The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

By Andrea Petrone

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Category: Management

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Episodes: 179

Description

If you’re a CEO or senior executive, your challenges don’t sound like “I need more leadership tips.”

They sound more like:

  • “Why am I still carrying this company on my shoulders?”

  • “Why doesn’t my top team own the strategy the way I do?”

  • “How do I challenge the board or investors without blowing up the relationship?”

  • “How do we build a company that still matters in 10 years, not just hit this year’s numbers?”

The World-Class Leaders Show is the CEO leadership podcast built for those questions.

Hosted by Andrea Petrone – A Global Influencer, CEO Whisperer, WIley Author, Executive Coach and Speaker – the show goes deep into what it really takes to lead at the top: using power well, doing the identity work of leadership, and making the big decisions that shape the future of your company.

Each episode brings real CEO stories and the best business thinkers in the world to the table. You’ll hear how sitting and former CEOs, chairs, and C-suite leaders tackle the biggest business problems of our time – growth, culture, strategy execution, transformation, technology, risk, and talent – and how they stay true to who they are while doing it.

You’ll use this podcast to:

  • Get your executive team truly aligned, so you stop re-fighting the same battles in every meeting.

  • Turn strategy into a small set of clear priorities and behaviours your people actually execute.

  • Hold your ground with boards, investors, regulators, and powerful internal stakeholders – and still move the agenda forward.

  • Use your voice and position with more clarity and impact, so people know what you stand for and where the company is going.

  • Find fresh inspiration and language to build a better future for your organization, your people, and the markets you serve – without losing yourself in the role.

Featuring leaders from Fortune companies and some of the best thinkers in the world (like Amy Edmondson, Adam Bryant, James Keyes), the show is known for its richness, depth, and straight talk. Ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally, it’s followed by thousands of CEOs and senior executives who want more than recycled ideas and surface-level conversations.

If you care about solving real business problems, shaping the future, and doing the inner work required to lead at the very top, this podcast is for you.

Subscribe to The World-Class Leaders Show and upgrade both your leadership – and the future you’re building.

For ongoing CEO insights and behind-the-scenes context from each episode, follow Andrea Petrone on LinkedIn.


Episode Date
230 - The CEO Who Gave Every Manager an Executive Coach (For 1% of the Cost) - Jennifer Dulski
Mar 12, 2026
229 - Why Half of New CEOs Fail in the First 18 Months
Mar 05, 2026
228 - She quit her CFO job for this! This Female Executive Made a Bold Career Move | Cameron Drinkwater
Feb 26, 2026
227 - The 3-Word Lie That's Costing Every CEO Millions
Feb 19, 2026
226 - Rethinking Your AI Strategy: What Josh Bersin Knows Most CEOs Don’t
Feb 12, 2026
225 - Crisis, Layoffs, and Reinvention: What Every CEO Can Learn from Dan Rosensweig
Feb 05, 2026
224 - This Is the Moment the Year Starts Running You
Jan 29, 2026
223 - From a Gas Station Job to a Billion-Dollar CEO with Shirin Behzadi
Jan 22, 2026
222 - The Leadership Space CEOs Have Been Missing
Jan 15, 2026
221 - How Great CEOs Are Leading the AI Tsunami with Nancy Duarte
Jan 08, 2026
220 - The 2026 CEO Mindset - 7 Shifts Every Leader Must Make This Year
Jan 01, 2026
219 - The 10 Leadership Lessons 2025 Taught Me
Dec 18, 2025
218 - The CEO decisions you can’t share (and why I built WCL21)
Dec 15, 2025
217 - How Smart CEOs Turn Brand into a Real Business Asset (with David Aaker)
Dec 11, 2025
216 - Trust Is Collapsing in Leadership — Here’s How to Rebuild It
Dec 04, 2025
215 - The CEO’s New Playbook for Digital Transformation with Alex Adamopoulos
Nov 27, 2025
214 - The False Hope of Stability: How Great CEOs Build Real Resilience
Nov 20, 2025
213 - Amy Edmondson: The Truth About Psychological Safety for CEOs to Drive Perfomance
Nov 13, 2025
212 - The CEO Trap: How Over-Delegation Erodes Credibility and Connection
Nov 06, 2025
211 - The Rise of Fear-Based CEOs and What It Means for Your Career and Company Culture with Kate Lowry
Oct 30, 2025
210 - How to Win Your First 90 Days as CEO
Oct 23, 2025
209 - Think Like a Top 1% CEO – Adam Bryant Tells You How
Oct 16, 2025
208 - When Ego Becomes Louder Than Purpose (And Kills the Best Teams)
Oct 09, 2025
207 - The CEO Pressure for Executives to Master High-Stakes Decisions with Brian Melka
Oct 02, 2025
206 - The Hidden Price of Loneliness at the Top (And What to Do About it)
Sep 25, 2025
205 - From Two Duffel Bags to 15,000 Employees: How the CEO of Greif Built a World-Class Company
Sep 18, 2025
204 - Strategy Without Execution Is Corporate Theatre (Unless You Do This)
Sep 11, 2025
203 - AI Playbook for CEOs to Achieve Product Market Fit & Build High Velocity Teams with Chris O’Neill
Sep 04, 2025
202 - Is Your Leadership Playbook Already Obsolete?
Aug 28, 2025
201 - The CEO Reinvention Blueprint to Lead Cultural Change & Avoid Burnout with Ex-CEO of Citibank
Aug 21, 2025
200: 3 Leadership Mistakes Killing Your Team’s Performance (and How to Fix Them)
Aug 14, 2025
199: Lonely At The Top? How to Fix Isolation and Burnout in Your Organization
Aug 07, 2025
198 - Lynda Gratton: What Smart CEOs Are Redesigning Right Now
Jul 31, 2025
197 - The Infinite Workday Is Killing Culture. Here’s How to Fix It.
Jul 24, 2025
196 - How the Ex‑CEO of 7‑Eleven and Blockbuster Rebuilt Two Giants From the Ground Up
Jul 17, 2025
195 - Is Remote Work Becoming a Privilege?
Jul 10, 2025
194 - She Wasn’t Supposed to Win. Here’s How She Did (with Tracy Nolan, SVP of Humana)
Jul 03, 2025
193 - AI Isn’t Killing Jobs. CEOs Are.
Jun 26, 2025
192 - What the World’s Top HR Experts Want Every CEO to Hear Right Now
Jun 19, 2025
191 - If You Want to Change Culture, Start With the Way You Speak
Jun 12, 2025
190 - Scaling Shouldn’t Feel This Hard—Here’s Why It Does with Katy Trost
Jun 05, 2025
189 - How to Know When It’s Time to Reinvent Your Leadership
May 29, 2025
188 - What If Everything About Modern Leadership Is Wrong with Gary Hamel
May 22, 2025
187 - Dear CEOs: Stop Putting Out Fires - Start Fixing the System
May 15, 2025
186 - How Microsoft Fixed Vision & Aligned Strategy with People to Restructure a $5.5B Unit - Libby Wright
May 08, 2025
185 - Rebuilding From the Ashes: Leadership Lessons from a Resilient Founder
May 01, 2025
184 - AI Powered Workforce Strategies for CEOs to Lead Organizational Transformation with Heather Jerrehian
Apr 24, 2025
183 - How to Stop the Frenzy You’re Accidentally Leading
Apr 17, 2025
182 - How to Transition Into Retirement Without Losing Your Identity with Teresa Amabile and Lotte Bailyn
Apr 10, 2025
181 - Most CEOs Spend 72% of Their Time in Meetings. That’s the Problem.
Apr 03, 2025
180 - How to Lead Like You Mean It, Building Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite with Laysha Ward
Mar 27, 2025
179 - CEOs: Your Biggest Challenge Isn’t the Market—It’s Your Mindset
Mar 20, 2025
178 - The CEO Playbook for Leading Change and Overcoming Resistance in 2025 with Nellie Wartoft
Mar 13, 2025
177 - Silos Are Killing Your Business—Here’s How to Break Them for Good
Mar 06, 2025
176 - The Leadership Strategy CEOs Use to Create Trust and High-Performing Teams with Cheryl Fields
Feb 27, 2025
175 - The Real Reason Your People Aren't Taking Ownership
Feb 18, 2025
174 - How to Lead Across Cultures—Lessons from a CEO Who Did It | Kenneth Wilcox
Feb 13, 2025
173: Why CEOs Feel Lonely: The Truth No One Talks About
Feb 06, 2025
172 - The World Cup Playbook for Building Elite Teams and Thriving Under Pressure with Steve Tashjian
Jan 30, 2025
171 - The 3 Leadership Skills Every Leader Must Master in 2025
Jan 23, 2025
170- Leveraging Diversity in Leadership for CEOs to Build High-Performing Teams with Anthony Maiello
Jan 16, 2025
169 - Mastering Uncertainty: The CEO’s Leadership Playbook for 2025
Jan 09, 2025
168 - Diversity Isn’t Enough—How Great CEOs Turn It Into a Competitive Advantage with Kelly McDonald
Jan 02, 2025
167 - What This CEO’s Son Said Will Change How You Lead
Dec 19, 2024
166-The Leadership Crisis CEOs Don’t See Coming with Dave Ulrich
Dec 12, 2024
165: How to Keep Your Best People From Walking Out the Door
Dec 05, 2024
164 - How Great Leaders Build Mental Fitness to Make Better Decisions
Nov 28, 2024
163 - Dear CEOs: Stop Hiding Your Smartest People
Nov 21, 2024
162 - How Transitioning To a Woman Changed My Perspective As A CEO with Caroline Farberger
Nov 14, 2024
161: High-Stakes Leadership: How Top CEOs Thrive Under Pressure
Nov 07, 2024
160: Essential Leadership Skills to Build a People-First Culture That Thrives
Oct 31, 2024
159: How to Master Resilience To Elevate Your Leadership (And Stay Focused)
Oct 24, 2024
158: How Prioritizing Culture Helped One CEO Lead a Powerful Business Transformation with Lindsley Ruth
Oct 17, 2024
156: The Secret to Transform Organizations into Learning Powerhouses with Ujjwal Kumar, Group President of Teradyne Robotics
Oct 04, 2024
155: 5 Powerful Ways to Get Your Team Talking (And Why It Starts With You)
Sep 26, 2024
154: How Great CEOs Build Winning Executive Teams
Sep 19, 2024
153: The Leadership Pitfall Every CEO Should Know with Mike Soutar
Sep 12, 2024
152: Don’t hire an executive coach until you hear this...
Sep 05, 2024
151: The ultimate secrets to build a high performance team ft.Deborah Ancona
Aug 29, 2024
150: Are You Really Committed to Become An Impactful Leader?
Aug 22, 2024
149: How Leaders Can Effectively Navigate Change During Tough Times with Victoria Pelletier
Aug 14, 2024
148: 13 Traits of Mentally Strong Leaders That Companies Are Desperate to Find
Aug 08, 2024
147: How Top CEOs Lead Through Disruption with Stefano Aversa, Vice Chair of AlixPartners
Aug 01, 2024
146: Life and Leadership Lessons at 49 That I Wish I Could Tell My 29-year-old Self
Jul 25, 2024
145: Guide to Navigating Uncertain Times with Carole Nakhle, CEO of Crystol Energy
Jul 18, 2024
144; Balancing Board Relations and Bold Leadership in Private Equity | Andrea on X-Factor Podcast
Jul 11, 2024
143: Why Brands Are Failing Consumers Today with Bob Neville
Jul 04, 2024
142: Keeping The Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive in Organizations
Jun 27, 2024
141: Why Double Standards Are Sabotaging Your Company Culture
Jun 20, 2024
140: The Future of Leadership: Empowering People and Embracing the Human Element
Jun 13, 2024
139: Building Resilience with Giorgia Arnaboldi, SVP of Shell Energy Europe
Jun 06, 2024
138: How to fight complacency as a CEO
May 30, 2024
137: The Secret to Execution: Why Ownership Beats Accountability Every Time
May 23, 2024
136: The Scientific Way to Push You Out of Your Comfort Zone
May 16, 2024
135: The 10 life principles that shaped who I am today (and why they matter for leaders)
May 09, 2024
134: The Secret to Successful Women Leaders with Lisa Baird, CEO of NextUp
May 02, 2024
133: Why are so many CFOs becoming CEOs?
Apr 25, 2024
132. 5 things I know now about team performance that I wish I had known 15 years ago
Apr 18, 2024
From Startup to Scale-up: Leadership Lessons for Growth with Elias Ghanem
Apr 09, 2024
130: Humans vs. Robots: Who’s Winning in Your Leadership Style?
Apr 04, 2024
129: Mastering Strategy Execution with Monte Pedersen
Mar 28, 2024
128: 7 Reasons Why Leaders Don’t Create a Compelling Future for their Company
Mar 21, 2024
127: How to Fuel Passion in Organizations with Moustafa Hamwi
Mar 14, 2024
126: Why Senior Executives Struggle to Simplify their Business
Mar 07, 2024
125: The Human Side of Digital Transformation with William Ruh, Former CEO of Lendlease Digital and GE Digital
Feb 29, 2024
124: When Should New CEOs and Executives Shake Up Their Teams?
Feb 22, 2024
123: The Lonely Climb: The Truths of Top Leadership with Lindsley Ruth
Feb 15, 2024
122: Break The Judgment Habit To Drive Better Performance
Feb 08, 2024
121: The Secret to Transform Organizations into Learning Powerhouses with Ujjwal Kumar, Group President of Teradyne Robotics
Feb 01, 2024
120: The Silent Killer of Strategic Thinking.
Jan 25, 2024
119: Crisis as a Burning Platform to Transform your Company | REWIND with Alain Bejjani, Former CEO of Majid Al Futtaim
Jan 18, 2024
118: The Dark Side of Artificial Harmony in the Workplace
Jan 11, 2024
117: What’s Coming in 2024 (and Why You Should Be Excited)
Jan 04, 2024
116: How to Make Sustainability Addictive with Niclas Persson, CEO of Deedster
Dec 21, 2023
115: How To Preserve the Entrepreneurial Mindset in Your Organization
Dec 14, 2023
114: The Art of Merging Diverse Cultures with Luca Bovalino, CEO North America, FAAC Group
Dec 07, 2023
113: CEO Evolution: How Tomorrow’s Leaders Will Shape Society
Nov 30, 2023
112: How to Motivate Employees Go the Extra Mile
Nov 23, 2023
111: Leading the Smoke-Free Revolution with Stefano Volpetti, President of Smoke-Free Inhalable Products and Chief Consumer Officer at Philip Morris I...
Nov 16, 2023
110: From Napkin Scribble to $90 Million Business with Lisa Rosenthal, CEO of Mayvin
Nov 09, 2023
109: The CEO’s Dilemma: Pressure vs. Privilege (Which Wins?)
Nov 02, 2023
108: Leading and Adapting to Change with Lorenzo Simonelli, CEO of Baker Hughes (From 2022 archive)
Oct 26, 2023
107: How to Walk the Fine Line of Leadership Without Falling Off
Oct 19, 2023
106: Driving Psychological Safety Through Technology with Ollie Lingwood-Craddock, CEO of Rungway
Oct 12, 2023
105: Firing: The Inevitable Test of Leadership
Oct 05, 2023
104: Why 70% of CEOs Feel Like Frauds, Even When They’re Not
Sep 28, 2023
103: Leading through Turbulent Times with Alain Bejjani
Sep 20, 2023
102: 8 personal lessons about change that can shift your mindset
Sep 13, 2023
101: Turning Around Businesses with Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffe’
Sep 06, 2023
100: What I Learned About Commitment After Recording 100 Episodes
Aug 30, 2023
099: Building a Legacy with Adnan Al Noorani, Founder and Advisor to Royal Families in UAE
Aug 23, 2023
098: 10 Phrases that People Say that Demonstrate Lack of Ownership
Aug 17, 2023
097: Why hierarchy interferes with growth with Talal Shamoon, CEO of Intertrust
Aug 10, 2023
096: What NOT to Do as a Leader
Aug 02, 2023
095: Being a Successful CEO as Both Male and Female with Caroline Farberger
Jul 26, 2023
094: Four evidence-based reasons why CEOs don’t invest in self development
Jul 19, 2023
093: Why Culture Should Be at the Top of Any Leader’s Agenda with Michael Hansen, CEO of Hempel
Jul 13, 2023
092: 5 Steps to Shift Your Perception to Impact Performance
Jul 05, 2023
091: A CEO’s Guide to Leading Successful Change Initiatives with Donald B. Hawthorne
Jun 28, 2023
090: Are There Psychopaths in Your Business?
Jun 22, 2023
089: How Great Leaders Build Resilience with Sharesz T. Wilkinson
Jun 14, 2023
088: Three Uncomfortable Truths about being Successful in a new Leadership Role
Jun 07, 2023
087: 5 Leadership Lessons from The Stoic Philosophers that will expand your perspective
May 31, 2023
086: How Should CEOs Spend Their Time?
May 24, 2023
085: Empowering People to Drive Change with Jason Tebb, CEO of On the Market plc
May 18, 2023
084: Transparency to Drive High-Performance
May 10, 2023
083 : How to Foster a Culture of Innovation with Zack Weisfeld, VP & GM of Intel Ignite
May 03, 2023
082: The Peril of Bilateral Conversations
Apr 26, 2023
081: The Power of Conscious Leadership with Ravi Venkatesan, CEO of Cantaloupe
Apr 19, 2023
080: Transforming for Growth with Gian Luca Grondona, CHRO of Webuild
Apr 12, 2023
079: How to Talk in Organizations to Create Commitment
Apr 05, 2023
078: How to Stop the Fear of Decision Making in Your Team
Mar 29, 2023
077: How to Think Systematically in Silos-Driven Organizations
Mar 23, 2023
076: Massimo Calvelli, CEO of ATP Tour on Staying Focused During Change
Mar 16, 2023
075: How to Ask People to Change Their Behaviours
Mar 09, 2023
074: How to Succeed in a Male-Dominated Industry as a CEO With Verona Frankish
Mar 02, 2023
073: I Became a CEO. Here Is What Helped Me To Get There So Early
Feb 23, 2023
072: How to Make an Impact as a CEO with Jason Salfi
Feb 16, 2023
071: The Gap to Impossible Results
Feb 09, 2023
070: How to Embrace Diversity for Powerful Results with Renée McGowan
Feb 02, 2023
069: The Impact of Ownership on Results
Jan 26, 2023
068: Team Alignment To Burn Down Silos and Improve Performance with Mauro Ghilardi
Jan 19, 2023
067: The Five Biggest Insights I Learned from Great Leaders
Jan 12, 2023
066: 3 Things That Set Successful Organizations Apart with Michael Mlynarski, CEO of QualityMinds
Jan 05, 2023
065: Haytham Kaddoura, CEO of Smartstream on Company Turnaround
Dec 22, 2022
064: Iggy Domagalski, CEO of Wajax on Leading with Trust
Dec 15, 2022
063: Five reasons why creating a bold vision will transform your company
Dec 08, 2022
062: The Six Mindsets of Extraordinary CEOs with Carolyn Dewar
Dec 01, 2022
061: My Journey to Building Confidence, Taking Risks and Making an Impact
Nov 24, 2022
060: Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot on Building a Bold Vision and Perseverance
Nov 17, 2022
059: How to Create Alignment with your Leadership Team
Nov 10, 2022
058: The Journey from Founder to CEO with Eric Rubenstein
Nov 03, 2022
057: My Best Advice For First-Time CEOs
Oct 27, 2022
056: Hans-Martin Hellebrand CEO of Badenova on Turning Leadership Upside Down
Oct 20, 2022
055: The Fine Balance of a Leader
Oct 13, 2022
054: Lorenzo Simonelli, CEO of Baker Hughes on Driving Change Through Uncertainty
Oct 06, 2022
053: We Turned 1: Five Big Lessons Shared by my Guests on World-Class Leadership
Sep 29, 2022
052: How to Monetize the Social Element of ESG with Miriam Gonzalez Durantez
Sep 22, 2022
051: 9 Seemingly-Weak Behaviours that Define Great Leaders
Sep 15, 2022