LeaderbookAI

Private equity has had it easy for forty years. Cheap money, expanding multiples, and a rising S&P produced returns almost regardless of what firms did with the assets they bought. That era just ended — and Lee McCabe, Partner at Claymore Partners, argues most firms haven't adjusted to what replaces...

Robin Goad, AWS executive, has been in the AI space since 2014—long before it was a boardroom priority. As Global Public Sector Industry Solutions GM at AWS, she's watched the hype cycles repeat, the barriers shift, and the use cases mature. Her read on where AI actually creates value for leaders is...

What do you mean, "I'm a CEO... and now I'm coding?" Georg Ell, CEO of Phrase, hadn't written code since he was 15. Then his CFO demoed a custom-built app — and Georg felt "utterly inadequate." That evening he downloaded Claude. Six weeks later: 200,000 lines committed, 8 apps built, and a radically...

Spencer Penn evacuated his engineer from Ukraine the day before Russia invaded. What he did next — and why it worked — reveals more about leadership trust than most books on the subject. Penn is CEO and co-founder of LightSource, a procurement AI company that grew from two people in a garage to 64 e...

How do top venture capitalists find AI unicorns early? In our 100th episode 1-hour special, Marina Davidova, Managing Partner at Silicon Valley's DVC, shares how her team uses AI agents, community-driven diligence, and sharp founder pattern recognition to identify breakout startups before the market...

What does it really take to lead a successful AI transformation inside an organization? Many companies focus on implementing AI tools. But according to Glenn Mathis, Former CEO of Integris, the real challenge isn’t technology — it’s trust, clarity, and culture.

What’s the biggest mistake revenue leaders make with AI? Companies everywhere are racing to automate sales—research, outreach, forecasting, and pipeline management. But according to JD Miller, many organizations are about to make a critical mistake: automating processes that were already broken. JD ...

Can AI learn love—or at least empathy? Cory Lopes-Warfield, CEO of Lovings, shares his unconventional founder journey from homelessness and hospitality to building Lovings AI. We discuss Nova, an AI agent trained to respond from a “love” framework, and what empathetic AI really means in practice. Co...

How do leaders turn a struggling organization into a winning culture? Tom Braun, President & COO of the LA Galaxy, shares the leadership decisions behind rebuilding one of MLS’s most iconic clubs. He explains how trust, authenticity, and small operational wins helped restore momentum with players, s...

AI automation and leadership that creates value. Join Felicia Shakiba on LeaderbookAI (formerly CPO PLAYBOOK) for candid conversations with CEOs, executives, investors, and innovators who are making the decisions that matter. From timeless leadership principles and decision-making frameworks to cutt...