Redefiners

• Leadership Lounge: Built to Last or Built to Learn: How Leaders Can Develop Resilience

  In an era where adaptability trumps consistency, the leaders who survive and thrive are those who've mastered the art of bouncing back stronger. Yet our Global Leadership Monitor reveals that leaders' preparedness to face threats such as uncertain economic growth and geopolitical uncertainty is at its lowest point since we began tracking in 2021. The question isn't whether setbacks will come—it's whether leaders have built the genuine resilience to weather them. And more critically, how can executives create resilient organizations where entire leadership pipelines can adapt and flourish under pressure? In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we talk to two of our trusted advisors—Joey Berk and Maja Hadziomerovic—who share their perspectives on: How to recognize the warning signs when leadership resilience is waning Practical strategies for recovery and building sustainable energy management practices The role of vulnerability in creating high-performance, psychologically safe teams Why the biggest misconceptions about resilience actually undermine leadership effectiveness "When we think about exercising physically or learning a new skill, being in that growth mentality and constantly stretching is what builds resilience and pushes us to do what's less comfortable." — Joey Berk, Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates Four things you'll learn from this episode: 1.True resilience integrates three sources of intelligence—cognitive clarity, somatic awareness, and emotional authenticity work together to create leaders who can navigate uncertainty with confidence. 2.Energy management beats time management—resilient leaders audit and proactively manage their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy. 3.Organizational resilience requires systematic investment—build resilience at scale through stretch assignments, mentorship programs, and cultures that reward vulnerability over impression management. 4.Authentic vulnerability drives performance—the strongest leaders admit when they don't know, share their learning process, and create psychological safety that unleashes team innovation. In this episode, we will cover: (00:00:18) Why modern resilience demands adaptability over consistency in rapidly changing markets (00:03:27) The three sources of intelligence framework and how to develop each dimension (00:06:12) Energy management strategies across physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual domains (00:09:21) How to create stretch assignments and mentorship programs that build organizational resilience (00:11:47) Warning signs of resilience fatigue and recovery strategies for overwhelmed leaders (00:13:45) Why vulnerability and psychological safety are competitive advantages, not weaknesses (00:15:55) The biggest misconceptions about building resilience and how to overcome them A closer look at the research from this episode: Global Leadership Monitor | Russell Reynolds Associates Global CEO Turnover Index | Russell Reynolds Associates

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• The Leadership Lessons That Shaped Us: Celebrating 100 Episodes of Redefiners

  After four years and 100 episodes of extraordinary conversations with world-class leaders, what are the most powerful leadership lessons that have emerged? In this milestone episode, hosts Simon Kingston and Marla Oates dig through the Redefiners archives to share the top 10 leadership insights. From Ruth Porat's revelation that not having a rigid career plan was her secret weapon, and Debra Martin Chase's unshakeable determination in Hollywood, to Will Guidara's $2 hot dog that redefined hospitality excellence—these aren't just inspiring anecdotes. They're battle-tested lessons from leaders who've built careers with real impact across technology, finance, entertainment, hospitality, and global governance. Simon and Marla reveal their most memorable moments from conversations with CEOs like Adena Friedman at Nasdaq, Brad Smith at Microsoft, Tony Capuano at Marriott, and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the World Trade Organization. They explore how these leaders navigated everything from AI transformation and crisis management to building authentic cultures and making unpopular decisions. "Do people need to learn before they leap? I actually think they need to leap in order to learn.” – Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Four things you'll learn from this episode: Why the most successful leaders embrace uncertainty and leave their doors open to unexpected opportunities How to build the resilience and grit needed to navigate setbacks and transform failure into your competitive advantage The critical importance of putting people first during times of crisis and organizational transition Why authentic leadership—being unapologetically yourself—creates the strongest foundation for long-term successFeatured leaders: Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer, Alphabet and Google Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO, Nasdaq Debra Martin Chase, Film and Television Producer Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Carlyle Group Dee Caffari, Record-Breaking Yachtswoman Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization Tony Capuano, President and CEO, Marriott International Bill Roedy, Former Chair and CEO, MTV International Sarah Mensah, President, Jordan Brand Will Guidara, Restauranteur and Author

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• Leadership Lounge: Leadership Under Fire: How Mentorship Can Help C-suites Turn Headwinds Into Opportunity

  C-suite executives face an unprecedented cascade of simultaneous challenges—AI transformation, regulatory upheaval, geopolitical instability, and economic turbulence. Unlike previous generations who weathered single crises, today’s leaders must navigate sustained uncertainty that many have never experienced before. So, how can the right mentor transform leadership under pressure? And what makes mentorship relationships truly effective for senior executives? In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we talk to three of our trusted advisors—Kurt Harrison, Amanda Foster, and Jeffrey Cheng—who share their perspectives on: Why seeking the support of a mentor doesn’t equate to weakness Why finding mentors with experiential alignment is more important than industry experience Why vulnerability and authenticity are critical in building fruitful mentor-mentee relationships The common mistakes leaders make when entering mentorship engagements "Mentorship is not remedial. It's developmental, and it's all part of an agile, constantly learning mindset, which keeps executives fresh in how they look at the future rather than looking backwards." Amanda Foster, Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates Four things you'll learn from this episode: Seek mentors who've weathered multiple crises—their battle-tested wisdom is invaluable when facing today's sustained uncertainty. Mentorship isn't remedial—it's about gaining fresh perspectives that keep even experienced leaders sharp. Having an external mentor means a leader can be vulnerable without career consequences—they can discuss real struggles openly. Come prepared with clear goals and be genuinely open—mentorship is a relationship, not a transaction. In this episode, we will cover: (00:01:56) How sustained uncertainty differs from episodic crises and why this changes mentorship needs (00:04:02) Why cross-industry mentor-mentee pairings are often the most successful (00:10:07) The importance of building authentic mentorship relationships (00:14:18) How external mentors provide objective perspectives often impossible internally (00:15:48) Strategies for maximizing value from mentor relationships through preparation and goal-setting A closer look at the research from this episode: Global CEO Turnover Index | Russell Reynolds Associates Global Leadership Monitor | Russell Reynolds Associates

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• Leadership Lounge: From Firefighting to Future-Building: How Leaders Can Master Perpetual Transformation

  Transformation is no longer a project with a distinct beginning, middle, and end—it's the water leaders swim in. For leaders, the ability to lead through perpetual transformation has become mission critical. In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we talk to four of our trusted advisors—Bob Marcus, Hetty Pye, Sean Dineen, and Alain Ishak—who share their perspectives on: How to build cultures that thrive on continuous change without burning out teams The evolution from decision-maker to enabler and why this identity shift can be psychologically challenging for leaders What "AI-ready leadership" looks like and how to move beyond the pilot phase The balance between top-down conviction and bottom-up creativity in transformation efforts "Organizations change when people change, and people change when leaders change. Leaders need to role model and project the changes they want to see in the world." Bob Marcus, Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates Four things you'll learn from this episode: The most effective leaders maintain a consistent, compelling vision while demonstrating tactical agility—providing direction and stability even when the path forward requires continuous course correction. Leaders must flex different muscles and manage competing polarities depending on context to effectively spearhead transformation—sometimes leading from the front, sometimes from behind, balancing disruption with pragmatism. The shift from expert decision-maker to enabler requires leaders to accept that their value comes from asking better questions, rather than having all the answers. Organizations can have the best technical infrastructure, but without leaders who embrace AI and role model its use in strategy, decision-making, and operations, transformation efforts will fall flat. In this episode, we will cover: (00:00:08) Why traditional five-year roadmaps no longer work in today's accelerated business environment (00:03:03) What perpetual transformation means and why it's become critical for survival (00:06:52) Why leaders must view C-suite colleagues as their first team. (00:08:36) The importance of productive conflict and unified decision-making (00:11:30) Why culture change is 70% of transformation success (00:13:18) What AI-ready leadership looks like in practice (00:15:42) How to move beyond the AI pilot phase (00:17:27) Strategic disruptors and their role in challenging the status quo A closer look at the research from this episode: Strategy Decode and Activation, Russell Reynolds Associates, 2025

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• From Chaos to Clarity: How Bain Capital’s John Connaughton Leads Through Volatility

  While the terms “uncertainty” and “volatility” get thrown around a lot, they certainly describe what’s going on now in global markets, especially when it comes to private equity. In this episode of Redefiners, Clarke Murphy and Marla Oates talk with Bain Capital Co-Managing Partner John Connaughton to get his take on leading through change. As someone who has successfully managed through several periods of volatility during his more than 36-year career with Bain Capital, John takes us through how he’s been able to look past current unpredictability with an eye towards the long term. He shares tips and key learnings on how to increase adaptability and agility across the firm, including AI adoption and transformation. He talks about recruiting and retaining top talent, and the top traits he looks for in leaders. Plus, he shares his thoughts on how universities can help redefine the skills needed for next generation leaders to excel in a rapidly changing world. We'll also hear from Chris Davis, a leadership advisor in our New York City office, who will discuss the critical leadership traits financial services CEOs need to master AI transformation.  Four things you’ll learn from this episode: How to find and keep the best talent, including the top traits to look for in leadership How to build resilience and adaptability in teams to deal with uncertainty and change How technology and AI impacts investment strategy and growth How educational institutions need to redefine what skills will be needed in a rapidly changing world

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