Imperfect Leaders

Harvard is an iconic, 387 year old institution of higher education. Is it time to reimagine their culture? The events of the past year – racism, antisemitism, violence on campus, the removal of its president - have thrown their imperfections into stark relief for the world to see. Today’s guest - Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana – is very open and humble about Harvard’s

Coach Bruce Pearl teaches his players to be 'great receivers.' Find out in today’s podcast what this means and why it's so important. Auburn Coach Pearl’s lessons of empathy and authenticity don't just apply in basketball – but in politics, business, and life. Get ready for the Big Dance. www.imperfectleaders.com

U.S. Representative Dean Phillips is an innovative leader. He has drawn praise from modern day business heroes - like hedge fund icon Bill Ackman - for his willingness to shake things up - like staid industries including vodka, gelato, and most recently, U.S. politics. He even threw his hat in the ring and ran for President of the United States, even though everyone knew it was a l

On any given day, a casual investor can tune into CNBC and be in total awe. Public companies are showcased and glamorized by messianic analysts in a concerted effort to push stock prices higher. But in reality, as I recently wrote, the future economy is increasingly being financed in private markets, far away from the glitz and glamor of the New York Stock Exchange. Today’s gues

One of the best leaders in the NBA is today’s guest – Tim Connelly – General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before billionaire owner Marc Lore and co-owner Alex Rodriguez lured him to Minnesota, Connelly worked side by side with Stan and Josh Kroenke and Coach Michael Malone - as the team's GM who helped the Denver Nuggets win their very first world championship.

The Milken Institute is a think (and action) tank - founded by legendary visionary Michael Milken - brings together brilliant people and world leaders to develop blueprints for tackling some of our planet's most critical problems including poverty, hunger, and chronic disease. Rich Ditizio is an incredible CEO who is responsible for leading this effort. He's the symphony co

Mielle Organics - the hair care and beauty brand - is the fastest ever growing consumer startup in history of this industry - and was recently acquired by ⁠Procter & Gamble⁠ in a truly historic transaction that made headlines across the country. Yet their founders - ⁠Monique and Melvin Rodriguez⁠ - had to overcome serious challenges most entrepreneurs can't even im

What matters more to winning - superstar talent or the organization's system and culture? According to today's guest - Dave Ulrich - a world-class thought leader at the University of Michigan Business School - talent matters, but team work matters even more. The same rules apply in business and in sports - from Amazon to the Denver Nuggets. For example, why does world NBA c

Superstars don't just emerge out of thin air. Every single one of them - including GOATs like Tom Brady and Michael Phelps- must overcome serious personal obstacles. And this usually happens early in life – in the pivotal teenage years. It might surprise you that Brady nearly gave up on football while still in college. But then he met someone special. Today's guest - ⁠

When the world's most innovative organizations need a little inspiration, they turn to IDEO. IDEO is the most iconic design studio in the world. Clients are far-ranging and global - from hot, new startups to ground-breaking school systems to entire nations - and of course iconic brands including Coca-Cola, Ford, Ikea. And yes, they actually helped Apple create the very first