Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership

Hosted by Alexis Monville

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Aug 2026

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About the show

How does leadership emerge in tech? Join Alexis Monville to explore the intersection of engineering management, culture, and organizational design. This podcast is for the manager or technical leader looking to move beyond titles. We dive into coaching strategies and practical practices that help every team collaborate with purpose. Through conversations with change-makers in the tech industry, discover how to transform your organization by leading with intention. Learn to foster a culture where leadership isn’t just management: it is an act of service that delivers results.

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58 recent

August 30, 2026Episode 343 min

From Hierarchy to Wholeness: Bringing Love into the Organization with Xavier Costa

"For many years or centuries, we have been treated at the workplace in a relationship of father, child... Now we are all responsible for that." In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , Alexis Monville sits down with Xavier Costa, co-founder of the impact fund Krisos and the consultancy Full Circle Team. With over 40 years of leadership experience, Xavier is on a radical mission: buying traditional, command-and-control companies and transforming them into self-managing, purpose-driven "Teal" organizations. Discover how Xavier revitalizes traditional organizations by replacing management with distributed authority, introducing radical financial transparency, and implementing a compensation model that rewards emotional intelligence and teamwork as highly as technical abilities. Learn why an organization's evolution is ultimately limited by its leader's consciousness, and why the ultimate goal of modern leadership is to replace fear with trust, bringing love back into the workplace. In this episode, we cover: The evolution from rigid hierarchies to the "Teal" paradigm. Shifting from a parent-child workplace dynamic to an adult-adult relationship. The cultural and financial impact of opening the books to all employees. How to act as a "lighthouse" leader during times of transition and crisis. Read the full show notes and companion blog post at https://alexis.monville.com/podcast/from-hierarchy-to-wholeness-love-into-the-organization-xavier-costa/

August 5, 2026Episode 240 min

From Boss to Leader: The Power of Human-Centered Leadership with Marcel Schwantes

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , host Alexis Monville sits down with Marcel Schwantes, a renowned speaker, executive coach, and author. With over two decades of experience helping executives transform their cultures, Marcel breaks down why the traditional top-down "boss" mentality is fundamentally broken. Together, Alexis and Marcel explore what it actually takes to become a human-centered leader, how to foster deep psychological safety, and why practicing "love in action" translates directly to exceptional business performance. Whether you are leading a remote team, navigating the integration of AI, or simply trying to influence change within a rigid corporate structure, this conversation provides a practical roadmap for leading with authenticity and courage. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The Paradigm Shift: The core differences between a traditional "boss" and a 21st-century "leader." Love in Action: What agape love looks like in a corporate setting and why it is a critical driver of employee engagement. Removing the Mask: How to leverage vulnerability and emotional honesty as an untapped leadership strength. Leading Through Change: Practical advice for maintaining human connection in remote/hybrid environments and during the rollout of AI. Bottom-Up Influence: How emerging leaders can build human-centered micro-cultures that eventually transform the entire organization. Listen & Subscribe: If you found value in today’s conversation, please take a moment to share this episode with a friend or colleague on their own leadership journey. Read the full transcript and find more resources: alexis.monville.com Subscribe to the podcast ! Keep learning, keep adapting, and keep leading!

August 1, 2026Episode 12 min

Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership - Season 6 Trailer

What happens when the old answers no longer work? Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership explores how leadership emerges in practice, not only from the top. Host Alexis Monville speaks with founders, technologists, authors, coaches, and practitioners about creating clarity without control, autonomy without abandonment, and impact without losing the human side of work. This trailer features insights from Gojko Adzic, Teresa Torres, Bruce Wang, Fabrice Bernhard, Maria Bracho, Jon Kern, Russ Laraway, Radhika Dutt, Lisette Sutherland, and Ali Schultz. For honest experiences, practical ideas, and questions worth carrying back to your own team, follow Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership wherever you listen to podcasts. Leadership is not a title. It is what we do next.

July 8, 2026Episode 149 min

Agile, AI, and Engineering Pragmatism with Jon Kern

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , I sat down with Jon Kern, aerospace engineer turned software architect and co-author of the Agile Manifesto. Jon shares his fascinating journey from testing jet engines for the Defense Department to pushing back against heavyweight, bureaucratic software processes. We explore the original intent behind the Agile Manifesto, the misconceptions that led to overly rigid frameworks, and how leaders can embrace the concept of "being lazy" to deliver true business value. Finally, Jon dives into the frontier of "Vibe Coding," sharing how he uses AI to automate rigorous testing, compliance, and architecture without losing the foundational discipline of software engineering.

February 10, 2026Episode 442 min

Why Agile Struggles at Scale and How Lean Helps Organizations Grow

Agile transformed how small teams build software. But what happens when organizations grow to hundreds or thousands of people? In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , Alexis Monville welcomes Fabrice Bernhard, co-founder and CTO of Theodo and co-author of The Lean Tech Manifesto . Fabrice explains why the four values of the Agile Manifesto have inherent scale limits, and how Lean thinking helps organizations keep the same intention, without falling into bureaucracy. They explore: – what “value for the customer” really means at scale – why autonomy requires both leadership and architecture – how tech-enabled networks of teams work in practice – what it takes to build a true learning organization – and why Lean is not just good for people, but also for business A grounded conversation for leaders, tech professionals, and change agents navigating growth, complexity, and responsibility. Find the transcript and the references in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2026/02/10/when-agile-scales-something-breaks/

January 15, 2026Episode 334 min

Invisible Hospitality: Francelina Amaral on Onboarding, Belonging, and Leadership as Service

Some leadership lessons are best learned far from meeting rooms and org charts. In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , Alexis Monville welcomes Francelina Amaral , a hospitality leader shaped by service excellence, attention to detail, and deep respect for people. Together, they explore what leaders in any industry can learn from hospitality: Why onboarding is not a checklist but invisible hospitality : preparation before arrival, small gestures, removing friction How leadership as service creates trust, safety, and conditions for others to succeed How belonging is built (and broken) through everyday actions Why discipline and standards matter, but only work when rooted in genuine care How leaders develop others by creating confidence, especially when mistakes happen A practical, human conversation about trust, ownership, and the kind of leadership that makes people feel expected, welcome, and valued. The full transcript of this episode is available in the companion blog post linked in the description, on alexis.monville.com . https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2026/01/15/invisible-hospitality-with-francelina-amaral-what-leaders-in-any-industry-can-learn-from-service-excellence/ Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership is supported by Pearlside , where we help leaders and teams create the conditions for responsibility, clarity, and impact to emerge. You can learn more at pearlside.fr .

June 29, 2025Episode 244 min

Continuous Discovery Habits: Teresa Torres on Customer Insight, Product Tríos, and Outcome-Driven Teams

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , I welcome Teresa Torres , product discovery coach and author of the influential book Continuous Discovery Habits . Teresa shares how product teams can move beyond sporadic research and embed continuous customer discovery into their weekly routines. Drawing from years of coaching, teaching, and hands-on practice, she explains how teams can build better mental models of their customers, make stronger decisions, and consistently deliver outcomes rather than outputs. In this conversation, you’ll explore: Why continuous discovery is about habits, not occasional research How weekly customer conversations dramatically improve everyday decision-making The role of the Product Trio (Product, UX, Engineering) in balancing viability, desirability, and feasibility How Opportunity Solution Trees help teams stay aligned while navigating ambiguity Why leaders must shift from managing outputs to enabling outcomes and adaptability How Generative AI is reshaping product roles, collaboration, and discovery practices A must-listen for product leaders, designers, engineers, and executives navigating uncertainty and seeking more adaptive, customer-centered ways of working. Find the transcript and the references in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2025/06/29/embracing-continuous-discovery-a-conversation-with-teresa-torres/

June 2, 2025Episode 141 min

Team Topologies Explained: The 4 Team Types, Cognitive Load, and Platform Team Behaviors with Manuel Pais

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , Alexis Monville speaks with Manuel Pais , organizational design practitioner and co-author of the influential book Team Topologies (with Matthew Skelton). Together they explore how modern organizations can improve flow , reduce team cognitive load , and evolve structures without relying on disruptive “big reorgs”. You will learn: The four fundamental team types from Team Topologies: Stream-aligned, Enabling, Platform, and Complicated Subsystem teams Why cognitive load limits effectiveness, delivery speed, and satisfaction — and how to identify what drives it Why team design is not about labels, but about interactions : Collaboration, Facilitation, and X-as-a-Service How Platform teams should alternate interaction modes , not become ticket factories What leaders must do to enable evolutionary change : set expectations, invest in support, and protect learning Why Manuel believes organizations should invest in dedicated “ flow enablers ” focused on removing bottlenecks A practical conversation for CTOs, engineering leaders, product leaders, and anyone shaping teams for sustainable delivery and employee satisfaction. Find the key findings, the references, and the transcript of the episode in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2025/06/02/unlocking-flow-and-effectiveness-a-conversation-with-manuel-pais-co-author-of-team-topologies/

October 29, 2024Episode 1732 min

Optimizing for the Unexpected: Lizard Optimization with Gojko Adzic

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , Alexis Monville welcomes back Gojko Adzic , renowned author and speaker in modern software delivery, named an AWS Serverless Hero (2019) , and author of Impact Mapping , Specification by Example , and his latest book Lizard Optimization . Gojko shares a practical method for turning unexpected user behavior into product growth and better decisions. He calls it lizard optimization : spotting “misuse”, learning from it, and deciding whether to support it or block it. In this conversation, you will learn: Why unusual user behavior can reveal hidden value and new markets The LZRD loop: Learn, Zoom in, Remove obstacles, Detect unintended impacts How “desire lines” apply to product teams and organizations Why controlled experiments matter, and why most ideas do not create measurable value How to stop falling in love with solutions and refocus on the problem A must listen for product leaders, engineering leaders, founders, and anyone building systems where adoption, learning, and impact matter. Find the key learnings, the transcript and more in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2024/10/29/optimizing-for-the-unexpected-insights-from-gojko-adzic-on-lizard-optimization/

October 13, 2024Episode 1521 min

Leadership as First-Time Founders: Communication, Culture, and the Art of Saying No

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership , Alexis Monville welcomes Héloïse Rozès and Nikolai Fomm , first-time founders and co-founders of Corma , a startup building the “cockpit of truth” for software access and license management — helping companies control their SaaS stack, reduce waste, and improve employee experience. From their day-to-day reality at Station F to the intensity of building a company in survival mode, Héloïse and Nikolai share what leadership really looks like when you’re learning it in real time. You’ll hear practical insights on: Adapting communication across co-founders, employees, investors, and clients Leading with empathy while still making tough calls Saying “no” to stay focused and avoid spreading the team too thin Building a value-driven culture through rituals, feedback, and programs like the Cormacolindor Using frameworks like Radical Candor to avoid ruinous empathy and make feedback useful A grounded conversation for emerging leaders, early-stage founders, and anyone building teams under uncertainty. Find the transcript and the references in the companion blog post: https://blog-alexis.monville.com/en/2024/10/13/leadership-as-first-time-founders-with-heloise-rozes-and-nikolai-fomm/