450 Thursday Refresh: Carolyn Dewar on What Great Leaders Do Differently—From Bold Beginnings to Graceful Exits

What makes a great CEO today won’t be enough tomorrow. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Carolyn Dewar, McKinsey Senior Partner and coauthor of A CEO for All Seasons—a practical, research-backed roadmap for leaders navigating the full arc of CEO leadership. Building on her global work advising top executives and the success of her previous bestseller CEO Excellence, Carolyn offers a candid, timely, and deeply strategic perspective on how CEOs can lead—and let go—with clarity, discipline, and impact.

Carolyn and Mahan explore the four leadership “seasons” every CEO moves through: preparation, early tenure, sustained performance, and exit. But what sets this conversation apart is its real-world focus on what actually trips up leaders—misjudged transitions, misplaced confidence, and the false comfort of past success. This isn’t theoretical leadership advice—it’s practical insight shaped by years of advising CEOs and boards during high-stakes moments.

What emerges is a compelling case for fit over familiarity, foresight over reaction, and reinvention over complacency. Carolyn makes it clear that the best CEOs aren't simply great strategists—they're great at timing, sequencing, and knowing when to shift or step aside. She shares stories of leaders who planned their exits with grace and those who stayed too long—and why boards often get it wrong.

If you're a CEO, board member, or senior leader shaping the next phase of your organization, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership longevity and legacy. You’ll walk away with practical framing for making bold decisions and managing change—not just within your business, but within yourself.

Actionable Takeaways

• Hear how to recognize the brief “unfreezing moment” that gives new CEOs a rare chance to reshape direction, expectations, and ambition
• Learn why even the most successful CEOs must reinvent themselves—or risk becoming the barrier to future growth
• Discover why the best succession plans start in a CEO’s first year, not their last
• You’ll learn how boards often default to “more of the same”—and why that mindset leads to costly misalignment
• Explore Carolyn’s take on what only the CEO can and should do—and how over-functioning CEOs damage execution
• Hear how some leaders design in tension—reverse mentors, red teams, bold advisors—to avoid echo chambers
• Learn how to approach succession planning not as a person to pick, but as work to define
• Find out what CEOs should leave behind in their final year—and what mistakes lock in poor transitions
• You'll hear examples of how great CEOs sustain performance through S-curves while preparing for what’s next
• Gain perspective on how Carolyn sees AI as a CEO’s partner, not a proxy for real leadership

Connect with Carolyn Dewar

A CEO for All Seasons
Carolyn Dewar LinkedIn

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn

Partnering Leadership Website