The Leadership Enigma

Hosted by Adam Pacifico

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262

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Sep 2026

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About the show

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.

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October 12, 20261 hr 15 min

The 27-Year-Old Behind the Empire | Benjy Leslie

What does it really take to build a high-performance business while creating a culture where people actually want to work? In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico is joined by Benjy Leslie, the 27-year-old CEO of Connect Management, for a conversation about leadership, culture, ambition and performance. Benjy shares how he built Connect Management from his bedroom during the pandemic into a leading social-first talent management business, and why culture has been at the heart of its growth. They explore how to balance a great workplace with high standards and accountability, why Benjy looks beyond CVs when hiring, and how energy, personality and ambition shape successful teams. They also discuss scaling culture, decision-making, servant leadership and the future of influencer marketing. Topics include: • Leadership and company culture • Building a high-performance team • Benjy Leslie's leadership journey • Connect Management • Young CEOs and modern leadership • Recruitment and finding the right talent • Culture, accountability and performance • Scaling a business • Influencer marketing and the creator economy • Social media and the future of business • Servant leadership • The future of leadership and work Connect Management: connectmgt.com Instagram: @connectmgt TikTok: @connectmanagement LinkedIn: Connect Management #TheLeadershipEnigma #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #CompanyCulture #CEO #BusinessLeadership #HighPerformance #Entrepreneurship #CreatorEconomy #InfluencerMarketing #BenjyLeslie #ConnectManagement Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 28, 20261 hr 2 min

The Future of Leadership Is Human | John on AI, Talent & Performance

What does it really take to lead people effectively in a world of AI, constant change and increasing pressure to perform? In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico is joined by John for a wide-ranging conversation about human-centred leadership, sustainable performance, talent and the future of work. John explores why leadership is the promise of a lived experience for those around you, and why organisations need to close the gap between the promises they make and the reality their people experience. They discuss the energy required to lead well, the importance of trust, communication, relationships and psychological safety, and why fear is a poor long-term motivator. The conversation also explores how organisations identify and develop talent, the limitations of traditional personality assessments, and why adaptability, responsiveness and resilience are becoming increasingly important in a rapidly changing world. Adam and John also examine the impact of AI on leadership and organisations. Rather than replacing human beings, John argues that AI should be viewed as a tool for augmenting people while recognising its limitations, biases and reliance on patterns in existing data. From leadership behaviours and talent selection to AI, organisational change and the future of work, this episode explores why the future of leadership remains deeply human. Topics include: • Human-centred leadership • The future of leadership and organisations • AI and the future of work • Leadership, trust and communication • Sustainable high performance • Talent identification and bias • Adaptability and organisational change • Leadership behaviours and accountability • Psychological safety and employee experience • The importance of relationships at work • Why leadership is energy expensive • The limitations of personality assessments • Values vs behaviours in organisations • The future of human leadership #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #TheLeadershipEnigma #HumanCenteredLeadership #AI #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment #Talent #OrganisationalChange #SustainablePerformance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 14, 202659 min

From Arctic Survival to Russian Prison | Charlie Walker

What can extreme adventure teach us about leadership, resilience and being truly present? In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico sits down with explorer and adventure travel writer Charlie Walker, whose extraordinary journeys have taken him more than 100,000 kilometres across the world by bicycle, foot, horse, ski and dugout canoe. Charlie shares the stories behind cycling through 60 countries, crossing the Gobi Desert, surviving temperatures approaching -50°C, travelling through Tibet, and walking hundreds of miles across the Siberian Arctic. He also reveals what happened when his 2022 expedition in Russia ended with his arrest, imprisonment and deportation. But this conversation goes far beyond extreme adventure. Charlie and Adam explore risk, resilience, curiosity, solitude, loneliness, boredom, presence and self-awareness — and what spending weeks alone in some of the world's most remote environments can teach us about ourselves and how we lead others. From Arctic survival and Russian imprisonment to the surprising power of boredom and solitude, this is a fascinating conversation about human resilience and human-centred leadership. Topics include: • Extreme adventure and calculated risk • Resilience and overcoming adversity • Solitude vs loneliness • The power of boredom and stillness • Presence and self-awareness • Leadership lessons from exploration • Charlie's arrest and imprisonment in Russia • Siberia, Tibet and Arctic exploration • Curiosity, failure and learning from mistakes • Human-centred leadership #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #TheLeadershipEnigma #CharlieWalker #Adventure #Resilience #Exploration #LeadershipLessons #HumanCenteredLeadership #RiskManagement Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 31, 202654 min

From Crime to Guinness World Record Holder: Dave Thomas

In this powerful episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico sits down with Dave Thomas former firefighter, Guinness World Record memory champion, keynote speaker, executive presentation coach and bestselling author for an honest conversation about resilience, leadership and personal transformation. Dave shares the remarkable journey from a childhood shaped by abuse, alcoholism and crime to becoming one of the world's leading communication coaches, helping CEOs and senior leaders deliver high-stakes presentations with confidence. Along the way, he reveals why communication is one of the most important leadership skills, how to control what you can control, and why there's a "sell-by date" for letting your past dictate your future. Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, public speaker or someone looking to overcome adversity, this episode is packed with practical lessons on confidence, resilience, storytelling and high-performance leadership. In this episode: - Dave Thomas' extraordinary journey from crime to success - The mindset that helped him become a Guinness World Record holder - Why great leaders master communication and storytelling - How to overcome adversity and build resilience - Coaching CEOs for high-stakes presentations and investor pitches - Why you should focus on what you can control - The power of curiosity, empathy and authentic leadership - Practical public speaking and presentation tips for leaders If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who wants to become a more confident leader and communicator. #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #DaveThomas #CommunicationSkills #PublicSpeaking #Resilience #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #Storytelling #Mindset #PersonalGrowth Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 17, 202646 min

Why Great Leaders Put People Before Profit | James Burstall

What does it take to build a global creative business that thrives through disruption? In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico is joined by James Burstall, CEO and Founder of Argonon Group and author of The Flexible Method. James shares the leadership lessons he's learned from building one of the world's leading independent television production companies, creating award-winning content for Netflix, Amazon, ITV, the BBC and audiences in more than 160 countries. Together they explore why people-first leadership, adaptability and creativity are the keys to long-term success. They discuss leading through crisis, building high-performing teams, navigating AI in the creative industries, fostering innovation and why businesses that fail to evolve risk becoming irrelevant. Whether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, creative professional or aspiring leader, this episode is packed with practical leadership insights for succeeding in an ever-changing world. In this episode: - How James Burstall built Argonon into a global media business - Why culture is your greatest competitive advantage - Leading creative teams through uncertainty and crisis - The future of television, streaming and AI - Why adaptability is the ultimate leadership skill - Building businesses that innovate without losing their values - Lessons from The Flexible Method - Why successful leaders embrace change instead of fearing it If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe and leave a review to help more leaders discover The Leadership Enigma. #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast #BusinessLeadership #CEO #JamesBurstall #TheLeadershipEnigma #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaLeadership #CreativeLeadership #Innovation #BusinessGrowth Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 3, 202652 min

From Fighter Pilot to Airport CEO: How John Ackerman Is Transforming LAX Before the 2028 Olympics

What does it take to lead one of the most iconic airports on earth while rebuilding it from the ground up with the Olympics two years away? In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Adam Pacifico sits down with John Ackerman, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, the organisation behind LAX a gateway that welcomes 75 million passengers a year and employs 50,000 people every single day. John shares his remarkable non-linear journey from Marine Corps Harrier jet pilot, to airline captain, to his first ever CEO role leading a $30 billion transformation of one of the most recognised airports in the world. He opens up about the reality he walked into crumbling infrastructure, a negative employee NPS score, and a workforce that had been let down and why his very first decision was to put people above everything else, including customers and airlines. This is a conversation about servant leadership, legacy, and what it really means to lead under pressure and public scrutiny. In this episode you will hear about: - The Marine Corps "leader eats last" lesson that shaped John's entire leadership philosophy - Why LAX had a negative employee Net Promoter Score and how they climbed out of it - The decision to prioritise employees over airlines and customers and the gasps it caused - The $30 billion transformation programme and how John leads it under full public and political scrutiny - Putting the soul of Los Angeles back into LAX ahead of the 2028 Olympics - The secret plans for the world's most famous airport building the iconic Theme Building - Why John went from dismissing HR to believing it is absolutely everything If you lead a team, a business, or an organisation going through change, this episode will challenge and inspire how you think about people-first leadership. 🎙️ The Leadership Enigma available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Rate, review and subscribe to never miss an episode. #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershiplessons #leadershipmindset #executiveleadership #managementtips #laxmi #losangelesairport #olympics2028 #airport #laxairport #losangeles2028 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 20, 202651 min

Building the World's First Electric Air Taxi | Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson

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.

July 6, 20261 hr 1 min

Human Centered Leadership | Angela Cretu & Tiger Tyagarajan

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.

June 29, 202652 min

Executive Eats: The Science of Eating & Cooking Your Way to Better Leadership

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.

June 15, 202646 min

Leading Through War | Maryna Pavliuk

What does real leadership look like when your team is working through blackouts, missile strikes, and the daily uncertainty of war? In this powerful episode of The Leadership Enigma, host Adam Pacifico sits down with Maryna Pavliuk, General Manager of Glovo Ukraine a delivery platform that became critical infrastructure from the very first day of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Maryna shares her extraordinary journey: from nearly turning down the GM role while eight months pregnant, to returning to Kyiv as one of the first wave of leaders to go back, to growing the business from 10% of pre-war levels to one of Glovo's top 5 most profitable markets globally. In this episode you'll discover: - How Glovo pivoted to deliver medicine, food and essentials to frontline cities from day one of the war - Why Maryna chose to return to a war zone instead of relocating to Barcelona - What "being the eye of the storm" really means as a leadership philosophy - The concept of managerial courage and why it matters more in crisis than ever - How Ukraine's economy is gaining a powerful new feminine face - Why there is no playbook for leading through radical uncertainty and what to do instead - Lessons being shared with UAE businesses now facing their own conflicts This is not a conversation about leadership theory. This is human-centred leadership in its rawest, most courageous form. 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube so you never miss an episode. #Leadership #Ukraine #CrisisLeadership #FemaleLeadership #Resilience #Glovo #TheLeadershipEnigma #BusinessLeadership #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.