massis challenges the outdated belief that continuity depends on finding the next version of the current leader. Instead, he introduces the concept of the "family galaxy"—a flexible, multi-entity model that allows different generations to thrive in different ways, based on their talents and motivations. He also breaks down the three layers of governance essential for long-term success: business governance, family governance, and the often-overlooked interface between them.
For CEOs, board members, and senior executives thinking beyond quarterly results, this conversation delivers both intellectual depth and actionable insight. It’s a masterclass in how to lead with intention—not just for today, but for the future you won’t be around to control.
You’ll learn why the best leaders don’t plan succession—they design systems for continued relevance.
Actionable Takeaways
Hear how to reframe ownership as a responsibility to be developed, not a status to be inherited.
Explore the “family galaxy” model—and how to structure a system where multiple generations can create value.
Understand how great organizations govern at three levels—and why ignoring the “interface” layer can derail everything.
Discover why tradition can be a strategic asset when leaders know how to reinterpret—not resist—it.
Learn how emotional dynamics influence strategic decisions in family and legacy enterprises.
Find out why leadership earned through credibility—not entitlement—is key to generational success.
Get practical insights into how to align governance, ownership, and innovation around shared purpose.
Take away powerful questions to evaluate whether your legacy is built to evolve—or simply to endure.Connect with Alfredo De Massis
Alfredo De Massis LinkedIn
Alfredo De Massis IMD
The Family Business Book
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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What if the greatest risk to your organization isn't economic uncertainty, market volatility, or disruptive technology—but the decisions being made in your own boardroom?
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Didier Cossin, IMD professor and global expert in board governance, whose book High Performance Boards has become a must-read for senior leaders looking to elevate board effectiveness. Drawing from decades of research, real-world consulting, and cross-disciplinary experience—including economics, risk management, and even poetry—Cossin brings a powerful lens to what leadership at the top should really look like.
Cossin argues that governance has been misunderstood by many organizations as a compliance function, rather than what it truly is: a system that shapes the quality of executive decisions. He challenges CEOs and board members to rethink how they engage with one another, what information they rely on, and who actually owns governance performance. The result is a compelling case for boards as enablers of transformation—not just overseers of risk.
Throughout the conversation, Cossin shares examples and frameworks that translate theory into practice. He offers clarity on how boards can evolve to meet the complexity of today’s environment while helping CEOs make better, faster, and more strategic decisions. From the role of the chair to the structure of board packs to the power of informal intelligence, every element of this conversation is designed to elevate how boards contribute to long-term success.
If you are a CEO, board member, or executive leader committed to high-performance leadership and long-term impact, this episode offers both insight and challenge to help you lead more effectively—starting at the top.
Hear how Didier Cossin reframes governance as a driver of decision quality—not just risk oversight or compliance.
Actionable Takeaways
Learn why the chair, not the CEO, is ultimately responsible for board performance—and why that distinction matters.
Discover how most boards are overwhelmed with information but still lack the intelligence needed for high-quality decisions.
Understand the four levers of board performance—people, information, structure, and culture—and how each one shapes outcomes.
Explore how the CEO-chair relationship must be intentionally designed, not assumed, for true alignment and accountability.
Find out why board materials should be curated like an executive dashboard—and how overstuffed board books hinder strategic conversations.
Learn how boards should evolve from approving strategy to actively shaping it—especially in complex and fast-moving environments.
Reflect on how strong governance creates the organizational capacity to adapt, lead, and perform over the long term.
Connect with Didier CossinDidier Cossin at IMD
Didier Cossin LinkedIn
High Performance Boards
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Greg Bennick, keynote speaker, humanitarian, and author of Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now. Greg shares how his upbringing in a small Connecticut town with nontraditional parents helped shape his views on purpose, disruption, and transformation. Through vivid personal stories—including a near-death experience involving a truck crashing into a bookstore—Greg explores the chaos of modern life, the influence of technology, and the power of reclaiming presence and humanity.
Together, Mahan and Greg dive deep into themes of self-awareness, leadership, kindness, and the role of meaningful relationships in navigating an increasingly noisy and fast-paced world. With humor and humility, Greg invites listeners to rethink success, stay grounded, and embrace possibility—both in life and leadership.
Highlights from the Conversation
Why noise and chaos dominate our lives—and who benefits from itHow modern technology hijacks our attention and focusReclaiming the now in a world driven by spectacle and distractionThe near-death bookstore experience that led Greg to rediscover purposeBelieving in the possibility of kindness to escape the trap of pessimismWhy leaders must stop assuming the worst and start cultivating trustThe importance of emotional buy-in and meaningful work connectionsReverberation vs. ripple effect in leadership and idea-sharingCritique of traditional self-help and Greg’s human-first philosophyDaily practices that help Greg stay authentic and focusedThe role of relationships in countering isolation and building purposeAsking whether we are using technology—or being used by itConnect with Greg Bennick:
Greg Bennick on LinkedInGreg Bennick's Official Website
"Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now"
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Mark Schaefer, a renowned bestselling author of popular marketing books. The conversation focuses on Mark Schaefer's latest book, Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy.
During the discussion, Mark Schaefer shares valuable insights on personal branding, courageous leadership, and the power of humility. Emphasizing the significance of community in marketing, he explores how organizations can successfully build and nurture thriving communities. Mark also discusses the shift from traditional advertising to social media and how creating a sense of community among audiences leads to stronger emotional connections.
The conversation includes compelling examples of companies effectively engaging their customers through community-building initiatives. Mahan and Mark explore the psychological bonds within a community and how these connections translate to heightened brand loyalty.
Discover the leadership insights of the legendary Peter Drucker and how his ability to distill complexity can transform your approach to management.Uncover the power of community in marketing and how it can drive revenue, heal, and create a sense of purpose.Learn from real-life examples of big and small companies that have successfully built communities and generated massive success.Explore the challenges of leading a community while maintaining alignment and discover the breakthrough ideas and innovation that can arise from a thriving community.Understand how the pandemic has highlighted the importance of community in marketing and how it can serve as a powerful healing force in society.Gain insights into the importance of purpose in building a community and how involving customers or fans can create a better world together.Learn how to build a personal brand in the digital age, leveraging the power of the internet to attract a supportive audience.Understand the importance of community and purpose in building thriving communities and how they can engage loyal customers and build on each other.Gain insights into building a community and personal brand, focusing on trust and collaboration.Explore the power of creating meaningful moments and connections within a community and how it can lead to stronger emotional relationships with your audience.Uncover the overlooked value of community in brand marketing and the power of user-generated content and brand advocacy.Connect with Mark Schaefer
Mark Schaefer Website
Mark Schaefer on LinkedIn
Belonging to the Brand: Why Community Is the Last Great Marketing Strategy on Amazon
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Rajeev Kapur, a seasoned technology executive, AI innovator, and author of AI Made Simple. With decades of leadership experience, including his time as CEO of a leading B2B marketing and media technology company, Rajeev shares invaluable insights on how generative AI is reshaping business, leadership, and decision-making.
Leaders today are navigating the rapid rise of AI, facing both unprecedented opportunities and daunting challenges. Rajeev brings clarity to the conversation, offering practical perspectives on how executives can embrace AI without falling behind. From understanding the distinction between machine learning and generative AI to adopting a mindset of experimentation, his guidance is tailored for CEOs and senior leaders determined to future-proof their organizations.
Through this engaging conversation, listeners will gain actionable insights on how AI can drive business growth, enhance strategic decision-making, and optimize operations. Rajeev also addresses common fears around AI adoption and reveals how leaders can use it to multiply their impact, rather than merely cutting costs.
Whether you’re a technology-savvy executive or someone just beginning to explore AI's potential, this episode offers a compelling roadmap for leading in the age of AI. Tune in to learn how to shift from apprehension to action and gain the confidence to make AI a leadership advantage.
Actionable Takeaways
AI Leadership Mindset: Learn why Rajeev believes AI isn’t just a tool but a leadership test, and how executives can shift their perspective to thrive in an AI-driven world.
Data as a Competitive Advantage: Hear why controlling and leveraging your organization’s data is critical to unlocking AI’s true potential.
Efficiency vs. Innovation: Discover how AI can free up leadership time by automating mundane tasks, allowing greater focus on strategy and innovation.
Decision-Making Reinvented: Gain insights into how AI can transform decision-making by providing predictive insights and surfacing patterns that humans may miss.
Common Pitfalls: Understand the biggest mistakes companies make when implementing AI and how to avoid them.
Future-Proofing Your Organization: Learn why waiting for AI to “mature” could be a costly mistake and how early adopters are gaining significant advantages.
Real-World Examples: Rajeev shares how leading organizations are applying AI to solve complex business challenges and uncover new opportunities.
AI and Talent: Explore how leaders can empower their teams to work alongside AI, creating a more productive and engaged workforce.
The First Step: Hear Rajeev’s advice on how executives can get started with AI, even without a technical background.
Long-Term AI Strategy: Learn how to think beyond short-term automation and consider AI’s role in long-term value creation.Connect with Rajeev Kapur
Rajeev Kapur Website
Rajeev Kapur LinkedIn
AI Made Simple : A Beginner’s Guide to Generative Intelligence
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Barbara Kellerman, a renowned expert in leadership, Harvard Kennedy School Professor, and a prolific author. Kellerman's latest book, Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers, serves as the focal point of this discussion. With decades of research and a unique perspective on the dynamics of leadership, Kellerman challenges conventional wisdom and sheds light on often-overlooked aspects of leadership and followership.
From the outset, Kellerman captivates with her critical examination of why the leadership industry tends to ignore the darker sides of leadership. She goes into the complex interplay between leaders and followers, emphasizing that bad leadership is seldom the result of one individual's actions alone. Her insights into the roles of enablers and the broader context within which leaders operate offer a fresh and necessary perspective for today's CEOs and senior executives.
Kellerman's engaging anecdotes and examples, ranging from corporate boardrooms to political arenas, illustrate the intricate dance between power, authority, and influence. She highlights the importance of understanding these dynamics to navigate the increasingly complex leadership landscape effectively.
The conversation also explores the diminishing power and authority of leaders in modern organizations, replaced by the need to master influence. Kellerman offers actionable insights on how leaders can cultivate this skill by deeply understanding their followers and the contexts in which they operate. This episode is not just a discussion; it is a masterclass in rethinking leadership in the 21st century.
Actionable Takeaways:
You'll learn why the leadership industry often avoids discussing bad leadership and the implications of this oversight.Hear how understanding the role of followers is crucial in holding leaders accountable and driving positive change.Discover the importance of examining the entire leadership system, including enablers and context, to truly understand leadership failures.Understand why leadership cannot be reduced to a few simple lessons and the importance of lifelong learning in leadership development.Explore the diminishing authority of leaders and the rising importance of influence in effective leadership today.Gain insights into the challenges of leading in a world where power dynamics have drastically shifted due to cultural and technological changes.Find out how leaders can balance accessibility and authority to maintain effective leadership.Learn about the critical role of followership in both enabling and challenging bad leadership.Discover strategies for creating an organizational culture that supports transparency and accountability in leadership.Hear examples of how successful leaders navigate the complexities of modern leadership environments.Connect with Barbara Kellerman
Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers
Barbara Kellerman Website
Barbara Kellerman LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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What can today’s executives and business leaders learn from a ruler who lived 2,500 years ago? As it turns out, quite a lot. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli welcomes Darius Lahoutifard, a seasoned entrepreneur, leadership expert, and the author of Leadership by Cyrus the Great: Unlocking Xenophon’s Cyropaedia. Drawing on the remarkable leadership legacy of Cyrus the Great, one of history’s most effective and visionary leaders, Darius reveals how Cyrus’s principles of governance, strategy, and influence remain strikingly relevant in today’s fast-changing business environment.
In this insightful conversation, Darius shares how Cyrus built and sustained one of the most diverse and resilient empires in history—not through brute force, but through strategic leadership, trust-building, and cultural intelligence. Unlike many rulers of his time, Cyrus understood that power was not about control but about creating unity through shared purpose. His ability to win wars without fighting, empower his people while maintaining oversight, and earn loyalty rather than demand it makes him a leadership model worth studying today.
Mahan and Darius also discuss how leaders today struggle with many of the same challenges Cyrus faced—gaining trust, balancing autonomy with accountability, and inspiring people to commit to a vision bigger than themselves. Through historical insights and modern applications, this episode explores how executives can apply Cyrus’s timeless leadership strategies to navigate uncertainty, foster high-performing cultures, and lead with clarity and purpose.
Whether you’re a CEO, an entrepreneur, or a leader guiding a team through transformation, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership. Listen in to discover how an ancient leader’s wisdom can help you make smarter strategic decisions, inspire your people, and build an organization that thrives beyond your tenure.
Actionable Takeaways:
🔹 What made Cyrus the Great one of history’s most effective leaders—and why his leadership principles are still relevant today.
🔹 The hidden leadership advantage of winning without war—how Cyrus secured victories through intelligence and strategy rather than brute force.
🔹 How to build unwavering trust as a leader—Cyrus’s secret to getting people to follow him willingly, and how modern leaders can apply it to earn loyalty and drive engagement.
🔹 The power of leading by example—why Cyrus’s discipline and personal ethics were key to his influence, and what leaders today can learn about credibility and consistency.
🔹 The balance between trust and oversight—Cyrus knew that empowering people didn’t mean letting go of accountability. Hear how he managed both—and how you can too.
🔹 Why repetition is a leadership necessity, not a weakness—Cyrus constantly reinforced his vision and values. Learn why leaders must repeat key messages far more than they think.
Connect with Darius Lahoutifard
Darius Lahoutifard Website
Darius Lahoutifard Linkedin
Leadership by Cyrus the Great: Unlocking Xenophon’s Cyropaedia
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In today’s fast-changing world, leaders are expected to navigate complexity, make high-stakes decisions, and provide clarity—even when certainty is impossible. But how can leaders embrace ambiguity without losing their strategic edge? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Jennifer Garvey Berger, a world-renowned leadership expert and the author of Changing on the Job: How Leaders Become Courageous, Wise, and Steady in an Anxious World.
Jennifer has spent decades studying leadership development, complexity theory, and the psychological barriers that hold leaders back. She challenges conventional leadership wisdom, arguing that the strategies that once worked—providing clear-cut answers, setting rigid goals, and optimizing efficiency—are now outdated. Instead, she offers a compelling vision for leaders who want to increase their adaptability, enhance their decision-making, and transform uncertainty into opportunity.
In this conversation, Jennifer and Mahan explore why leaders feel overwhelmed by complexity, how our brains instinctively react to uncertainty, and what it takes to break free from reactive leadership patterns. She introduces the three stages of leadership mindset evolution and explains why some leaders stay stuck in old ways of thinking while others thrive. Jennifer also discusses the pitfalls of chasing externally defined success and offers powerful questions leaders should be asking themselves to ensure they are driving meaningful impact.
If you’ve ever felt the pressure to have all the answers, struggled to balance clarity with ambiguity, or wondered how to lead when the future feels unpredictable, this episode is packed with insights designed to shift your perspective. Jennifer Garvey Berger’s expertise provides a practical and thought-provoking roadmap for leaders looking to navigate complexity with confidence.
Why "business as usual" leadership fails in today’s world – Hear how traditional leadership habits are making it harder for executives to succeed in complexity.The biggest mistake leaders make when facing uncertainty – Learn what top leaders do differently to remain agile and adaptive.How your brain is working against you in complexity – Discover how your nervous system reacts to uncertainty and how to retrain your thinking for better decision-making.Are you chasing success—or someone else’s version of it? – Jennifer shares a powerful framework for reassessing your goals and ensuring they align with what truly matters.The three leadership mindsets—and why most leaders never evolve past the second stage – Understand what keeps some leaders stuck and how to unlock the mindset shift needed to lead in complexity.Why AI won’t replace leadership—but will change what great leaders must do – Explore how the rise of AI is reshaping leadership and what skills will become essential.The feedback paradox—why leaders avoid it and why they must embrace it – Hear why feedback is the most underutilized tool for leadership growth and how to create a feedback-rich culture.The balancing act: providing clarity without false certainty – Learn how to communicate a strong vision while staying open to change.A simple shift to improve your leadership today – Try this one practical exercise to increase your strategic thinking and avoid reactive decision-making.
Actionable Takeaways:
Connect with Jennifer Garvey BergerJennifer Garvey Berger Web
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli hosts Andrea Sampson, an expert in strategic storytelling and the co-founder of Talk Boutique. Andrea Sampson talks about the fascinating intersection of brain science and storytelling, emphasizing why humans are hardwired to respond to stories. As an experienced speaker's coach for TEDx Toronto and a thought leader in her own right, Andrea shares her journey from the advertising world to helping change-makers communicate their ideas effectively.
Andrea highlights the critical role storytelling plays in leadership and organizational success. She explains how stories, unlike mere data, engage multiple parts of the brain, making messages more memorable and impactful. Leaders are often trained to prioritize facts and figures, but Andrea argues that integrating storytelling into their communication strategies can significantly enhance their influence and connection with their audience.
Throughout the conversation, Andrea underscores the importance of starting with a clear strategic message before crafting the narrative. She shares practical insights on how leaders can identify and refine their core messages, ensuring that their stories are not only engaging but also aligned with their organizational goals. By drawing on examples from iconic brands like Apple and Disney, Andrea illustrates how a singular focus can drive brand consistency and loyalty.
Moreover, Andrea addresses the challenge of vulnerability in leadership. She advocates for sharing stories from a place of scars rather than wounds, enabling leaders to convey authenticity and empathy without retraumatizing themselves or their audience.
Actionable Takeaways:
Discover the Brain Science Behind Storytelling: Understand why humans are neurologically hardwired to respond to stories and how this can be leveraged in leadership.Engage Multiple Parts of the Brain: Learn how integrating sensory details into your narratives can make your messages more memorable.Start with a Strategic Message: Hear why it's crucial to begin with a clear idea before crafting your story to ensure alignment with your goals.Embrace Vulnerability: Find out how sharing stories from a place of scars rather than wounds can enhance authenticity and connection.Consistency is Key: Learn from iconic brands like Apple and Disney on the importance of maintaining a singular focus in your storytelling.The Role of Community in Thought Leadership: Understand the importance of building a supportive community to amplify your personal brand and core message.Overcome Storytelling Fears: Hear how leaders can overcome the fear of storytelling by refining their skills and embracing their unique experiences.Practical Storytelling Techniques: Discover actionable tips on how to use storytelling to deliver difficult messages and inspire your team.Connect with the Andrea Sampson:
Talk Boutique Website
Andrea Sampson LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Anders Indset, a renowned business philosopher, leadership thinker, and author of The Viking Code. As organizations navigate the rapid rise of AI, economic volatility, and shifting workforce dynamics, Indset challenges leaders to rethink how they lead, make decisions, and create value in a world that increasingly rewards speed over wisdom.
Drawing on insights from The Viking Code and his broader work on leadership and philosophy, Indset explores why many leaders today are trapped in reaction mode—constantly responding to crises instead of shaping the future. He argues that leadership must evolve beyond traditional models of efficiency and optimization, as AI will always outperform humans in those areas. Instead, he makes a compelling case for leaders to cultivate deep thinking, creativity, and the ability to balance trust with friction—elements that AI cannot replicate.
Indset also introduces the idea of a “Declaration of Interdependence,” where leadership is no longer about individual success but the ability to foster collaboration, challenge assumptions, and navigate uncertainty. He breaks down how leaders can create high-performance cultures that embrace both collective intelligence and individual growth, ensuring that organizations don’t just keep up but stay ahead in an era of transformation.
Throughout the conversation, Indset and Tavakoli dive into how CEOs and senior executives can develop the mental models, frameworks, and mindset shifts needed to lead effectively in the years ahead.
Actionable Takeaways:
🔹 The Leadership Crisis: Why Most Executives Are Stuck in Reaction Mode – Hear why instant decision-making is overvalued, and why deep thinking and reflection are the new competitive edge.
🔹 The Optimization Trap – Discover why chasing efficiency is a losing game for human leaders—and where real leadership value lies in an AI-driven world.
🔹 Beyond Individualism: The Declaration of Interdependence – Learn why collaboration, trust, and friction are the key leadership forces shaping high-performing teams.
🔹 The Future Won’t Wait—How Leaders Must Anticipate, Not React – Find out why leaders who think in scenarios and prepare for multiple futures will outlast those who rely on past strategies.
🔹 Teaching People How to Think, Not What to Think – Explore how education and corporate training have failed to create adaptable leaders, and what needs to change.
🔹 Trust + Friction = Innovation – Hear why leaders must create environments where disagreement is encouraged, rather than feared.
🔹 How to Become an Uncatchable – Learn how elite leaders and organizations stay ahead by constantly learning, evolving, and thinking beyond their industry norms.
🔹 Why Leaders Must Prioritize Meaning Over Metrics – Understand why purpose, culture, and human insight matter more than data-driven decision-making alone.
Connect with Anders IndsetAnders Indset Website
Anders Indset LinkedInConnect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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What separates truly exceptional leaders from the rest? According to Kurt Strovink, it’s not just strategy, execution, or decision-making—it’s the ability to lead from within. As a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and a global advisor to CEOs, Kurt has spent decades studying the patterns of the most successful executives. In his latest book, The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out, he reveals what the best leaders do differently and why self-awareness is at the core of transformative leadership.
In this insightful conversation, Kurt unpacks the critical contradictions every CEO must navigate—balancing short-term and long-term priorities, managing gut instincts with data-driven analysis, and fostering trust while making tough calls. He also explores the human-centric aspects of leadership, showing why the most effective CEOs focus not just on financial performance but on culture, dissent, and psychological safety to drive long-term success.
Mahan Tavakoli and Kurt also discuss practical frameworks for leadership development, including how CEOs can create cultures that encourage truth-telling, manage their energy instead of just their time, and make bold decisions that define their legacies. Drawing on insights from 500+ CEO forums and top leaders worldwide, Kurt shares the strategies that help executives avoid common pitfalls and unlock their full leadership potential.
You'll learn why leading others starts with leading yourself—and how the best CEOs develop self-awareness as a core leadership skill.Hear how top leaders institutionalize truth-telling and dissent within their organizations to avoid blind spots and drive better decision-making.Find out why managing energy is just as important as managing time—and how CEOs structure their schedules for peak performance.Discover how to make bold, differentiating moves early in your leadership tenure to set the tone for lasting impact.Learn why the most effective CEOs challenge their own organizations like an activist investor, forcing teams to rethink assumptions and drive transformation.Explore the power of leadership storytelling—how CEOs use analogies and language to shape culture and inspire action.Uncover strategies for navigating the inevitable contradictions of leadership—short-term vs. long-term, data vs. intuition, and control vs. delegation.Hear how great CEOs build leadership factories, ensuring a pipeline of strong leaders while avoiding the distractions of succession politics.Understand why the best leaders don’t just execute strategy—they create the conditions for others to thrive and innovate.Find out when it’s time to step away and transition leadership—and how great CEOs prepare for what’s next.
Actionable Takeaways from This EpisodeConnect with Kurt Strovink
Kurt Strovink LinkedIn
Kurt Strovink McKinsey & Company
The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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Culture is often cited as a competitive advantage, yet many leaders fail to shape it with intention. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Chris Dyer, a globally recognized company culture expert and the author of The Power of Company Culture. With years of hands-on experience advising leaders on how to build high-performance organizations, Chris shares why most leaders think they have a great culture—until cracks begin to show.
Many executives believe culture is about mission statements, values, and engagement surveys—but Chris breaks down why it’s really about what leadership tolerates, ignores, and reinforces on a daily basis. Through sharp insights and real-world examples, he reveals the biggest blind spots CEOs and leadership teams have when it comes to culture and why those blind spots can lead to disengaged employees, stalled innovation, and underperformance.
Rather than offering theoretical concepts, Chris lays out practical, high-impact shifts that any leader can implement—starting with transparency, accountability, and a relentless focus on amplifying what’s working instead of constantly fixing what’s broken. He also challenges leaders to rethink how they approach mistakes, talent retention, and performance management, emphasizing that protecting top performers is just as critical—if not more—than managing struggling employees.
This conversation is packed with actionable leadership insights that go beyond culture as a buzzword and get into how leaders can build workplaces that drive engagement, innovation, and results. Whether you're leading a fast-growing company or steering an established organization through transformation, this episode will leave you with immediately applicable strategies to strengthen your leadership and build a culture that delivers.
The biggest culture myth leaders believe—and why it’s costing their organizations talent, engagement, and innovation.Why culture isn’t defined by what leaders say—but by what they tolerate, reinforce, and ignore.The 1% culture shift that compounds into massive organizational change—and why most leaders overlook it.How transparency can be a leadership superpower—and why withholding information creates disengaged teams.The accountability mistake that erodes culture—and what great leaders do differently.Why most organizations spend too much time fixing underperformers—and how to build a culture that protects and empowers top performers.The difference between a mistake and an error—and why knowing this distinction is essential for driving innovation.How the best cultures don’t happen by accident—and the leadership habits that create lasting impact.What leaders should focus on instead of “fixing” culture—and how to measure real progress.A simple but powerful reflection every CEO and executive team should ask themselves about their culture.
Actionable Takeaways from This Episode:
Connect with Chris DyerChris Dyer Website
Chris Dyer LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Steve Cadigan, renowned talent strategist, leadership advisor, and author of the acclaimed book Workquake. Steve brings decades of experience shaping talent strategies for some of the most innovative companies in the world, including Cisco, Electronic Arts, and LinkedIn, where he played a pivotal role as the company’s first Chief HR Officer during its meteoric rise.
Steve Cadigan explores the seismic shifts reshaping the workplace, from the unprecedented power shift toward employees to the increasing necessity for organizations to embrace agility in a high-turnover world. In a lively and insightful conversation, he challenges traditional leadership paradigms, emphasizing the importance of rethinking outdated systems designed for a workforce that no longer exists. Whether it's hiring for potential, fostering cultures of continuous learning, or preparing for the impacts of AI, Steve delivers actionable strategies for CEOs and senior executives navigating the future of work.
As the world moves at an accelerating pace, Steve highlights the critical need for organizations to adapt to the realities of shorter employee tenure and heightened workforce expectations. He shares stories and examples from his extensive career to illustrate how leaders can position their organizations to thrive by creating environments where people want to stay—not because they have to, but because they’re inspired to.
"You'll learn why the war for talent is over—and why talent has already won."
Actionable Takeaways
Hear Steve Cadigan explain how the power dynamic has shifted to employees and what leaders must do to create an environment where people want to stay.
"Discover why long-term employee tenure is a thing of the past."
Explore how leaders can move away from outdated systems and embrace agile workforce strategies for a high-turnover reality.
"Hear how to attract top talent without relying on higher salaries or perks."
Learn why building a culture of meaningful work and belonging is the ultimate competitive advantage in today’s job market.
"Find out why hiring for potential beats hiring for experience."
Steve shares why adaptability and learning velocity are more valuable than traditional resumes in a fast-changing world.
"Explore how leaders can thrive in high-turnover environments."
Steve reveals strategies used by innovative companies like Google and Tesla to foster creativity and innovation despite short employee tenures.
"Learn how to build alumni networks that amplify your brand."
Discover why staying connected with former employees is a powerful strategy for recruitment, collaboration, and long-term success.
"Uncover the true role of AI in reshaping work."
Hear why AI should be used to enhance jobs and unlock human creativity rather than simply cutting costs and headcount.
"Get actionable insights on fostering learning ecosystems."
Steve discusses how organizations can invest in continuous learning to remain competitive and retain talent.
"Understand the importance of rewriting job descriptions for today’s workforce."
Learn how to craft roles that inspire candidates and reflect the dynamic realities of modern work.
"Discover why culture is the most powerful recruiting tool you have."
Steve emphasizes the importance of creating workplaces where people feelConnect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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John Livesay, The Pitch Whisperer and author of best-selling books, including Better Selling Through Storytelling and The Sale is In the Tale, joins Mahan Tavakoli on the Partnering Leadership podcast to share his insights on storytelling for leaders. In the conversation, John Livesay shares practical techniques to craft compelling stories that motivate teams, win business, and drive change. Additionally, John provides memorable examples and easy-to-apply storytelling frameworks, including the 3Cs model and four-part story structure.
Storytelling Takeaways from This Episode:
- Telling your origin story and values-in-action stories to establish trust
- Structuring pitches around client-focused stories, not just facts
- Using analogies and vulnerability to smoothly guide teams through change
- Capturing relatable stories from your team to build connection and brand loyalty
- Applying the "5-5-5" model to reframe challenges and build resilience rapidly
- Practicing consistently to hone your skills as a persuasive communicator
Connect with John Livesay
John Livesay Website
John Livesay on LinkedIn
The Sale is In the Tale on Amazon
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli welcomes James Lawrence, a seasoned entrepreneur, leadership expert, and the driving force behind Happy Companies. With a dynamic career that includes founding multiple successful businesses, James has developed a passion for blending behavioral science, leadership, and innovative technology to create stronger, more aligned organizations. As the co-creator of Happy Companies, an AI-powered coaching platform, James shares his expertise on democratizing leadership development, creating meaningful manager-employee relationships, and building cultures where people and productivity thrive.
In this engaging conversation, James reflects on the critical role of emotional intelligence in leadership and why he believes the relationship between a manager and their employee is the single most important factor in an organization’s success. He also shares personal leadership lessons, revealing the mistakes he made early in his career and how he transformed his approach to focus on individual team members’ unique strengths and motivations. From adapting leadership styles to investing in your people, James delivers a treasure trove of actionable insights for senior executives seeking to build lasting organizational impact.
James also delves into the power of technology in leadership, explaining how Happy Companies leverages AI to provide real-time, personalized coaching for every employee in an organization. He challenges traditional notions of coaching as exclusive to senior leaders and instead advocates for a holistic approach that empowers every individual to grow. Throughout the episode, James shares practical advice and thought-provoking perspectives that will inspire leaders to rethink how they build and lead their teams.
Hear why the manager-employee relationship is the most critical driver of engagement, satisfaction, and organizational success—and how to strengthen it.Discover the fatal leadership mistake of assuming everyone works and thrives like you do, and learn how to adapt your approach to individual team members.Explore how James transformed his leadership style by understanding what truly motivates his team—and how you can do the same.Learn how to assess whether you have the right people on your team and in the right roles by focusing on motivation, capability, and alignment.Hear how AI is democratizing coaching, making leadership development accessible to every employee—not just senior executives.Find out why traditional approaches to coaching fail to scale and how Happy Companies bridges the gap with real-time, personalized insights.Understand why building a people-first culture is the key to long-term organizational success and how leaders can invest in their team without overcomplicating processes.Hear James’s thoughts on adapting to the new workforce mindset and why flexibility, autonomy, and trust are essential for today’s leaders.Learn why personal growth and development are ultimately the responsibility of the individual—and how leaders can foster that ownership within their teams.Uncover James’s practical advice for tackling leadership challenges, from remote work dynamics to aligning organizational culture with technology adoption.
Actionable Takeaways
Connect with James LawrenceHappy Companies
James Lawrence LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli dives into a fascinating conversation with Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, authors of Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future. As leaders at Stanford's d.school, Scott and Carissa bring a wealth of expertise on design thinking, adaptability, and systems thinking that is uniquely relevant for CEOs and senior executives facing today’s complex challenges. Their insights are a timely reminder of the importance of embracing curiosity, imperfection, and collaboration to lead effectively in a fast-changing world.
Throughout the conversation, Scott and Carissa reveal how design principles can transform the way leaders think, act, and guide their teams. They delve into practical strategies for noticing what others might miss, addressing systemic challenges, and preparing for uncertainty. Their unique perspectives on shaping leadership in turbulent times challenge conventional approaches and inspire listeners to adopt new mindsets that drive innovation and adaptability.
As the conversation unfolds, Scott and Carissa explore topics like “shape-shifting” leadership, balancing confidence with curiosity, and harnessing discomfort as a powerful design tool. They share practical advice and real-world examples, making the conversation rich with actionable insights. Whether you’re looking to improve your team’s creativity, foster systems thinking, or simply become a more intentional leader, this episode offers ideas and strategies you can apply immediately.
Hear how curiosity—not certainty—can redefine leadership confidence and lead to more adaptable and innovative decision-making.Discover why “noticing the unseen” is a critical skill for leaders, and learn how to develop this often-overlooked ability.Find out how to use shape-shifting leadership techniques to adapt your style to different situations and inspire your team in new ways.Learn why embracing imperfection is essential in complex systems and how leaders can balance risk with resilience.Hear Scott’s take on how lowering cognitive load for your team can unlock creativity and drive better problem-solving.Unpack the surprising role of emotions in leadership decision-making and how acknowledging emotional triggers can lead to better choices.Explore Carissa’s approach to leveraging discomfort as a design tool to find hidden opportunities and innovate in uncertain environments.Find out why focusing on multiple perspectives, or “many Norths,” can help leaders tackle today’s messy, interconnected challenges.Discover how to make time for reflection and intentional noticing in an always-on, fast-paced work environment—and why it pays off exponentially.Understand how to prepare your organization for the ripple effects of change by designing for healing and adaptability.
Actionable Takeaways:
Connect with Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter:Stanford d. School Website
Scott Doorley LinkedIn
Carissa Carter LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a powerful conversation with Lior Arussy, renowned author, speaker, and expert in organizational transformation and customer experience. Lior is the author of the thought-provoking book Dare to Author: Take Charge of the Narrative of Your Life. In this episode, he brings his compelling insights to life, challenging leaders to rethink how they approach storytelling, organizational change, and leadership in an era of rapid disruption.
Lior shares his journey of discovering the power of stories—not just in shaping customer experiences but in transforming individual and organizational mindsets. Drawing on decades of working with global companies, he unpacks why so many people resist change, how leaders can overcome that resistance, and why the ability to craft and evolve personal and organizational narratives is critical for thriving in uncertainty.
Listeners will be inspired by Lior's insights on how leaders can empower their teams to embrace change without feeling judged, how to separate purpose from tools to drive transformation, and why storytelling is no longer a nice-to-have skill but a necessity for effective leadership. His approach combines practical frameworks with deeply human insights, making it a must-listen for anyone seeking to unlock their team’s potential and elevate their leadership impact.
From redefining leadership as navigating the unknown to exploring how gratitude fuels resilience and innovation, this conversation is rich with actionable ideas.
Actionable Takeaways:
You’ll learn why storytelling is not just a communication tool but a leadership necessity in driving transformation and engagement.Hear how to overcome resistance to change by reframing it as evolution rather than judgment of past efforts.Discover why separating purpose from tools can help you and your team embrace innovation with less fear and more confidence.Gain insights into why victimhood is a choice—and how to rise to the higher version of yourself as a leader.Learn the surprising connection between gratitude and resilience, and how embracing gratitude can fuel your team’s energy for change.Understand why the leadership practices you inherited 30 years ago may no longer serve you in today’s fast-paced, dynamic workplace.Explore the concept of cultural readiness and why leaders must take responsibility for their organization’s capacity to adapt and thrive.Find out why perfectionism paralyzes teams—and how to give your people permission to experiment and innovate.Hear why the biggest companies miss the biggest trends and how to avoid the ‘best practices trap.’Learn how to author your own leadership story and turn past successes and failures into tools for future growth.Connect with the Lior Arussy
Lior Arussy Website
Lior Arussy LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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In this insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli welcomes back world-renowned futurist, best-selling author, and innovation expert Daniel Burrus. Known for his groundbreaking book The Anticipatory Organization, Daniel has spent decades helping leaders navigate transformative change by teaching them to anticipate disruptions and turn them into opportunities. As the author of numerous reports on hard trends and future technologies, including his latest on the hard trends shaping 2025 and beyond, Daniel offers a unique blend of clarity, practicality, and vision for leaders striving to stay ahead in a fast-changing world.
Daniel begins by distinguishing between two types of trends—hard trends, which are future certainties, and soft trends, which are based on assumptions. This crucial framework empowers leaders to confidently identify opportunities and mitigate risks. Through compelling examples, Daniel explains how focusing on hard trends enables organizations to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive opportunity management, transforming challenges into competitive advantages.
The conversation also dives into the productivity revolution fueled by generative AI, digital twins, and other technological advancements that are reshaping industries at exponential speeds. Daniel shares how leaders can harness these tools—not as overwhelming innovations but as accessible enablers of growth and transformation. His actionable insights will help listeners uncover opportunities, refine focus, and elevate their organizations’ relevance in a time of disruption.
Finally, Daniel challenges leaders to embrace the mindset of a positive disruptor. With a sharp focus on innovation, clarity in decision-making, and the courage to lead transformations and he emphasizes the importance of becoming an anticipatory leader.
Hear how distinguishing between hard and soft trends can revolutionize your strategic planning by revealing certainties and shaping possibilities.Learn why focusing on one area of transformation can unlock hidden opportunities and drive exponential results.Discover how generative AI is driving a productivity revolution—and what leaders must do to harness its potential for their teams.Explore the power of digital twins in testing, predicting, and solving problems before they happen, saving time and resources.Find out why waiting for your competitors to disrupt you is a recipe for failure—and how to proactively disrupt yourself.Hear Daniel’s framework for refining overwhelming choices into actionable opportunities with maximum impact.Learn how to combine trends like AI, robotics, and augmented reality to create transformative solutions for your organization.Gain insight into why the boundaries between industries are breaking down—and how leaders can leverage cross-industry innovation.Discover the leadership mindset required to move from reactive agility to anticipatory decision-making in a time of exponential change.Understand how augmented thinking—where AI enhances human cognition—will shape the future of leadership and decision-making.
Actionable Takeaways:
Connect with the Daniel Burrus:Daniel Burrus Website
Daniel Burrus LinkedIn
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn
Partnering Leadership Website
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