Partnering Leadership

In this Partnering Leadership episode, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Amri B. Johnson, inclusion strategist and author of Reconstructing Inclusion: Making DEI Accessible, Actionable, and Sustainable. In the conversation, Amri Johnson emphasizes the need for a more inclusive view of diversity that goes beyond marginalized groups and includes everyone. Amri also explores the concept of meritocracy and h...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Peter Scott, Futurist & Founder of Next Wave Institute and author of Artificial Intelligence and You: What AI Means for Your Life, Your Work, and Your World. In the conversation, Peter Scott shares his insights on the impact of AI on our lives and organizations, emphasizing the need for leaders to understand and navigate this...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Paul Smith, business storytelling coach and bestselling author of Lead with A Story, Sell with A Story, and The 10 Stories. In this episode, Paul Smith shares how leaders can use storytelling as a powerful business tool. Paul Smith also shared specific stories leaders need to tell to improve the clarity of their communications an...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Will Bachman, host of the Unleashed Podcast, interviews Mahan Tavakoli. Will Bachman is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Umbrex, a global community for top-tier management consultants. During the interview, Mahan Tavakoli discusses his work with CEOs and leadership teams, providing insightful examples of his strategies for fostering team collaboratio...

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 Eric Lamarre, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and co-author of the book Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI. Eric Lamarre shares his fascinating journey from engineering and oceanography to becoming an expert in data, analytics, and AI as a consultant for McKinsey. He discusses the...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Seth Early, CEO & Founder at Earley Information Science and Award Winning Author of The AI-Powered Enterprise. In the discussion, Seth Earley, an expert in knowledge strategy and artificial intelligence, emphasizes the crucial role of understanding processes and use cases in successfully integrating AI tools within organiza...

In today's episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan speaks with Whitney Johnson. Whitney is the CEO of Disruption Advisors, a tech-enabled talent development company. She also co-founded Disruptive Innovation Fund with Clayton Christensen,  is the host of the Disrupt Yourself podcast, and is the author of the book Smart Growth: How To Grow Your People To Grow Your Company. Whitney Johnson talk...

Retired US Navy Admiral Kyle Cozak shares his inspiring journey of resilience and leadership in this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast. From his upbringing in Las Vegas to his life-altering accident, Admiral Cozak's story is a testament to the power of trust, positive thinking, and determination. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication, trust, and relatability in leader...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a thought-provoking discussion with John Smart, a globally renowned futurist, foresight consultant, and successful entrepreneur. As the author of Introduction to Foresight, Executive Edition: Personal, Team, and Organizational Adaptiveness, John Smart shares valuable insights on the criticality of foresight and adaptiveness in the...

In this engaging episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, host Mahan Tavakoli engages in an insightful conversation with Paul Daugherty, the group chief executive of technology and chief technology officer at Accenture. During the episode, Paul Daugherty emphasizes the criticality of adopting a technology-focused mindset and embracing constant reinvention and agility in the face of evolving t...

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 bia...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Rich Diviney, author of The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL commander with 20+ years of experience as a Navy SEAL Officer, having completed more than thirteen overseas deployments, including serving as the officer in charge of training for a specialized command. During his...

Partnering Leadership conversation between Mahan Tavakoli and Tom Taulli focuses on applying artificial intelligence (AI) in leading teams and organizations. Tom Taulli is a technology investor, advisor, and author of Artificial Intelligence Basics and a brand new book, Generative AI: How ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Will Revolutionize Business. Mahan begins the conversation by talking about the fiv...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Lee Benson, Founder of Execute to Win (ETW) and author of Your Most Important Number: Increase Collaboration, Achieve Your Strategy, and Execute to Win. In the conversation, Lee Benson shares his origin story, from his early days as a musician to his rise as a successful CEO, and the inspiration that led him to start ETW. Lee the...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Professor Ajay Agrawal, the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Ajay Agrawal is also the founder of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a not-for-profit program for early-stage, science-based companies, and...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Lily Zheng, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategist and Consultant. Lily Zheng is also the author of DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right. In the conversation, Lily Zheng talked about their upbringing, education, and how it influenced their perspective on race and inequality. Next, L...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Paul Roetzer, Founder & CEO of the Marketing AI Institute and Co-Author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing, and the Future of Business. After sharing his origin story, Paul shares why he became fascinated with AI in 2011 as a marketing agency owner. Next, Paul Roetzer explains how his curiosity led him to loo...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with John Kotter, professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, co-founder of a management consulting firm Kotter International and a pioneer in organizational change. John Kotter is the author of 22 books on change, including his most recent book, Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile ti...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli first shares some of his perspectives on the transformation organizations and leaders will face due to advancements in artificial intelligence. Then Mahan welcomes Tom Taulli, AI author, investor, and advisor, to discuss the letter asking for a pause on the development of generative AI, the potential disruptive impact of generative AI, and t...

In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Edward D. Hess. Ed Hess is a Professor Emeritus of Business Administration at the Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia. Ed Hess is the author of 15 books, including OWN YOUR WORK JOURNEY: The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change. In the conversation, Ed He...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Yuval Atsman, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. In the conversation, Yuval Atsman discusses the difference between good strategies and why many organizations have lousy strategies. Yuval Atsmon goes on to share why CEOs and executives must embrace and experiment with AI to improve decision-making in the strategic planning...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice in General Management at the Harvard Business School and co-lead of HBS's Managing the Future of Work initiative. In the conversation, Professor Fuller addressed the shifting nature of work and how organizations can attract, retain, and improve the productivity of their human a...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Carolyn Dewar. Carolyn is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, McKinsey's Global Practice Leader for CEO & Board Excellence, and co-author of the book CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest. In the conversation, Carolyn Dewar shared how the authors identified the world&apo...

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli reflects on the impact of the accelerating speed of change due to artificial intelligence hitting the inflection point of its exponential curve. To discuss the latest in AI and how the developments will impact organizations, Mahan speaks with Tom Tulley, author of Artificial Intelligence Basics, who is also an investor and advisor to AI comp...