Partnering Leadership

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 and motivate their teams.   Some highlights:-Paul Smith on why many leaders are not good at telling stories-Defining a story and what makes a good story-Paul Smith on clarity of communication objectives-Understanding the process of compelling storytelling-What leaders can do to influence their organization through storytelling-Paul Smith on the importance of storytelling skills-How you can turn a good story into a great one Connect with Paul Smith:Lead With A Story WebsiteLead With A Story on AmazonThe 10 Stories on AmazonSell With A Story on AmazonPaul Smith on FacebookPaul Smith on InstagramPaul Smith on YouTubePaul Smith on TwitterPaul Smith on LinkedInConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 collaboration and alignment to execute organizational strategy effectively. Listeners will gain valuable insights into Mahan Tavakoli's journey as a leadership coach and consultant, from his early days as a trainer and salesperson at Dale Carnegie to his role as the chief strategy officer. Mahan also discusses a personal decision that led him to focus his initial consulting and coaching work on the Greater Washington, D.C. DMV region.Additionally, he shares tips on how leaders can become more effective storytellers and lessons he has learned from the most successful CEOs he has worked with and interviewed for his podcast. Drawing from his experiences, Mahan highlights patterns and behaviors observed among successful leaders. Whether you want to enhance your content strategy, improve your storytelling skills, or gain insights from successful CEOs, this episode is packed with valuable lessons. Discover the secrets to promoting content in a noisy world and reaching different audiences.Gain valuable knowledge from Mahan's experience as the chief strategy officer at Dale Carnegie Training.Learn effective storytelling techniques from recommended books and resources.Get tips on promoting a podcast and leveraging the platform's audience for maximum impact.Gain insights from interviews with CEOs and authors, including their unique perspectives on leadership.Connect with Will BachmanUmbrex Unleashed Podcast Will Bachman on LinkedIn ReferencedPartnering Leadership Conversation with Mark Schaefer on the Power of CommunityConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 power of humility. Emphasizing the significance of community in marketing, he explores how organizations can successfully build and nurture thriving communities. Mark also discusses the shift from traditional advertising to social media and how creating a sense of community among audiences leads to stronger emotional connections.The conversation includes compelling examples of companies effectively engaging their customers through community-building initiatives. Mahan and Mark explore the psychological bonds within a community and how these connections translate to heightened brand loyalty.Discover the leadership insights of the legendary Peter Drucker and how his ability to distill complexity can transform your approach to management.Uncover the power of community in marketing and how it can drive revenue, heal, and create a sense of purpose.Learn from real-life examples of big and small companies that have successfully built communities and generated massive success.Explore the challenges of leading a community while maintaining alignment and discover the breakthrough ideas and innovation that can arise from a thriving community.Understand how the pandemic has highlighted the importance of community in marketing and how it can serve as a powerful healing force in society.Gain insights into the importance of purpose in building a community and how involving customers or fans can create a better world together.Learn how to build a personal brand in the digital age, leveraging the power of the internet to attract a supportive audience.Understand the importance of community and purpose in building thriving communities and how they can engage loyal customers and build on each other.Gain insights into building a community and personal brand, focusing on trust and collaboration.Explore the power of creating meaningful moments and connections within a community and how it can lead to stronger emotional relationships with your audience.Uncover the overlooked value of community in brand marketing and the power of user-generated content and brand advocacy.Connect with Mark SchaeferMark Schaefer Website Mark Schaefer on LinkedIn Belonging to the Brand: Why Community Is the Last Great Marketing Strategy on AmazonConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 importance of digital transformations in organizations and the pitfalls many companies face in achieving their desired results.Throughout the episode, Eric Lamarre emphasizes the crucial role of alignment in AI and digital transformation. He highlights the need for organizations to align control functions and operational procedures to manage risk and capture value effectively. Using examples from the airline and banking industries, Eric Lamarre illustrates how failure to align these aspects can hinder the success of technological implementation in support of organizational strategy.Eric Lamarre emphasizes the importance of collaboration and coordination among teams, such as supply chain, sales, HR, finance, and risk management, to successfully implement the transformation.  Eric Lamarre then delves into the importance of business problem-solving, building and transforming IT organizations, rethinking digital strategy, and the significance of people transformation in digital transformation. Finally, Eric Lamarre provides valuable insights and practical advice for leaders on how to get started on their digital and AI transformation. Some Highlights:- Why unlocking the potential of AI and digital transformation requires alignment across all aspects of the organization, making it the ultimate corporate team sport.- Understanding the root causes of digital transformation failures and what leaders need to do to achieve their transformation goals.  - How starting with the problem and then finding the right technology solution can support successful digital transformation.- Why building a solid bench of talent within the organization is essential for successful digital transformation. - The most common reasons for the failure of digital transformation initiatives. - Why people transformation is a critical component of digital transformation and how to do it right. - How to embed technology in the organization's strategy and culture rather than treat it as a special project. - The importance of effective organizational structure and mindset to digital transformation.- The value of visiting and studying companies outside of your industry.- Why collaboration and accountability are key in digital and AI transformation. Connect with Eric LamarreEric Lamarre at McKinsey & Company Eric Lamarre on LinkedIn Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI on McKinsey.comRewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI on Amazon Additional Partnering Leadership Conversations Referenced:CEO Excellence: TConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 organizations. Seth Earley goes on to highlight why there is a need for organizations to build libraries of use cases and stresses that AI alone cannot solve complex business problems. Then Seth Earley shares why, despite AI advancements, organizing and sharing information effectively through information architecture is still essential, increasing the significance of data models and accurate data for optimal algorithm performance. Finally, Seth Earley discusses the potential dangers of generative AI, such as the proliferation of misinformation and deep fakes. However, he also highlights the productivity-enhancing potential of generative models when used in conjunction with human expertise. Some Highlights:- Discover the power of understanding processes and use cases in implementing AI tools. Learn how building libraries of use cases can impact and influence organizational processes. - Uncover the crucial role of information architecture (IA) in the age of AI. Despite advances in AI, IA is still necessary for organizing and sharing information effectively. - Understand the importance of having good enough data for AI applications. Learn how to evaluate data and determine what is valuable for solving problems and providing insights. - Explore the impact of generative AI on humans and society. Discover the potential dangers of misinformation, deep fakes, and the productivity benefits of automating specific tasks. - Understand the role of automation and human expertise in copywriting and AI. When using automated tools, discover the importance of asking the right questions and providing enough detail. - Learn why AI is not the ultimate solution for knowledge management but rather a tool in the toolkit to enhance human effectiveness. - Discover the significance of knowledge graphs and ontologies in organizing and managing organizational data. Learn how they can improve data quality, ownership, and usage. - Learn the importance of understanding the customer journey and digital body language to make informed decisions. Discover how organizing information through ontologies and knowledge graphs can create seamless experiences. - Explore the potential of AI in transforming organizations and the need to measure outcomes and communicate insights effectively. - Discover the potential consequences of not involving the business side early enough in AI initiatives. Learn the importance of a real business case and relevant data collection for successful AI projects. Connect with Seth EarleyEarley Information Science Seth Earley on LinkedIn The AI-Powered Enterprise: Harness the Power of Ontologies to Make Your Business Smarter, Faster, and More Profitable on Amazon Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 talked about the S-curve of personal, leadership, and organizational growth. Whitney also discussed creating a corporate culture that encourages continuous learning and development and leaders pursuing new S-curves of growth. Highlights:-      Why disruption is about more than products and services-      The three phases of the S-curve of growth-      Whitney Johnson on the neuroscience behind the S-curve-      How leaders can encourage growth in their organizations-      How to use S-curve as a recruiting and retention tool-      Whitney Johnson on the CEO mindset needed for growth-      How to deal with underperforming team members-      The importance of shadow values and how to use them in guiding your growth Mentioned:-      Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School professor, author, and co-founded Disruptive Innovation Fund-      Everette Rogers, originated the diffusion of innovations theory-      Juan Carlos Mendez-Garcia, co-author of Throw Your Life A Curve-      Patrick Pichette, former CFO of Google-      Sumeet Shetty, Development Manager at SAP-      Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen-      Disrupt Yourself by Whitney Johnson-      Dare, Deam, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare To Dream by Whitney Johnson-      Build an A-Team by Whitney Johnson-      The Burnout Epidemic by Jennifer Moss-      How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen Connect with Whitney Johnson:Smart Growth Book WebsiteDisrupt Yourself PodcastWhitney Johnson WebsiteWhitney Johnson TwitterWhitney Johnson InstagramWhitney Johnson LinkedIn Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 leadership and how these qualities can empower individuals to make the right decisions. Admiral Cozak's relentless positivity and unwavering belief in finding new opportunities, even in adversity, is truly inspiring. The conversation also delves into the evolution of leadership in the military, with Admiral Cozak highlighting the shift from commanding and telling people what to do to building trust and empowering individuals. Admiral Cozad shares his experiences as the 22nd senior director in the White House Situation Room, where he witnessed the importance of trust and effective decision-making. Admiral Cozak's insights on teaching leadership and cultural change in the military shed light on the challenges of instilling values and perspectives in a diverse group of recruits. Furthermore, Admiral Cozak's journey of overcoming a life-changing injury and determination to find a new purpose is remarkable. His positive mindset, support network, and belief in overcoming obstacles are lessons that can inspire anyone facing challenges in their own lives. Some Highlights:Discover the power of the commander's intent and how it can transform decision-making.Uncover the evolution of leadership in the military and the lessons learned from that transformation.Hear the inspiring story of Admiral Kyle Cozad's life-altering accident and his remarkable mindset shift.Learn about the importance of trust and open communication in leadership.Gain insights into teaching leadership and cultural change in the US military.Find out how struggles and determination at the Naval Academy shaped a leader's path.Delve into the experience of serving as the 22nd senior director in the White House Situation Room.Understand the significance of active listening and conversations in developing young leaders.Discover the role of caregivers and a positive outlook in overcoming challenges.Explore the power of relentless positivity and its impact on leadership.Connect with Admiral Kyle CozadRelentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds at The Naval Aviation Store Admiral Kyle Cozad on LinkedIn Relentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds on Amazon Partnering Leadership conversations mentionedDavid Marquet, Author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders & Leadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say--and What You Don'tConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 face of exponential change. Delving deeper, he explores the importance of building practical skills and employing techniques to enhance foresight in daily planning and review. The conversation also highlights the transformative power of networks in adapting to complex systems, emphasizing the necessity of diversity in decision-making. Finally, John Smart expertly delves into the essential skills and capabilities leaders require to navigate the challenges of complex organizations through greater uncertainty.Some highlights:- The Surprising Power of Positive Thinking and Organizing Past Experiences.- Discovering the Hidden Art of Foresight: Predicting, Steering, and Shaping the Future.- Foresight: The Journey of Learning, Seeing, Doing, and Reviewing.- Unleashing Passion: How Your 20s and 30s Can Shape a Lifelong Calling.- How to Apply the Four Steps of Foresight.- Unveiling the Rewarding Secrets to Mastering Change and Adaptation.- Supercharge Your Skills: Unleashing the Potential of Digital Tools and Human-Machine Teaming.- The Game-Changer: Diversity in Decision-Making for Unleashing Team Power.- Empathy and Ethics: The Backbone of Thriving in Networked Environments.- Leadership Secrets: When Great Leaders Transform Complexity Into Character.Connect with John SmartJohn Smart on LinkedIn The Foresight Guide Introduction to Foresight, Executive Edition: Personal, Team, and Organizational Adaptiveness Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 technologies. He highlights the importance of organizations becoming learning organizations equipped with empathetic listening capabilities to navigate the era of generative AI effectively. The conversation delves into the significance of responsible AI and data ethics within organizations utilizing AI. Paul Daugherty underscores the need for CEOs to prioritize the implementation of responsible AI, emphasizing its role in shaping the future of business and society. Additionally, the episode touches on the transformative impact of the metaverse on business operations, the integral role of data in AI, and the necessity of rescaling individuals displaced by automation. Finally, Paul Daugherty shares his predictions on the future impact of AI on organizations.Discover the untapped potential of AI. Find out why reskilling is crucial for individuals affected by automation.Uncover the origins of the digital revolution and the birth of artificial intelligence.Gain insights into the transformation of every business into a technology company, and learn why technological prowess is indispensable for successful digital transformation and total enterprise reinvention.Explore how AI can support learning within organizations.Understand the importance of placing technology at your company's core and adopting a mindset of total enterprise reinvention.Dive into the symbiotic relationship between humans and machines and unlock the potential and value that AI offers when they work together.Delve into responsible AI, establishing structured policies and tools to ensure ethical and unbiased outcomes while appropriately handling data.Discover the transformative impact of generative AI, affecting 40% of working hours across companies.Explore the metamorphosis of the metaverse and its profound influence on business operations.Embrace the concept of a Technology Quotient (TQ) as an essential addition to IQ and EQ in every company, and recognize the importance of training all employees in various technologies.Accenture Thought LeadershipAccenture Foresight App Accenture Technology Vision 2023 When Atoms Meet Bits Connect with Paul DaughertyPaul Daugherty at Accenture Paul Daugherty on LinkedInAlso Referenced:Partnering Leadership Conversation with Ajay Agrawal on Prediction Machines & Power and PredictionConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

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 bias, ethical use and transparency in deployment, and good governance and oversight. Renee Cummings also addresses the need for considering diversity, equity, and inclusion in AI development and deployment and how we can ensure that AI benefits society instead of harming it.Some highlights:- Why diversity of experience and perspective is crucial in AI- The role that data plays in AI and data as a store of both positive and negative aspects of humanity.differently, and the difference that makes in AI development and deployment- Renee Cummings on the role AI has played in law enforcement for the past 20-plus years - Why it's important to keep humans involved in the decision-making loop rather than allowing extreme decision-making autonomy for AI systems- How to design technology ethically to avoid extreme prejudice and further persecution of certain groups- Professor Renee Cummings on the many opportunities created by AI Connect with Renee CummingsRenee Cummings on LinkedIn Renee Cummings at UVA Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website