My guest today is Ramesh Srinivasan, a senior partner at McKinsey and trusted advisor to some of the world’s top CEOs. Over his career, Ramesh has worked with leaders at companies like Cognizant, Moderna, Nissan, and Delta, helping them navigate tough challenges and scale high-performing teams.

Ramesh just published a new book, The Journey of Leadership, which distills lessons from thousands of hours spent alongside top executives. In our conversation, he shares practical insights for founders on how to discover their natural leadership style, why empathy is a non-negotiable leadership skill, and what it really takes to inspire people at scale.

Hope you find this conversation valuable!

Chapters:

00:00:00 Cold open
00:01:14 Ramesh’s backstory
00:04:34 Things that shaped Ramesh’s leadership philosophy
00:05:19 The big idea behind his book: The Journey of Leadership
00:09:12 Building empathy: For your team, your customers, your market
00:11:00 Lessons from Frank D’Souza at Cognizant
00:14:20 Lessons from Stéphane Bancel at Moderna
00:17:15 Trust, vulnerability, and the power of asking for help
00:19:40 Finding purpose: Starting from life’s crucible moments
00:22:00 Renewal: How great leaders evolve over time
00:24:00 Common mistakes founders make on the leadership journey
00:26:10 Resilience: The ultimate test of a founder’s staying power
00:30:20 The impact of AI on leadership and organizational change
00:34:00 Where AI is reshaping healthcare today
00:36:00 Advice for AI + healthcare founders

How to Lead with Empathy and Resilience (Ramesh Srinivasan, Senior Partner, McKinsey)

B2BaCEO (with Ashu Garg)

How to Lead with Empathy and Resilience (Ramesh Srinivasan, Senior Partner, McKinsey)