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Mahan Tavakoli
CEO at Strategic Leadership Ventures
Washington DC, United States
Mahan Tavakoli is a highly accomplished executive with a multi-faceted background in the US and global operations management. Over a 20+ year career at Dale Carnegie Training, Mahan was instrumental in launching, marketing, revitalizing, and turning around underperforming operations on five continents. He is also credited with building the fastest growing, and highest performing operations for Dale Carnegie out of 90+ countries.
He transformed a money-losing operation into a profitability center in less than one year,
expanded Dale Carnegie’s global footprint on four continents, and led a stagnant global region to achieve double-digit growth for four consecutive years. Mahan eventually became the organization’s Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Strategist.
Mahan leveraged his diverse experience to launch a consulting practice focusing on organizational leadership. Partnering with leaders across organizations and various industries,
Mahan has significant experience working with executives from large divisions of multinational
companies, mid-sized organizations, government agencies, and SaaS startups.
The industries and size of the clients he works with vary, however, the needs are similar. The
organizations Mahan partners with all have great leadership, believe in the untapped potential
of their people, and want to get the winning edge as they align the entire organization towards
more effectively achieving their purpose.
Mahan is also a published author, co-author, and contributor to industry-leading publications.
In addition to Mahan’s business and consulting experience, giving back to the community is also a top priority. Among his many awards, Mahan was honored for demonstrating outstanding community leadership by The Greater Washington Board of Trade and was awarded The Golden Links Award.
Currently, Mahan serves as Board Chair of Leadership Greater Washington and has helped lead the board and the organization through a pivot to greater relevance, purpose, and impact through the crisis.
Available For: Consulting, Speaking Travels From: Washington DC
Speaking Topics: Leadership, Strategy, Management, Culture, Collaboration
Mahan Tavakoli
Points
Academic
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Author
1871
Influencer
41
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Entrepreneur
30
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1942
Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.
392 Section CEO Greg Shove on Leading Through AI: Rethinking Business Models, Talent, and Strategy
Partnering Leadership
June 10, 2025
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 the role of leaders and the structure of modern organizations. From board-level decision-making to frontline productivity, he doesn’t just speculate—he shares what he’s doing inside his own company to lead through the change.
Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future from the Stanford d.school with Carissa Carter and Scott Dorley
Partnering Leadership
January 28, 2025
In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli dives into a fascinating conversation with Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, authors of Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future. As leaders at Stanford's d.school, Scott and Carissa bring a wealth of expertise on design thinking, adaptability, and systems thinking that is uniquely relevant for CEOs and senior executives facing today’s complex challenges. Their insights are a timely reminder of the importance of embracing curiosity, imperfection, and collaboration to lead effectively in a fast-changing world
342 Resilience and Brilliance: Unleashing Leadership Potential and Lessons from Disney with Simon T. Bailey | Partnering Leadership Global Thought Leader
Partnering Leadership
September 03, 2024
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 on resilience—key themes that he passionately explores in his latest book
ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE!
Mahan Tavakoli
September 05, 2020
Organizations need to keep reinventing themselves, not just because of technology, but because that’s the only way to remain competitive in a demanding marketplace.
Some believe Blockbuster failed because of “digital disruption”. I would argue that they failed in part because their business model was based on excessive fees & even when they realized the need to move to streaming, their franchise network & their reliance on fees kept them from changing.
Founding Executive Director, Genesys Works National Capital Region
Genesys Works National Capital Region
January 04, 2016
Planned and executed launch of social enterprise in the Greater Washington Metropolitan, focusing on establishing partnerships, business development, client service, marketing, sales, fundraising and program management. Successfully launched by recruiting corporate clients, securing funding, program management, social media, PR, networking and partnering with school systems to provide pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences and impactful relationships.
-Fastest first year ramp up with the most first year clients and internships of any site.
-Secured diverse clients including Accenture, AT&T, Intelsat, Kirkland & Ellis, Kratos Defense and Strayer.
-100% intern retention and matriculation to college.
-Successful business marketing and public relations PR/media outreach with coverage on radio, TV and print media including the Washington Post.
Below, you can hear a six minute interview from What's Working in Washington, read one of the articles from the Washington Post or watch a piece that aired on WJLA-ABC.
Strategic Leadership Ventures
Strategic Leadership Ventures
January 01, 2018
We help you unleash your team's potential through leadership consulting, coaching, and speaking.
You understand the value of having team members aligned and collaborating to execute effectively.
However, you also realize that team misalignment, lack of communication, and collaboration result in overwork, overwhelm, and poor execution.
We work with clients to help them unleash their teams' potential and turn strategy from well-intentioned ideas to aligned execution producing breakthrough results.
458 Why Your Team Is Busy, Exhausted, and Still Not Moving the Needle with Liane Davey
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June 23, 2026
Why do so many teams work harder than ever but still struggle to make meaningful progress?In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with organizational psychologist and bestselling author Liane Davey, author of Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
457 The Hidden Cost of the Conversations Your Team Isn’t Having with Gustavo Razzetti
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June 16, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Gustavo Razzetti, workplace culture strategist, founder of Fearless Culture, and author of Forward Talk: The Bold New Method for Getting Teams Unstuck. Gustavo shares why many leadership teams struggle not because they lack talent
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
456 Different is Better Than Better: The Mrs. Meyer’s Playbook on Category Reinvention with Monica Nassif
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June 09, 2026
What does it take to see opportunity where everyone else sees a commodity? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and author of I Bottled My Mother: Grit, Grime, and Growing a Business, The Mrs. Meyer’s Story, about b
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
455 Thursday Refresh: David Gardner on Rule Breaker Investing, Long-Term Thinking, and Leadership That Lasts
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June 04, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with David Gardner—legendary investor, co-founder of The Motley Fool, and author of Rule Breaker Investing. Over the past three decades, David has not only beaten the market—he’s reshaped how long-term investing is understood and
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
454 The Hidden Cost of "Good" Leadership with David Grossman
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June 02, 2026
David Grossman joins Mahan Tavakoli on this episode of Partnering Leadership to explore one of the most uncomfortable truths in leadership today: the biggest threat to organizations is often not bad leadership. It is “good enough” leadership that quietly creates complacency, disengagement, and o
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
453 [BEST OF] Leading in a BANI World: Making Sense of Chaos with Bob Johansen and Jamais Cascio
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May 26, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, futurists Bob Johansen and Jamais Cascio join the conversation to explore the ideas behind their new book, The Age of Chaos: A Sense-Making Guide to a BANI World That Doesn’t Make Sense. Both guests bring decades of deep foresight work, scenario planning,
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
452 [BEST OF] Sangeet Paul Choudary on How AI Is Reshaping the Knowledge Economy, And What Leaders Need to Do Now
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May 19, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Sangeet Paul Choudary, one of the world’s leading thinkers on digital strategy, platforms, and the future of value creation. Sangeet is the author of the acclaimed new book Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Transforms the Knowledge
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
451 Why Great Companies Fall Behind: AI, Legacy Thinking, and Organizational Change with Marcus East
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May 12, 2026
Marcus East has spent his career inside some of the world’s most recognized organizations, including Apple, Google, IBM, National Geographic, and Marks & Spencer. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, he joins Mahan Tavakoli to discuss the ideas behind his book, Working with Dinosaurs: How
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
450 Thursday Refresh: Carolyn Dewar on What Great Leaders Do Differently—From Bold Beginnings to Graceful Exits
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May 07, 2026
What makes a great CEO today won’t be enough tomorrow. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Carolyn Dewar, McKinsey Senior Partner and coauthor of A CEO for All Seasons—a practical, research-backed roadmap for leaders navigating the full arc of CEO leadership. Bui
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
449 Executive Presence Isn’t What You Think: How Leaders Actually Build Influence and Impact with Alexa Chilcutt & Carl DuPont
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May 05, 2026
Executive presence is one of those concepts every leader knows matters, yet very few can clearly define or develop. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Alexa Chilcutt and Carl DuPont, co-authors of The Presence Principle: Embodying Executive Presence to Lead with
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
448 Leaders Are Human Too: How to Talk About Mental Health Without Undermining Your Authority with Melissa Doman
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April 28, 2026
What does it really cost to lead when you’re expected to have all the answers, show no cracks, and carry the weight of everyone around you?In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Melissa Doman—organizational psychologist, leadership consultant, and author of Corne
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
447 The Octopus Organization: Why Traditional Leadership Breaks in a Complex World with Phil Le-Brun & Jana Werner
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April 21, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner, co-authors of The Octopus Organization. Drawing on decades of leadership experience across global organizations, they challenge one of the most deeply embedded assumptions in business: that organiza
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
446 How Leaders Decide What Matters as AI Reshapes Value and Uncertainty Grows, Mahan Tavakoli interviewed by Vimi Appadoo & Akilesh Deerpalsingh
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April 14, 2026
This episode offers a different lens on leadership in a time of accelerating change.In this conversation, Mahan Tavakoli is interviewed by Vimi Appadoo and Akilesh Deerpalsingh, senior leaders working closely with CEOs and executive teams in Mauritius through their roles at Dale Carnegie Mauritius a
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
445 The Hidden Cost of Change: What Leaders Miss About Loss and Resistance with Amy Jacobson
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April 07, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle with strategy. They struggle with how people respond to it.In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Amy Jacobson, author of The Emotional Intelligence Advantage: Mastering Change and Difficult Conversations. Amy brings a practical, grounde
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
444 Thursday Refresh: Mita Mallick on The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses
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April 02, 2026
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 operatin
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
443 What Secret Service Interrogators Know About Trust That Most Leaders Miss with Brad Beeler
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March 31, 2026
Trust sits at the center of every meaningful leadership conversation. Yet many leaders struggle to create the conditions where people feel comfortable sharing what they really think. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Brad Beeler, a former U.S. Secret Service agent
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
442 The Soul of Strategy: Why Healing Our Leadership is the Next Frontier of Capitalism with Raj Sisodia
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March 24, 2026
In this compelling conversation, Raj Sisodia — co-founder of Conscious Capitalism and bestselling author of Firms of Endearment — joins the podcast to discuss his newest work, Healing Leaders. Widely recognized as one of the most influential voices reshaping modern business thinking, Raj brings
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
441 The AI Ultimatum: What Leaders Must Decide Now with Steve Brown
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March 17, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Steve Brown, a leading AI futurist and former executive at organizations including Intel and DeepMind. Brown brings a rare combination of technical depth and leadership perspective, shaped by decades at the forefront of technolo
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
440 The Four Forces of Growth: How to Stop Fixing Problems and Start Scaling Again with Kevin Lawrence
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March 10, 2026
Growth stalls in organizations far more often than leaders expect. Not because ambition fades, or talent disappears, but because focus drifts. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Kevin Lawrence, a long-time advisor to CEOs and executive teams, to explore why capab
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
439 Thursday Refresh: Alfredo De Massis on Designing What Lasts: How Great Leaders Reimagine Ownership, Innovation, and Legacy
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March 05, 2026
What does it take to build something that lasts—not just for years, but across generations? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Alfredo De Massis, a globally recognized expert on family enterprise and author of The Family Business Book: A Roadmap for Entrepreneuri
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
438 Hope Is the Strategy: What It Means to Lead When You Don’t Have All the Answers with Jen Fisher
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March 03, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Jen Fisher, one of the most influential voices shaping how leaders think about work, wellbeing, and human sustainability. Jen is the former Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte, where she spent more than two decades helping leaders
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
437 If AI Keeps Getting Smarter, What’s the Leader’s Real Job Now and Where Human Judgment Still Matters with Andrea Iorio
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February 24, 2026
As AI accelerates, many leadership conversations focus on tools, efficiency, and productivity. This episode of Partnering Leadership takes a different approach. Host Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Andrea Iorio, a global AI thought leader, former senior executive at Tinder and L’Oréal, and the author
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
436 Closing the Courage Gap: How Leaders Act Bravely in Uncertain Times with Margie Warrell
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February 17, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Margie Warrell, a global leadership advisor and the author of The Courage Gap. The conversation goes beyond familiar ideas about confidence and resilience to explore what courage really looks like when leaders are facing uncertain
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
435 Love as a Change Strategy: Why Most Change Efforts Fail and What Builds Real Commitment with Mohammad F. Anwar
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February 10, 2026
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Mohammad Anwar, founder and CEO of Softway and co-author of the book Love as a Change Strategy. Together, they take on one of the most misunderstood ideas in leadership: whether love has any place in driving performance, innovat
Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture
434 Thursday Refresh: Greg Shove on Leading Through AI
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February 05, 2026
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 groun
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392 Section CEO Greg Shove on Leading Through AI: Rethinking Business Models, Talent, and Strategy
Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future from the Stanford d.school with Carissa Carter and Scott Dorley
342 Resilience and Brilliance: Unleashing Leadership Potential and Lessons from Disney with Simon T. Bailey | Partnering Leadership Global Thought Leader
IT’S YOUR IMPERFECTIONS THAT MAKE YOU BEAUTIFUL!
ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE!
Founding Executive Director, Genesys Works National Capital Region
Strategic Leadership Ventures
458 Why Your Team Is Busy, Exhausted, and Still Not Moving the Needle with Liane Davey
