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LeaderbookAI

LeaderbookAI

Written by: WRKdefined Podcast Network
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LeaderbookAI is where leadership meets AI execution. Join Felicia Shakiba for candid conversations with CEOs, executives, investors, and operators making high-stakes decisions in real time. From enduring leadership principles and decision frameworks to practical AI strategies that drive measurable results, this podcast delivers the clarity leaders need to move faster — and create real value.417554 Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • AI Strategy, Sales Quotas & Scaling After Acquisitions | Backlight CEO Kathleen Barrett

    AI Strategy, Sales Quotas & Scaling After Acquisitions | Backlight CEO Kathleen Barrett
    Oct 13 2026
    Backlight CEO Kathleen Barrett explains why customers can love your products while your business still struggles to scale. She shares how she focused an acquired portfolio, rebuilt sales quotas and financial visibility, and why leaders need to fix their operating foundations before layering on AI. IN THIS CONVERSATION Why customer love isn’t the same as a scalable growth engine How to focus go-to-market investment across an acquired portfolio How to build trust when some products receive more investment than others Why leadership hiring requires both trust and a bias check The hidden cost of misaligned sales quotas Why AI-ready media workflows begin with organized content and trusted metadata ABOUT THE GUEST Kathleen Barrett is CEO of Backlight, a media technology company building products for media creation, management, distribution, and monetization. Connect with Kathleen Barrett on LinkedInExplore more episodes: https://leaderbook.ai/podcastLearn more about LeaderbookAI: https://leaderbook.ai/Learn more about Backlight: https://www.backlight.co/
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    31 mins
  • Crisis Leadership, AI, & Team Trust

    Crisis Leadership, AI, & Team Trust
    Oct 6 2026
    ControlUp CEO Jed Ayres and Chief Product Officer Gadi Feldman share the decision to bring 400 employees to Dubai while the company was operating through war and crisis—and what happened to morale, trust, and connection afterward. IN THIS CONVERSATION • How leaders make decisions during war and crisis • Why 400 employees were brought together in Dubai • What changed when distributed teams met in person • How flatter organizations affect trust and accountability • Where AI can improve employee experience and support • How AI may reshape jobs, roles, and organizational structure CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Jed Ayres and Gadi Feldman 08:33 Leading during war and crisis 11:03 The decision to fly 400 employees to Dubai 12:57 Unifying dispersed teams across countries 15:07 Building trust through physical presence and culture 17:05 Moving from hierarchical to flat organizations 19:00 Balancing support and overstepping as a leader 20:10 Listening strategies in leadership 22:27 One-on-one leadership and employee growth 24:14 Debate and innovation in Israeli culture 25:56 The future of flat, empowered organizations 28:47 Using data to improve employee experience 33:01 AI in IT support and automation 36:10 Preparing for the future of work with AI ABOUT THE GUESTS Jed Ayres is CEO of ControlUp. Gadi Feldman is Chief Product Officer of ControlUp. Explore more episodes: https://leaderbook.ai/podcast Learn more about LeaderbookAI: https://leaderbook.ai/
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    39 mins
  • Bonus: Introducing the AI Mini-Series — Behind Closed Doors

    Bonus: Introducing the AI Mini-Series — Behind Closed Doors
    Sep 29 2026
    Welcome to a new era of the Leaderbook AI podcast. Everyone is talking about AI, but no one is talking about what’s actually happening behind closed doors. In this upcoming mini-series, host Felicia Shakiba brings you into the tight executive meetings where the real decisions, heavy trade-offs, and brutal moments happen. We are cutting through the fluff and buzzwords to bring you conversations with real CEOs, executive teams, and investors who are putting AI to work inside real businesses. Listen as we ask the hard questions: What is actually changing? Where is the real value? What are companies getting completely wrong? What will the future of work demand from all of us? Expect sharp 30-minute interviews to start, gradually moving into deep, one-hour in-studio recordings. Subscribe, turn on notifications, and share this series with anyone leading through this massive moment of change. Grab your cocktail of insights—the mini-series kicks off next week!
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    3 mins
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