Life Acumen at Work

Hosted by Vinod Wadhwani

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life.

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33 recent

July 16, 2026Episode 3326 min

Is "FIRE" an Exit Fantasy

PREVIEW:Financial Independence, Retire Early - What if FIRE is not really about money - but about the life you’re trying to escape? In this episode of Life Acumen at Work, we look beyond spreadsheets, savings targets, and early retirement dreams to explore the deeper leadership question underneath: what are you postponing until you feel “free”? For senior leaders, founders, and high achievers, the FIRE fantasy can reveal something important about work, identity, ambition, and agency. This is an episode about financial independence, yes - but more importantly, about designing a life and leadership you don’t need to run from.RESOURCES:Fulfilment and the FIRE Movement: The Realities of Life After Early RetirementINSEAD Knowledge: research on FIRE and the reality that financial freedom does not automatically create fulfillment. Great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yoursMcKinsey: Great Attrition research on why employees leave, including not feeling valued and lack of belonging. Korn Ferry Hay Group Executive Survey Reveals Top Job Fulfillments and FrustrationsKorn Ferry: executive survey showing values-aligned culture as a major driver of job feeling and satisfaction. Employee-wellness-in-the-corporate-workplaceDeloitte with Workplace Intelligence: C-suite wellbeing research, including executives considering quitting for better wellbeing and difficulty disconnecting. Thriving in an age of continuous reinventionPwC: 27th Annual Global CEO Survey on inefficient time spent in meetings, admin, email, and decision-making meetings. Enjoying Work Matters More Than You May RealizeBCG: research on joy at work and its relationship to attrition risk. OTHER EPISODES SUGGESTED FOR YOU:Is Your Career Future-ProofWhat Success Quietly Takes from YouPODCAST DESCRIPTION:On Life Acumen at Work Podcast, Executive Coach Vinod Wadhwani shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they face in their work life.

June 21, 2026Episode 3221 min

Is Your Career Future-Proof

Preview:You did everything right. You studied hard, built a successful career, earned the title, the credibility, and the rewards. But in a world where people live longer, careers last decades longer, and AI is reshaping work, a new question emerges: Is the career you built still enough for the life ahead? In this episode, we explore why the traditional career ladder may no longer be sufficient, and how leaders can redesign their careers as portfolios of relevance, contribution, learning, and renewal for the next 20 to 30 years. Resources:THE NEW MAP OF LIFE | Stanford Center on Longevity28 Apr 2022 — Work. Over the course of 100-year lives, we can expect to extend our working lives to 60 years or more. To be sustainable, even enjoyable ...Read moreAI Will Reshape More Jobs Than It Replaces3 Apr 2026 — Rather than treating workforce planning as a static forecast, companies will increasingly need to update hiring, upskilling, reskilling, and ...Read moreSatya Nadella at Microsoft: Instilling a Growth MindsetHe adapted the idea to encourage employees to shift from Microsoft's historical “know-it-all” culture to embrace a “learn-it-all” curiosity. The case study ...Read moreA Report from The Stanford Center on LongevityThe goal of The New Map of Life is not for people to live forever, but have what they need to enjoy the longest possible health span over the course of their ...Read moreEpisodes Suggested for You:What Success Quietly Takes from YouPodcast Description:On Life Acumen at Work Podcast, Executive Coach Vinod Wadhwani shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they face in their work life.

May 26, 2026Episode 3112 min

What Success Quietly Takes from You

What success quietly takes from you: This episode explores the hidden vitality cost of ambition - the patience, presence, humor, and energy leaders often lose long before burnout appears.Resources:Leading Off: A leader’s guide to strengthening employee health‘You’ve got to find what you love,’ Jobs says | Stanford ReportHalf of Workers Around the World Are Struggling with BurnoutPodcast Description:On Life Acumen at Work Podcast, Executive Coach Vinod Wadhwani shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they face in their work life.

April 29, 2026Episode 307 min

How to See Beyond Positions

How to See Beyond Positions:When a tough conversation gets tense, it often stops being about the real issue - and turns into a quiet battle over who will “blink first.” In this episode, you’ll learn how capable leaders get trapped defending a position, why that kills discovery and alignment, and the simple shift that lowers the emotional temperature fast: stop asking “How do I get them to agree?” and start asking, “What are they trying to protect?” If you want firmer decisions and better relationships, this one will change how you lead.

April 22, 2026Episode 2917 min

Stop Negotiating Your Position

Stop Negotiating Your Position explains how positional bargaining turns problem-solving into a contest of credibility, slowing decisions and damaging trust - especially for senior executives who must preserve relationships beyond the deal. Using examples (Infosys board crisis, Camp David Accords, Disney–Pixar, and Oracle–PeopleSoft), it contrasts positions (what you demand) with interests (why you need it). It recommends diagnosing whether a situation is collaborative or a power contest, clarifying both sides’ underlying needs, using objective criteria, and being hard on the problem while staying respectful to people. Read the Full Transcript HereRelated episodes:Redefining Success In The Second Half Of Your CareerNavigating Career CrossroadsPodcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:22 April 2026

January 24, 2025Episode 2813 min

Redefining Success in the Second Half of Your Career

Picture this: You're standing at your office window on a quiet Friday evening, looking out at the setting sun. You've just closed a major deal, and by all traditional measures, you're at the peak of your career. You have been through the ruthless climb up the corporate ladder, the sacrifices, the wins, the losses, the political battles, the strategic victories. You've built the career, earned the respect, and achieved the position you wanted. Yet there is a question that keeps appearing during those rare moments of reflection. How to redefine what success means in the second half of the career” Read the full transcript hereIn Focus: Many senior executives have reached the pinnacle of their careers - the corner office, the title, the compensation package - yet they find themselves asking, "What's next?" or "Is this all there is?"For many senior leaders, the corner office isn't just where you work; it's become a fundamental part of who you are.Is the fear also about being stripped off this professional mask of title, power and authority and exposing to the world the vulnerable you?How do professional and personal relationships evolve in this stage of an executive's career?What about the work-life integration piece? How does that change in the second half of a career?How does financial security play into career decisions at this stage?How should executives think about their legacy in the second half of their career?Related episodes:Creating a Culture of AccountabilityBuilding Business-Savvy Executive TeamNavigating Career Crossroads.Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:24 January 2025

December 3, 2024Episode 2715 min

Adapting to Tech Disruption as a Senior Leader

Imagine you're a senior leader who has navigated market shifts for decades. But suddenly, you're confronted with technologies that don't just change how business operates, but fundamentally redefine what's possible. The question isn't just how you'll adjust – it's whether your leadership can transform this disruption from a threat into your organization's greatest competitive advantageIn FocusHow do you maintain strategic clarity when the technological landscape shifts beneath your feet almost daily? How do you lead with confidence when your younger team members might understand new technologies better than you do? And perhaps most crucially, how do you balance innovation with stability?Related episodes:Creating a Culture of AccountabilityBuilding Business-Savvy Executive TeamNavigating Career Crossroads.Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:2 December 2024

November 16, 2024Episode 2617 min

Creating a Culture of Accountability

What is a culture of accountability? How crucial it is for leaders to model accountability? What environment makes accountability thrive? In FocusHow do we, as senior leaders, foster a culture of accountability? How do we navigate the complex web of human emotions, corporate politics, and bottom-line pressures to create an environment where accountability isn't just a buzzword, but a way of life?How do we create accountability without resorting to fear tactics?How do we ensure fairness in our accountability practices?How do we move from theory to action in creating a culture of accountability?Related episodes:Building Business-Savvy Executive TeamNavigating career crossroads.Why effective feedback critical for leadership growth?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:16 November 2024

October 18, 2024Episode 2516 min

Building Business-Savvy Executive Team

Picture this, a founder CEO struggling to build a business savvy team? What exactly does it mean to have a 'business savvy' team? How to build such a team?In FocusHow do you nurture holistic business acumen among your top-tier leaders?How do we help executives develop the breadth of understanding, needed to navigate the complexities of modern business?How do you balance this kind of broad exposure with the need for deep functional expertise?How do you create an environment where this kind of stretch-thinking is embraced rather than challenged?How do you maintain this focus on business savvy over the long term?Related episodes:Navigating career crossroadsWhy effective feedback critical for leadership growth?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares insights from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life. Published:18 October 2024

October 4, 2024Episode 2416 min

Navigating Career Crossroads

Whether you’ve been a C-suite leader for just a few years or a seasoned veteran of many years, there comes a time when you reach a pivotal moment. A moment where you're faced with critical decisions that could reshape not just your career, but your legacy. Have you ever paused, to wonder, if the path you’re on, is still the right one? Or maybe, you’ve considered stepping away, but are not sure, how to take that next leap?In FocusHave you ever paused to wonder, if the path you’re on, is still the right one? Or maybe, you’ve considered stepping away but are not sure how to take that next leap?How often do you find yourselves stuck in a career rut, afraid to make a change?What exactly is a career crossroads for an executive?What does a career crossroads really feel like?How do you navigate this moment? How do you choose the right path?Related episodes:Prevent burnout in the workplace.Why effective feedback critical for leadership growth?Podcast Description:Vinod Wadhwani is long-time executive coach, who works with corporate leaders to help them in seeking new perspectives, while focusing on tangible benefits to them and their organization. On this podcast, he shares perspectives from the coaching conversations he has had with corporate leaders focusing on the specific leadership challenges they faced in their work life.

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