472. What Sports Reveals about Presidents and Leaders, with Guest Mentor Chris Cillizza

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Chris Cillizza, an American political analyst, journalist, and digital media creator. He is best known for his sharp, accessible breakdowns of U.S. politics. He now runs a popular YouTube channel and publishes on Substack, where he explains political news in clear, engaging terms. In his latest book, Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency, Chris takes a non-partisan and fascinating approach to understanding leadership. Instead of just studying presidents as politicians, he looks at them as athletes, competitors and fans, and uncovers what sports reveals about their leadership traits. His insights apply to all leaders, whether in business, entrepreneurship, at home or in a volunteer capacity. Absolutely fascinating and insightful!  LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: CHRIS CILLIZZA: BIO: BIO: Chris Cillizza BOOKS: Power Players: Sports, Politics and the American Presidency, by Chris Cillizza The Gospel According to the Fix: An Insider’s Guide to a Less than Holy World of Politics, by Chris Cillizza

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with global advisor Ram Charan on whether your career and lifestyle are at risk from China’s “90% Strategy”. Ram Charan has been a foundational force in global business strategy for more than six decades, sought after for growth strategy and advice by CEOs including Jeff Bezos and more. Widely recognized as the advisor who tells you what you need to hear—not what you want to hear—Ram joins us for his sixth appearance to deliver a message essential for every leader, entrepreneur and citizen. The focus of this episode is on Ram’s new work, China’s 90% Model: China Has America by the Throat: Here’s How to Fight Back and Win. In this book, Ram offers a profound analysis of a systematic strategy of industrial dominance that is fundamentally reshaping the global order. This is not just a conversation about market competition; it is a look at the very survival of Western industrial capacity. While the subject may seem geopolitical, it is vital to understand because these are the forces putting our organizations at risk—the very factors that will shape the world that our children and grandchildren inherit. To protect our legacy and guide the next generation, we must see the road ahead with absolute clarity. This episode exposes the wisdom you need to protect the road ahead, your future.    LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: RAM CHARAN: BIO: Ram Charan, Ph.D. is renowned global consultant, an exceptionally keen observer of future retail and economic ecosystems, how to serve clients better, faster and deliver more satisfaction and brand loyalty and more, and a critical advisor to such corporate founders as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and many, many more. He shares his insights in guiding others and in books and is a prolific, multi-time, best-selling author. You can listen to his story, growing up in India, how he changed his family’s marketplace show-selling business by observing ways to serve clients better, faster and in a way that radically transformed their family business and their customers’ satisfaction in our first episode with Ram Charan here: How to Grow Fast and Make an Impact, with Ram Charan . Regardless of your level of achievement, YOU CANNOT HELP BUT LEARN FROM RAM. BOOK – NEWEST BOOK: China’s 90% Model: China has America by the Throat: Here’s How to Fight Back and Win, by Ram Charan WEBSITE: https://ram-charan.com/

In today’s episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ben Swire, former Design Lead at IDEO, about the power of creative work, “safe danger”, the importance of staying inspired and more. It’s the ultimate toolkit for those who crave meaning and purpose in every aspect of their life. Guest Mentor Ben Swire shows us the way to achieve it. Most of us have a “wish list” for our lives: we want inspiring experiences, deep relationships, and work that truly matters. But there is a massive chasm between that list and our reality. As Joseph Campbell once noted, the rewards we seek are not “easy pickings”—they require sacrifice, struggle, and the courage to be vulnerable. Our guest today, Ben Swire, has found an unexpected way to bridge that chasm. Ben is the founder of Make Believe Works and the author of Safe Danger. A former Design Lead at IDEO, Ben was famously told that his most important job wasn’t just to be a designer, but to stay inspired. Today, Ben uses a suite of creative activities to help leaders move past “forced achievement” to find their authentic soul. In this episode, we discuss why creativity is the “oven mitt” that allows us to handle the heat of our own pain, why AI may be flattening our diversity of ideas, and how one small, creative risk can change your life. You will learn about “Safe Danger,” the creative risks that transform teams, and why your most important job as a leader is to simply staying inspired.   LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES BEN SWIRE: BIO: https://thementorsradio.com/ben-swire/ BOOKS: Safe Danger: An Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation, by Ben Swire WEBSITES: MakeBelieveWorks.com BenjaminSwire.com

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with MIT Professors Nelson Repenning and Don Keiffer to discuss their new book, There Has Got to Be a Better Way- How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work, describing Dynamic Work Design.  Work design is the primary reason work often fails to get done well, and why leaders need to thoroughly know the business and get involved with the front line to be effective and respected. Nelson is the Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership Center and the Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Nelson received the International System Dynamics Society’s Jay Wright Forrester Award, which recognizes the best work in the field in the previous five years and he received the Jamieson Prize for Excellence in Teaching. He was recently recognized by Poets and Quants as one of the country’s top instructors in executive education. Don’s 40-year career in operations spans from front-line work to executive roles, including 15 years at Harley-Davidson where he was VP of Operational Excellence. He is currently advising executive teams around the globe in operational strategy and improvement. He is a Senior Lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and AVT Business School in Copenhagen. Don and Nelson are partners in ShiftGear Work Design.   LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: NELSON REPENNING and DON KEIFFER: BIOS: Nelson Repenning: BIO: Nelson P. Repenning Don Keiffer: BIO: Don Keiffer BOOK: There Has Got to Be a Better Way- How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work, by Nelson Repenning and Don Keiffer OTHER: ShiftGear Work Design

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Shirin Behzadi, author of The Unexpected CEO and an extraordinary leader who has lived what many would call three lifetimes in one. Shirin’s journey is a masterclass in perseverance, resiliance and what some would describe as anti-fragility. She rose from being alone, as an 18-year-old immigrant, working behind bulletproof glass as an all-night gas station cashier, to becoming the CEO of a billion-dollar home improvement franchise network. Along the way, she navigated a high-stakes, nine-figure private equity exit and overcame a life-threatening health crisis—a brain tumor—that forced her to redefine everything she knew about leadership. In this episode we dive deep into why your point of view—not your ability—is often your greatest limitation and how to transform adversity into your ultimate competitive advantage.   LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! Key Wisdom from this Episode includes: The “North Star” Vision: Why expecting success is a higher level of energy than simply dreaming of it. Radical Empathy: How Shirin doubled her company’s value by launching “listening tours” to engage people at every level of the organization. The 1.8% Rule: Why you should never let statistics or “naysayers” limit your ambitions. Doing Well by Doing Good: Why making your stakeholders successful is the most effective path to financial success. As Shirin puts it, “If the world doesn’t believe in you, that’s terrible, but if you don’t believe in you, that’s tragic”. SHOW NOTES: SHIRIN BEHZADI: BIO: https://shirinbehzadi.com/my-story/ BOOK: https://amzn.to/4cMsiKw WEBSITE: https://shirinbehzadi.com/

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics and of International Studies at Cornell University. Dr. Basu was formerly Chief Economist of the World Bank, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government, and president of the International Economic Association. He is currently co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Expert Group “Beyond GDP”. Widely published, Dr. Basu’s works have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish and French. He won the Humboldt Research prize and he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India. Dr. Basu has held visiting positions at Princeton, Harvard and M.I.T., and has authored several books, including The Republic of Beliefs: A New Approach to Law and Economics and Reason to be Happy—Why Logical Thinking is the Key to a Better Life.    LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: KAUSHIK BASU, PhD: BIO: BIO: Kaushik Basu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaushik_Basu BOOKS: Reason to be Happy: Why Logical Thinking is the Key to a Better Life, by Kaushik Basu The Republic of Beliefs: A New Approach to Law and Economics , by Kaushik Basu

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks in a new episode with Jim Loehr, one of the world’s leading performance psychologists, a true pioneer in understanding human potential who has worked with the most elite athletes and business leaders, and who is a prolific author including his most recent book—and perhaps his most important—Sapiens Reinvented. You’ll learn about the real root of fear and bias, why it affects all of us, and why Loehr believes that families are the key to real change in our future. Loehr is the co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, a groundbreaking organization that transformed how elite performers manage energy, resilience, and purpose—and which was later acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Over his career, Jim has worked with world-class athletes, business leaders, physicians, and members of the military, and he’s authored nearly 20 influential books, including the landmark bestseller, The Power of Full Engagement. You’ll learn why Jim believes his recent book may be his most important work yet; Sapiens Reinvented: Saving the Species from a Deadly Evolutionary Flaw—a bold exploration of human nature, fear, bias, and what it will take to ensure the future of our species. You’ll also learn why relationships are, in the end, the essence of a meaningful life.    LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: JIM LOEHR: BIO: https://scitechcampus.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/LC18_SpeakerBio_JimLoehr.pdf BOOKS: Sapiens Reinvented: Saving the Species from a Deadly Evolutionary Flaw, by Jim Loehr The Power of Full Engagement, Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz The Power of Story, by Jim Loehr WEBSITE: https://www.jim-loehr.com/

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ginni Rometty, who was the ninth Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of IBM. Under her leadership, the 100-year-old company reinvented 50 percent of its portfolio, built a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and established leadership in AI and quantum computing.  IBM acquired 65 companies during Ginni’s tenure as CEO, including Red Hat, the largest acquisition in the company’s history.  She also drove record results in workforce transformation and supported the explosive growth of an innovative high school program to prepare the workforce of the future in over twenty-eight countries.  Through her work with the Business Roundtable, Ginni helped redefine the purpose of the corporation. She has been named Fortune’s #1 Most Powerful Woman three years in a row, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and has been honored with the designation of Officer in the French Légion of Honor. Today, Ginni Rometty serves on multiple boards and co-chairs OneTen, a coalition committed to upskilling, hiring and promoting one million Americans without four-year degrees by 2030 into family-sustaining jobs and careers. She is the author of the bestselling book Good Power: Creating Positive Change in Our Lives, Work and World, which is full of lessons she learned from important mentors, both inside and outside of IBM.   LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: GINNI ROMETTY: BIO: BIO: Virginia (Ginni) Rometty BOOK: Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World, by Ginni Rometty WEBSITE: https://ginnirometty.com

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Richard Harris, the global sales expert who trained the teams at SalesForce, Zoom and General Electric, founder and principal of The Harris Consultant Group, and author of bestseller “The Seller’s Journey: Your Guidebook to Closing More Deals with N.E.A.T. Selling”. You’ll learn why everyone is in sales, regardless of whether you are sharing ideas, influencing a corporate direction, an entrepreneur, a landscaper, have a career in selling products or services, or at home discussing an upcoming vacation with the family. In short, the Sellers Journey is not just for people with “sales” on their business card. The insights and wisdom discussed in this episode are gleaned not from perfection, but from imperfection—from first-hand experiences and challenges that ultimately led to years of award-winning sales achievements and award-winning sales training to help others—including teams from some of the Top companies in the world—achieve the same and better. Richard Harris has been named one of the “40 Most Inspiring Leaders in Sales Lead Management” by the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) and was included on the Datanyze Top 20 Inside Sales rockstar list, which is a list selected from Datanyze’s peers, partners, and mentors who have helped grow and shape the industry. As they put it: “A seasoned SaaS sales leader and inside sales trainer, Richard helps early stage and expansion stage startups build their sales infrastructure and train their sales teams to “get there faster.” He went on to found The Harris Consultant Group, which has helped transform hundreds of companies, teams and individuals who have worked with him or read his book. A passionate advocate for mental health awareness in sales, Harris balances his professional achievements with his role as a husband and father of two sons. His approach to sales leadership emphasizes both high performance and human-centric values, making him one of the most respected voices in modern sales transformation, as you’ll learn from this episode. LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: RICHARD HARRIS: BIO: https://theharrisconsultinggroup.com/about/ BOOK: The Seller’s Journey: Your Guidebook to Closing More Deals with N.E.A.T. Selling, by Richard Harris WEBSITE: https://theharrisconsultinggroup.com/

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Sunita Sah, national bestselling author, award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. Dr. Sunita Sah joins Dan Hesse to discuss her bestselling book, Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, which teaches us how to say “No” when saying “Yes” conflicts with our personal values.  Dr. Sah leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, trust, compliance and defiance. A trained physician, she currently teaches executives, leaders and students in healthcare and business. Dr. Sah is a sought-after international speaker and consultant, advisor to government agencies, and former Commissioner of the National Commission on Forensic Science. Her multi-disciplinary research and analyses have been widely published in leading academic journals and media, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American.  LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: DR. SUNITA SAH: BIO: https://www.sunitasah.com/about-sunita BOOKS: Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, by Dr. Sunita Sah WEBSITE: https://www.sunitasah.com/ OTHER: NEWSLETTER: https://sunitasah.substack.com/ LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsunitasah/  INSTAGRAM: @drsunitasah