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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

Speaking Fee $7,500 (In-Person)

Mahan Tavakoli Points
Academic 0
Author 1585
Influencer 41
Speaker 0
Entrepreneur 30
Total 1656

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Individual
Minimum Project Size: Undisclosed
Average Hourly Rate: Undisclosed
Number of Employees: Undisclosed
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed

Areas of Expertise

AI 30.43
Business Strategy 42.15
Change Management
Coaching 30.98
Culture 58.46
Entrepreneurship 30.19
Future of Work 30.05
Generative AI 30.12
Innovation
Leadership 54.07
Management 89.29
Marketing 30.05
Social 30.33

Industry Experience

Publications

4 Article/Blogs
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

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

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

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

IT’S YOUR IMPERFECTIONS THAT MAKE YOU BEAUTIFUL!
Mahan Tavakoli
September 05, 2020
For Starbucks fans like me, the Siren logo is a familiar face.

However, some might not know that initially the face had absolutely no flaws. The left and the right side were a perfect match.

Pretty quickly the team that was working on the logo realized why the look was “creepy” and didn’t do well in perception tests.

It was too perfect!

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Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture

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.

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Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture

1 Executive
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.

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Tags: Management, Leadership, Culture

1 Founder
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.

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Tags: Management, Leadership, Business Strategy

527 Podcasts
387 You Can’t Outsmart AI—But You Can Out-Human It: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World with Mark Schaefer
Partnering Leadership
May 13, 2025
In this compelling episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast, Mark Schaefer returns to share fresh, provocative insights from his latest book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World . A globally respected marketing strategist, bestselling author, and deep observer of technological change, Schaefer brings sharp clarity to a pressing leadership question: what does it take to stay relevant when artificial intelligence makes intelligence itself abundant?

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

386 [BEST OF] Eduardo Briceno on The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action
Partnering Leadership
May 06, 2025
In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Eduardo Briceño, author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action. In the discussion, Eduardo dives into the transformative power of a growth mindset and how we can apply it to unlock our potential.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

385 Thursday Refresh: Jim Detert on How to Choose Courage and Be Brave at Work
Partnering Leadership
May 01, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Jim Detert, John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and author of Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work. In this conversation, Jim Detert shares how we can become more courageous by developing our courage capabilities. Jim Detert also shares how leaders can nurture a psychologically safe organizational culture, enabling and encouraging more courageous interactions and decisions at work.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

384 The Power of Culture: Bringing values to life at work with Laura Hamill
Partnering Leadership
April 29, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Laura Hamill, organizational psychologist, startup co-founder, and author of The Power of Culture. Laura shares how her early experiences and leadership journey at Microsoft shaped her passion for understanding the hidden forces that drive organizational behavior and business outcomes.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Management

383 Designing What Lasts: How Great Leaders Reimagine Ownership, Innovation, and Legacy with Alfredo De Massis
Partnering Leadership
April 22, 2025
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 Entrepreneurial Families to Prosper Across Generations. As one of the most cited scholars in the field and a trusted advisor to multi-generational family businesses around the world, De Massis offers a rare combination of academic rigor and real-world relevance.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

382 Why Strategy Fails Without the Right Board: Didier Cossin on High Performance Boards & Decision-Making at the Top
Partnering Leadership
April 15, 2025
What if the greatest risk to your organization isn't economic uncertainty, market volatility, or disruptive technology—but the decisions being made in your own boardroom?

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

381 Reclaim the Moment: Building Clarity and Connection in a Chaotic World with Greg Bennick
Partnering Leadership
April 08, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Greg Bennick, keynote speaker, humanitarian, and author of Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now. Greg shares how his upbringing in a small Connecticut town with nontraditional parents helped shape his views on purpose, disruption, and transformation. Through vivid personal stories—including a near-death experience involving a truck crashing into a bookstore—Greg explores the chaos of modern life, the influence of technology, and the power of reclaiming presence and humanity.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

380 Thursday Refresh: Mark Schaefer on Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy in the Age of AI
Partnering Leadership
April 03, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Mark Schaefer, a renowned bestselling author of popular marketing books. The conversation focuses on Mark Schaefer's latest book, Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

379 Unlocking AI: How Leaders Can Tap Into Generative AI’s Power with Rajeev Kapur
Partnering Leadership
April 01, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Rajeev Kapur, a seasoned technology executive, AI innovator, and author of AI Made Simple. With decades of leadership experience, including his time as CEO of a leading B2B marketing and media technology company, Rajeev shares invaluable insights on how generative AI is reshaping business, leadership, and decision-making.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

378 [BEST OF] Barbara Kellerman on How to Break Free from the Grip of Toxic Leadership and Cultivate a Thriving Organization
Partnering Leadership
March 25, 2025
In this compelling episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Barbara Kellerman, a renowned expert in leadership, Harvard Kennedy School Professor, and a prolific author. Kellerman's latest book, Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers, serves as the focal point of this discussion. With decades of research and a unique perspective on the dynamics of leadership, Kellerman challenges conventional wisdom and sheds light on often-overlooked aspects of leadership and followership.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

377 Leadership Lessons from Cyrus the Great: Timeless Principles for Modern Leaders with Darius Lahoutifard
Partnering Leadership
March 18, 2025
What can today’s executives and business leaders learn from a ruler who lived 2,500 years ago? As it turns out, quite a lot. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli welcomes Darius Lahoutifard, a seasoned entrepreneur, leadership expert, and the author of Leadership by Cyrus the Great: Unlocking Xenophon’s Cyropaedia. Drawing on the remarkable leadership legacy of Cyrus the Great, one of history’s most effective and visionary leaders, Darius reveals how Cyrus’s principles of governance, strategy, and influence remain strikingly relevant in today’s fast-changing business environment.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

376 Leading Through Complexity: Becoming Courageous, Wise, and Steady in an Anxious World with Jennifer Garvey Berger
Partnering Leadership
March 11, 2025
In today’s fast-changing world, leaders are expected to navigate complexity, make high-stakes decisions, and provide clarity—even when certainty is impossible. But how can leaders embrace ambiguity without losing their strategic edge? In this episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Jennifer Garvey Berger, a world-renowned leadership expert and the author of Changing on the Job: How Leaders Become Courageous, Wise, and Steady in an Anxious World.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

375 March Refresh: Andrea Sampson on the Power of Strategic Storytelling in Leadership
Partnering Leadership
March 06, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli hosts Andrea Sampson, an expert in strategic storytelling and the co-founder of Talk Boutique. Andrea Sampson talks about the fascinating intersection of brain science and storytelling, emphasizing why humans are hardwired to respond to stories. As an experienced speaker's coach for TEDx Toronto and a thought leader in her own right, Andrea shares her journey from the advertising world to helping change-makers communicate their ideas effectively.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

374 The Viking Code: Redefining Leadership for the Exponential Age with Anders Indset
Partnering Leadership
March 04, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Anders Indset, a renowned business philosopher, leadership thinker, and author of The Viking Code. As organizations navigate the rapid rise of AI, economic volatility, and shifting workforce dynamics, Indset challenges leaders to rethink how they lead, make decisions, and create value in a world that increasingly rewards speed over wisdom.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

373 Mastering Leadership from the Inside Out: Transformative Insights for CEOs with Kurt Strovink, Global Head of McKinsey's CEO Practice
Partnering Leadership
February 25, 2025
What separates truly exceptional leaders from the rest? According to Kurt Strovink, it’s not just strategy, execution, or decision-making—it’s the ability to lead from within. As a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and a global advisor to CEOs, Kurt has spent decades studying the patterns of the most successful executives.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

372 The Power of Company Culture: How Any Business Can Build a Culture that Improves Productivity, Performance and Profits with Chris Dyer
Partnering Leadership
February 18, 2025
Culture is often cited as a competitive advantage, yet many leaders fail to shape it with intention. In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Chris Dyer, a globally recognized company culture expert and the author of The Power of Company Culture. With years of hands-on experience advising leaders on how to build high-performance organizations, Chris shares why most leaders think they have a great culture—until cracks begin to show.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

371 LinkedIn’s First CHRO and Author of Workquake Steve Cadigan on the Future of Work
Partnering Leadership
February 11, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Steve Cadigan, renowned talent strategist, leadership advisor, and author of the acclaimed book Workquake. Steve brings decades of experience shaping talent strategies for some of the most innovative companies in the world, including Cisco, Electronic Arts, and LinkedIn, where he played a pivotal role as the company’s first Chief HR Officer during its meteoric rise.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

369 Democratizing Leadership Development: Transforming Workplace Culture with James Lawrence of Happy Companies
Partnering Leadership
February 04, 2025
In this insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli welcomes James Lawrence, a seasoned entrepreneur, leadership expert, and the driving force behind Happy Companies. With a dynamic career that includes founding multiple successful businesses, James has developed a passion for blending behavioral science, leadership, and innovative technology to create stronger, more aligned organizations. As the co-creator of Happy Companies, an AI-powered coaching platform, James shares his expertise on democratizing leadership development, creating meaningful manager-employee relationships, and building cultures where people and productivity thrive.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

367 Reauthoring Leadership: Take Charge of Your Story, Navigate Change, and Empower Transformation with Lior Arussy twitter-white sharing button Tweetfacebook-white sharing button Sharesharethis-white sharing button Share
Partnering Leadership
January 21, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli engages in a powerful conversation with Lior Arussy, renowned author, speaker, and expert in organizational transformation and customer experience. Lior is the author of the thought-provoking book Dare to Author: Take Charge of the Narrative of Your Life. In this episode, he brings his compelling insights to life, challenging leaders to rethink how they approach storytelling, organizational change, and leadership in an era of rapid disruption.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

366 Turning Disruption into Opportunity: The Top 25 Technology Trends for Strategic Advantage with Futurist Daniel Burrus
Partnering Leadership
January 14, 2025
In this insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, host Mahan Tavakoli welcomes back world-renowned futurist, best-selling author, and innovation expert Daniel Burrus. Known for his groundbreaking book The Anticipatory Organization, Daniel has spent decades helping leaders navigate transformative change by teaching them to anticipate disruptions and turn them into opportunities.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

365 Beyond the Hype: AI-Powered Productivity Tools for Busy Executives with Jeremy Caplan, Founder & Creator of Wonder Tools
Partnering Leadership
January 07, 2025
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Jeremy Caplan, an expert in innovation and productivity and the author of "Wonder Tools," shares transformative insights into how leaders can leverage AI to amplify creativity, streamline processes, and empower their teams. As the creator of the popular "Wonder Tools" Substack and a thought leader in using AI to enhance productivity, Jeremy offers a practical and inspiring approach to integrating technology into leadership.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

364 January Refresh: Louis Rosenberg on Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, The Metaverse & AI’s Impact on The Future of Work
Partnering Leadership
January 02, 2025
In this Partnering Leadership conversation, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Louis Rosenberg. Louis Rosenberg is a pioneer in virtual and augmented reality with over 300 patents; he has started multiple businesses, including Founder Immersion Corp, Founder Outland Research, and Unanimous A.I., for which he currently serves as CEO and Chief Scientist

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

363 [BEST OF] Oscar Trimboli on How to Listen: Discovering the Hidden Key to Better Communication
Partnering Leadership
December 31, 2024
Get ready for a fascinating discussion on the overlooked leadership skill of listening, featuring Oscar Trimboli, author of the book How to Listen: Discover the Hidden Key to Better Communication. Oscar Trimboli draws on decades of research and over 24,000 workplace interviews to provide science-backed insights on how leaders can become exceptional listeners. You'll discover why most of us are only hearing 14% of what people actually say and how to tap into the other 86%.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

362 [BEST OF] Renee Cummings on AI Ethics, Leadership & Governance
Partnering Leadership
December 24, 2024
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Renee Cummings, Data Science Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia. In the conversation, Professor Renee Cummings, a criminologist and AI ethicist discusses the importance of bringing responsible, ethical thinking to deploying AI technology. She stresses the need for due process, recognizing the various forms of bias, ethical use and transparency in deployment, and good governance and oversight

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

361 Authentic Leadership: Building Influence Through Storytelling and Connection with Tricia Brouk | Partnering Leadership Global Thought Leader
Partnering Leadership
December 17, 2024
In this insightful episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli is joined by Tricia Brouk, an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and leadership communication strategist.

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Tags: Culture, Leadership, Management

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