Imperfect Leaders

What if the key to better sleep, faster recovery, and long-term brain health is a trace mineral that was once in your drinking water — and quietly removed? In this episode, I sit down with Sudhir, a board-certified psychiatrist, Navy veteran, and co-founder of Third Element, to explore the surprising science behind lithium microdosing — and why it's nothing like the high-dose psychiatric treatment...

In this episode of Imperfect Leaders, host Jeff Cohn sits down with Dr. Bradley Schlaggar — physician, neuroscientist, and President and CEO of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, one of the world's premier institutions for children and young adults with disorders of the brain and nervous system. Brad's path to leadership began with a lifelong obsession with the developing brain, an MD and...

Big law is changing fast, but one thing hasn’t: the firms that win still recruit – and keep – talent better than everyone else. In this episode, John Cashman breaks down how elite law firms actually close top laterals—mindset shifts, process, culture fit, and hands‑on leadership—and why the same principles apply to any organization, in business and in sports, that depends on star performers to dri...

Some CEOs hide behind the veil of invulnerability.  Michael Paul, Ph. D., does the opposite—he believes that real leadership starts with choosing trust over armor. Michael was deeply influenced by the wisdom of  Patrick Lencioni , never choose "invulnerability over trust." As CEO of  MARAbio , he is helping build a company that knows exactly why it exists: to use maternal immune science to help er...

Professor Clay Christensen was the famous business school professor who wrote the influential book, "The Innovator's Dilemma." Clay had a brilliant mind and was a strategic advisor to CEOs across the country. Less well know, was Clay's active role as a mentor to young, up-and-coming innovators. One of those beneficiaries was today's guest, Chris Johnson, Founder & CEO of Bluebird Kid's Health....

Join us for a deeply human conversation with Amanda Lukof , founder of the groundbreaking Eleplan app and devoted caregiver to her autistic brother, Liam. In this episode, we explore how Eleplan is changing the game for families—making the chaos of care more manageable and freeing up precious time and peace of mind. But as Amanda shares, caregiving isn’t just about looking after others; it’s about...

Why do teams with neurodiverse talent often out-innovate more homogenous teams? Because solving complex problems require diversity of thought. As Steve Jobs used to say, "Think Different! " What's the catch? Leading these kinds of innovative teams isn't easy – in fact, it's very difficult. It requires 'true leadership' according to today's guest, Dr. Keivan Stassun , a MacArthur fellow, rocket sci...

Every once in a while you're lucky enough to meet a values-driven leader who has the passion, the mind, and the skills to make the world a better place. Today's guest – Chris Male – is one of those trailblazers. His firm – The Autism Impact Fund ( AIF ) – is helping to solve what many experts consider the largest public health issue of our generation -– skyrocketing autism, and other mental and be...

Dave Boehmer was one of the top executive search professionals in the entire world. At the pinnacle of his career, he suddenly left the global giant, Heidrick & Struggles. Dave had an entrepreneurial itch. He wanted to create something new. He wanted to make an even bigger impact in the world. He succeeded. His new firm – Banff Advisors – is like a Hollywood talent agent or like a concierge do...

Adrian Jones is one of the classiest, humble, and resilient leaders I have ever met. Not just at Goldman Sachs , but at any company. His son Liam – received a diagnosis of profound autism at 2 years old. As you can imagine, this crucible experience forever changed the lives of Adrian and his incredible wife, Tina. Aside from bringing immeasurable joy (and, if we're being honest lots of heartache a...

Today's guest – Brian Harper – shares how his beautiful son, Caleb, who has profound autism, taught him how to be a better CEO, a better father, a better husband, and a better human being. Brian sits at the intersection of two brutally competitive, results-oriented industries – private equity and real estate. And his new firm – 11 North Partners – invests in beautiful, open-air developments – and...

Blair Berk was a little firecracker growing up deep in the heart of Dixie. Little did she know at the time – or did she? – that she was destined to become one of the top criminal defense attorneys in the entire country. Sure, she's smart as a whip. But the real secret sauce is her social intelligence. In today's episode, find out how she developed empathy and discovered her 'true north' – those de...

I recently wrote an article called, "How Yale Law School is Becoming the Next Harvard Business School." In this article, I showcased Anastasia Boyko, who was an Assistant Dean at Yale Law School (#1 law school in the country) build one of the most inspiring leadership programs in the country - "The Tsai Leadership Program." Joe Tsai (YLS, '90) and YLS Dean Heather Gerkin must have so much pride in...

Pacaso is more than a startup that allows individuals to buy a piece of a beautiful home...it's a state of mind. Being part of the Pacaso ecosystem helps people get off the day-to-day hamster wheel and focus on more important things in life, like relationships, discovery, and self-awareness. Bringing this vision to life requires a special kind of leader...one who balances strength and vulnerabilit...

How many great business leaders – in the  entire  world – can you name who have done  any  of the following:  A) Helped pilot a rocket into space; B) Built a hot air balloon that could ascend 38,000 feet; C) Jumped off that hot air balloon at maximum height; D) Won highly competitive, off-road car races; or E) Explored the deepest depths of the ocean floor? Today's guest – Larry Connor – has done ...

"Think Different". That was the iconic tagline popularized by legendary Apple Founder, Steve Jobs. Autistic children have significant challenges – at work and at home. No doubt about it. But they also have a competitive advantage in the world of innovative leadership - they think different. Which begs the question – can autistic children develop into innovative leaders – in society and in business...

McDermott, Will & Emery is a leadership factory. They are career accelerators. This is their special sauce. It's what helps separate them from other elite, big law firms. It's why they are a talent magnet and have a unique, fun-loving, hard-working culture. Find out why firm Chair, Ira Coleman, still enjoys interviewing law students – and doesn't even get upset (in fact he gets excited) when c...

Harvard is an iconic, 387 year old institution of higher education.  And it's time for a cultural overhaul. The events of the past year – racism, antisemitism , violence on campus, the removal of its president - have thrown their imperfections into stark relief for the world to see. Today’s guest - Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana – is very open and humble about Harvard’s imperfections. But...

Coach Bruce Pearl teaches his players to be 'great receivers.' Find out in today’s podcast what this means and why it's so important.  Auburn Coach Pearl’s lessons of empathy and authenticity don't just apply in basketball – but in politics, business, and life.  Get ready for the Big Dance. www.imperfectleaders.com

U.S. Representative Dean Phillips is an innovative leader. He has drawn praise from modern day business heroes - like hedge fund icon Bill Ackman - for his willingness to shake things up - like staid industries including vodka, gelato, and most recently, U.S. politics. He even threw his hat in the ring and ran for President of the United States, even though everyone knew it was a long shot campaig...

On any given day, a casual investor can tune into CNBC and be in total awe.  Public companies are showcased and glamorized by messianic analysts in a concerted effort to push stock prices higher. But in reality, as I recently wrote , the future economy is increasingly being financed in private markets, far away from the glitz and glamor of the New York Stock Exchange. Today’s guest – Ted Bililies...

One of the best leaders in the NBA is today’s guest – Tim Connelly – General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves . Before billionaire owner Marc Lore and co-owner Alex Rodriguez lured him to Minnesota, Connelly worked side by side with Stan and Josh Kroenke and Coach Michael Malone - as the team's GM who helped the Denver Nuggets win their very first world championship. What is Tim’s secret...

The Milken Institute is a think (and action) tank - founded by legendary visionary Michael Milken - brings together brilliant people and world leaders to develop blueprints for tackling some of our planet's most critical problems including poverty, hunger, and chronic disease. Rich Ditizio is an incredible CEO who is responsible for leading this effort. He's the symphony conductor who work...

Mielle Organics - the hair care and beauty brand - is the fastest ever growing consumer startup in history of this industry - and was recently acquired by ⁠Procter & Gamble⁠ in a truly historic transaction that made headlines across the country. Yet their founders - ⁠ Monique and Melvin Rodriguez⁠ - had to overcome serious challenges most entrepreneurs can't even imagine. First of all the co-f...

What matters more to winning - superstar talent or the organization's system and culture? According to today's guest - Dave Ulrich - a world-class thought leader at the University of Michigan Business School - talent matters, but team work matters even more. The same rules apply in business and in sports - from Amazon to the Denver Nuggets . For example, why does world NBA champ Nikola Jok...