Best Azeem Azhar Podcasts (2025)

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My OpenAI thought experiment: $500B to $1.5T? 30:25

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13d ago30:25

30:25

Can AI stocks beat Big Tech? In this episode, I discuss OpenAI and its decision to expand a secondary share sale that lets insiders sell about $10.3 billion of stock at roughly a $500 billion valuation. Although skeptical at first, the calculations reveal there is a path for OpenAI to deliver outsized returns. I cover: (0:00) The $500B question (01…

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409 From Turn the Ship Around to Rethinking Decisions: David Marquet on Leading with Distance, Not Ego 44:37

5h ago44:37

44:37

In this thought-provoking conversation, former nuclear submarine commander and bestselling author David Marquet returns to the Partnering Leadership podcast to discuss the core ideas behind his new book: Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions. Known globally for Turn the Ship Around, Marquet once again challenges traditional…

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408 The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses with Mita Mallik 37:50

2d ago37:50

37:50

What if the “panic habits” leaders default to are the very things burning out their best people? In this Partnering Leadership episode, Mita Mallick—author of The Devil Emails at Midnight—joins Mahan to unpack practical ways senior leaders can replace performative urgency with clear operating rules that people can trust. You will hear why bad bosse…

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AI is eating into entry-level jobs 25:33

18d ago25:33

25:33

This is the single most important paper to come out in tech in recent weeks. Erik Brynjolfsson, Bharat Chandar and Ruyu Chen investigated whether generative AI is leading to job losses in roles most exposed to AI – and how these effects differ by age and the way AI is used. In this episode, I break down these results and their implications. I cover…

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407 Thursday Refresh: Ann Hiatt on Trillion Dollar Leadership Secrets of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos & Google’s Eric Schmidt 52:14

19d ago52:14

52:14

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Ann Hiatt, Leadership Strategist & Consultant and Author of the book Bet on Yourself. Ann Hiatt shared the many lessons she learned while working alongside the world's top tech CEOs—Google's Eric Schmidt, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Yahoo's Marissa Meyer. In addition to the story of her …

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406 Data as a Leadership Superpower: How to Fuel Strategy, Innovation, and AI with Justin Evans, Author of The Little Book of Data 39:03

7d ago39:03

39:03

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Justin Evans, a seasoned executive and author of The Little Book of Data. With a career spanning leadership roles at major media and tech firms including Microsoft, NBCUniversal, and Paramount, Evans brings a rare combination of commercial acumen and data fluency to the conversati…

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“Apple's Dependence on China Is Hard to Overstate”: An Interview With Patrick McGee 58:26

23d ago58:26

58:26

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.driftsignal.com Manufacturing has become the defining battleground of 21st-century economic competition. China's transformation from assembly hub to advanced manufacturing superpower didn't happen by accident; it emerged from strategic choices about industrial policy, workforce devel…

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405 [BEST OF] Jeremy Caplan on Beyond the Hype: AI-Powered Productivity Tools for Busy Executives 50:39

14d ago50:39

50:39

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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404 [BEST OF] Jon Levy on How to Cultivate Your Influence and Build Powerful Connections 44:35

21d ago44:35

44:35

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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403 [BEST OF] Todd Cherches on the power of visual leadership 30:28

28d ago30:28

30:28

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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402 Refresh: Alain Hunkins on Cracking the Leadership Code: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders 49:58

1M ago49:58

49:58

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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401 [BEST OF] Bob Johansen on Full Spectrum Leadership for a VUCA world 41:35

1M ago41:35

41:35

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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400 [BEST OF] Michele McQuaid on using research-based positive psychology to become a better leader 37:41

1M ago37:41

37:41

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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AI & the future of media with The Atlantic CEO, Nicholas Thompson 52:14

2M ago52:14

52:14

Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, led one of the first major content licensing deals with OpenAI in 2024. In this conversation, he joins Azeem to unpack how AI is transforming media – and what that means for every business navigating the shifting economics of attention, trust, and discovery. We cover: (01:49) Journalism’s four horsemen (5:33) The…

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399 [BEST OF] Robert Rosenberg on Leading Dunkin Donuts from Around the Corner to Around The World 52:05

2M ago52:05

52:05

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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398 [BEST OF] Steve Robinson on How Chick-fil-A Became an Iconic Brand 47:52

2M ago47:52

47:52

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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2025 AI reality check: Are we in a bubble? 24:04

3M ago24:04

24:04

At the start of the year, I made seven predictions about how 2025 would unfold. Six months in, it's time to mark my own work. From AI capability breakthroughs to autonomous vehicles, climate extremes to workforce transformation, I examine what I got right, what I missed, and why the 2027-2028 period will be when vertical AI hits the real economy in…

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397 [BEST OF] Aidan McCullen on How to lead yourself and your organization to become Undisruptable 42:54

2M ago42:54

42:54

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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396 Thursday Refresh: Emmanuel Daniel on Navigating the Great Transition - Personalization, Disintermediation, and the Future of Work 49:31

2M ago49:31

49:31

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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What 72hrs in China taught me about the future (AI, EVs, more) 22:19

3M ago22:19

22:19

In this episode, I reflect on a whirlwind three-day visit to China - my first in over 20 years. And what I saw was remarkable. The infrastructure puts most of the West to shame. The AI isn't just hype - it's working at serious scale. And the electric vehicles? They're about to steamroll the global auto industry. Here's what really struck me during …

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395 [BEST OF] Greg Satell on How To Create A Movement That Drives Transformational Change 46:31

2M ago46:31

46:31

Welcome to the Best Of series on Partnering Leadership. While many of us take a bit of a breather in July and August, we’re revisiting standout episodes—conversations that are worth hearing again, especially as leadership challenges shift and new moments call for fresh thinking. I’ve also pulled together 12 of the leadership books I recommend most …

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394 Leading in the Exponential Era: Futurist David Espindola on AI, Strategy, and the Future of Work 49:51

3M ago49:51

49:51

In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by David Espindola, a futurist and strategic advisor with deep expertise in technology, AI, and leadership. As the author of The Exponential Era and Soulful, Espindola brings a unique lens to the conversation—one that blends exponential technology insight with a deep unde…

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Microsoft EVP Rajesh Jha on leading with courage in the AI era 39:04

3M ago39:04

39:04

Rajesh Jha is Microsoft’s EVP of Experiences + Devices, which means he oversees a wide range of products, from Microsoft 365 productivity tools and Surface devices to Copilot. Jha played a pivotal role in integrating AI into the company’s offerings, and he joined the WorkLab podcast to share insights on navigating the complexities of becoming an AI…

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The problem with Altman’s “gentle singularity,” Apple’s AI missteps, and Google’s fading ad model | Live with Azeem Azhar 29:59

3M ago29:59

29:59

Broadcasting live from Paris, I tackle three massive technology stories that are reshaping our digital future. From Apple's stunning interface redesign to the collapse of traditional search advertising, and Sam Altman's vision of an AI singularity that's already begun - this episode captures the tectonic shifts happening in tech right now. I cover:…

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Microsoft EVP Rajesh Jha on leading with courage in the AI era 37:48

3M ago37:48

37:48

Rajesh Jha is Microsoft’s EVP of Experiences + Devices, which means he oversees a wide range of products, from Microsoft 365 productivity tools and Surface devices to Copilot. Jha played a pivotal role in integrating AI into the company’s offerings, and he joined the WorkLab podcast to share insights on navigating the complexities of becoming an AI…

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393 Embracing Infinite Possibilities in Leadership: Lessons from Astronaut, Physician, and CEO Dr. Bernard A. Harris 42:48

3M ago42:48

42:48

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dr. Bernard Harris, a leader whose extraordinary career trajectory—from physician to NASA astronaut to CEO and venture capitalist—offers rare insights into the inner work of leadership. Dr. Harris is the first African American to walk in space, and the author of Embracing Infinite…

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OpenAI’s CPO on what’s coming next: Hardware, GPT-5, Jony Ive, agents, more 53:56

3M ago53:56

53:56

This week, I'm speaking with Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer at OpenAI, who is steering product development at what might be the world's most important company right now. We talk about: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:37) OpenAI's latest launches (03:43) What it's like being CPO of OpenAI (04:34) How AI will reshape our lives (07:23) How young people…

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392 Section CEO Greg Shove on Leading Through AI: Rethinking Business Models, Talent, and Strategy 56:57

3M ago56:57

56:57

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Greg Shove, CEO of Section and a serial entrepreneur with a deep track record of leading transformative growth. Shove’s leadership journey includes multiple successful pivots, and in this conversation, he brings a uniquely grounded perspective on how AI is fundamentally changing …

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391 Thursday Refresh: Simon Bailey on Resilience and Brilliance: Unleashing Leadership Potential and Lessons from Disney 33:15

4M ago33:15

33:15

In this insightful episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a deep and inspiring conversation with Simon T. Bailey, a renowned speaker, leadership expert, and author of Resilience@Work: How to Coach Yourself Into a Thriving Future. Simon is best known for his work on personal and professional brilliance, with a focus …

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Tyler Cowen on how AI will reorder economies, schools, and spirituality 48:58

4M ago48:58

48:58

Economist and polymath Tyler Cowen challenges Silicon Valley's optimistic projections about AI-driven economic growth. We explore what could slow AI's economic impact, despite its remarkable capabilities – and where humans find the new normal amidst major shifts. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:47) The problem with Silicon Valley's AI-driv…

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390 Beyond Engagement: What Great Leaders Actually Do Differently to Earn Commitment with Dave Garrison, Author, The Buy-In Advantage 40:58

3M ago40:58

40:58

What if your employees appear engaged, but aren’t truly committed? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Dave Garrison, an experienced CEO, board member, and author of The Buy-In Advantage: Why Employees Stop Caring and How Great Leaders Inspire Commitment. Drawing on his work with companies like Ameritrade and his ex…

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The Estée Lauder Companies’ VP Kalindi Mehta on Leveraging AI Agents for Consumer Insights 20:16

4M ago20:16

20:16

The beauty industry is massive, fast-paced, and hard to predict. There are 20,000 brands worldwide, and microtrends can spread around the globe in hours. That’s the challenge facing Kalindi Mehta, Global VP for Consumer Foresight Strategy and Predictive Analytics at the Estée Lauder Companies. In the latest episode, she lays out how AI is transform…