What separates truly exceptional leaders from the rest? According to Kurt Strovink, it’s not just strategy, execution, or decision-making—it’s the ability to lead from within. As a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and a global advisor to CEOs, Kurt has spent decades studying the patterns of the most successful executives. In his latest book, The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out, he reveals what the best leaders do differently and why self-awareness is at the core of transformative leadership.

In this insightful conversation, Kurt unpacks the critical contradictions every CEO must navigate—balancing short-term and long-term priorities, managing gut instincts with data-driven analysis, and fostering trust while making tough calls. He also explores the human-centric aspects of leadership, showing why the most effective CEOs focus not just on financial performance but on culture, dissent, and psychological safety to drive long-term success.

Mahan Tavakoli and Kurt also discuss practical frameworks for leadership development, including how CEOs can create cultures that encourage truth-telling, manage their energy instead of just their time, and make bold decisions that define their legacies. Drawing on insights from 500+ CEO forums and top leaders worldwide, Kurt shares the strategies that help executives avoid common pitfalls and unlock their full leadership potential.

Actionable Takeaways from This Episode

• You'll learn why leading others starts with leading yourself—and how the best CEOs develop self-awareness as a core leadership skill.
• Hear how top leaders institutionalize truth-telling and dissent within their organizations to avoid blind spots and drive better decision-making.
• Find out why managing energy is just as important as managing time—and how CEOs structure their schedules for peak performance.
• Discover how to make bold, differentiating moves early in your leadership tenure to set the tone for lasting impact.
• Learn why the most effective CEOs challenge their own organizations like an activist investor, forcing teams to rethink assumptions and drive transformation.
• Explore the power of leadership storytelling—how CEOs use analogies and language to shape culture and inspire action.
• Uncover strategies for navigating the inevitable contradictions of leadership—short-term vs. long-term, data vs. intuition, and control vs. delegation.
• Hear how great CEOs build leadership factories, ensuring a pipeline of strong leaders while avoiding the distractions of succession politics.
• Understand why the best leaders don’t just execute strategy—they create the conditions for others to thrive and innovate.
• Find out when it’s time to step away and transition leadership—and how great CEOs prepare for what’s next.

Connect with Kurt Strovink

Kurt Strovink LinkedIn 

Kurt Strovink McKinsey & Company 

The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out 

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn

Partnering Leadership Website