Every leader needs a playbook to keep the organization operating consistently, cut through ambiguity, and align teams around a shared vision and goals. But many playbooks weren’t designed for an era defined by increasing uncertainty and relentless change.

In today’s Redefiners, Tomas and Marla talk with former IG Group CEO June Yee Felix about how she had to rewrite her own leadership playbook after stepping into the CEO role during a time of increased regulation and scrutiny. She explores why leaders need to rewrite their playbooks to better navigate chaos and uncertainty, and shares the eight moves they’ll need to do it. She also discusses the characteristics that make up an effective board and the role boards play when it comes to tech and AI governance.

We’ll also hear from Margot McShane, a leadership advisor at Russell Reynolds Associates and co-founder of RRA Artemis, an initiative to create more future-ready CEOs. She’ll explain why traditional CEO succession planning is no longer enough and how boards can build stronger leadership pipelines for an uncertain future.

Four things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. How to prepare for stepping into a leadership role at a difficult time
2. Why leaders need to change their leadership playbooks and what should they do
3. What are the characteristics of an effective board and what is its role when it comes to tech and AI governance
4. What is contributing to increasing CEO turnover and how are boards preparing for CEO appointments and succession

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:

• Winning in Volatility: How Trafigura Chairman Jeremy Weir Built a Global Powerhouse
• Leadership Lounge: Why Decision-Making Is Becoming Harder for C-Suite Leaders—and How You Can Overcome It
• The Only Certainty Is Change: Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman on AI, Innovation & Market Evolution
• Leadership Lounge: From Firefighting to Future-Building: How Leaders Can Master Perpetual Transformation
• The Necessity of Change with President and CEO of Wells Fargo Charlie Scharf
• Leadership Lounge: How to Be an Effective Board Director When Everything Is On Fire

A closer look at the research from this episode:

• Create A Next-Generation Board
• The New Qualified Technology Executive: Redefining Board-Level Technology Expertise in 2026
• Global Corporate Governance Trends for 2026
• Global CEO Turnover Index

Interim CEO appointments are on the rise. As boards contend with increasing leadership turnover, unexpected CEO departures, and growing pressure from stakeholders, many are turning to interim leaders to provide stability while they identify the right long-term successor.

But succeeding as an interim CEO is far from straightforward. Leaders are often expected to build trust quickly, make important decisions with limited information, and create momentum across the organization—all while operating under significant uncertainty about their own future.

So, how can interim CEOs succeed in the role? In this episode of Leadership Lounge, Emma Combe sits down with Efe Ekhaese, Aimee Williamson, and Justus O'Brien—who share their perspectives on:

▪ Why boards are increasingly appointing interim CEOs

▪ The unique pressures and challenges that come with leading on an interim basis

▪ How leaders can build trust, clarity, and momentum during periods of transition

▪ What aspiring permanent CEOs should consider when navigating interim appointments

"The most fraught word in interim leadership is ambiguity. The first question that an interim CEO needs to ask is: Why am I here? What am I trying to accomplish?"

Justus O'Brien

Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

Four things you'll learn from this episode

1. Interim CEOs don't have the luxury of a traditional onboarding period. With limited time and high expectations, they must absorb information quickly and make decisions before they have complete certainty.
2. There is no universal playbook for interim leadership. Some situations require leaders to preserve stability, while others demand rapid transformation—success depends on understanding which mandate the board has given you.
3. Trust is built faster when leaders look beyond the executive leadership team and listen to the layers below. Engaging stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization helps interim CEOs make better decisions and build credibility more quickly.
4. Ambiguity can undermine even the most capable leaders. The most effective interim CEOs reduce uncertainty by aligning early with the board on expectations, authority, tenure, and long-term succession plans.

In this 19-minute episode, we will cover:

(2:26) Why interim CEO appointments are increasing

(3:09) How CEO turnover, burnout, and succession planning challenges are shaping leadership transitions

(6:06) The unique pressures of serving as an interim CEO

(8:51) Why clarity on your mandate is essential for success

(9:56) Examples of interim CEOs who have led through crisis

(13:32) How to build trust quickly across the organization

(14:10) Managing competing ambitions within the executive team

(15:58) When and how to discuss becoming the permanent CEO

A closer look at the research from this episode:

Global CEO Turnover Index | Russell Reynolds Associates

The Three Areas Boards Spend Their Time But Aren’t Seeing Results | Russell Reynolds Associates

World Cup madness has taken over the world. And while you’re screaming “Allez les Bleus!”, “Vamos Vamos Argentina!”, “I Believe That We Will Win!”, “It’s coming home!”, “Vamos Nippon!”, “¡Cielito Lindo”, "Olé, Olé, Olé!" or any other team chant at the World Cup, there are thousands of people who have been planning and sweating the details so that you can watch the games and cheer your team to victory.

Today, we’ll speak with someone who is leading that team in Mexico, as Marla and Tomas sit down with the Commissioner and President of Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Mikel Arriola. Mikel shares how he regrouped after a setback running for political office to step into the top roles at FMF and Liga MX. He digs into how he aligned his team to execute an audacious World Cup strategy across three host cities in Mexico, guiding the organization through the complexity, politics, and stakeholder demands of both FMF and FIFA. And he discusses how technology and AI are redefining sports.

We’ll also hear from Navio Kwok, a leadership specialist at Russell Reynolds Associates, who will share his perspective on whether the lessons learned in professional sport can help explain why so many athletes go on to become successful leaders. 

Four things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. How to align your leadership team and navigate complexity, politics, and stakeholder demands to execute an audacious strategy
2. How to regroup and move forward after a setback
3. How to manage competing priorities and conflicts to drive decisions
4. Ideas on building the culture and skills needed for technology and AI transformation

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:

• The Business of Football with Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff
• Leadership Lounge: Why Decision-Making Is Becoming Harder for C-Suite Leaders—and How You Can Overcome It
• Exploring the Art of Possible with Google and Alphabet President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat
• Leadership Lounge: How GenAI Can Elevate—And Expose—Today’s Leaders
• In the Fast Lane: A Conversation with FIA CEO Natalie Robyn
• Leadership Lounge: Built to Last or Built to Learn: How Leaders Can Develop Resilience

A closer look at the research from this episode:

• Why Athletes Make Effective Leaders
• AI and Leadership