In this episode of A Podcast About Leadership, Dr. Jonathan Kirschner sits down with Reese Haydon, Head of Executive Talent & Learning at PayPal, to explore what it takes to lead with agility, curiosity, and care in today’s fast-moving world.

Reese's career has spanned some of the biggest companies in the tech industry, including Cisco, Dropbox, Salesforce (where he was working at the time of recording), and now PayPal.

Drawing from his extensive experience, Reese offers a rare, insider’s view into how leadership must evolve across different organizational contexts. He and Jonathan unpack what distinguishes exceptional leaders in high-growth environments, how to balance innovation with structure, and why care may be the defining leadership capability of the AI era.

Listeners will learn:

• Why agility and humility are essential traits for leaders navigating constant change

• The most common leadership pitfalls in tech — and how to avoid them

• How to balance experimentation with scale and stability

• Why curiosity and care remain timeless differentiators, even in the age of AI

Reese also shares how he sees AI transforming leadership development, why hybrid intelligence (human + artificial intelligence) will shape the future of work, and how leaders can stay grounded amid disruption and paradox.

If you’re a leader, coach, or HR professional seeking to understand what great leadership looks like in an age of exponential change, this conversation will both challenge and inspire you.

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