Partnering Leadership
Partnering Leadership is a top global podcast designed to help CEOs and senior leaders navigate the complexities of leadership, strategy, culture, and innovation. Hosted by Mahan Tavakoli—a seasoned leadership advisor with over 25 years of experience and recognized as a top thought leader in management—the podcast brings you real-world insights and practical advice to drive meaningful results.
Mahan’s experience as a trusted advisor shapes each discussion, driving deeper insights that challenge conventional thinking and uncover innovative approaches. Drawing from his extensive advisory background, Mahan dives into candid conversations with purpose-driven CEOs and global thought leaders, exploring how they overcame their biggest challenges and achieved transformative success. Each episode provides actionable strategies, real-world examples, and proven approaches to help you navigate change, align teams, and drive lasting impact.
Hear directly from top experts such as Ram Charan, Ken Blanchard, John Kotter, Stephen M.R. Covey, Hal Elrod, Carmine Gallo, Daniel Burrus, Garry Ridge, Jacob Morgan, Emily Field, Jonah Berger, Barbara Kellerman, Rich Diviney, Andrea Sampson, Ajay Agrawal, Dave Ulrich, Jerry Colonna, Renee Cummings, Brian Johnson, Warren Berger, Gustavo Razzetti, Azeem Azhar, David McRaney, Tim Clark, Jim Detert, Gary Bolles, Greg Satell, Robert Wolcott, Alden Mills, Minter Dial, Greg Wooldridge, Pete Steinberg, Joseph Fuller, Paul Roetzer, Whitney Johnson, Ron Adner, Bob Johansen, Leidy Klotz, Paul Smith, Louis Rosenberg, Rob Sadow, Dan Turchin, Steve Robinson, Park Howell, Mark Crowley, Maz Jobrani, LaTonya Wilkins, Rob Cross, Aiden McCullen, Eduardo Briceno, Jan Rutherford, Stephen Wunker, Charlene Li, Jon Levy, Anu Gupta, John Rossman, David Marquet, Tamsen Webster, Jack Phillips, Vanessa Bohns, Patrick McGinnis, Hakeem Oluseyi, Ed Hess, and Carolyn Dewar as well as renowned leaders like David Rubenstein, Jean Case, Tony Pierce, Linda Rabbitt, Paul Daugherty, Richard Bynum, John Veihmeyer, Howard Ross, Bill Novelli, Tien Wong, Stephanie Linnartz, Chuck Robb, Doug Dennerline, Charlene Drew Jarvis, Robert Rosenberg, Diane Hoskins, Deidre Paknad, David Gardner, and Marty Rodgers, and many more!
Their insights, paired with Mahan's expertise, equip you to tackle complex challenges, foster a high-performance culture, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving world.
Listen today to gain the tools, perspectives, and proven strategies that can transform your leadership journey.
Available on all major podcast platforms or visit https://partneringleadership.com.
Episodes
452 episodes
451 Why Great Companies Fall Behind: AI, Legacy Thinking, and Organizational Change with Marcus East
Marcus East has spent his career inside some of the world’s most recognized organizations, including Apple, Google, IBM, National Geographic, and Marks & Spencer. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, he joins Mahan Tavakoli to discuss ...
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-bac...
449 Executive Presence Isn’t What You Think: How Leaders Actually Build Influence and Impact with Alexa Chilcutt & Carl DuPont
Executive presence is one of those concepts every leader knows matters, yet very few can clearly define or develop. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Alexa Chilcutt and Carl DuPont, co-authors of <...
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448 Leaders Are Human Too: How to Talk About Mental Health Without Undermining Your Authority with Melissa Doman
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—org...
447 The Octopus Organization: Why Traditional Leadership Breaks in a Complex World with Phil Le-Brun & Jana Werner
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 challe...
446 How Leaders Decide What Matters as AI Reshapes Value and Uncertainty Grows, Mahan Tavakoli interviewed by Vimi Appadoo & Akilesh Deerpalsingh
This episode offers a different lens on leadership in a time of accelerating change.In this conversation, Mahan Tavakoli is interviewed by Vimi Appadoo and Akilesh Deerpalsingh, senior leaders working closely with CEOs and executive team...
445 The Hidden Cost of Change: What Leaders Miss About Loss and Resistance with Amy Jacobson
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 Ch...
444 Thursday Refresh: Mita Mallick on The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses
What if the “panic habits” leaders default to are the very things burning out their best people? In this Partnering Leadership episode, Mita Mallick—author of The Devil Emails at Midnight—joins Mahan to unpack practical ways senior lea...
443 What Secret Service Interrogators Know About Trust That Most Leaders Miss with Brad Beeler
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 spea...
442 The Soul of Strategy: Why Healing Our Leadership is the Next Frontier of Capitalism with Raj Sisodia
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 m...
441 The AI Ultimatum: What Leaders Must Decide Now with Steve Brown
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 leade...
440 The Four Forces of Growth: How to Stop Fixing Problems and Start Scaling Again with Kevin Lawrence
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 lo...
439 Thursday Refresh: Alfredo De Massis on Designing What Lasts: How Great Leaders Reimagine Ownership, Innovation, and Legacy
What does it take to build something that lasts—not just for years, but across generations? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Alfredo De Massis, a globally recognized expert on family enterprise and ...
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438 Hope Is the Strategy: What It Means to Lead When You Don’t Have All the Answers with Jen Fisher
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 Deloitt...
437 If AI Keeps Getting Smarter, What’s the Leader’s Real Job Now and Where Human Judgment Still Matters with Andrea Iorio
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,...
436 Closing the Courage Gap: How Leaders Act Bravely in Uncertain Times with Margie Warrell
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 cou...
435 Love as a Change Strategy: Why Most Change Efforts Fail and What Builds Real Commitment with Mohammad F. Anwar
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 leade...
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434 Thursday Refresh: Greg Shove on Leading Through AI
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Greg Shove, CEO of Section and a serial entrepreneur with a deep track record of leading transformative growth. Shove’s leadership journey includes multiple successf...
433 Negotiating Without Games: The Four Levers That Create Trust and Higher Deal Value With Todd Caponi
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 increasing...
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432 Leading in a BANI World: Making Sense of Chaos with Bob Johansen and Jamais Cascio
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
431 What It Takes to Lead When the Rules Keep Changing: Strategy, Identity, and the Real Work of Transformation with Louisa Loran
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 ...
430 Unwavering Teams: How Leaders Reduce Friction and Build Trust That Lasts with Eric Termuende
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, for a grounded conversation about what ac...
429 Why Self-Awareness Is a CEO’s Real Competitive Edge: Lessons from Les Csorba, Author of Aware
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, ...
428 Thursday Refresh: Dr. Bernard Harris, Embracing Infinite Possibilities
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dr. Bernard Harris, a leader whose extraordinary career trajectory—from physician to NASA astronaut to CEO and venture capitalist—offers rare insights into the inner ...
427 [BEST OF] David Ross on Confronting the Storm - Leadership, Hope, and Navigating Wicked Problems in the Age of Uncertainty
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, U...
