Shift & Thrive: CEO Insights on Driving Change

What does it take to lead a team through transformation when nobody knows the right answers? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson talks with Vivek Mahapatra, Chief Product Officer at LexisNexis Legal and a former member of the founding team behind Salesforce's Agentforce, about building a go-to-market strategy around the customer rather than internal assumptions. Vivek breaks down how he maps the full customer ecosystem, separating the buyer from the user, to uncover the gaps that shape smarter go-to-market decisions. He also shares how radical transparency with his team built the psychological safety needed to sustain a high-performing culture during a major AI product transformation, and closes with the rocking chair decision framework that continues to guide his biggest career choices.

Takeaways:

~ Say "I don't know" out loud. It gives your team permission to admit the same and start solving problems together.

~ Practice radical transparency with your team. Sharing what you know, even the hard parts, builds the trust that creates psychological safety.

~ Treat major shifts as invite-everyone moments, not top-down mandates. Cross-functional buy-in early prevents rework later.

~ Map your customer's full day, not just your product's role in it, to spot real opportunity gaps.

~ Remember the buyer and the user are often different people. Talk to both before shaping your roadmap.

~ Loop the teams that built an idea into the teams that will ship it. Handing off a go-to-market initiative cold slows adoption.

~ Use a “rocking chair decision” test for hard calls. Ask yourself what will really matter when you’re 85. 

Quote of the Show:

~ “In the beginning, we are taught that the way to grow in our careers and climb the corporate ladder is to be the loudest voice in the room, to be the one that everyone goes to and the one everyone knows. There's a certain point at which that shifts, and it's not about being the loudest person in the room; it's actually about creating a space for others to speak up and to create, a space for others to ask questions and work together.” - Vivek Mahapatra

Links:

~ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivekmahapatra/ 

Ways to Tune In:

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency. 

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com