What does it really cost to lead when you’re expected to have all the answers, show no cracks, and carry the weight of everyone around you? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Melissa Doman—organizational psychologist, leadership consultant, and author of Cornered Office: Why We Need…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner, co-authors of The Octopus Organization. Drawing on decades of leadership experience across global organizations, they challenge one of the most deeply embedded assumptions in business: that organizations can still be run like machines. At…
How Leaders Decide What Matters as AI Reshapes Value and Uncertainty Grows This episode explores a new lens on leadership in a time of rapid change driven by AI and growing uncertainty. In this conversation, Mahan Tavakoli is interviewed by Vimi Appadoo and Akilesh Deerpalsingh, senior leaders working with CEOs…
Most leaders don’t struggle with strategy. They struggle with how people respond to it. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Amy Jacobson, author of The Emotional Intelligence Advantage: Mastering Change and Difficult Conversations. Amy brings a practical, grounded perspective on emotional intelligence, shaped by her…
Trust sits at the center of every meaningful leadership conversation. Yet many leaders struggle to create the conditions where people feel comfortable sharing what they really think. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Brad Beeler, a former U.S. Secret Service agent and the author of Tell…
In this compelling conversation, Raj Sisodia — co-founder of Conscious Capitalism and bestselling author of Firms of Endearment — joins the podcast to discuss his newest work, Healing Leaders. Widely recognized as one of the most influential voices reshaping modern business thinking, Raj brings decades of research, lived experience, and…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Steve Brown, a leading AI futurist and former executive at organizations including Intel and DeepMind. Brown brings a rare combination of technical depth and leadership perspective, shaped by decades at the forefront of technological change and his work advising…
Growth stalls in organizations far more often than leaders expect. Not because ambition fades, or talent disappears, but because focus drifts. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Kevin Lawrence, a long-time advisor to CEOs and executive teams, to explore why capable organizations lose their growth…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Jen Fisher, one of the most influential voices shaping how leaders think about work, wellbeing, and human sustainability. Jen is the former Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte, where she spent more than two decades helping leaders confront burnout, redesign…
As AI accelerates, many leadership conversations focus on tools, efficiency, and productivity. This episode of Partnering Leadership takes a different approach. Host Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Andrea Iorio, a global AI thought leader, former senior executive at Tinder and L’Oréal, and the author of Between You and AI. Andrea…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Margie Warrell, a global leadership advisor and the author of The Courage Gap. The conversation goes beyond familiar ideas about confidence and resilience to explore what courage really looks like when leaders are facing uncertainty, fear, and high-stakes decisions.…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Mohammad Anwar, founder and CEO of Softway and co-author of the book Love as a Change Strategy. Together, they take on one of the most misunderstood ideas in leadership: whether love has any place in driving performance, innovation, and…
Negotiation and sales are often treated as tactical skills. Something leaders do at the end of the process, armed with tricks, pressure, and leverage. In this conversation, Todd Caponi makes the case that this mindset is outdated—and increasingly damaging for leaders operating in a world of transparency, information abundance, and…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, futurists Bob Johansen and Jamais Cascio join the conversation to explore the ideas behind their new book, The Age of Chaos: A Sense-Making Guide to a BANI World That Doesn’t Make Sense. Both guests bring decades of deep foresight work, scenario planning, and leadership…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Louisa Loran, a seasoned executive advisor whose career spans legacy brands, global industrial giants, and one of the world’s most influential technology companies. Louisa brings a rare perspective shaped by leadership roles at Diageo, Maersk, and Google—giving her a…
Unwavering Teams: Building Trust & Reducing Friction with Eric Termuende | Partnering Leadership In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Eric Termuende, leadership thinker, speaker, and author of Rethink Work: Finding & Keeping the Right Talent, to discuss how leaders can reduce friction, build trust, and…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Les Csorba — senior partner at Heidrick & Struggles and author of Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly. Drawing on decades advising CEOs, boards, and leadership teams, Les makes a compelling case that self-awareness is not a soft skill…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Alan Gregerman, innovation advisor and author of The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World. Gregerman has spent his career helping organizations rethink what expertise is, how innovation really happens,…
✅Quick Leadership in a Distracted World: The New Rules of Leading Teams with Selena Rezvani In this episode, leadership expert Selena Rezvani breaks down outdated management assumptions, hidden power dynamics, and practical ways to build true psychological safety at work. She explains how to move beyond overwork culture, lead today’s…
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Sangeet Paul Choudary, one of the world’s leading thinkers on digital strategy, platforms, and the future of value creation. Sangeet is the author of the acclaimed new book Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Transforms the Knowledge Economy, a work…
✅ Why Every Leader Must Rethink Innovation | With Rich Braden & Tessa Forshaw Innovation isn’t just for the “creative few”—it’s a skill every leader already has. In this powerful episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden, co-authors of Innovation-ish, to unpack what real…
✅How Leaders Can Thrive in an Exponential World | Insights from Dr. Mark van Rijmenam Discover how leaders can stay ahead in a world shaped by exponential change. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli interviews futurist and strategist Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, who explains how emerging technologies—AI, robotics,…
✅From Silos to Shared Strength: Relationships That Multiply Result with Jim Ferrell What if the biggest leadership blind spot isn’t about people, but the space between them? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Jim Ferrell, leadership thinker and author of You and We: The Relational…
Beyond the Hype: How Data, Skills, and Humanity Drive AI’s Real Impact with Benjamin Tasker In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Benjamin Tasker, an AI learning strategist who has applied artificial intelligence to solve real-world challenges in healthcare and education. From predicting cancer risks in…