Redefiners

There was no shortage of challenges for leaders in 2025, as they navigated a year filled with uncertainty and change. Leaders’ skills were tested as they steered their organizations through changes in the global economy, geopolitics, AI transformation, succession planning, and board relationships. In this final Redefiners episode of the season, hosts Marla Oates and Simon Kingston take a look back at 2025, highlighting how guests from the year are navigating these challenges. Hear from former CEO and current Chairman of Coveo Louis Têtu and Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti on AI transformation; World Bank President Ajay Banga on culture change; Russell Reynolds Associates CEO Constantine Alexandrakis, Pets At Home CEO Lyssa McGowan, and former President and CEO of Marvel Entertainment Peter Cuneo on stepping into the CEO role; Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman and former chair and CEO of MTV International Bill Roedy on leadership; plus insights from RRA leadership advisors in the Leadership Lounge. If you’d like to hear more, check out all the episodes of Redefiners and Leadership Lounge. Redefiners and Leadership Lounge will return with more conversations with global leaders in January 2026, so be sure to follow and subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Happy holidays!

Creating leadership impact isn’t about one defining moment—it’s about the ripple effects your leadership generates over time. In this episode of Leadership Lounge, Emma Combe sits down with Shannon Knott and Erin Marie Collins to unpack what meaningful impact looks like today, and how leaders can sustain it. They explore: Why impact extends beyond results to the experience others have of your leadership. The key skills—curiosity, adaptability, and an understanding of your purpose—that enable long-term influence. How to evaluate whether your leadership is truly landing across stakeholder groups. Why reflection and feedback loops are essential to maintaining credibility and trust. “Leaders who can sustain real impact do so because they’re able to stay curious. They continually learn and adjust. They treat leadership less like a position and more as a practice.” — Shannon Knott, Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates Four things you'll learn from this episode Impact is intentional: define it consciously and test it objectively through feedback. Curiosity sustains relevance: stay adaptable and open to learning at every stage. Feedback fuels evolution: build a trusted “cabinet” to give unfiltered perspectives. Purpose anchors action: a clear sense of values helps leaders maintain credibility and trust. In this episode, we cover: (01:35) How you define leadership impact and why it extends beyond results to lasting influence (04:10) The skills that sustain long-term impact (07:25) Why leadership must shift from mastery and control to influence and judgment as careers progress (09:42) Practical ways to assess whether your impact is landing across teams and stakeholders (12:10) How reflection, feedback, and purpose create a rhythm for sustained leadership effectiveness (14:38) What inspirational leaders do differently to remain authentic and effective over time A closer look at the research from this episode: Edelman Trust Barometer 2025 Russell Reynolds Associates Global Leadership Monitor, H2 2025

Roughly 1.2 billion young people will reach working age in developing countries over the next 10-15 years. However, current projections show that only 420 million jobs are expected to be created by that time, meaning millions of young people will be left without a clear path to employment. World Bank President Ajay Banga joins Clarke Murphy and Marla Oates on Redefiners to talk about what the Bank is doing about it, and why job creation is so critical to both developing countries and the global economy. Ajay talks about what he’s doing to transform the 80-year old institution into a faster, more efficient, and more impactful partner in development, including partnering more with the private sector to increase investments in emerging markets. He also discusses what he calls the Decency Quotient and how leaders can tap into that in order to lead people with a hand on their back, not in their face. We’ll also hear from Rebecca Hart, a leadership advisor in our Atlanta office, who will discuss why the most successful leaders prioritize curiosity over having all the answers. Four things you’ll learn from this episode: How to get everyone aligned with a bold mandate, mission and vision and how to deal with challenging feedback Why job creation is a critical piece in global development Why the private sector is critical to international development What the Decency Quotient is and why it matters for leaders today If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Music with a Mission: Former MTV International Chairman and CEO Bill Roedy on Leading with Purpose Leadership Lounge: Built to Last or Built to Learn: How Leaders Can Develop Resilience Action Creates Hope: A Conversation with IRC President and CEO David Miliband Leadership Lounge: From Firefighting to Future-Building: How Leaders Can Master Perpetual Transformation Thriving Through Adversity: How WTO’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Solving Global Problems Leadership Lounge: Beyond Handshakes: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance

Board directors operate in an environment of high complexity and volatility. The question isn't whether crises will occur—it's whether directors have the skills, judgment, and relationships to navigate them effectively.In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we talk to two of our trusted advisors—Gwenael Quere and Ted Dysart—who share their perspectives on:The key skills effective board directors utilize during periods of sustained uncertaintyWhen it's appropriate to step in versus trust management to handle critical decisionsHow to balance individual perspective with building board consensus during volatile momentsThe best approach for managing competing demands when serving on multiple boards facing simultaneous challenges"One key trait is being able to ask the right questions, but also ask those questions in the right way. If a director gets into a meeting and starts asking questions that feel like a trap, the management team will just shut down."-Ted Dysart Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds AssociatesFour things you'll learn from this episodeStaying calm, exercising sound judgment, and leading with empathy are three essential traits needed by board directors to effectively navigate volatility.How to get the balance right between being deeply informed and engaged without crossing the line into managing the business during a crisis. Why you must support your CEO’s wellbeing during prolonged stress. A CEO who can’t think clearly is a risk to the entire organization.Structured post-crisis reflection builds organizational resilience—boards that capture and institutionalize lessons from crisis experiences perform better in the future.In this episode, we will cover:(01.50) The key skills board directors should utilize during sustained volatility(03.31) The art of asking the right questions without creating traps for management(05.44) How to decide when to step in versus when to let management handle critical decisions(09.45) Balancing individual perspective with creating board consensus during periods of volatility(11.16) How to manage time and energy when serving on multiple boards facing simultaneous challenges(13.42) How directors can remain mentally sharp and objective during prolonged uncertainty(15.28) Why directors should never let a good crisis go to waste

How does a more than 100-year-old family-owned business continue to evolve and grow across generations to become one of the largest privately held companies in the world? On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke and Marla are joined by Valerie Mars, former Senior Vice President & Head of Corporate Development for Mars, Incorporated, to talk about how the Mars family grew a small kitchen-table candy company into a $55 billion diversified global food and pet care enterprise. Valerie talks about the family’s decision to bring in a non-family CEO, how the Five Principles and Mars Compass are used to guide decision-making and nurture a values-driven culture, and what they’re doing to develop the next generation of family leaders. We’ll also hear from Anuradha Chawla, a leadership advisor in our Toronto office, who will explore when family enterprises should consider introducing non-family management. Four things you’ll learn from this episode: The business and cultural impact of bringing in a non-family CEO to a family-owned enterprise The key traits that make a successful non-family CEO Mars’ Five Principles and the Mars Compass and how they’ve helped guide the company through growth and change How to develop future next generation leaders and how to deal with family succession tensions that may arise If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Leading with a North Star: Former Decathlon CEO Barbara Martin Coppola's Blueprint for Bold Change Leadership Lounge: How can family enterprise leaders stay ahead in a fast-changing world? From Chaos to Clarity: How Bain Capital’s John Connaughton Leads Through Volatility Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today Paws, Purpose & Profit: A Conversation with Pets at Home CEO Lyssa McGowan Leadership Lounge: Built to Last or Built to Learn: How Leaders Can Develop Resilience