Meet the Leader

Be less reactive. A buddhist monk shares practical strategies for mindful leadership

Aug 24, 2026

 • 17 mins

In a fast-moving world, the ability to pause and reflect gives leaders a valuable edge: the clarity to make better decisions, sidestep conflict and know when to pivot or keep going. Shogun Mahadumrongkul is the founder of incubator Avant Labs and a three-time ordained Buddhist monk. He believes in leadership informed by mindfulness and compassion. In this conversation, he shares practical lessons from Zen Buddhism and meditation that apply directly to modern leadership, from adopting a “beginner’s mind” and managing ego to separating signal from noise. You’ll learn: How pausing before reacting can improve emotional regulation and conflict management Why a beginner’s mindset can make leaders more adaptable How mindfulness can help you focus, make clearer decisions and recognize when it’s time to change course

In a fast-moving world, the ability to pause and reflect gives leaders a valuable edge: the clarity to make better decisions, sidestep conflict and know when to pivot or keep going. Shogun Mahadumrongkul is the founder of incubator Avant Labs and a three-time ordained Buddhist monk. He believes in leadership informed by mindfulness and compassion. In this conversation, he shares practical lessons from Zen Buddhism and meditation that apply directly to modern leadership, from adopting a “beginner’s mind” and managing ego to separating signal from noise. You’ll learn: How pausing before reacting can improve emotional regulation and conflict management Why a beginner’s mindset can make leaders more adaptable How mindfulness can help you focus, make clearer decisions and recognize when it’s time to change course

Reading still matters. The books that shaped 5 tech founders

Aug 17, 2026

 • 11 mins

In this episode of Meet the Leader, five founders share books that have helped them navigate leadership, innovation and uncertainty — from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series to The Purpose Driven Life, Brotopia and Typhoon. Their recommendations reveal lessons about resilience, purpose, AI, fundraising and leading through change. 

In this episode of Meet the Leader, five founders share books that have helped them navigate leadership, innovation and uncertainty — from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series to The Purpose Driven Life, Brotopia and Typhoon. Their recommendations reveal lessons about resilience, purpose, AI, fundraising and leading through change. 

Find your purpose: Katie Piper on how to adapt, reinvent and lead after setbacks

Aug 10, 2026

 • 25 mins

What do you do when life changes in an instant—and the future you expected disappears? Advocate, activist and author Katie Piper explains how she rebuilt her life after surviving an acid attack on a London street at 24, founded a burn-rehabilitation charity and reframed “Why me?” as “What now?” It’s a special conversation about resilience, personal reinvention and leading through adversity. You’ll learn: -Why real confidence comes from knowing you can adapt and recover -The importance of accepting situations as they are, and releasing expectations -How to see challenge as a way to recommit to your purpose -How acceptance, discomfort and a self-authored identity can help you start again -Why vulnerability and empathy are strengths in leadership Katie Piper is a bestselling author, television presenter and founder of the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burn survivors through rehabilitation. She is also a survivor of male violence and an advocate for people with burns and visible differences.

What do you do when life changes in an instant—and the future you expected disappears? Advocate, activist and author Katie Piper explains how she rebuilt her life after surviving an acid attack on a London street at 24, founded a burn-rehabilitation charity and reframed “Why me?” as “What now?” It’s a special conversation about resilience, personal reinvention and leading through adversity. You’ll learn: -Why real confidence comes from knowing you can adapt and recover -The importance of accepting situations as they are, and releasing expectations -How to see challenge as a way to recommit to your purpose -How acceptance, discomfort and a self-authored identity can help you start again -Why vulnerability and empathy are strengths in leadership Katie Piper is a bestselling author, television presenter and founder of the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burn survivors through rehabilitation. She is also a survivor of male violence and an advocate for people with burns and visible differences.

Focus on What Matters Most: 5 Leaders' Effective Strategies

Aug 3, 2026

 • 20 mins

How do you focus on what matters most in a distracted and noisy world? In this special Meet the Leader episode, leading thinkers and adventurers share practical ways to reclaim your attention and sharpen your focus so you can spend your time on the right priorities. Their strategies and approaches will help you refresh your thinking, make better decisions and prevent distraction from turning into burnout. You’ll learn to: • Rethink the first and last things you do each day can sharpen your attention • To craft a morning “to-feel list” to clarify priorities and make days more meaningful • To better appreciate the present to take control of your attention • To thinking 'like an ancestor' can help you think beyond the short term  Insights from adventurers who sailed the pacific, an expert on human flourishing, a Buddhist Monk and a 3-time cancer survivor explore attention management, focus, deep work, reflection, long-term thinking and what's needed to improve leadership in a distracted world.

How do you focus on what matters most in a distracted and noisy world? In this special Meet the Leader episode, leading thinkers and adventurers share practical ways to reclaim your attention and sharpen your focus so you can spend your time on the right priorities. Their strategies and approaches will help you refresh your thinking, make better decisions and prevent distraction from turning into burnout. You’ll learn to: • Rethink the first and last things you do each day can sharpen your attention • To craft a morning “to-feel list” to clarify priorities and make days more meaningful • To better appreciate the present to take control of your attention • To thinking 'like an ancestor' can help you think beyond the short term  Insights from adventurers who sailed the pacific, an expert on human flourishing, a Buddhist Monk and a 3-time cancer survivor explore attention management, focus, deep work, reflection, long-term thinking and what's needed to improve leadership in a distracted world.

Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing

Jul 27, 2026

 • 36 mins

How can leaders move forward when pressure and uncertainty is high? Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his ‘seeing eye Doug” Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies in taking action despite uncertainty and what’s needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments.

How can leaders move forward when pressure and uncertainty is high? Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his ‘seeing eye Doug” Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies in taking action despite uncertainty and what’s needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments.