This week, Jessica sits down with Rashmi Badwe, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of TIAA Wealth Management and Advice, to explore what it really takes to lead transformation inside a large organization. Drawing on nearly two decades at TIAA and a career spanning strategy, operations, and financial services, Rashmi shares why successful transformation depends less on obsessing over outcomes and more on changing how leaders and teams think, focus, and work. Rashmi explains why leaders must create space for clean slate thinking, resist the gravitational pull of how things have always been done, and recognize that their attention can be a more powerful driver of behavior than traditional incentives. She shares lessons from leading teams through difficult business challenges and makes the case that focusing on how people are working toward an outcome often produces better results than simply demanding that a milestone be met. The conversation also explores artificial intelligence and how TIAA is approaching it as a tool for growth rather than simply cost reduction. Rashmi discusses using AI to eliminate repetitive work, expand the number of clients employees can serve, and rethink entire roles rather than pursuing isolated efficiency gains. She also explains why the rise of AI will make distinctly human capabilities such as judgment, relationship building, communication, and emotional intelligence even more valuable. Along the way, Rashmi reflects on the habits that have shaped her own career, from rejecting multitasking and taking on difficult assignments to learning that having the right answer is not enough if you cannot bring people with you. At its core, this episode is about leading through uncertainty, developing the resilience to tackle hard problems, and understanding that meaningful transformation begins with the mindset of the people responsible for making it happen. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashmi-badwe/ Website: https://www.tiaa.org/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Culture Partners LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners Website: jessicakriegel.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegelInstagram: @jess_kriegelWebsite: culturepartners.com

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