Episodes

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 exp...

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 import...

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 disrupt...

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 sh...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Jeremy Caplan, an expert in innovation and productivity and the author of "Wonder Tools," shares transformative insights into how leaders can leverage AI to amplify creativity, streamline processes, and empower their teams. As the creator of the popular "Wonder Tools" Substack and a thought leader in using AI to enhance productivity, Jeremy offers a practical and inspiring approach to integrating technology into leadership. Throughout the conversation, ...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Louis Rosenberg. Louis Rosenberg is a pioneer in virtual and augmented reality with over 300 patents; he has started multiple businesses, including Founder Immersion Corp, Founder Outland Research, and Unanimous A.I., for which he currently serves as CEO and Chief Scientist. Louis Rosenberg has focused his work on the boundary between technology and human perception, aiming to enhance human performance with technology. In the...

Get ready for a fascinating discussion on the overlooked leadership skill of listening, featuring Oscar Trimboli, author of the book How to Listen: Discover the Hidden Key to Better Communication. Oscar Trimboli draws on decades of research and over 24,000 workplace interviews to provide science-backed insights on how leaders can become exceptional listeners. You'll discover why most of us are only hearing 14% of what people actually say and how to tap into the other 86%. Learn simple but powerf...

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 insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Tricia Brouk, an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and leadership communication strategist. Tricia is the author of The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy, a powerful book that explores how leaders can use their voices to connect, inspire, and leave a meaningful impact. Drawing from her background as a professional dancer, choreographer, and director, Tricia shares how her experience...

In this engaging episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Jeff Gothelf, a globally recognized author, speaker, and coach known for his expertise in organizational agility, product design, and customer-centricity. Jeff is the co-author of the insightful book Who Does What By How Much? A Practical Guide to Customer-Centric OKRs. Drawing on decades of experience and collaboration with leading organizations, Jeff shares practical strategies to help leaders implement Objectives a...

In this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, Mahan Tavakoli interviews Daniel Burrus, a world-renowned futurist, strategist, and author of The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage. In the conversation, Daniel Burrus shares his powerful framework for anticipating the future and shaping strategies accordingly, emphasizing the importance of identifying hard and soft trends to gain certainty in an uncertain world. Throughout the conversation...

In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Misha Glouberman, a celebrated expert in communication and collaboration, to explore the vital role of effective communication in leadership. Misha, author of The Chairs Are Where the People Go, draws on years of experience helping organizations improve team dynamics, resolve conflicts, and foster trust. His refreshing insights challenge traditional notions of leadership and offer a more human-centric approach to ...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Rob Sadow, the co-founder and CEO of Scoop and the mastermind behind The Flex Index. As a leading expert on the future of work, Rob shares his invaluable insights on navigating the seismic shift towards hybrid and flexible work arrangements. Drawing from his extensive experience and data-driven approach, Rob goes into the challenges and opportunities that come with this transformative change in the workplace. Throughout the...

In this thought-provoking episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Shailendra Pratap Jain and Shalini Sarin Jain, co-authors of the book Managing Brand Transgressions: 8 Principles to Transform Your Brand. With decades of research and leadership experience, the Jains share compelling insights into how organizations can navigate brand crises with integrity and build resilience for the long term. The conversation dives deep into the principles that distinguish brands like Tyle...

In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Allen Adamson, an influential thought leader in branding and marketing strategy and the author of the book Seeing the How: Transforming What People Do, Not Buy, to Gain Market Advantage. Adamson, whose experience spans working with major brands such as Unilever and Pepsi, brings a fresh perspective on how companies can differentiate themselves through customer experience innovation rather than relying solely on pr...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli interviews philosopher, CEO, and bestselling author Brian Johnson on activating your organization's heroic potential. Having spent over half his career as a founder and business leader, Brian shares powerful insights on perseverance and excellence drawn from ancient wisdom and modern science. In the conversation, Brian offers key lessons from his newest book, "Arete: Activate Your Heroic Potential," for overcoming adversity and leadi...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with David Ross, VUCA strategist and author of Confronting the Storm: Regenerating Leadership and Hope in the Age of Uncertainty. David is a renowned expert on VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environments and has spent his career advising organizations on how to thrive amidst complexity and disruption. With a background as an ecologist, David brings a unique perspective to leadership—one that emphasizes the interco...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Douglas Squirrel, co-author of *Agile Conversations*, a transformative book that dives deep into the art of having productive conversations in organizations. Douglas Squirrel, a seasoned technology leader and coach, shares his journey from struggling to communicate effectively with non-technical leaders to discovering frameworks that have radically changed how teams collaborate and make decisions. His passion for helping organ...

In this insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli welcomes Emmanuel Daniel, global thought leader, futurist, founder of The Asian Banker, and author of The Great Transition: The Personalization of Finance is Here. Emmanuel brings a wealth of experience from decades of engaging with top financial leaders and institutions worldwide, and his expertise shines through in this engaging conversation. With a deep understanding of how technology is reshaping the financial industry, Emma...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli engages in an insightful conversation with Tamsen Webster, a leading expert in strategic messaging, transformational change, and the author of Say What They Can’t Unhear: The Nine Principles of Lasting Change. Known for her innovative thinking and deep understanding of human psychology, Tamsen has spent years helping organizations and leaders communicate more effectively and drive lasting change. With her unique approach, she cuts thr...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, explore the intersection of leadership development and cutting-edge AI as Mahan Tavakoli’s 4-Step Framework to unleash a team’s full potential comes to life in an unexpected way. Instead of a traditional discussion, Mahan uses Google’s Notebook LM to transform his framework into a dynamic conversation between two AI avatars. This engaging dialogue captures key leadership principles, demonstrating how AI can turn complex ideas into accessible, compelling ...

Hal Elrod, the international bestselling author of The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life, which has been translated into 37 languages and has sold over 2.5 million copies, brings his unique perspectives on establishing daily practices that foster personal growth and leadership excellence based on his recently updated and expanded edition of The Miracle Morning. Drawing on personal experiences overcoming adversity, including life-threatening events, Hal...

In this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, host Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Andre Laplume, co-author of Spinout Ventures: Transitioning from Employees to Entrepreneurs. Andre Laplume shares his research and perspectives on the dynamic world of spinouts—those entrepreneurial ventures born out of larger organizations when employees break away to pursue ideas that don’t quite fit within the corporate mold. From his own journey as a management consultant and professor to his experiences i...

In this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Stephen Wunker, the renowned author of The Innovative Leader: Step-By-Step Lessons from Top Innovators For You and Your Organization. Drawing from his extensive experience in innovation consulting and his collaboration with thought leaders like Clay Christensen, Steve shares practical insights on how organizations can cultivate a culture of innovation, build frameworks that suppo...