Partnering Leadership

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Minal Bopaiah. Minal is the founder of Brevity & Wit, a strategy and design firm that helps organizations achieve the change they wish to see in the world through a unique approach that combines human-centered design, behavior change science, and the principles of inclusion diversity, equity, and accessibility. Minal Bopaiah discusses her book Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives and shares frameworks and approaches for leading a more equitable organization.

Some highlights:

- Minal Bopaiah on the tie-in between implicit bias and systemic issues faced in tackling inequity.  

- How our biases impact algorithms, including those used by human resource departments for recruiting and hiring.  

- Minal Bopaiah on the difference between equity and equality.

- The role that design thinking can play in greater equity in organizations. 

- How leaders can redesign systems to ensure greater equity.  

Mentioned:

- Rajan Patel – Co-founder, CEO at Dent Education

- Dan Heath and Chip Heath – Authors, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.

- Johnnetta Betsch Cole – Author, Racism in American Public Life.

- Valarie Kaur – Author, See No Stranger

- Karen Armstrong – Author, The Spiral Staircase

- Partnering Leadership Podcast Conversation with Howard Ross – Author, Everyday Bias

Connect with Minal Bopaiah:

Brevity & Wit on Instagram

Minal Bopaiah on Instagram

Brevity and Wit on Twitter

Minal Bopaiah on Twitter

Minal Bopaiah on LinkedIn

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Jon Levy, behavioral scientist and author of the book You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence. Jon Levy shares how we can build stronger and more trusting relationships and how leaders can use the science of connection to increase team trust and engagement.   

Some highlights:

-Jon Levy's interest in building community and relationships

-Jon Levy talks about culture and psychological safety as essential keys to increasing connection in organizations.

-Leading with Benevolence

-Vulnerability loops as a way to build trust

-Jon Levy's Influencer Dinners and the science behind attracting Noble Prize winners, Olympic athletes, business leaders, artists, and royalty.   

-The Ikea Effect and how to use it to build trust and greater connection.  

-The mere exposure effect and its role in team collaboration. 

Also mentioned in this episode:

-Kent Grayson, associate professor at  Kellogg School  and the faculty director of The Trust Project

Books by Jon Levy:

You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence by Jon Levy

Book Recommendations:
Thinking Fast and Slow by Dan Kahneman

Predictably Irrational by Dr. Dan Ariely

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Dream Team by Shane Snow

Connect with Jon Levy:

Jon Levy Official Website

Jon Levy on LinkedIn

Jon Levy on Instagram

Jon Levy on Facebook

Jon Levy on Twitter

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Barbara Davis Blum, one of the founders of Leadership Greater Washington and president of BDB Investment Partnership, shares stories from her early life and how it shaped her to become the resilient, feminist leader that she came to be. Barbara Davis Blum shared her journey as a pioneering female leader in government, business and the community.  

Some highlights:

-Barbara Davis Blum's early life and her father's community involvement

-The impact of Barbara Davis Blum’s first divorce.

-Barbara's passion for the environment and saving the Chattahoochee River

-Diving into politics and coming to Washington DC

-How Barbara Davis Blum negotiated her role as Deputy Administrator of the EPA in the Carter administration

-On recognizing failure in handling the Love Canal tragedy

-How her second divorce prompted her to start a career in banking and eventually lead a woman-owned bank

-On supporting women’s leadership at the Greater Washington Board of Trade

-On founding Leadership Greater Washington with diversity as a core value

Mentioned:

-Steve Harlan, founder of Harlan Enterprises LLC ( Listen to Steve Harlan's Partnering Leadership podcast episode here)

-Andrew "Andy" Young, former Congressman from Georgia and 55th Mayor of Atlanta

-Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President

-Lester Maddox, former Governor of Georgia

-Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale, 42nd U.S. Vice President

-Leo M. Bernstein, investor and banker

-Abigail Adams, former First Lady of the United States

-John Tydings, former Greater Washington Board of Trade President

-Julia M. Walsh, the first woman to serve as president of the Greater Washington Board of Trade

-Betty Friedan, feminist activist and author of The Feminine Mystique

Connect with Barbara Davis Blum:

Barbara Davis Blum on LinkedIn

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

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 times. John Kotter talks about the struggles leaders and teams face when it comes to change and how to transform organizations to adapt to change effectively and rapidly.

Some highlights:

-John Kotter on the role of human nature on our resistance to change

-The essential components for initiating change in the organization

-Understanding the Survive and Thrive mode and how it impacts our ability to change

-The power of Guiding Coalition to help bring expertise, energy, and perspective across the organization

-The difference between management and leadership

Also mentioned in this episode:

Kelly King, Chairman, and CEO of Truist Financial

Book by John Kotter:

Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile Times

Connect with John Kotter:

John Kotter - Kotter International Inc

John Kotter on LinkedIn

John Kotter on Facebook

John Kotter on Twitter

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli celebrates 100 podcast episodes by going back to the core of it all: purpose-driven leadership. Mahan shares why purpose is becoming an overused buzzword, gives examples of organizations not living up to their purpose, and how we can become genuinely purpose-driven leaders.  

Some highlights:

-Mahan celebrates you, the purpose-driven audience of the Partnering Leadership podcast, in helping it become a top global leadership podcast. 

- 100 episodes of conversations with regional Greater Washington DMV changemakers and global thought leaders 

- Why purpose statements can sometimes be meaningless

- Examples of companies acting in ways not aligned with their purpose.

- Defining purpose-driven leadership

- Critical factors driving purpose-driven organizations and leaders. 

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources are available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Ann Hiatt, Leadership Strategist & Consultant and Author of the book Bet on Yourself. Ann Hiatt shared the many lessons she learned while working alongside the world's top tech CEOs—Google's Eric Schmidt, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Yahoo's Marissa Meyer. In addition to the story of her reinvention, Ann Hiatt shared common practices and approaches of these and other top-performing leaders.  

Some highlights:

- Ann Hiatt on how she ended up working at Amazon and supporting Jeff Bezos

- How Ann Hiatt handled the crisis when the helicopter she booked for Jeff Bezos ended up crashing

- The leadership models, habits, thought processes Ann Hiatt learned from working closely with Jezz Bezos and Eric Schmidt

- Ann Hiatt on how to hire people who are value-aligned and a good culture fit for your company

- Why you should and how you can Bet on Yourself.

 Also mentioned in this episode:

-Jeff Bezos, Founder and Executive Chairman of Amazon

-Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google

-Andy Jassy, President and CEO of Amazon

-John Doerr, Venture Capitalist at Kleiner Perkins, an early investor in companies including Amazon & Google, and OKR advocate

Book Recommendations:

Bet on Yourself by Ann Hiatt

Measure What Matters by John Doerr

Connect with Ann Hiatt:

Bet on Yourself Website

Ann Hiatt on LinkedIn

Ann Hiatt on Twitter

Ann Hiatt on Instagram

Ann Hiatt on Facebook

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Richard Bynum, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at PNC, shares the many leadership lessons he learned while at the American Red Cross and in his various roles at PNC. Richard Bynum also shares why and how he intends to have an impact on reducing systemic inequities by leading the implementation of PNC’s Community Benefits Plan through which the company will provide at least $88 billion in loans, investments, and other financial support to benefit low- and moderate-income individuals and communities, people and communities of color, and other underserved individuals and communities.

Some highlights:

-How moving cities while growing up impacted Richard Bynum’s outlook on diversity.

- Richard Bynum on the lessons he learned while at the Red Cross, including on 9/11.

- A painful lesson Richard Bynum learned as a young manager.

- Richard on the need to balance trust and expectations as a leader.

- PNC’s $1 billion effort to help end systemic racism and support economic empowerment for Black Americans

- What Richard Bynum’s hobby in genealogy has taught him about himself, his family, and the privileges Americans have today.

Mentioned in this episode:

-Michael N. Harreld, former Regional President of PNC Bank, Greater Washington, D.C. Area

-D. Jermaine Johnson, Regional President for PNC Bank, Greater Washington, and Virginia

-William “Bill” S. Demchak, CEO of PNC Financial Services

-Eddie Meyers, Regional President of PNC Bank Georgia

Connect with Richard Bynum:

Richard Bynum on LinkedIn

Richard Bynum on Twitter

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources are available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Michele Wucker, author of The Gray Rhino and You Are What You Risk, explains the origin of the concept of gray rhino and how to use it to improve decision making. Michelle Wucker also shares how to spot a gray rhino and strategies for dealing with grey rhinos by applying her 5-stage framework. Michele also goes into the logic behind risk-taking and the necessity of understanding and assessing risk better as individuals and organizations based on her new book, You Are What You Risk.   

Some highlights:

-How the financial crises in Argentina and Greece inspired The Gray Rhino

- Two very different yet essential concepts in understanding and assessing risk: How a Gray Rhino differs from a Black Swan

- The 5-stage framework when dealing with a gray rhino

- Why The Gray Rhino was more successful in China than in the U.S. and how it inspired Michele Wucker’s book, You Are What You Risk.

- What a Risk Fingerprint is and how you can gain a better understanding of yourself and others through the risk fingerprint 

- Annie Edson Taylor’s story and the impact of a risk profile on decision making

- The Gray Rhinos of today: Inequality, Financial Fragilities, and Climate Change

Mentioned in this episode:

-Nassim Nicholas Taleb, essayist, and author of The Black Swan

-Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, psychiatrist and author

-Geoff Trickey, managing director at Psychological Consultancy

-Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel

-Lisa MacCallum, founder of Inspired Companies


Book Recommendations:
The Gray Rhino by Michele Wucker

You Are What You Risk by Michele Wucker

Connect with Michele Wucker:

The Gray Rhino Website

Michele Wucker’s Website

Michele Wucker on Twitter

Michele Wucker on LinkedIn

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, David Rubenstein, co-founder & co-chairman of Carlyle Group & President of the Economic Club of Washington DC, shares his journey from working at the White House to starting one of the largest private equity investment firms globally. He also talks about his leadership lessons, philanthropy, Peer-to-Peer interviewing for the Economic Club of Washington DC and Bloomberg TV, and the legacy he plans to leave behind. 

Some highlights:

- David Rubenstein’s childhood and how he became an avid reader

- David’s experience at the White House working for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter

- The story behind David Rubenstein helping co-found the Carlyle Group

- On becoming Carlyle Group’s fundraiser and how David increased its visibility 

- David Rubenstein’s leadership practices and values

- ‘Patriotic Philanthropy’ and David Rubenstein’s signing of the giving pledge

- David Rubenstein on the value of family and the importance of raising successful children

- Why David Rubenstein accepted to become the President of The Economic Club of Washington DC and then decided to change the format. 

- Becoming a Peer-to-Peer interviewer: on self-deprecating humor, being a good listener, and more

- Leadership lessons from David Rubenstein’s book, How to Lead

- On his passion for capturing the ‘American experiment’ and his opinion on America today

- David Rubenstein’s desire for impact as he ‘sprints’ to leave a legacy 

- Why David Rubenstein reads over 100 books a year and encourages others to read more

- On moving forward post-COVID with ongoing transformation and change

Mentioned in this episode:

-Ted Sorensen, lawyer, and advisor to former President John F. Kennedy

-Birch Bayh, former senator

-Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President

-Alfred E. Kahn, economic advisor

-William E. Simon, businessman, philanthropist, and 63rd United States Secretary of the Treasury

-James Baker III, former United States Secretary of State

-George H. W. Bush, 41st U.S. President

-Frank Carlucci, former U.S. Secretary of Defense

-John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady of the United States

-Vernon Jordan, business executive, and civil rights activist

-Oprah Winfrey, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist

-Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

-Indra Nooyi, CEO of of Pepsico

-Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft

-Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

-Marc Andreessen, entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer

-Andrew Grove, businessman, engineer, and former CEO of Intel Corporation

Book Recommendations:
-Patriots of Two Nations by Spencer Critchley

-How to Lead by David Rubenstein

Connect with David Rubenstein:

David Rubenstein Website

The Carlyle Group Website

The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer

The Economic Club of Washington D.C. Website

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources are available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Mark Johnson, co-founder and senior partner at Innosight. Innosight is a growth strategy consulting firm focused on helping leaders design and create the future instead of being disrupted. Mark Johnson focuses on growth strategy and disruptive transformation and has authored many books, including his latest, Lead from the Future. In this conversation, Mark Johnson discusses steps leaders can take to help their teams think more clearly, creatively, and expansively in guiding the organization through ongoing disruption. 

Some highlights:

-Mark Johnson talks about the importance of focusing time on future-back thinking.  

-Mark discusses why facts and data are not as helpful in a future-back thinking approach.  

-The present-forward fallacy and how to overcome it.

-How leaders can get their teams to rally around a clear vision of the future.

-Mark Johnson on the importance of becoming more narrative-oriented in communicating a vision of the future.  

Mentioned:

-Clayton Christiansen, Harvard Business School professor, author, and Co-founder of Innosight

-Dr. Bob Johansen, author and a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley (Listen to Dr. Bob Johansen's Partnering Leadership episode here)

-Admiral Jim Stavridis author 2034

Book Recommendation:
Lead from the Future by Mark Johnson and Josh Suskewicz

Connect with Mark Johnson:

Mark Johnson on LinkedIn

Mark Johnson on Innosight

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

MahanTavakoli.com

More information and resources available at the Partnering Leadership Podcast website: 

PartneringLeadership.com

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website 

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn 

Partnering Leadership Website