Transformations can be fraught with big decisions, big fallouts and big feelings. Cisco's chief customer experience officer Liz Centoni runs a team with tens of thousands of employees and has 25 years of experience making the tough calls needed to drive needed technological change and earn critical buy-in and support. She shares what she's learned about tackling team fears and frictions head on and the importance of breaking down complex shifts into manageable ‘chunks’ to bring people along. She explains why she recommends leaders embrace the 'power of the pause’ -- and wait to speak in meetings -- and what's needed to get truly honest feedback in pivotal moments. Learn more about her approach – and the empowering lessons she learned about transformation from books like ‘The Courage to be Disliked’ and the famed psychologist Viktor Frankl.

About this episode:
Cisco:
https://www.cisco.com/

Referenced in this episode:
Book recommendation - The Courage to Be Disliked, by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi: https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Be-Disliked-Phenomenon-Happiness/dp/1501197274

World Economic Forum Research - Future of Jobs Report:
https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/

Related podcast:
7 women leaders on the books that shaped them
https://tinyurl.com/vuketc78

How one global health leader plans for the unexpected: Gavi
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Sj2YMTzpZj54Q0DMhHVrr

The global retirement savings gap could grow to $400 trillion by 2050 -- a problem that can’t just be tackled by simple saving alone. Meanwhile, we’re living longer and longer, a reality that is changing the way we live in our later years while making it trickier to save. Yie-Hsin Hung, the CEO of State Street Investment Management, will break down this problem and the new multi-prong approaches from all parts of society that will be needed to fix it. She also shares the moments that shaped her as a leader (like the simple question she asked early in her career that has helped her get honest feedback to this day).

About this episode:
State Street Investment Management
Note: State Street rebranded to State Street Investment Management since this interview was recorded.
https://www.ssga.com/us/en/intermediary

Related Initiative:
World Economic Forum Longevity Economy Initiative: https://initiatives.weforum.org/financial-resilience-for-every-generation/home

Related reports:
Future-Proofing the Longevity Economy: Innovations and Key Trends: https://www.weforum.org/publications/future-proofing-the-longevity-economy-innovations-and-key-trends/

Global Risks report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2025/digest/

Related Podcasts:
The ‘inevitable’ caregiving cost nightmare: One young founder's story and solution: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/lily-vittayarukskul-waterlily-caregiving-costs/

How does the CEO of an organization brought in to help respond to fast-moving health crises like Mpox and other infectious diseases plan for the unexpected? Sania Nishtar heads up Gavi - The Vaccine Alliance, an organization that has helped vaccinate over one billion children in the world's poorest countries and prevent more than 18 million deaths worldwide. Sania talks to us about the planning, mindsets, technologies and scenario planning her team uses to be ready for any emergency. She explains the importance of securing ‘crystal clarity’ in advance for what its expected to deliver and how that helps the organization prepare for a range of circumstances and efficiently coordinate with governments and other global organizations when time is of the essence. This organization was launched at Davos 25 years ago and she shares what what’s needed for global health security and strengthened public health systems now and in months and years ahead.

This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

About this episode:
Gavi: https://www.gavi.org/

Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/sania-nishtar-gavi-preparation-global-health

Related podcasts:
What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IJjZs4E7A&t=51s

We’re ‘losing the war’ on modern slavery: What leaders can do - HPE’s John Schultz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlXggC3o08I&t=1s