Meet The Leader

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/42hzpvvm
Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3vk4723b

Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance Problem
Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95kccQuFUk
Listen here - Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/ybwhf395
Read here - Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/b8a2sr34

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 needed
Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/bdfmtxbk
Read 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/3k3vvaex
Listen 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

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

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/5een2u52
Listen 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/Xh9PLsyptgA
Read here - Transcript: :https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w
Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7

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