Meet The Leader

World Economic Forum

In these one-on-one conversations, host Linda Lacina interviews the world's top leaders, change-makers and experts on the solutions they're building to tackle the world's biggest challenges, the habits they can't work without, and their lessons learned, all from the World Economic Forum

Play

Open in

22 episodes
weekly
Avg 27 min
English

Episodes 22

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S1 · E215
Monday · 18 min
Be less reactive: A Buddhist monk on how mindful leaders make better decisions
In a fast-moving world, the ability to pause and reflect gives leaders a valuable edge: the clarity to make better decisions, sidestep conflict and know when to pivot or keep going. Shogun Mahadumrongkul is the founder of incubator Avant Labs and a three-time ordained Buddhist monk. He believes in leadership informed by mindfulness and compassion. In this conversation, he shares practical lessons from Zen Buddhism and meditation that apply directly to modern leadership, from adopting a "beginner's mind" and managing ego to separating signal from noise. You'll learn: How pausing before reacting can improve emotional regulation and conflict management Why a beginner's mindset can make leaders more adaptable How mindfulness can help you focus, make clearer decisions and recognize when it's time to change course Shogun also explores moral leadership, why values matter in the age of AI, and his belief in playing the long-term game rather than chasing short-term gains. Subscribe to Meet The Leader for more conversations on leadership, decision-making, AI and the ideas changing how we work. About this episode: Avant Labs: https://www.avantlabs.tech/ Zenful Institute: https://zenfulinstitute.com/ About Global Shapers: Global Shapers 2024 -2025 Annual Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-shapers-community-annual-report-2024-2025/ Read - Blog: What young leaders are telling us about the future: 5 signals from the World Economic Forum's youth summit https://www.weforum.org/stories/youth/young-leaders-youth-5-signals/ Watch - Entrepreneurship for a New Era | Next Generation Now 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcj5FsdSbU4&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weforum.org%2F Related Episodes: Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies Read - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7 Listen - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgAListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4yWatch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en
S1 · E213
August 17 · 11 min
The books that shaped and inspired 5 tech founders
In this episode of Meet the Leader, five founders share books that have helped them drive sector-leading innovation and navigate uncertainty — from classics like Isaac Asimov's Foundation series to modern favorites like The Purpose Driven Life and Brotopia. Their recommendations reveal the unique challenges founders face as well as key lessons on resilience, purpose, AI, fundraising and leading through change. What you'll learn: The key role books still play for top innovators, even in our AI era Why a learning mindset matters to shape a tech-driven future. How digging into purpose helps founders navigate uncertainty Books referenced in this episode: Kian Katanforoosh, Founder and CEO Workera Recommendation: Asimov's Foundation series Sam Yang, Founder, Xandar Kardian: Recommendation: A Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren Sarah Fleischer, co-founder, tozero Recommendation: Hard Things About Hard Things, Marc Andreessen Emilie Bodoin, CEO and Chairman, Pure Lithium Corporation Recommendation: Brotopia by Emily Chang Jeremy Allaire, CEO and Founder, Circle Recommendation: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad Related Episodes How to upskill for an AI Age: Workera CEO Kian Katanforoosh Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/7rbsu62e Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2p9zfazz Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOxIFpQcBCs He's building 'gas stations' in space. How it can drive the space economy - Orbit Fab Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daniel-faber-orbit-fab-space-economy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tscms Meet the startup building the first commercial space station - Axiom Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/tejpaul-bhatia-space-economy-axiom/ Listen here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FjNtzxmBucpgnZ4xhagxe
S1 · E213
August 10 · 24 min
Find your purpose after major setbacks: Katie Piper on how to adapt, reinvent and lead
What do you do when life changes in an instant—and the future you expected disappears? Advocate, activist and author Katie Piper explains how she rebuilt her life after surviving an acid attack on a London street at 24 driven by a man she'd briefly dated. The ordeal lead her to rethink her purpose, eventually founding a burn-rehabilitation charity and helping survivors like herself reframe "Why me?" as "What now?" It's a special conversation about resilience, personal reinvention and leading through adversity. You'll learn: -Why real confidence comes from knowing you can adapt and recover -The importance of accepting situations as they are, and releasing expectations -How to see challenge as a way to recommit to your purpose -How acceptance, discomfort and a self-authored identity can help you start again -Why vulnerability and empathy are strengths in leadership Katie Piper is a bestselling author, television presenter and founder of the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burn survivors through rehabilitation. She is also a survivor of male violence and an advocate for people with burns and visible differences. This conversation explores resilience, purpose, trauma recovery, inclusive leadership and turning pain into purpose. Follow Meet the Leader on YouTube, Spotify or podcast apps, and subscribe for more conversations with people shaping the world This interview was recorded in January 2026 at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland. About this episode Read - Book: Beautiful, Katie Piper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0091940761?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Watch - Davos 2026 session: Scars of Survival: How I Rebuilt My Life: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/scars-of-survival-how-i-rebuilt-my-life/ Connect - Foundation: https://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/ Related episodes: How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY How to Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/49h7kx6x Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36b6s6b7 Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgAListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4yWatch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en
S1 · E212
August 3 · 21 min
How to Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies
How do you focus on what matters most in a distracted and noisy world? In this special Meet the Leader episode, leading thinkers and adventurers share practical ways to reclaim your attention and sharpen your focus so you can spend your time on the right priorities. Their strategies and approaches for leaders will help you refresh your thinking, make better decisions and prevent distraction from turning into burnout. Leaders will learn to: Rethink the first and last things you do each day to sharpen your attention Craft a "to-feel list" to clarify priorities and make days more meaningful Better appreciate the present to take control of your attention Think 'like an ancestor' to help you think beyond the short term Featured voices include human flourishing expert and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt; writer and three-time cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad; blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and navigator Doug Smith; Nia Tero CEO Aulani Wilhelm; and Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto. Together, they explore attention management, focus, deep work, reflection, long-term thinking and improving leadership in a distracted world. Subscribe to Meet the Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform for more practical leadership insights. Related episodes: How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ypxt89hm - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2jrpf9km - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKVbh71_QY The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - Psychologist Jonathan Haidt - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5- Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3- Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty - Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j - Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ax4y - Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw&vl=en
S1 · E211
July 27 · 35 min
How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing
How can leaders move forward when pressure is high and the way is not clear? Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his 'seeing eye Doug" guide Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies for leaders in taking action despite uncertainty and what's needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves. Key takeaways: Courage means moving forward without waiting for 100% information. Find people who can solve problems, not just point them out How thinking in the present can prevent panic and enable decision-making Hiro is an adventurer, keynote speaker and the first totally blind person to sail across the Pacific. Doug had no previous sailing experience but became Hiro's crewmate and navigator for that extraordinary trip. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments. Recorded January 2026 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About this episode: Hiro: https://hiros-choice.com/ Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/hiro-iwamoto-blind-sailor-lessons-fear-decision Related Episodes: Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA
S1 · E210
July 21 · 21 min
AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era
Entry-level jobs provide a special window into the wider changes we'll see to job design and skill development. In this episode of Meet the Leader, Peter Brown of PwC explains how entry-level roles are transforming and breaks down new research on what employers really want from entry-level workers now. He also shares how these roles can continue to serve as training grounds for career skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and relationship building and why a thoughtful redesign of these roles will be key to future leadership development. Top names from our Chief People Officer community also share the advice new grads need to know in a fast-changing job market. Key takeaways: The most dire headlines about entry-level jobs are not yet backed up by data. Employers are increasingly prioritizing applied experience and skills over degrees alone. Employers are expecting more 'seniorized' skills earlier. New grads should focus on outcomes rather than tasks and look for ways to build human skills on purpose. Peter Brown is PwC's global workforce leader and a co-author of the World Economic Forum report Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, the future of work, and the biggest trends shaping business. This is the third episode in a 3-part series on AI and jobs. About this episode: PWC: Pwc.com Report - PWC AI 2026 Jobs Barometer https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/ai/ai-jobs-barometer.html Hopes and fears https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/workforce/hopes-and-fears.html Report - World Economic Forum Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Work: A Framework for Safeguarding and Reinventing Early Career Pathways: https://www.weforum.org/publications/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-entry-level-work-a-framework-for-safeguarding-and-reinventing-early-career-pathways/ Related episodes - AI and Jobs Series: AI and Jobs series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 Other related episodes: AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd
S1 · E209
July 13 · 28 min
AI and Jobs Series: Fixing the Skills Mismatch and Navigating Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' - An Expert Explains
New research shows many labor markets face a skills mismatch, not a talent shortage. And in the 'messy middle' of the AI transformation, that mismatch will be harder for leaders, workers and hiring managers to ignore as they build future-ready teams. To compete, companies will need to focus on skills-based hiring to ensure worker capabilities reflect what rapidly evolving roles require. In this episode, Maria Flynn, CEO of non-profit Jobs for the Future, explains why skills, not degrees will be the currency of the future workplace, and why education and workforce systems built for the past are struggling to keep pace with AI-era job shifts. She shares changes needed in how workers are trained, assessed, tested and hired. Flynn also discusses the importance of designing quality jobs in all sectors and how worker voice and agency matters in both AI training and implementation and how this can reduce turnover, strengthen AI adoption, and close gender gaps. Key takeaways: • What is the skills mismatch - and what hiring managers need to understand to build their teams • How skills-based hiring can expand across hiring, advancement and talent management • Why successful AI adoption needs worker input, better job quality and inclusive workforce design Part two of our three-part AI and Jobs series. Subscribe to Meet the Leader for more conversations on leadership, AI, skills and the future of work. About this episode: Jobs for the Future: https://www.jff.org/ Research - JFF: JFF AI for Workers & Learners Survey: https://info.jff.org/ai-for-workers-learners-2026-survey JFF American Job Quality Study: https://www.jff.org/idea/the-american-job-quality-study/ Research - World Economic Forum: Report: 2026 Chief People Officer Outlook, World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/ Related episodes - AI and Jobs Series AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mpfnc822 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3b2wzccw AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 Other related episodes: AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd
S1 · E208
July 6 · 27 min
AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work
As AI grows more powerful and takes on more rote work, what should humans stop doing? Fertility benefits company Progyny took on this question as a company to re-evaluate routines and norms and how AI might help work evolve. Chief Human Resources Officer Cassandra Pratt shares how teams there are using AI to reduce rote work, rethink job design, improve meeting culture and give people more time for the human side of work that machines cannot do, such as building trust and strengthening relationships. The first in a three-part AI and Jobs series. Key takeaways: The importance of clear goals and prep during AI implementation How the "Start, Stop, Continue" framework from author Barry O'Reilly can reduce burnout and sharpen execution How to turn teams into superfans of your company and business to strengthen engagement What fluid job design will look like in the years ahead - and how to help teams navigate it About this episode: Progyny: https://progyny.com/ Book: Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results, Barry O'Reilly Report: 2026 Chief People Officer Outlook, World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/ Related episodes - AI and Jobs SeriesAI and Jobs series: Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2vddb3k3 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fnuacsz AI and Jobs series: How entry level jobs are changing in an AI era Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mpfnc822 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3b2wzccw Other related episodes: AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd
S1 · E207
June 8 · 21 min
5 leaders from NVIDIA, Goldman Sachs and more share career advice for uncertain times
Top leaders from NVIDIA, Walmart International, TIAA, Goldman Sachs and NYU share career advice, leadership lessons and practical ways to stay resilient through uncertainty in an AI age. This an inspiring collection of advice and personal anecdotes shared at this spring's commencement addresses can help anyone from new grads to veteran professionals navigate coming AI shifts and other big career pivots. In this episode: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang on AI and maximizing your potential TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett on the advice she gives her team Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt's 3 tips on how to have an amazing life Former Walmart CEO Kathryn McLay's advice on the early career moment that helped her keep perspective Goldman Sachs Chairman & CEO David Solomon on why he still DJs - and the importance of cultivating passions outside of work About this episode: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Carnegie Mellon Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZh_0uRgrg4 Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, NYU Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvoyGjK8vTA TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, Florida A&M Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taN6-b7bqAk Former Walmart CEO Kathryn McLay, High Point University Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxpja7ih1VI Goldman Sachs Chairman & CEO David Solomon, Wharton MBA Commencement address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSop6XzzY9w Related Episodes: The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - psychologist Jonathan Haidt Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w
S1 · E206
May 26 · 22 min
AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it
Workslop – low-quality work produced through poor human-AI collaboration – is wasting time, slowing teams down and limiting the productivity gains leaders expect from AI. But the problem isn't always the technology – it's often a signal to leaders that teams need more support. Workslop often reflects unclear standards, weak direction and poor feedback. In this episode, BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux explains why AI can amplify both good and bad leadership standards, and why leaders need to define what excellent work looks like before AI scales a team's output. He also shares how AI coaching can help managers find ways to hone hard-to-improve soft skills, practicing difficult conversations, tricky performance reviews and tough feedback, all in a safe space before those moments happen with real teams. Key takeaways in this episode: AI amplifies clarity or confusion. Set clear standards before AI scales your team's work. Workslop is a leadership warning sign. Poor AI output can reveal unclear direction and weak feedback. It can be a sign teams need more guidance or support. Managers need practice. AI coaching can help leaders sharpen direction and rehearse how they give feedback or tackle difficult conversations. Rethink how you invest in people. AI investment is overwhelming planning conversations. But are you putting that diligence into how you develop your talent? About this guest: Website: https://www.betterup.com/ Research: The Hidden Cost of AI-Generated Busy Work: https://www.betterup.com/workslop Article: Workslop: Why AI performance depends on how we think, talk and lead: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/why-ai-performance-depends-on-how-we-think-talk-and-lead/ About this episode: Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/alexi-robichaux-ai-workslop-leadership-coaching Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y Related episodes: How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - psychologist Jonathan Haidt Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA
S1 · E205
May 18 · 35 min
How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert
Are you building game-changing AI solutions? Or just automating low-stakes work that makes the "irrelevant efficient"? Nigel Vaz, Publicis Sapient's CEO and a digital transformation expert, talked to Meet The Leader to explain why many AI strategies fall short and what's needed to lead teams through technological change. In this episode, Vaz shares the questions that can refine your strategic discussions on AI and help close the gap between AI expectations and results. He also shares why the hardest part of AI transformation isn't the tech but getting the people part right -- and what helps teams transition. Key Takeaways: The questions teams you're not asking nearly enough. Vaz explains how to refine your thinking to ensure your solutions aren't locked into yesterday's way of working The hidden gap that can derail your AI transformation: What separates promising AI experiments from work that actually changes how a business performs? He breaks down the blindspots that hold real innovation back. Get the people part right. Incentives, expectations and old measures of success can slow AI adoption more than the technology itself. Vaz shares what leaders often underestimate when asking teams to work in a fundamentally new way. How to learn and unlearn. Your value as a leader will depend on your capacity to learn. He shares how to deploy existing experience for new solutions. Vaz shares key examples of how to put this thinking to work, including including a legacy modernization project that cut a 10-year timeline to under three and Publicis Sapient's own transition from a people-led services model to a people-and-product enterprise AI company. Learn more about this - including the innovative CEO GPT tool Publicis Sapient built that helps teams scale internal knowledge and context. About this guest: https://www.nigelvaz.com/about https://www.publicissapient.com/ About this episode: Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ai-transformation-leadership-future-of-work/ Related episodes: How to upskill for an AI Age: Workera CEO Kian Katanforoosh Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/7rbsu62eListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2p9zfazzWatch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOxIFpQcBCs Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Watch here: Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fbym95jy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ys2dtftj Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era -psychologist Jonathan Haidt Read here - transcript:: https://tinyurl.com/yc45ccc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zyur7s5 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI
S1 · E204
May 11 · 23 min
What women's sports reveals about building future leaders: Deloitte's Lara Abrash
How can we strengthen leadership pipelines? One overlooked answer: Invest in women's sports. Data shows that investment in women's sports creates a powerful yet under-appreciated talent pipeline, building future leaders, closing the gender gap and driving high-performing teams. Deloitte US Chair Lara Abrash shares insights from the firm's research on women's sports – both the billion-dollar economic opportunity it represents and the unsung way sports strengthens the leadership talent pipeline. Abrash, active in a range of sports since her youth, will also break down the leadership skills, mindsets, and team dynamics sports uniquely cultivates. She'll share the personal experiences that shaped how she leads and the way she approaches talent and capability. Her personal lessons learned can help anyone understand what's needed to develop future leaders, improve team performance and build talent pipelines that last. Key Insights: Women's sports is growing rapidly - but remains an untapped sector and opportunity for economies and communities. Sports teaches girls how to team - but a range of factors make them more likely to drop out of sports than boys. Great leaders are great coaches. Abrash reminds us that "Managers manage outcomes while leaders lead people." Practice makes progress: Sports can build leaders who learn quickly from mistakes and adapt faster -- skills key for a fast-paced AI era. Sidestep the 'superwoman' myth: Sports shows we often accomplish more in groups. Women who admit they are less effective alone take the first step to building great teams and avoiding burnout. About this episode: Transcript - read here: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/womens-sports-leadership-skills-gender-gap Related report: Deloitte Research - Game-Changers: Unlocking the Potential of Women's Sports: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/Industries/tmt/perspectives/game-changers-unlocking-potential-women-sports.html World Economic Forum - Sports for People and Planet: https://www.weforum.org/publications/sports-for-people-and-planet/ Related episodes: What Astronauts Know About High-Performing Teams (That Many Don't Understand) Read here: https://tinyurl.com/3h2xkyv9 Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/mrmtwnb4 Watch here: https://youtu.be/AI_7QcZy5A8 Why Smart Ideas Don't Always Land — and How to Build Creative, Curious Teams Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/33b99j2u Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5n8427nw How to close gender gaps in tech - and the one skill AI can't learn Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/s2ppr7s2 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5xkkhd5w
S1 · E201
May 4 · 22 min
The Attention Crisis: How leaders can fix focus and happiness in an AI Era - Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
As tech and AI transform productivity and free us from rote work, will humanity finally crack happiness? Maybe not, warns Jonathan Haidt. This social psychologist, NYU professor and bestselling author of The Anxious Generation has spent years studying the links between happiness, technology, and societal change. Unless key steps are taken, he says, the technologies transforming work and communication could pull humans further from a sense of meaning, connection and purpose, taking happiness even further from our grasps. To progress on any big challenge ahead will depend on restoring focus, trust, and purpose. Haidt warns that AI and social media may be weakening all three—making intentional leadership more critical than ever. He shares research-backed insights that can help us better understand a fragmented, distracted world and the urgent challenge this brings to leaders running teams in a changing AI era. Key Takeaways: Where happiness really comes from - and what people often misunderstand Understanding the attention crisis and what's contributing to it How AI and digital habits fragment attention and decision-making and undermine trust Simple practices and approaches to reclaim focus, connect with others and lead meaningful change more effectively This interview was recorded in January 2026 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About this episode: Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jonathan-haidt-happiness-focus-habits-ai Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXp43TMMAI About this guest: https://jonathanhaidt.com/Books and initiatives referenced in this episode: The Anxious Generation https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ The Righteous Mind https://righteousmind.com/The Happiness Hypothesis https://www.happinesshypothesis.com/ The Constructive Dialogue Institute www. constructivedialogue.org Related episodes: Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgAListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w IRC's David Miliband: How leaders can meet the moment in an increasingly disordered world Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABadygYvsZ0&t=16s Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42hzpvvmRead here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3vk4723b What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IJjZs4E7A Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4r69a5pr Read here - Transcript:: https://tinyurl.com/3smrwev9 Radio Davos - The Anxious Generation: how phone-free schools can reverse a mental health pandemic Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8s6Rw9rAqs&t=7s
S1 · E202
April 22 · 26 min
How mentoring shaped top leaders - and how it's changing in an AI era
As more professionals turn to AI for career guidance, is human mentorship extinct? Not by a long shot, according to our experts. Mentors will continue to be critical in shaping talent, but will make their mark not by sharing expertise but by leveraging truly human skills -- by meeting changing needs in time and by being a champion that unlocks potential, not just directs it. Key insights: - Mentorship is moving from expertise to emotional intelligence - The best leaders will continue to prioritize people over output alone In this moment of change, Learn how the top minds of our time have been changed by their own mentors and how an AI era will reshape how mentors guide teams and drive potential. Some of the leaders featured in this episode: -Workera's founder Kian Katanforoosh - on how mentorship is changing thanks to new technologies, and what it needs to be effective -Limak Holding's Ebru Ozdemir - on bridging gaps through her initiative Global Engineer Girls and the traits great mentors share -Habitat for Humanity's Jonathan Reckford - on what he learned from his grandmother and godmother on setting standards for himself -Samantha Cristoforetti, European Space Agency - on what astronaut Butch Wilhelm taught her about the experience of the workday -Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant - on how a diving coach helped him rethink risk and the simple question that he asks himself to this day Related episode: Meet The Leader at 200: 20 Leaders Share Their Best Aha Moments and Lessons Learned Read here: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/episode-200-top-tips-pivots-lessons-learned/ Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/ecye5b5v
S1 · E201
April 7 · 25 min
What Astronauts Know About High-Performing Teams (That Many Don't Understand)
Teamwork beats raw talent. It's a fact astronauts know well but one that Earthbound teams can sometimes overlook. European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti shares what space crews understand about building teams that work well together – and the shift that preparation undertook to make that happen. She shares what mentors taught her about being a great team member and why the 'experience' of the work day is as important as the task at hand. She also details other lessons learned from her more than 200 days in space, including: -Why the best leaders are great followers -Why space sovereignty will shape the next phase of space collaboration. "You want to be an equal partner—not just a customer." -Why the gender gap in space is closing. Learn why some astronaut classes are at parity and what it teaches other sectors about talent pipelines This interview was recorded in January 2026 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About this episode: Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/samantha-cristoforetti-esa-teamwork-leadership Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/AI_7QcZy5A8 About this guest: European Space Agency: https://www.esa.int/ Related episodes: Related Episodes: He's building 'gas stations' in space. How it can drive the space economy - Orbit Fab Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daniel-faber-orbit-fab-space-economy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tscms Meet the startup building the first commercial space station - Axiom Read here - Transcript:https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/tejpaul-bhatia-space-economy-axiom/ Listen here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FjNtzxmBucpgnZ4xhagxe Be your own role model - a female rocket scientist, pioneer and science influencer explains Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2aukahwy Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/y4n9cmec
S1 · E200
April 2 · 50 min
Meet The Leader at 200: 20 Leaders Share Their Best Tips, Aha Moments and Advice
Learn when you listen. Know your strengths can be weaknesses. Take your space before someone takes it for you. This 200th 'Best of' episode collects hard-won lessons learned and one-of-a-kind moments from this podcast's past 6 years. Listen to the late Jane Goodall recall a transformative run-in with a grumpy cabbie or hear the critical question that helped AWS teams get future-ready. It's a hit parade of top names, from IKEA to Microsoft, from Misty Copeland to Matt Damon, drawing insights and turning points that have shaped CEOs, startup founders, actors, activists, fashion designers, AI pioneers, best-selling authors and more find solutions and drive meaningful change. In this episode: Unexpected turning points Jane Goodall, Jane Goodall Institute, on connecting with people you disagree with (Recorded 2021) Al Gore, Former US Vice President and founder of the Climate Reality Project, on his climate communication turning point (Recorded 2021) An AI Powered Future Swami Sivasubramanian, AWS, on the question that got teams future-ready (Recorded 2024) Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and Wharton professor, on how to practice the soft skills an AI era will need most (Recorded 2025) Suleika Jaouad, best-selling author, on thinking beyond our 'resume virtues' (Recorded 2026) Bringing people together: Diane von Fürstenberg, fashion designer, on a habit she swears by (Recorded 2024) Misty Copeland, ballerina and activist, on unlocking potential (Recorded 2025) Jagan Chapagain, IFRC, on why effective listeners are learners (Recorded 2024) Brad Smith, Microsoft, on having a personal sounding board (Recorded 2024) Seeking innovation Matt Damon and Gary White, founders - Water.org, on the value of experimentation and failure (Recorded 2026) Nela Richardson, Chief Economist - ADP, on thinking outside the box (Recorded 2024) Gail Whiteman, Rainn Wilson, Arctic Basecamp on rethinking communication (Recorded 2023) Advice they swear by Daphne Koller, AI pioneer and insitro founder, on how strengths can become weaknesses (Recorded 2024) Fidelma Russo, CTO - Hewlett Packard Enterprise, on knowing yourself (Recorded 2024) Ulrika Biesèrt, CHRO - Inkga Group / IKEA, on taking your space (Recorded 2024) Meeting the moment Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity, on how serving others to bridge division (Recorded 2024) John Amaechi, psychologist, leadership expert and author, on finding your inner giant (Recorded 2021) David Miliband, IRC, on how leaders can navigate an increasingly disordered world, and the change that will be needed next (Recorded 2025) Related episodes: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA Meet The Leader - Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader's most 'vital' role Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNwmJJMRt4o&t=1s IRC's David Miliband: How leaders can meet the moment in an increasingly disordered world Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABadygYvsZ0&t=16s Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42hzpvvmRead here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3vk4723b Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance ProblemWatch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95kccQuFUk Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ybwhf395 Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/b8a2sr34
S1 · E199
March 27 · 25 min
Why Smart Ideas Don't Always Land — and How to Build Creative, Curious Teams
In an AI era, the real competitive advantage won't come from generating more ideas, but picking the right idea to take forward. Leaders who foster cultures of creativity and curiosity will build teams better able to sharpen focus, challenge assumptions, and execute in the most effective and compelling ways. Liberty Science Center CEO Paul Hoffman is a noted expert on connecting the public to the sciences. He'll explain how that major cultural institution makes complex ideas clear and irresistible. The long-time science writer, puzzle maker, brainstorming expert and former head of the Encyclopaedia Britannica shares lessons from his eclectic background on how leaders can harness a team's natural curiosity to drive fresh thinking and innovation. You'll learn: Why clarity matters in innovation - and why the audience is usually right How to model the creative behaviors you want to see in your team Which qualities creative, curious teams always have in common This episode was recorded at the Urban Transformation Summit, San Francisco (October 2025). About this week's guest: Liberty Science Center: https://lsc.org/ Paul Hoffman: http://thephtest.com/ Like this episodes? Try these: Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w Build a culture of innovation: HPE's Chief Technology Officer shares what's neededListen here: https://tinyurl.com/bdfmtxbkRead here: https://tinyurl.com/5kwr6x6t This simple question helped Amazon teams get future ready: AWS AI and data chief Read here - Transcript: http://tinyurl.com/3k3vvaexListen here - Spotify: http://tinyurl.com/yckpbtpe 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mtj9tncs Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/482wyxpf
S1 · E198
March 16 · 32 min
Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance Problem
2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Solving this problem will take more than charity - it will take innovation and a new approach to scaling partnerships, building awareness and raising funding. In this episode, Water.org's co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White share key efforts to fix the 'financial plumbing' connecting people and capital, helping to bridge the water gap for 85 million around the world, including: Water Credit (a specialized microfinance solution funding safe water and sanitation solutions) and Water Equity (an asset manager mobilizing private investment in water and sanitation). The two explain why creating an economic flywheel for change can bring truly sustainable solutions. They also share what they've learned about scale and from each other in a partnership that has now spanned 17 years and the role a new campaign for the public, Get Blue, can play. This episode was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2026. About this episode: Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/matt-damon-water-crisis-gary-white-finance-innovation About this week's guests: Water.org Get Blue campaign: https://getblue.water.org/ Related session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos Water in the balance https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/water-in-the-balance/ Related episodes: IRC's David Miliband: How leaders can meet the moment in an increasingly disordered world Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABadygYvsZ0&t=16s Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42hzpvvm Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3vk4723b What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IJjZs4E7A Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4r69a5pr Read here - Transcript:: https://tinyurl.com/3smrwev9 Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7 Read here - Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w
S1 · E197
March 12 · 37 min
Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty
For Suleika Jaouad, a best-selling author and 3-time cancer survivor, journaling became a life-changing creative outlet during her battles with leukemia as well as a powerful tool for navigating uncertainty. It also became a surprising way to connect with others leading to singular projects that have stuck a chord with hundreds of thousands such as her book, The Book of Alchemy, and her 300,000 member Substack, The Isolation Journals, projects that merge journal prompts and personal essays from the top creative minds of our time. She breaks down practical ways anyone can carve out time for reflection, curiosity and vulnerability and how such a practice can strengthen resilience and connection while sharpening clarity in an age defined by noise and loneliness. And in an era where we write prompts for AI, but question ourselves less and less, she reminds us of the role deeper thought plays in understanding our world and ourselves better. This is a conversation about choosing meaning over motion—and learning to live each day with intention. About this episode: Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/suleika-jaouad-journaling-prompt-creativity-reflection About this guest: Book: https://www.suleikajaouad.com/the-book-of-alchemy Substack: The Isolation journals: https://theisolationjournals.substack.com/ Watch her session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos: Healing With Sounds and Words https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/healing-with-sound-and-words/ Related episodes: Burnout: 4 leaders share real-world stories and how to cope Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5een2u52Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4backy24 Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why this CEO sets 'non-goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgARead here - Transcript: :https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37wListen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7
S1 · E196
March 7 · 26 min
Burnout: 4 Leaders share real-world stories and how to cope
Burnout and work-related depression costs the world an estimated $1 trillion dollars a year in lost working days – and chances are you've felt that stress yourself. In this special compilation episode, highlighting interviews recorded over the past year, leaders share their personal experiences with burnout and exhaustion. They also offer practical, tactical steps for recognizing burnout early, setting boundaries, fostering psychological safety and building teams that are resilient — not just productive. Leaders featured include: -David Ko, CEO of Calm, who reveals the blind spots that leave employees unsupported — and why sharing your own mental health journey may be the most powerful tool leaders have for more resilient teams -Kearney's Paula Bellostas Muguerza, who shares the frightening health crisis that forced her to face burnout head on and the questions that helped her reset her priorities -Li Li Leung, former CEO of USA Gymnastics, on why it's key to normalize mental health support for teams and how gymnast Simone Biles' famous decision to withdraw at the Tokyo Olympics reshaped conversations around self-advocacy and psychological safety -August CEO and social entrepreneur Nadya Okamoto - on hustle culture, "girl boss" burnout, finding joy, and why rest is now central to her success. About this episode: Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/burnout-strategies-mental-health-leaders Interviewers: Julia Rignot, Linda Lacina Editor: Taz Kelleher, Jere Johannson Studio Production: Gareth Nolan About this week's guests: Calm CEO David Ko Website - Calm: Calm.com Book - Recharge: Boosting your mental battery one conversation at a time: https://rechargethebook.com/ Kearney's Paula Bellostas Muguerza Website - Kearney: https://www.kearney.com/ Related Meet The Leader episode: Bridging the gap in women's health research, policy and innovation: Kearney Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5p22ebun Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3jmahwwj Li Li Leung, former CEO of USA Gymnastics Website - USA Gymnastics: https://usagym.org/ Related Meet The Leader episode: Rebuilding trust after turmoil and coaching for results that matter: USA Gymnastics CEO Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc4dk2a8 Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mvwxcsaz August CEO and social entrepreneur Nadya Okamoto Website - August: https://www.itsaugust.co/ Related Meet The Leader episode: A Gen Z founder on breaking down big stigmas and surviving hustle-culture Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/nadya-okomoto-august-period-poverty-startup/ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mss65msb

Showing 1–20 of 22 episodes