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The Leadership Enigma

The Leadership Enigma

By: Adam Pacifico
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For 30 years I've uncovered the best and worst of human behaviour and endeavour.Now it's time to truly understand what we mean by leadership in a chaotic world. I've delivered live events to over 60,000 around the world as a leadership expert, author, opinion columnist and barrister. Each week I'll explore the power and potential of the human being with global experts, academics, rising stars, ambitious upstarts and disruptors across sectors, disciplines and geographies as we explore 'The Leadership Enigma.'Whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner or seasoned corporate executive, this show will uncover the tools, techniques, strategies and lessons learned to catapult your leadership capabilities in preparation for success in a constantly changing landscape. The Leadership Enigma is an award winning globally ranked show powered by LaunchPod Studios. www.leadersenigma.comYouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.© 2024 Adam Pacifico Economics Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Building the World's First Electric Air Taxi | Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson

    Building the World's First Electric Air Taxi | Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson
    Jul 20 2026
    Electric air taxis flying over London by 2029? It's closer than you think. Adam Pacifico sits down with Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace the British company that just became one of only two in the world to achieve full aircraft transition (taking off like a helicopter, flying like a plane, and landing like a helicopter again). With 1,500 aircraft pre-sold to American Airlines, Japan Airlines and others, this is no longer science fiction. But this conversation goes far beyond flying taxis. Stuart opens up about what it really takes to lead a breakthrough company from his unlikely start in medicine, to restructuring businesses in the 1990s recession, to leading Royal Mail through Covid, to now building an entirely new industry from the ground up. In this episode: ✅ How Vertical Aerospace achieved what no other company had done for a fraction of competitors' budgets ✅ Stuart's 3-horizon plan: prototype → certify → industrialise ✅ Why he deliberately wasn't there for the historic transition milestone ✅ Creating a culture where people give discretionary effort willingly ✅ The infrastructure challenge of urban air mobility ✅ What leadership legacy actually means Canary Wharf to Heathrow in 9 minutes. JFK to Manhattan in 7. The future of city travel is being built right now. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly leadership conversations 👍 Like & share if this fired you up 💬 What would you use an air taxi for first? Tell us below! #ElectricAirTaxi #eVTOL #VerticalAerospace #FutureOfTransport #LeadershipEnigma #CEOInterview #Innovation #AviationTech #UrbanMobility #Leadership #Podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    51 mins
  • Human Centered Leadership | Angela Cretu & Tiger Tyagarajan

    Human Centered Leadership | Angela Cretu & Tiger Tyagarajan
    Jul 6 2026
    As AI gets smarter, does human leadership become less important or more? In this landmark episode of The Leadership Enigma, host Adam Pacifico launches the first-ever Global Human Centered Leadership Index, joined by two exceptional former CEOs: Angela Cretu (former Global CEO, Avon Cosmetics) and Tiger Tyagarajan (former CEO, Genpact). After six years and 300+ conversations with world-class leaders, Adam has identified eight dimensions that define human-centered leadership: vulnerability, inclusivity, humility, empathy, personal purpose, presence, care, and curiosity. In this episode, Angela and Tiger unpack which of these matter most in a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence. In this conversation, you'll discover: ✅ Why AI frees leaders to spend more time asking questions instead of just finding answers ✅ How curiosity, humility, and vulnerability are deeply interconnected ✅ Why "stability" is the wrong goal for leaders and what to build instead ✅ How trust becomes the new currency in an AI-powered world ✅ Why presence isn't about how you walk into a room it's about how you make others feel valuable ✅ The leadership dimension both CEOs found hardest to master Whether you're a founder, executive, entrepreneur, or aspiring leader, this episode challenges you to rethink what leadership means when machines can match but never replace human judgment, values, and connection. 🎧 Subscribe for weekly conversations with global leaders, academics, and disruptors as we uncover what makes leadership deeply human. #HumanCenteredLeadership #LeadershipEnigma #AILeadership #FutureOfLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #CEOInterview #LeadershipDevelopment #ArtificialIntelligence #AngelaCretu #TigerTyagarajan #WomenInLeadership #LeadershipPodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Executive Eats: The Science of Eating & Cooking Your Way to Better Leadership

    Executive Eats: The Science of Eating & Cooking Your Way to Better Leadership
    Jun 29 2026
    Could your diet be holding back your leadership performance? In this one-of-a-kind episode, host Adam Pacifico is joined by executive educator and author Adam Kingl for a live cooking demonstration a first in 300 episodes of The Leadership Enigma. Adam's new book Executive Eats, co-authored with molecular biologist and former Michelin-star chef Dr. Jacobi, is believed to be the world's first cookbook written specifically for leaders backed by dozens of peer-reviewed studies and 100 science-based recipes. In this episode: - Why senior leaders now cite low energy and poor concentration as their #1 performance barrier - How specific foods directly boost your mood, focus, and sustained energy throughout the day - Why cooking together is one of the most underrated tools for building team culture - How the act of cooking itself is a powerful mindfulness and stress-reduction practice - The science behind eating to lead and why it matters more than ever in today's world - Why you can't serve others well if you're not looking after yourself first Adam cooks a live dish in the studio designed to deliver sustained energy, mood boost, and sharper concentration all in one meal. If you're watching on YouTube, you won't want to miss it. 🎙️ Guest: Adam Kingl, Executive Educator & Author of Executive Eats 📍 First ever multi-camera episode 300 episodes of The Leadership Enigma https://adamkingl.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kingl/ https://mybook.to/Executive-Eats https://mybook.to/Executive-Eats-eb #LeadershipEnigma #ExecutiveEats #LeadershipNutrition #LeadershipPodcast #HealthyLeadership #MindfulLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #CEOmindset #Productivity Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    52 mins
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