Change or Stay Irrelevant with Rishad Tobaccowala

In this episode of the Entrepreneurial Excellence Podcast, Adam sits down with Rishad Tobaccowala for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the mindset, habits, and shifts leaders need to embrace in order to thrive in today’s fast-changing world.

Rishad shares what makes extraordinary entrepreneurs stand out, and why true transformation in any organization begins with people—not processes. From his experience helping reinvent the Publicis Group, he talks about how deep change takes time, intention, and emotional alignment. 

As the conversation moves into the future of work, Rishad challenges outdated leadership mindsets and highlights the need for flexible, data-informed, and human-centered strategies, especially in remote and AI-enabled environments.

It’s a conversation that will challenge how you think about leadership and leave you rethinking what excellence really means!

Key Topics:

-What makes great entrepreneurs different

-Why real change starts with people

-How to lead in a fast-changing work world

-The future of work and remote teams

-Daily habits that help leaders stay ready

Quote From The Episode: 

"Change sucks. It's really difficult. But the choice is not whether it's good or not; it's that you either do change that sucks, or you become irrelevant."

- Rishad Tobaccowala

Timestamp:

[01:50] Rishad kicks things off with Adam by diving into the core traits that set extraordinary entrepreneurs apart.

[11:31] In a powerful moment, Rishad reflects on how real transformation within organizations doesn’t just come from strategy.

[21:15] Adam invites Rishad to unpack the long and thoughtful journey behind Publicis Group’s reinvention. 

[30:41] When the conversation turns to the future, Rishad makes it clear: transformation is never one-and-done. 

[40:34] Rishad challenges some traditional leadership beliefs, pointing out to Adam that flexible, personalized, and data-driven approaches to remote work aren’t just nice-to-haves.

[50:43] In one of the more candid parts of the conversation, Rishad calls out how fear and a desire for control are holding companies back. 

[1:00:25] Rishad paints a vivid picture of what the future of work might look like. Comparing it to the music industry: fractured, fluid, and incredibly personal. 

[1:10:48] Building on that idea, Rishad lays out a bold vision for what’s ahead. 

[1:20:27] As they wrap up, Rishad leaves Adam—and all of us—with a powerful reminder: the leaders of the future will master storytelling, engage in daily self-inquiry, commit to constant learning, and take bold, creative action.

[1:27:35] Outro

Connect with Rishad Tobaccowala:

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/rishadtobaccowala

Websites - rishad.substack.com (Blog)

    rishadtobaccowala.com (Personal)

    thetobaccowalafoundation.org (Other)

Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959

Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence