Redefiners cover art

Redefiners

Redefiners

Written by: Russell Reynolds Associates
Listen for free

About this listen

 Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries and around the globe are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world. In each episode, Russell Reynolds Associates former CEO Clarke Murphy, Leadership Advisor Marla Oates, and Chief Science Officer Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, host engaging, purposeful conversations with leaders in and out of the business world who share their insights and perspectives on how they lead, boldly. You’ll come away with fresh ideas and tangible takeaways on how you can redefine your own leadership trajectory—no matter where you are on your journey. Leadership Lounge A sister mini-series to the Redefiners podcast, Leadership Lounge gives listeners unfettered access to our global team of leadership experts, who share real-world answers to your most-pressing leadership questions—from how you can give and receive feedback to the benefits of having a mentor. Hosted by RRA leadership advisor Emma Combe, each 15-20-minute episode lifts the curtain on how great leaders think, act, and lead, helping you build your own leadership muscles, whether you’re just starting out or already at the top. Our Hosts: Clarke Murphy, Marla Oates, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, and Emma Combe : Clarke Murphy leverages 30 years of experience in the executive recruiting industry to advise on critical leadership mandates across sectors—including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. Based in New York, he has provided leadership advisory services to corporations such as Duke Energy, Deutsche Bank and Siemens, as well as private equity firms including the Carlyle Group. Since joining the firm in 1988, Clarke has held several senior level roles at the firm, working both in Europe and the US. Clarke was the CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates from 2011-2021, where he led the firm through unprecedented growth. Previously, he led the CEO & Board Advisory Practice, served as Head of the Americas region, and was a member of the firm’s board of directors and Executive Committee. Marla Oates is a leadership advisor at RRA who is passionate about connecting organizations with influential leaders and trailblazers who can inspire and drive change in a rapidly evolving world. With a focus on identifying and recruiting exceptional talent for Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, and board searches, Marla has successfully partnered with hundreds of Fortune 500 organizations and private equity firms throughout the technology, industrial, and consumer sectors to identify and recruit top talent.Based in Austin, she has the privilege of fostering community and curating meaningful connections for C-suite executives and board members. Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Science Officer at RRA and is an international authority in people analytics, talent management, leadership development, and the human-AI interface. His commercial work has focused on the creation of science-based tools that improve organizations' ability to predict performance, and people's ability to understand themselves. He was recently the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, and is a co-founder of DeeperSignals and MyTrudy, as well as Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University. He has previously held academic positions at New York University and the London School of Economics, and lectured at Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, London Business School, Johns Hopkins, IMD, and INSEAD, as well as being the CEO at Hogan Assessment Systems. As the host of Leadership Lounge, Redefiners’ sister podcast, Emma Combe leads the UK Board Practice for Russell Reynolds Associates. She excels at identifying board chairs, CEOs, and executive and non-executive directors for listed, private equity, and family-owned enterprises. She also has extensive experience advising clients on board composition and development, as well as CEO succession planning. Based in London, she brings deep expertise in the industrial, infrastructure, and services sectors, both in the UK and internationally. Since 2023, Emma has hosted Leadership Lounge, a podcast mini-series where she asks Russell Reynolds Associates’ leadership advisors to answer some of the most pressing questions facing leaders today. Emma joined Russell Reynolds Associates when The Zygos Partnership became part of the firm in 2017. Previously, Emma worked for a specialist headhunting firm advising private equity funds on the leadership of their portfolio companies. She began her career as an associate for a boutique executive search firm based in New York.Copyright 2024 Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Truth About Talent, AI, and Why Some Leaders Get It Wrong with RRA Chief Science Officer Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

    The Truth About Talent, AI, and Why Some Leaders Get It Wrong with RRA Chief Science Officer Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
    Jan 14 2026

    Welcome back for Season 6 of Redefiners! What better way to kick off the new year than introducing Russell Reynolds Associates’ first-ever Chief Science Officer, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. And if that wasn’t enough, Emma Combe from the Leadership Lounge joins Marla Oates for this special conversation.

    In this episode, Tomas shares his latest research on talent management, leadership development, and the human-AI interface. He’ll explain why authenticity is overrated, how to use negative thinking as a positive force, and what leaders new in their roles can do to gain competence and confidence to be successful. He’ll dig into AI and how people can stand out in a sea of technology while avoiding the growing problem of “AI workslop.” He’ll look at how AI is impacting the traditional career ladder and what leaders need to do to develop young talent for future leadership roles. And he’ll highlight the key leadership topics he’s tracking in 2026.

    We’ll also hear from Amy Scissons, RRA’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, who will highlight a key AI challenge many leaders are only just beginning to notice. 

    Four things you’ll learn from this episode:

    1. How to rethink authenticity and use negative thinking as a positive force
    2. What leaders new to their roles need to do to gain competence and be successful
    3. How to avoid AI workslop and how AI is impacting the traditional career ladder
    4. What are the key leadership topics Tomas is tracking in 2026

    If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:

    • The Leadership Lessons That Shaped Us: Celebrating 100 Episodes of Redefiners
    • Leadership Lounge: How to Create and Maintain Impact as a Leader
    • Banking on AI: How Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti Is Rewriting the AI Playbook
    • Leadership Lounge: Unleashing AI’s potential: Are you ready to lead the charge?
    • Talking Transformational Leadership with RRA’s CEO Constantine Alexandrakis
    • Leadership Lounge: How to nail your first year as CEO


    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • Redefiners 2025 Wrapped: What's Next for Leaders

    Redefiners 2025 Wrapped: What's Next for Leaders
    Dec 17 2025

    There was no shortage of challenges for leaders in 2025, as they navigated a year filled with uncertainty and change. Leaders’ skills were tested as they steered their organizations through changes in the global economy, geopolitics, AI transformation, succession planning, and board relationships.

    In this final Redefiners episode of the season, hosts Marla Oates and Simon Kingston take a look back at 2025, highlighting how guests from the year are navigating these challenges. Hear from former CEO and current Chairman of Coveo Louis Têtu and Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti on AI transformation; World Bank President Ajay Banga on culture change; Russell Reynolds Associates CEO Constantine Alexandrakis, Pets At Home CEO Lyssa McGowan, and former President and CEO of Marvel Entertainment Peter Cuneo on stepping into the CEO role; Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman and former chair and CEO of MTV International Bill Roedy on leadership; plus insights from RRA leadership advisors in the Leadership Lounge.



    If you’d like to hear more, check out all the episodes of Redefiners and Leadership Lounge.

    Redefiners and Leadership Lounge will return with more conversations with global leaders in January 2026, so be sure to follow and subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

    Happy holidays!

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Leadership Lounge: How to Create and Maintain Impact as a Leader

    Leadership Lounge: How to Create and Maintain Impact as a Leader
    Dec 3 2025

    Creating leadership impact isn’t about one defining moment—it’s about the ripple effects your leadership generates over time. In this episode of Leadership Lounge, Emma Combe sits down with Shannon Knott and Erin Marie Collins to unpack what meaningful impact looks like today, and how leaders can sustain it.


    They explore:

    • Why impact extends beyond results to the experience others have of your leadership.
    • The key skills—curiosity, adaptability, and an understanding of your purpose—that enable long-term influence.
    • How to evaluate whether your leadership is truly landing across stakeholder groups.
    • Why reflection and feedback loops are essential to maintaining credibility and trust.


    “Leaders who can sustain real impact do so because they’re able to stay curious. They continually learn and adjust. They treat leadership less like a position and more as a practice.”

    — Shannon Knott, Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates

    Four things you'll learn from this episode


    1. Impact is intentional: define it consciously and test it objectively through feedback.
    2. Curiosity sustains relevance: stay adaptable and open to learning at every stage.
    3. Feedback fuels evolution: build a trusted “cabinet” to give unfiltered perspectives.
    4. Purpose anchors action: a clear sense of values helps leaders maintain credibility and trust.

    In this episode, we cover:


    (01:35) How you define leadership impact and why it extends beyond results to lasting influence


    (04:10) The skills that sustain long-term impact


    (07:25) Why leadership must shift from mastery and control to influence and judgment as careers progress


    (09:42) Practical ways to assess whether your impact is landing across teams and stakeholders


    (12:10) How reflection, feedback, and purpose create a rhythm for sustained leadership effectiveness


    (14:38) What inspirational leaders do differently to remain authentic and effective over time

    A closer look at the research from this episode:


    Edelman Trust Barometer 2025

    Russell Reynolds Associates Global Leadership Monitor, H2 2025

    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
No reviews yet