How to Lead with Empathy and Resilience (Ramesh Srinivasan, Senior Partner, McKinsey)

B2BaCEO (with Ashu Garg)

My guest today is Ramesh Srinivasan, a senior partner at McKinsey and trusted advisor to some of the world’s top CEOs. Over his career, Ramesh has worked with leaders at companies like Cognizant, Moderna, Nissan, and Delta, helping them navigate tough challenges and scale high-performing teams.

Ramesh just published a new book, The Journey of Leadership, which distills lessons from thousands of hours spent alongside top executives. In our conversation, he shares practical insights for founders on how to discover their natural leadership style, why empathy is a non-negotiable leadership skill, and what it really takes to inspire people at scale.

Hope you find this conversation valuable!

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 Cold open
• 00:01:14 Ramesh’s backstory
• 00:04:34 Things that shaped Ramesh’s leadership philosophy
• 00:05:19 The big idea behind his book: The Journey of Leadership
• 00:09:12 Building empathy: For your team, your customers, your market
• 00:11:00 Lessons from Frank D’Souza at Cognizant
• 00:14:20 Lessons from Stéphane Bancel at Moderna
• 00:17:15 Trust, vulnerability, and the power of asking for help
• 00:19:40 Finding purpose: Starting from life’s crucible moments
• 00:22:00 Renewal: How great leaders evolve over time
• 00:24:00 Common mistakes founders make on the leadership journey
• 00:26:10 Resilience: The ultimate test of a founder’s staying power
• 00:30:20 The impact of AI on leadership and organizational change
• 00:34:00 Where AI is reshaping healthcare today
• 00:36:00 Advice for AI + healthcare founders