Episodes

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Caren Kenney. Caren Kenney is the CEO and Founder of Evolve Leadership and coauthor of Leading with Character: 10 Minutes a Day to a Brilliant Legacy. In the conversation, Caren shared why she cofounded a business focused on wellness and mental health, which was then bought by Johnson & Johnson and became part of their Human Performance Institute. Next, Caren Kenney spoke about how leaders can develop their skills and become ...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Debbi Jarvis, Vice President & Chief Communications Officer at AltaGas. Debbi Jarvis talked about the impact of her upbringing as a Midwestern girl from Kalamazoo, Michigan. How her sales career led her to pursue journalism and becoming a TV anchor, eventually bringing her to Washington, DC. Debbi Jarvis went on to share about her transition to Pepco, why she was asked to start a Corporate Social Responsibility group while t...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dan Turchin. Dan Turchin is the CEO of the AI company PeopleReign and host of the podcast AI & The Future of Work. First, Dan shared thoughts on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Silicon Valley and the potential of hybrid or fully remote work in organizations. Next, Dan Turchin mentioned a Worknet future where organizations hire the best talent and create a fluid work structure. The conversation then turned to AI advancements an...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Khari Brown, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Spark the Journey. In the conversation, Khari Brown shared the impact of his upbringing, what drew him to basketball, and the leadership lessons he learned in playing the game. Khari shared the origin of his passion for educating youth and his involvement in Capital Partners for Education, rebranded last year as Spark the Journey. Khari Brown talked about the impact of t...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Mark C Crowley, author of Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century. In the conversation, Mark C Crowley shared how his tough childhood contributed to his leadership practice of leading from the heart. Mark also shared why the heart is more than just a muscle and how leaders can balance mind and heart in their leadership. Mark C Crowley finally shared how leaders can encourage leading from the heart ...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Shaara Roman. Shaara Roman is the award-winning founder and CEO of The Silverene Group and author of The Conscious Workplace: Fortify Your Culture to Thrive in Any Crisis. Shara shares stories, examples, and insights on organizational culture and how leaders can intentionally nurture an inclusive culture that can thrive through any crisis. Some Highlights: - How Shaara Roman's upbringing instilled in her a sense of curiosity, r...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Warren Berger. Warren is the author of multiple books on innovation and the power of questioning in leadership and everyday life. The conversation focused on Warren Berger's books A More Beautiful Question and The Book of Beautiful Questions. Warren shared thoughts on his study of the world's foremost innovators and creative thinkers, revealing what he has learned. Warren Berger also shared his insights into the natural tendenc...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks briefly about Google's strategic challenge with OpenAI's ChatGPT and highlights upcoming conversations on AI & the future of work, as well as a conversation with a pioneer of augmented reality. The episode also includes a recent appearance by Mahan on Uwe Dockhorn's Lift-Off podcast. In the discussion, Mahan shared more about his work with CEOs and their leadership teams to collaborate more effectively and align s...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Carmine Gallo. Carmine Gallo is a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His books include Talk Like TED , The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs , The Storyteller's Secret , Five Stars , and his latest, The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World's Greatest Salesman. In the conversation, Carmine Gallo shared why many leaders struggle with telling their stories and why his latest research involved lookin...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Indira Henard, Executive Director of the DC Rape Crisis Center ( DCRCC), the oldest rape crisis center in the country. Indira Henard talks about her upbringing in Chicago, Illinois, in a family of faith. She also shares her transformative experience while at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. Indira Henard talks about the reason she came to Washington DC and eventually chose to forgo an opportunity to work in the Obama adm...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Tamsen Webster, renowned speaker, consultant, TEDx idea strategist, and author of Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible. In the conversation, Tamsen Webster shared how leaders can communicate, so their ideas resonate more with their audience. Tamsen also gave examples of why more than having a powerful idea is needed and some of the biggest reasons others don't embrace ideas. She also talked about the value of ...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Joanne Irving, founder of Insight to Action Advisory and cofounder of The Chrysalis Group Inc. Joanne Irving is also the author of The C² Factor for Leadership: How the Alchemy of Curiosity and Courage Helps Leaders Become Champions and Lead Meaningful Lives. In the conversation, Joanne Irving talks about her upbringing in a small town in Vermont and an incident from her childhood where she was eager to play with a group of ...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Jack Phillips, Chairman of ROI Institute, a world-renowned expert on accountability, measurement, and evaluation and author or editor of more than 75 books on evaluation, metrics, and analytics. The conversation focuses on Jack and Patti Phillips’ latest book, Show the Value of What You Do: Measuring and Achieving Success in Any Endeavor. In the conversation, Jack Phillips shares how his engineering background played a role i...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with H.H. Leonards. H.H. Leonards is the founder and chair of the O Street Museum Foundation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and the Mansion on O Street, where Mrs. Rosa Parks called her home-away-from-home for the last decade of her life. H.H. Leonards is also the author of the book Rosa Parks Beyond the Bus: Life, Lessons, and Leadership. Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomer...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Tom Taulli, author of multiple books, including Artificial Intelligence Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction, which serves as the focus of this conversation. Tom Taulli has been developing software since the 1980s. In college, he started his first company, which focused on developing e-learning systems. He also created other companies, including Hypermart.net, which was sold to InfoSpace in 1996. Along the way, Tom has writt...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Troy LeMaile-Stovall, CEO of TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies. Troy LeMaile-Stovall has led the organization to cultivate an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. In this conversation, Troy LeMaile-Stovall discusses his upbringing and how it has impacted the kind of leader he is today. He shares how his experience as a Texan and a Catholic has shaped his leadership style and how he looks to...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Jennifer Brown, an award-winning thought leader globally renowned for her diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Jennifer Brown is also the author of How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. In the conversation, In the conversation, Jennifer Brown discusses how her experience as an opera singer has helped her become a successful keynote speaker. She talks about how he...

In this episode, Mahan Tavakoli discusses why open access to powerful conversational chatbots will be viewed in the future as a transformational moment, potentially equaling the wide use and disruptive impact of the internet or smartphones. Mahan shares why artificial intelligence is starting its exponential growth curve and will impact all aspects of our lives and organizations. He uses the introduction of the robust conversational AI platform, ChatGPT as an example of how AI will transform our...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Professor Vanessa Bohns. Dr. Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist, an award-winning researcher and teacher, and a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. Vanessa Bohns is also the author of the book: You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters. In this conversation, Vanessa Bohns shares insights on how we influence those around us and how to harn...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Stephanie Linnartz, currently President of Marriott International, Inc., the world's largest hospitality company. Last week, Stephanie Linnartz announced that effective February 24, 2023, she will be leaving Marriott to take on the role of President & CEO of Under Armour. Under Armour founder and Executive Chairman Kevin Plank said Stephanie Linnartz was selected after a 7-month search partly because of her digital skills and s...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with David McRaney. David McRaney is a science journalist, host of the You Are Not So Smart podcast, and an internationally best-selling author of books, including his latest, How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion. In the conversation, David McRaney shares the origin of his fascination with persuasion and his thoughts on the basis of how we form our beliefs. David McRaney shared examples of psyc...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, astrophysicist, STEM educator, multi-patented inventor, keynote speaker, and author of A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars. In the conversation, Hakeem Oluseyi shares his journey of overcoming adversities and becoming a leading astrophysicist of this generation. Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi also talked about his ability to explain astrophysics in a way that engages audiences and the valu...

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 lea...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Chuck Robb, Virginia's 64th governor from 1982 to 1986 and U.S. senator from 1989–to 2001. Governor Chuck Robb is also the author of In the Arena: A Memoir of Love War and Politics. In the conversation, Governor Chuck Robb shares his story of joining the Marines, being assigned to the White House, serving in Vietnam, and marrying President Lyndon Baines Johnson's daughter, Linda Bird Johnson. Chuck Robb also talked about his...