What 400+ CEO Interviews Reveal About Sustainable High Performance with Ehsan Etezad

What 400+ CEO Interviews Reveal About Sustainable High Performance with Ehsan Etezad

Michael interviews Ehsan Ehtesad, organizational psychologist and co-founder/CEO of Mia Science, about building healthy, high-performance teams by focusing on recharging rather than constant intensity. Drawing on nearly 400 interviews with CEOs, surgeons, and champions, Ehsan contrasts time management with energy management and argues that effective recovery comes from doing the opposite of what drains you at work. They discuss sustaining excellence as a marathon, resting along the way, using rhythms of focus and recovery, and leaders’ responsibility to create supportive cultures where people can communicate low energy without judgment. Ehsan shares metaphors about charging batteries and leaders as thermostats, and recommends writing a personal recharging plan on good days for use on bad days. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome 01:12  Meet Ehsan Ehtesad 02:18  Why Workplaces Matter 04:01  400 Interviews Insights 05:34  Energy Over Time 06:46  Opposite Recharge Rule 08:57  Redefining Productivity 09:50  Marathon Pace and Cycles 12:30  Rest on the Way 14:16  Team Energy Language 17:53  Support Not Judgment 23:51  Rituals and Thermostat 28:53  Intentional Culture Systems 30:22  Personal Recharge Plan 32:13  Funeral Message Question 34:11  Where to Follow Ehsan 35:07  Closing Connect with Ehsan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehsanetezad/ https://ehsanetezad.com https://www.youtube.com/@EhsanEtezad https://www.instagram.com/ehsanetezad/ https://x.com/EhsanEtezad Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

From Getting Found to Getting Represented: The New Rules of Executive Visibility with Dennis Yu

Michael interviews Dennis Yu, joined by AI builder engineer Leo Pohlmann, about Google’s recent move to AI results first instead of the traditional “10 blue links,” a shift Dennis says is the biggest in 25 years and has caused many SEO experts to report major traffic losses. Dennis argues the fundamentals of visibility still matter—expertise, credibility, stories, and real experiences—while warning against chasing hype and generating “AI slop,” especially as networks adopt AI content fingerprinting. He recommends creating evidence-based, unedited original content (like podcasts and real videos), repurposing it with AI tools, and using small paid distribution (“social postage,” e.g., dollar-a-day boosts) to amplify proven winners tied to business outcomes. They also discuss AI’s impact on jobs, emphasizing that AI-enabled A players will outcompete B players, and Dennis shares his “learning curve vs earning curve” career turning point while Leo describes meeting Dennis as a life-changing moment. Timestamps: 00:24  Intro 03:16  Dennis Yu Background 06:40  Ignore The Hype 08:09  Real World Advantage 12:01  Fight AI Slop 14:06  Repurpose Real Proof 17:12  Enough Content Question 17:58  Quality Beats Quantity 20:42  Boost The Winners 22:15  Ads Versus Selling 22:40  Pay for Distribution 23:29  Story Clips Strategy 25:52  Consistency Builds Trust 27:24  Publish Skill Files 28:54  Agents Will Shop 30:55  AI and Job Shifts 32:14  Multiply Your Impact 34:04  Direction Over Horsepower 36:37  Sliding Doors Stories 39:32  Where to Find Dennis 40:33  Closing Connect with Dennis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyu/ https://dennisyu.com/ Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

The Not So Hidden Costs of Undertrained Leaders with Jennifer Dulski

Michael speaks with Jennifer Dulski, founder and CEO of Rising Team, about the hidden costs of untrained teams and how leadership development can be improved. Dulski shares her background across nonprofit work, teaching, and leadership roles at Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and change.org, plus lessons from being a rowing coxswain. They discuss why traditional training often fails to translate into behavior change, the downsides of a “common denominator” approach, and how AI can enable personalized growth plans aligned with company principles while preserving human connection. They cover impacts of weak leadership—unclear expectations, rework, low morale, quiet quitting, attrition—and the value of shared struggle, honesty, trust, and consistent team investment, citing measurable ROI improvements from regular team-building. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome and Setup 01:28  Meet Jennifer Dulski 02:56  Sports Teams Lessons 05:26  Why Training Fails 08:57  Personalized Growth With AI 10:44  AI and Human Strengths 14:40  Hidden Costs of Bad Teams 17:59  Shared Struggle and Honesty 21:27  Trust and The 10 Percent 25:38  Building Foundations Early 27:51  Proving ROI of Training 30:13  Leadership Breakthrough Story 32:11  Three Key Takeaways 35:30  Closing Connect with Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdulski/ https://risingteam.com https://www.purposefulbook.com Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research

Why Drug Pricing Transparency Is Finally Disrupting Big Pharma's Stranglehold with Erin Albert

Michael welcomes Erin Albert, Chief of Pharmacy Relations, Network and Professional Affairs at Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs, to explain why U.S. drug pricing is so opaque and how transparency can lower costs. Albert shares how she joined the company after publishing LinkedIn price comparisons sparked by imatinib pricing, and describes her background as a pharmacist and attorney. She breaks down how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) evolved from claims processing into powerful middlemen, driving costs through rebates tied to formulary placement and “spread” pricing, especially on generics. The conversation covers vertical integration, state policy efforts, employer incentives that favor bundled solutions, pharmacy closures and “pharmacy deserts,” and why education should include “following the money.” Albert outlines Cost Plus’s cost-plus math, fair dispensing fees, and options for consumers via CostPlusDrugs.com, TeamCubanCard.com, and CostPlusWellness.com, urging patients to shop cash prices versus insurance copays. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome and Setup 01:31  Erin Albert Origin Story 04:49  How Pharmacy Pricing Works 08:28  Transparency and PBM Tactics 11:09  Policy and Vertical Integration 16:47  Building a Fair Pharmacy Network 20:40  Education and Medical Benefit Markups 24:05  Pharmacists as Clinicians 27:58  Trends and Sustainable Pricing 29:35  How Consumers Take Power Back 31:29  Key Takeaways and Resources 33:38  Closing Connect with Erin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinalbert/ https://linktr.ee/erinalbert https://www.markcubancostplusdrugcompany.com https://www.costplusdrugs.com

Leadership and The Future of Work in the Age of AI with Brian Elliott

Michael interviews Brian Elliott, CEO of Work Forward and former Google and Slack executive, about AI and the future of work through a human-centered lens. Elliott explains how his Future Forum research on workplace flexibility evolved into AI-focused advising, arguing that technology and policies are tools and the real work is alignment, culture, and motivating diverse teams. They discuss research showing most leaders say AI speeds work but few can prove ROI, often due to output over outcomes, poor goal alignment, and “AI work slop.” Elliott shares examples from Zapier, Guild, and Anthropic using outcome scorecards, training, leadership participation, and pathways for roles. They warn against performance-review metrics tied to AI usage and emphasize team-based learning, empathy, time for training, and listening to employees. Timestamps: 00:24  Welcome and Setup 01:23  Meet Brian Elliott 02:07  From Remote to AI 03:44  Culture Over Tools 05:24  AI ROI and Alignment 07:56 Approach Goals and Pathways 11:09  Engagement and Meta Backlash 13:45  Gen X Leadership Moment 17:18  Practical Catch Up Tactics 19:23  Performance Reviews Trap 22:15  Expertise Identity and Judgment 25:50  Empathy Time and Training 29:50  Future of Transformation 32:17  Key Takeaways and Wrap 34:08  Closing Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belliott/ https://theworkforward.substack.com https://www.workforward.com Michael's National Workforce Study on Change Management: https://www.michaeljlopez.coach/research