The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

From stuttering waiter to President at Cisco, this is the real story behind world-class leadership.
In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone is joined by Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco and Board Member at JLL. 
Jeetu shares his journey from growing up with uncertainty and responsibility in India to becoming a leader at one of the world’s largest technology companies. He opens up about insecurity, imposter syndrome, Jeetu explains how early struggles, including overcoming stuttering and pushing himself through a 72-hour typing marathon, helped him develop a “learn it all” mindset. 
He shares why focusing on craftsmanship and doing great work is more powerful than networking, and how thinking like an owner creates a significant advantage in any career. He also discusses the realities of leadership at scale, including loneliness, decision-making under pressure, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who share your values and give honest feedback.
The conversation also explores how leaders can build strong conviction, develop self-awareness, and lead with clarity in a rapidly changing world. Jeetu shares his perspective on innovation, why it is always a choice, and how even large organizations can move fast by adopting a startup mindset. He also reflects on the role of AI in shaping the future of leadership, decision-making, and business strategy.
What You'll Learn- How insecurity, imposter syndrome, and adversity shape strong leaders.- Why doing great work matters more than networking for long-term success.- How adopting a “learn it all” mindset accelerates personal and professional growth.- Why thinking like an owner creates a powerful advantage in your career.- The reality of leadership at scale, including loneliness, pressure, and decision-making.- How strong values and conviction help leaders stay grounded and effective.- Why innovation is a choice and how large companies can still operate like startups.- How AI is influencing leadership, strategy, and the future of business.
Timestamps[00:00] - Teaser and introduction of Jeetu Patel[02:45] - Early life, responsibility, and survival mindset[06:00] - How hardship shapes leadership and success[07:20] - Overcoming stuttering and building confidence[08:29] - The 72-hour typing story and learning mindset[09:43] - Why great work matters more than networking[10:55] - Craftsmanship, design, and attention to detail[13:51] - Moving from startup to big tech and scale[15:08] - Thinking like an owner vs employee mindset[19:37] - Leadership loneliness and hidden pressures[25:35] - A powerful lesson on values from his daughter[29:23] - Innovation as a choice in modern organizations[32:45] - Leading at scale and managing large teams[35:00] - Building high-performance culture[40:00] - AI, SaaS, and the future of leadership[41:39] - Final advice for leaders and long-term success
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
_________________________________________________________________
FREE GUIDE
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
_________________________________________________________________
WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
_________________________________________________________________
1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
_________________________________________________________________
COACHING APP
Want to grow as a leader on the go? My Executive coaching app helps Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders build world-class leadership habits, guided by the Throughline™ framework: Identity, Message, Presence.
👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
_________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
Join 183,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights on leading at the top:
👉  https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/
_________________________________________________________________
MORE FROM ANDREA
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/  
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreapetrone_x
Follow The World Class Leaders Show:
Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/

This episode goes inside a private CEO roundtable where the usual leadership script disappeared within minutes. What emerged wasn’t polished insight, but unfiltered reality, the pressures, trade-offs, and decisions CEOs rarely articulate in formal settings. It reveals how quickly the quality of conversation changes when performance is removed and the right question is introduced.
More importantly, it surfaces the structural challenges shaping leadership today: the increasing weight of board dynamics, delayed executive team decisions, the fragility of execution without conviction, and the quiet drift from strategy into operations. These are not isolated issues. They are patterns. And left unaddressed, they compound.
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
_________________________________________________________________
FREE GUIDE
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
_________________________________________________________________
WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
_________________________________________________________________
1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
_________________________________________________________________
COACHING APP
Want to grow as a leader on the go? My Executive coaching app helps Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders build world-class leadership habits, guided by the Throughline™ framework: Identity, Message, Presence.
👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
_________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
Join 183,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights on leading at the top:
👉  https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/
_________________________________________________________________
MORE FROM ANDREA
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/  
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreapetrone_x
Follow The World Class Leaders Show:
Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/

We're closing the founding member window for WCL21 at the end of March. If you're a CEO running a mid-market or growth-stage company and want a private space to pressure-test decisions with peers who understand the weight. We have two seats left.
👉 Request your invitation TODAY: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
Leading at the highest level right now is not simply a matter of capability. It is a sustained confrontation with pressure, ambiguity, and personal limits.
The data points to rising uncertainty, accelerating transformation, and increasing organisational strain. But in my work with CEOs, what’s happening beneath those signals is more telling. Leaders are being asked to project clarity while operating inside conditions that are structurally unclear. Over time, that gap doesn’t just create operational tension — it creates cognitive and emotional load that compounds quietly.
In this solo episode, I explore a pattern I’m seeing across almost every CEO conversation I’m having today: the unspoken fears shaping leadership behaviour beneath the surface. I outline four that are particularly pervasive — the compression of decision-making beyond the pace of clear thinking, the growing tension between performance demands and human capacity, the quiet reassessment of leadership team readiness, and the deeper risk of identity drift under sustained pressure. These aren’t problems to quickly solve. They are realities to confront directly, because the moment you name what you’re carrying is the moment you start leading it again.
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
_________________________________________________________________
FREE GUIDE
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
_________________________________________________________________
WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
_________________________________________________________________
1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
_________________________________________________________________
COACHING APP
Want to grow as a leader on the go? My Executive coaching app helps Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders build world-class leadership habits, guided by the Throughline™ framework: Identity, Message, Presence.
👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
_________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
Join 183,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights on leading at the top:
👉  https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/
_________________________________________________________________
MORE FROM ANDREA
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/  
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreapetrone_x
Follow The World Class Leaders Show:
Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/

In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone is joined by Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, President of IE University, Author of book Dante in the Workplace, Member of the Board at EFMD Global and Board Member of Headspring Executive Development. Santiago shares his perspective on leadership, virtues, and the role of character in modern business. Drawing on the Seven Deadly Sins, he explains how pride, envy, anger, and laziness show up in organisations and how leaders can develop humility, balance, and self awareness. He also discusses the impact of AI on education and management, the importance of lifelong learning, and why cultivating the humanities helps leaders stay human and effective in a fast changing world.
Santiago explains how leaders can develop stronger character by understanding how pride, envy, anger, and laziness appear in everyday business life. He shows why many executives struggle with feedback, humility, and balance, and why self reflection and mentorship are essential for long term success. Santiago also shares his views on AI and how it is changing education and management, while stressing that human qualities such as judgment, curiosity, and empathy will matter even more. He offers practical advice for CEOs to see their career as a marathon, commit to lifelong learning, and cultivate the humanities to lead with clarity and purpose.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
-How the Seven Deadly Sins such as pride, envy, anger, and laziness show up in modern organisations.
-Why humility, self awareness, and openness to feedback are essential for effective leadership.
-How lifelong learning, mentorship, and reflection help leaders grow over time.
-The impact of AI on education and management, and why human judgment still matters.
-Practical advice for CEOs to build balance, nurture the humanities, and lead with purpose in a fast changing world.
 
📘 Get your copy of “Dante in the Workplace” by Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño and explore how leaders can avoid common pitfalls and build stronger character in business.
👉 Visit: https://a.co/d/06BJ1FCw
Timestamps:
[00:00] - Teaser and introduction of Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño
[03:40] - What it means to lead a global university in 2026
[04:50] - Dante in the Workplace and the Seven Deadly Sins
[05:18] - Pride, envy, anger, and virtues in business life
[15:13] - Feedback, humility, and the challenge for senior leaders
[21:06] - Resilience, AI, and the growing role of humanity
[24:39] - Reflection, balance, and mental wellbeing for leaders
[31:00] - Leading people with care and building healthy organisations
[34:49] - AI in education and the evolution of the classroom
[40:42] - Final advice for CEOs on lifelong learning and the humanities
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
_________________________________________________________________
FREE GUIDE
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
_________________________________________________________________
WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
_________________________________________________________________
1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
_________________________________________________________________
COACHING APP
Want to grow as a leader on the go? My Executive coaching app helps Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders build world-class leadership habits, guided by the Throughline™ framework: Identity, Message, Presence.
👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
_________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
Join 183,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights on leading at the top:
👉  https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/
_________________________________________________________________
MORE FROM ANDREA
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/  
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreapetrone_x
Follow The World Class Leaders Show:
Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
_________________________________________________________________
Follow Our Guest Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño:
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siniguez/ 
-IE University: https://www.linkedin.com/school/ie-university/ 
-EFMD Global: https://www.linkedin.com/company/efmd-global/ 
-Headspring Executive Development: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goheadspring/ 
 

In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone is joined by Jennifer Dulski, CEO & Founder of Rising Team, Faculty Lecturer in Management at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and Lead Independent Director at Arcadia. Jennifer shares insights from over 25 years of executive experience leading teams at companies like Facebook, Google, and Yahoo. She explores the challenges leaders face today, including constant change, hybrid work, efficiency pressure, and AI. Jennifer explains how AI can support managers through coaching and role play while strengthening human connection. She also reflects on her journey as a founder and why resilience, adaptability, and empathy are essential for building high performing teams.
Jennifer explains how today’s leaders can navigate constant change by focusing on learning speed, adaptability, and human connection. She shares how managers are under pressure from transformation, hybrid work, efficiency demands, and rapid growth of AI. Jennifer describes how AI can support leaders with coaching, role play, and better team conversations, while still keeping people at the center. She reflects on her own journey as a founder, including setbacks and moments of doubt, and how she learned to recover faster over time. Throughout the conversation, she offers practical insights on building trust, supporting managers, and using AI as a tool to strengthen leadership and team performance.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
-How leaders can manage constant change in today’s workplace.
-Why managers are feeling overwhelmed and how AI can support them.
-How AI coaching and role play can improve leadership skills.
-Why human connection and trust are critical for strong teams.
-How adaptability, learning speed, and resilience shape effective leadership.
 
🚀 Discover Rising Team’s AI-powered leadership platform for transforming managers into super leaders.
Visit: risingteam.com
💡 Want to be the first to know when SuperManager.ai launches? Get on the waitlist now!
Visit: supermanager.ai
 
Timestamps:
[00:00] - Teaser and introduction of Jennifer Dulski
[02:39] - The workplace tornado and why leadership is harder today
[05:48] - How AI can scale leadership support for every manager
[06:38] - Manager burnout, overload, and the cost to performance
[08:12] - Engagement, retention, and why people performance matters
[10:06] - Limits of engagement surveys and reactive leadership
[13:00] - Moving engagement with the right tools and team sessions
[15:16] - The super manager concept and AI as a leadership trainer
[19:01] - Personalized leadership development and role play with AI
[20:33] - How AI works in practice with teams and managers
[24:41] - Using role play to prepare for hard leadership conversations
[28:13] - Leading through rapid AI change and learning fast as a company
[31:40] - AI bootcamps, experimentation, and building adaptability
[36:38] - Founder journey, resilience, and recovering from setbacks
[40:38] - Final advice on AI, human connection, and leadership today
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
_________________________________________________________________
FREE GUIDE
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
_________________________________________________________________
WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
_________________________________________________________________
1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
_________________________________________________________________
COACHING APP
Want to grow as a leader on the go? My Executive coaching app helps Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders build world-class leadership habits, guided by the Throughline™ framework: Identity, Message, Presence.
👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
_________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
Join 183,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights on leading at the top:
👉  https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/
_________________________________________________________________
MORE FROM ANDREA
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/  
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreapetrone_x
Follow The World Class Leaders Show:
Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
_________________________________________________________________
Follow Our Guest Jennifer Dulski:
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdulski/ 
-Rising Team: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rising-team/ 
-Stanford University Graduate School of Business: https://www.linkedin.com/school/stanford-graduate-school-of-business/ 
-Arcadia: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arcadiahq/ 

Stepping into the CEO role is not simply a change in responsibilities. It is a profound psychological transition.
Research shows that a significant portion of new CEOs struggle within their first 18 months, not because they lack the capabilities required for the role, but because they remain anchored to the expertise that earned them the promotion in the first place. The instinct to remain deeply involved in a familiar function can feel productive, yet it quietly prevents leaders from fully occupying the broader integrative responsibilities of the CEO role.
In this solo episode, I'll explore one of the most common traps in leadership transitions: the tendency for new CEOs to retreat into their former expert identity rather than stepping into the architect role the position requires. He outlines three leadership shifts that define successful CEO transitions — moving from doing to deciding, from performing to architecting, and from concentrating authority to distributing it across the leadership team.
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
_________________________________________________________________
FREE GUIDE
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
_________________________________________________________________
WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
_________________________________________________________________
1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
_________________________________________________________________
COACHING APP
Want to grow as a leader on the go? My Executive coaching app helps Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders build world-class leadership habits, guided by the Throughline™ framework: Identity, Message, Presence.
👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
_________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
Join 183,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights on leading at the top:
👉  https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/
_________________________________________________________________
MORE FROM ANDREA
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/  
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreapetrone_x
Follow The World Class Leaders Show:
Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
 

We’re opening doors to WCL21. The first private and exclusive community for CEOs who want to grow their leadership, pressure-test decisions, and create meaningful connections with other peers in a trusted environment.
 
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of “10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One”
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
__________________________________________
 
In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone speaks with Cameron Drinkwater, Chief Product & Operations Officer, S&P Dow Jones Indices at S&P Global. Cameron shares insights from her journey across finance, strategy, and product leadership, and how she built a career by taking smart risks and embracing change. She explains how her leadership is shaped by adaptability, authenticity, and a strong commitment to culture, learning, and development. Cameron also discusses the importance of psychological safety, leading large teams, and balancing career growth with raising a young family.
Cameron shares how leaders can grow their careers by taking bold but smart moves, focusing on roles that build new skills and bring real joy. She explains how her success comes from a clear career strategy, strong personal values, and the ability to adapt to new challenges. Cameron talks about building trust as a young leader, leading large teams through change, and creating a culture that supports learning and innovation. She also highlights the role of coaching, feedback, and setting clear boundaries to stay healthy and balanced. Throughout the conversation, she gives honest advice and real-life tips for leading with impact and purpose.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How to grow your career by making bold but smart job moves.
- Why personal values and clear goals help guide better decisions.
- Ways to lead with impact even without being a subject expert.
- How to build a strong culture that supports learning and risk-taking.
- Tips for balancing leadership, family life, and personal well-being.
 
Timestamps:
[00:00] - Teaser and introduction of Cameron Drinkwater
[03:04] - The career mindset behind bold job transitions
[05:06] - Learning to adapt and lead through personal strengths
[08:31] - From finance to product and operations: why Cameron made the shift
[14:00] - Leading 500 people and driving impact through indexing
[16:31] - Building a high-performance culture with learning and mobility
[23:20] - Taking smart risks and shaping leadership identity
[25:13] - The value of coaching and becoming a stronger leader
[27:04] - Leading with clarity, consistency, and team recognition
[31:41] - Balancing career growth with family and personal boundaries
[39:30] - Lessons from sport: mindset, focus, and leadership routines
Follow Our Guest Cameron Drinkwater:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-drinkwater/ 
- S&P Dow Jones Indices: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/s&p-dow-jones-indices/  
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone
- Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreapetrone_x/
Follow The World Class Leaders Show and Stay updated:
- Subscribe to The World Class Leader Show: https://shorturl.at/E9WE7
- Newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dMRp6
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
- Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
- Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
- Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
⭐If you are leading teams or navigating career growth, this conversation with Cameron Drinkwater offers real advice on taking smart risks, leading with authenticity, and building a strong culture that supports both people and performance.

We’re opening doors to WCL21. The first private and exclusive community for CEOs who want to grow their leadership, pressure-test decisions, and create meaningful connections with other peers in a trusted environment.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
__________________________________________Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of “10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One”👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
__________________________________________
In Episode 227, Andrea examines the hidden financial cost of performed certainty inside executive leadership. When CEOs default to projecting confidence instead of naming uncertainty, they unintentionally compress organisational intelligence upward — creating decision bottlenecks and suppressing early risk signals.
This episode introduces a four-part framework for maintaining authority while increasing transparency. The core argument is simple but uncomfortable: the leader’s relationship with truth determines the organisation’s capacity to think. When certainty becomes theatre, silence becomes culture. And silence is where strategic errors compound.
 
- Like my work? Follow or connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone/
- Want to become a world-class leader? Join 155,000+ leaders who read my weekly insights here: https://www.andreapetrone.com/newsletter/

We’re opening doors to WCL21. The first private and exclusive community for CEOs who want to grow their leadership, pressure-test decisions, and create meaningful connections with other peers in a trusted environment.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of “10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One”👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
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In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone is joined by Josh Bersin, Founder and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company, Founder and Dean of Galileo by the Josh Bersin Company, and Board Member of University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, a globally recognized expert on HR and the future of work. Josh shares his insights on the transformative role of AI in business. He discusses how AI can break down organizational silos, improve productivity, and drive innovation. Josh explains why CEOs must rethink business models to integrate AI across functions and how AI can reshape leadership, talent development, and decision-making for long-term success.
 
Josh shares how leaders can leverage AI to transform their businesses by breaking down silos and creating more integrated workflows. He explains why many companies focus on AI as a tool for individual tasks, missing the opportunity to use it for rethinking entire business models. Josh introduces his vision for AI as a "super agent" that can drive efficiency across various functions like marketing, sales, and HR. He also discusses how AI can enhance leadership, talent development, and decision-making, and offers clear examples and practical steps for companies to adopt AI successfully and drive long-term growth.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
-How AI can break down organizational silos and create more integrated workflows.
-Why CEOs need to rethink their business models to fully leverage AI.
-The potential of AI to drive innovation and reshape leadership practices.
-How AI can improve talent development and decision-making across functions.
-Practical steps companies can take to successfully implement AI for long-term growth.
 
 
📢 Explore Galileo - Access world-class HR and Management Consulting at an incredible value with Josh Bersin's AI-powered platform.
👉 Visit: https://getgalileo.ai/
Timestamps:
[00:00] - Teaser and introduction of Josh Bersin
[02:16] - The current state of AI and its transformative potential
[07:40] - Reengineering business models with AI for long-term growth
[09:52] - Overcoming organizational silos with AI integration
[14:17] - Galileo: The future of AI-powered advisory and research
[19:55] - How AI can help CEOs rethink company culture and innovation
[24:42] - Practical steps for CEOs to leverage AI for success
[32:22] - Building a super manager mindset in an AI-driven company
Follow Our Guest Josh Bersin:
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bersin/ 
-Website: https://joshbersin.com/ 
-The Josh Bersin Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joshbersin/ 
-Galileo by the Josh Bersin Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/galileo-by-josh-bersin-company/ 
-University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business: https://www.linkedin.com/school/berkeley-haas/ 
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
 
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone
-Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreapetrone_x/
 
Follow The World Class Leaders Show and Stay updated:
 
-Subscribe to The World Class Leader Show: https://shorturl.at/E9WE7
-Newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dMRp6
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
-Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
-Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
-Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
⭐If you're leading a business or exploring AI adoption, this conversation with Josh Bersin offers valuable insights on how AI can transform organizations, improve efficiency, and drive long-term success in today’s fast-growing market.

We’re opening doors to WCL21. The first private and exclusive community for CEOs who want to grow their leadership, pressure-test decisions, and create meaningful connections with other peers in a trusted environment.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21 
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of “10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One”👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies 
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In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone is joined by Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Chegg Inc.. With a rich career spanning leadership roles at Yahoo, Dan shares his journey of reinvention in the face of challenges at Chegg Inc.. He discusses the importance of transparency, authenticity, and adaptability for CEOs, especially during times of crisis and transformation. Dan also highlights the evolving landscape of education and Chegg’s shift toward skilling, focusing on helping students become more employable in a rapidly changing world.
 
Dan shares how CEOs must evolve their leadership style in response to changing times, focusing on authenticity, transparency, and the ability to lead through crises. He explains the challenges of leading in the tech industry, particularly when facing disruptions like AI and market shifts. Dan discusses the importance of clear communication with employees and stakeholders, especially during tough decisions like layoffs. He also highlights the need for CEOs to balance personal growth with company transformation, using real-world examples from his own career to illustrate key leadership lessons and strategies.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why transparency and authenticity are crucial for CEOs, especially in times of crisis.
- How leaders can evolve their approach to meet the demands of a rapidly changing market.
- The importance of clear communication during difficult decisions like layoffs.
- Why reinvention and adaptability are key to long-term business success.
- How CEOs can balance personal growth with transforming their company’s future.
 
Timestamps:
[00:00] - Teaser & Introduction of Dan Rosensweig
[02:24] - Why Dan returned as CEO of Chegg during challenging times
[06:13] - What reinvention means for CEOs personally and professionally
[12:20] - The challenges of leading in tech and balancing work with personal life
[14:12] - Dan’s thoughts on leadership evolution and introspective work for CEOs
[19:54] - The importance of consistency and clarity in CEO communication
[24:06] - The impact of layoffs and transparent communication during difficult decisions
[33:05] - The importance of empathy in leadership, especially during tough times
[34:18] - Leadership and mental health: The personal impact of being a CEO
[38:56] - Dan's vision for Chegg's future and the shift to skilling over homework help
Follow Our Guest Dan Rosensweig:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrosensweig/ 
- Chegg Inc.: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chegg-inc-/  
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone
- Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreapetrone_x/
Follow The World Class Leaders Show and Stay updated:
- Subscribe to The World Class Leader Show: https://shorturl.at/E9WE7
- Newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dMRp6
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
- Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
- Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
- Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
⭐If you're leading a company or navigating change, this conversation with Dan Rosensweig provides valuable lessons on evolving as a CEO, staying authentic, and making tough decisions to drive long-term success in a fast-changing business landscape.