The Black Belt in Leadership

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, host Aslak de Silva and AI expert Edgar Perez delve into why artificial intelligence is reshaping the business landscape, much like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu revolutionized MMA. BJJ became essential for success because it introduced a completely new dimension to the fight, forcing athletes to adapt or lose. Similarly, AI is changing the game for businesse...

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, we sit down with Guðrún Snorradóttir, an executive coach with a background in applied positive psychology and a passion for future-focused leadership. Drawing parallels between martial arts and leadership, we explore topics like building resilience under pressure, mastering emotional intelligence, leveraging strengths, and developing perseverance in...

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, host Aslak de Silva welcomes Jason Shupp, the experienced leader of Ferguson Roofing and host of the From There to Here podcast, for a deep dive into the journey of leadership growth. Using the martial arts belt system as a metaphor, they explore how leaders progress from the early days of the "white belt" stage, where fundamentals are formed, throu...

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak de Silva is joined by Anna Kuusela (M.Sc. (Econ), ICF Executive Coach, Ex-Big4, and former ballerina), the founder and CEO of EDGE Leadership. Anna specializes in transforming the most influential leaders and leadership teams through creative insight, emotional intelligence, and relational mastery. Drawing on her experiences as a former ballet...

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership podcast, host Aslak de Silva is joined by Dr. Elisabet Lahti, an expert in inner strength and the Finnish concept of sisu. They explore how sisu—a unique blend of determination, grit, and resilience in the face of adversity—can be applied to leadership challenges. Drawing from her research and personal endurance feats, Dr. Lahti shares practical insi...

In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership podcast, host Aslak de Silva sits down with executive coach and author Ritu G. Mehrish to dive deep into the concept of Leaders Block—a phenomenon where even the most seasoned leaders can feel stuck, uninspired, or disconnected from their purpose. Drawing parallels to martial arts, where practitioners often face physical and mental plateaus, Aslak an...

In this episode of the Black Belt in Leadership podcast, host Aslak de Silva sits down with Feras Alhlou, a seasoned entrepreneur, business strategist, and co-founder of E-Nor, a leading digital analytics consultancy that he successfully led to an acquisition by Dentsu, one of the world’s largest advertising and digital marketing agencies. With a proven track record of sparring with entrepreneurs...

In this episode of "The Black Belt in Leadership," we sit down with Alf Rehn, a professor of innovation, design, and management, to explore the paradoxes and complexities of modern leadership. We delve into how leaders can effectively balance being both strong visionaries and supportive team players, how to navigate the fine line between decisiveness and empathy, and the importance of embracing co...

In this episode I will tell my own background and how did I get into martial arts. Sharing 4 core lessons I have learned and wrote about as a co-authoer of the book Winner's Mindset: Peak Performance Strategies for Success. Starting from doing things right and finding your do and purpose. Sharing a real-life examples about using feedback from my daughter to be better as a webinar presenter and in...