Culture & Human Behavior Episodes

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli reconnects with his longtime friend Howard Ross, renowned thought leader and author of the acclaimed books Our Search for Belonging: How Our Need to Connect is Tearing Us Apart and Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives. With over 25 years of collaborating to help organizations foster inclusion, they have a powerful discussion on Ross' motivations for driving positive change, his wisdom on b...

Get ready to climb the mountain of vulnerability in leadership. In this engaging discussion with Jacob Morgan, author of Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization, you’ll learn why vulnerability plus leadership can transform organizations. In the conversation, Jacob Morgan shares his personal journey of grappling with vulnerability, from a childhood with a “tough guy” father to panic attacks while writing this transformati...

This episode of Partnering Leadership features Mahan Tavakoli being interviewed on AI and its potential impact by David Gardner on the Rule Breaker Investing podcast. In the conversation, David and Mahan talk about the growing influence of artificial intelligence; they explore where we are on the AI exponential growth curve, how organizations can leverage AI strategically and operationally, and share predictions for AI's transformative impact and how individuals and organizations can take advant...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Stephen M.R. Covey. Stephen M.R. Covey is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Speed Of Trust, former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, and author of Trust And Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others. Stephen shares why many leaders are still operating with a command and control mindset and the need to develop the mindset and capabilities of becoming trusting and inspiring lead...

Middle managers often get a bad rap, seen as roadblocks to change and innovation. But Emily Field flips this narrative on its head. As a McKinsey partner, Emily saw firsthand how empowering middle managers unlocks an organization’s potential. In this insightful interview, Emily Field, McKinsey & Company partner and coauthor of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, debunks the middle manager myth. Hear why managers, not senior execs, hold the keys to the future of...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Eduardo Briceño, author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action. In the discussion, Eduardo dives into the transformative power of a growth mindset and how we can apply it to unlock our potential. He shares how a crippling physical injury early in his career led him to Carol Dweck's pioneering work on a growth mindset. This proved life-changing for Eduardo, setting him on a path to teaching indivi...

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 3...

In this Partnering Leadership episode, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Amri B. Johnson, inclusion strategist and author of Reconstructing Inclusion: Making DEI Accessible, Actionable, and Sustainable. In the conversation, Amri Johnson emphasizes the need for a more inclusive view of diversity that goes beyond marginalized groups and includes everyone. Amri also explores the concept of meritocracy and how it should be approached in organizations, highlighting the importance of recognizing potential an...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Paul Smith, business storytelling coach and bestselling author of Lead with A Story, Sell with A Story, and The 10 Stories. In this episode, Paul Smith shares how leaders can use storytelling as a powerful business tool. Paul Smith also shared specific stories leaders need to tell to improve the clarity of their communications and motivate their teams. Some highlights: -Paul Smith on why many leaders are not good at telling s...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Will Bachman, host of the Unleashed Podcast, interviews Mahan Tavakoli. Will Bachman is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Umbrex, a global community for top-tier management consultants. During the interview, Mahan Tavakoli discusses his work with CEOs and leadership teams, providing insightful examples of his strategies for fostering team collaboration and alignment to execute organizational strategy effectively. Listeners will gain valuable insight...

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 ...

In today's episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan speaks with Whitney Johnson. Whitney is the CEO of Disruption Advisors, a tech-enabled talent development company. She also co-founded Disruptive Innovation Fund with Clayton Christensen, is the host of the Disrupt Yourself podcast, and is the author of the book Smart Growth: How To Grow Your People To Grow Your Company. Whitney Johnson talked about the S-curve of personal, leadership, and organizational growth. Whitney also discussed c...

Retired US Navy Admiral Kyle Cozak shares his inspiring journey of resilience and leadership in this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast. From his upbringing in Las Vegas to his life-altering accident, Admiral Cozak's story is a testament to the power of trust, positive thinking, and determination. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication, trust, and relatability in leadership and how these qualities can empower individuals to make the right decisions. Admiral Cozak's relentl...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Renee Cummings, Data Science Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia. In the conversation, Professor Renee Cummings, a criminologist and AI ethicist discusses the importance of bringing responsible, ethical thinking to deploying AI technology. She stresses the need for due process, recognizing the various forms of bias, ethical use and transparency in deployment, and good governance and oversight. Renee Cummings als...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Rich Diviney, author of The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL commander with 20+ years of experience as a Navy SEAL Officer, having completed more than thirteen overseas deployments, including serving as the officer in charge of training for a specialized command. During his service, Rich Diviney was intimately involved in the highly specialized SEAL selection process and ...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Lee Benson, Founder of Execute to Win (ETW) and author of Your Most Important Number: Increase Collaboration, Achieve Your Strategy, and Execute to Win. In the conversation, Lee Benson shares his origin story, from his early days as a musician to his rise as a successful CEO, and the inspiration that led him to start ETW. Lee then breaks down the concept of value creation, showing its three forms and how focusing on it can sign...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Professor Ajay Agrawal, the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Ajay Agrawal is also the founder of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a not-for-profit program for early-stage, science-based companies, and coauthor of two outstanding books on Artificial Intelligence: Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics ...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Lily Zheng, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategist and Consultant. Lily Zheng is also the author of DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right. In the conversation, Lily Zheng talked about their upbringing, education, and how it influenced their perspective on race and inequality. Next, Lily Zheng shared why they advocate for a systemic approach to tackling DEI, including outcome-oriented m...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with John Kotter, professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, co-founder of a management consulting firm Kotter International and a pioneer in organizational change. John Kotter is the author of 22 books on change, including his most recent book, Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile times. John Kotter talks about the struggles leaders and teams face when it comes to change and how to...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Yuval Atsman, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. In the conversation, Yuval Atsman discusses the difference between good strategies and why many organizations have lousy strategies. Yuval Atsmon goes on to share why CEOs and executives must embrace and experiment with AI to improve decision-making in the strategic planning process. Yuval Atsman then shares potential applications of AI technologies, including generative AI. F...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Carolyn Dewar. Carolyn is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, McKinsey's Global Practice Leader for CEO & Board Excellence, and co-author of the book CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest. In the conversation, Carolyn Dewar shared how the authors identified the world's highest-performing CEOs using empirical data and determined the six mindsets that set the best apart. The six mind...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dave Ulrich. Known as the Father of modern-day HR, Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and a partner at the RBL Group, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders deliver value. Dave Ulrich has published over 30 leadership, organization, and human resource books. The discussion with Dave Ulrich touches on measuring a leader's effectiveness, the di...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Emily Yu, Founder & CEO of AI Priori. AI Priori is a technology startup that offers social changemakers a compelling new way to understand and address the world's most pressing challenges using AI technology. Emily Yu talked about how her background made her passionate about social change and using technology to understand better and address social needs. Emily Yu finally shared her vision for AI Priori and the positive poten...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Garry Ridge, former CEO and Chairman of WD-40. In the conversation, Garry Ridge shared his origin story and how a quote from the Dalai Lama helped him focus on organizational purpose. Next, Garry explained his why and the how behind making WD-40 an organization where people can contribute, learn something new, and ultimately go home happy. Then, Garry Ridge shared the leadership wisdom he has gained from Ken Blanchard and Marsh...