I had the honor of interviewing Robin McIntosh, co-founder & CEO of Avela Health and co-founder and Chair of Workit Health. We talked about the overlap between parenting and management, the limits and opportunities of authenticity in the workplace, and how managers can overcome avoidance to give clear and connected feedback.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Eve Ekman, a Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, alongside Dr. Elida Bautista, the Chief Diversity Officer at Haas. We talked about how and why emotions work the way that they do, and what we can do to uncover them. Dr. Eve Ekman's work, alongside her father Dr. Paul Ekman, contributed to the development of Pixar's Inside Out Characters.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Tom Insel, former Director of the National Institute for Mental Health on our podcast. Alongside Executive Coach and MD Candidate, Fayzan Rab, we talked about how leaders can better manage fear, why social support plays such a big role, and the power of reinvention and therefore leadership.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

This episode features a conversation with Sherice Torres, CMO of ChargePoint and former executive at Google and Facebook. The gem we’re keeping with us for the road is two-fold: Sherice’s journey from rigid professionalism to authentic leadership, and her approach to embracing fear. Drawing from her experiences as one of the few Black women in C-suite positions, Sherice shares how embracing her true self actually propelled her career forward. She emphasizes the importance of clarity in leadership, coaching to people’s superpowers, and the power of vulnerability in building trust. Sherice’s insights on giving feedback, managing self-doubt, and the value of mindfulness practices offer a roadmap for aspiring leaders navigating their own paths to authentic leadership.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

This episode features a conversation with Hector Mujica, Head of Economic Opportunity for Google.Org. It’s a co-facilitated by Brendan Chan, a doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The gem we’re keeping with us for the road is two-fold; Hector actively seeks out experiences and viewpoints that challenge his own, whether through reading diverse authors, engaging with think tanks of different political leanings, or serving on community boards. This approach, rooted in his immigrant family background that emphasized community service, allows him to continually learn and grow as a leader. Hector emphasizes the importance of adaptability, empathy, and awareness in leadership, while also reframing feedback and conflict as opportunities for growth.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

This episode features Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17). Above and beyond, his most powerful gem is that he is always learning. He is reading books on topics he doesn’t understand, asking questions to everyone, and seeking to absorb the best of what each person around him offers. This is made possible by a commitment to staying humble — which allows for him to seek the truth, and trust that everyone may have a different slice of it.

I hope you enjoy this conversation, and in full transparency, I spent nearly six years working for him.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

Our second episode features a conversation with Cat. Most recently the CTO of Flatiron Health, she led a team of over 400 software engineers, security, and data science team members.

The gem that I’m taking with me after my conversation with Cat was the power of humility. I see that as the singular thread between the insights she was revealing; she listens well, she empathizes powerfully, and she’s always trying to learn.

I hope you enjoy this show. As always, if you like what you’re listening to — like, follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

Our first episode features a conversation with Nitin Nohria. Nohria served as the tenth dean of Harvard Business School from 2010-2020. and currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Thrive Capital.

The gem that I’m taking with me after my conversation with Dean Norhia left me with was the power of generosity. There are many aspects to his leadership style, and his reflection worth noting, but no theme is more recurrent than his commitment to be in true service of others.

Hope you enjoy this show. As always, if you like what you’re listening to — like, follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).

Just about every leader has a secret philosophy that they live by — one that helps them navigate the chaos of the moment, provide clarity and encouragement to their teams, and leave a mark on the world around them.

What is that secret? That's what I'm on a journey to find. We'll be speaking with business leaders, academic leaders, politicians, athletes, and teachers. And we'll ask them what they've learned along their journey that they might pass on.

I've always loved asking questions to people in my life. Now, I just get to share it with the world. If you have questions, suggestions, or ideas for guests, you can reach me, Tarun Galagali, directly at [email protected].

This podcast is brought to you by Mandala for Us Inc. (www.mandalaforus.com).