Partnering Leadership

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most often—each linked below to my conversation with th...

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most often—each linked below to my conversation with th...

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most often—each linked below to my conversation with th...

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most often—each linked below to my conversation with th...

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most often—each linked below to my conversation with th...

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most often—each linked below to my conversation with th...

In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership , Mahan Tavakoli is joined by David Espindola, a futurist and strategic advisor with deep expertise in technology, AI, and leadership. As the author of The Exponential Era and Soulful , Espindola brings a unique lens to the conversation—one that blends exponential technology insight with a deep understanding of human-centered leadership. His back...

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 work of leadership. Dr. Harris is the first African American to walk in space, and the author of Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go of Fear to Find Your H...

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 successful pivots, and in this conversation, he brings a uniquely grounded perspective on how AI is fundamentally changing the role of leaders and the structure of modern o...

In this insightful episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a deep and inspiring conversation with Simon T. Bailey, a renowned speaker, leadership expert, and author of Resilience@Work: How to Coach Yourself Into a Thriving Future. Simon is best known for his work on personal and professional brilliance, with a focus on resilience—key themes that he passionately expl...

What if your employees appear engaged, but aren’t truly committed? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dave Garrison, an experienced CEO, board member, and author of The Buy-In Advantage: Why Employees Stop Caring and How Great Leaders Inspire Commitment . Drawing on his work with companies like Ameritrade and his experience advising leaders across sectors, Dave ex...

What happens when even the most powerful leaders pull every lever they’ve been taught to use—bonuses, metrics, training—and nothing changes? That’s the question that set Mike Mears, former CIA Chief of Human Capital, on a mission to rethink leadership from the inside out. In this episode of Partnering Leadership , Mike joins Mahan Tavakoli to share deeply practical insights on why traditional lead...

In this timely and compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli welcomes back Rich Diviney, retired Navy SEAL Commander and bestselling author of The Attributes . This conversation focuses on Rich’s latest book, Mastering Uncertainty , and delivers insights highly relevant to leaders navigating today’s volatile, complex environment. With more than 20 years of experience in the SEAL...

In this compelling episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, Mark Schaefer returns to share fresh, provocative insights from his latest book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World . A globally respected marketing strategist, bestselling author, and deep observer of technological change, Schaefer brings sharp clarity to a pressing leadership question: what does it take to stay rele...

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...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Jim Detert, John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and author of Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work . In this conversation, Jim Detert shares how we can become more courageous by developing our courage capabilities. Jim Detert als...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership , Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Laura Hamill, organizational psychologist, startup co-founder, and author of The Power of Culture . Laura shares how her early experiences and leadership journey at Microsoft shaped her passion for understanding the hidden forces that drive organizational behavior and business outcomes. Laura emphasizes that culture is not a bra...

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 author of The Family Business Book: A Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Families to Prosper Across Generations . As one of the most cited scholars in the field and a trus...

What if the greatest risk to your organization isn't economic uncertainty, market volatility, or disruptive technology—but the decisions being made in your own boardroom? In this episode of Partnering Leadership , Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Didier Cossin, IMD professor and global expert in board governance, whose book High Performance Boards has become a must-read for senior leaders looking t...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership , Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Greg Bennick, keynote speaker, humanitarian, and author of Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now . Greg shares how his upbringing in a small Connecticut town with nontraditional parents helped shape his views on purpose, disruption, and transformation. Through vivid personal stories—including a near-death ex...

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 powe...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership , Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Rajeev Kapur, a seasoned technology executive, AI innovator, and author of AI Made Simple . With decades of leadership experience, including his time as CEO of a leading B2B marketing and media technology company, Rajeev shares invaluable insights on how generative AI is reshaping business, leadership, and decision-making. Leade...

In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Barbara Kellerman, a renowned expert in leadership, Harvard Kennedy School Professor, and a prolific author. Kellerman's latest book, Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers, serves as the focal point of this discussion. With decades of research and a uniq...

What can today’s executives and business leaders learn from a ruler who lived 2,500 years ago? As it turns out, quite a lot. In this episode of Partnering Leadership , host Mahan Tavakoli welcomes Darius Lahoutifard, a seasoned entrepreneur, leadership expert, and the author of Leadership by Cyrus the Great: Unlocking Xenophon’s Cyropaedia . Drawing on the remarkable leadership legacy of Cyrus the...

In today’s fast-changing world, leaders are expected to navigate complexity, make high-stakes decisions, and provide clarity—even when certainty is impossible. But how can leaders embrace ambiguity without losing their strategic edge? In this episode of Partnering Leadership , host Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Jennifer Garvey Berger, a world-renowned leadership expert and the author of Changing o...