Some CEOs hide behind the veil of invulnerability.

Michael Paul, Ph.D., does the opposite—he believes that real leadership starts with choosing trust over armor. Michael was deeply influenced by the wisdom of Patrick Lencioni, never choose "invulnerability over trust."

As CEO of MARAbio, he is helping build a company that knows exactly why it exists: to use maternal immune science to help eradicate the most severe forms of autism, giving families earlier answers and more hope.

On this episode of Imperfect Leaders, Michael unpacks how that clear purpose shapes every hard conversation with parents, clinicians, investors, and his own team—and how a leadership style that embraces his heart, mind, and soul (psychological safety), and a culture grounded in honesty makes it possible to tackle obstacles as big as autism itself.

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Professor Clay Christensen was the famous business school professor who wrote the influential book, "The Innovator's Dilemma." Clay had a brilliant mind and was a strategic advisor to CEOs across the country.

Less well know, was Clay's active role as a mentor to young, up-and-coming innovators. One of those beneficiaries was today's guest, Chris Johnson, Founder & CEO of Bluebird Kid's Health.

Bluebird is revolutionizing pediatric care. They are solving the problem of "pediatric care deserts" by building pediatric practices in access-starved neighborhoods, using a modern, tech-enabled approach to care delivery, and implementing a high-performing model built specifically for pediatrics and value-based care (VBC).

Chris is a mission-driven entrepreneur and innovator who was, quite literally, molded by Clay.

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Join us for a deeply human conversation with Amanda Lukof, founder of the groundbreaking Eleplan app and devoted caregiver to her autistic brother, Liam.

In this episode, we explore how Eleplan is changing the game for families—making the chaos of care more manageable and freeing up precious time and peace of mind.

But as Amanda shares, caregiving isn’t just about looking after others; it’s about who we become in the process. From her own family’s journey to Eleplan’s powerful vision, you’ll discover how better care can transform families, bring clarity to overwhelming moments, and help all of us grow into our best selves.

Whether you’re a caregiver, a leader, or simply seeking inspiration, this is an episode about love, innovation, and the character that comes from caring.

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Why do teams with neurodiverse talent often out-innovate more homogenous teams?

Because solving complex problems require diversity of thought. As Steve Jobs used to say, "Think Different! "

What's the catch?

Leading these kinds of innovative teams isn't easy – in fact, it's very difficult.

It requires 'true leadership' according to today's guest, Dr. Keivan Stassun, a MacArthur fellow, rocket scientist, professor, and Founder and Director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University.

Organizations that develop this leadership capability will reap the benefits.

With that in mind, Dr. Stassun and I have a challenge for CEOs across the country. We challenge you to develop rising leaders who are ready to lead neurodiverse teams.

And if you accept our challenge, we would love to hear your stories. What's working? What's is not? How are you thinking different? What are you doing to build a bench of future leaders who can help everyone reach their full potential?

Given the complex challenges that lie ahead, this may be the defining leadership development challenge (and opportunity) of our generation.

I call it the: "Neurodiverse Leadership Challenge."

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Every once in a while you're lucky enough to meet a values-driven leader who has the passion, the mind, and the skills to make the world a better place.

Today's guest – Chris Male – is one of those trailblazers.

His firm – The Autism Impact Fund (AIF) – is helping to solve what many experts consider the largest public health issue of our generation -– skyrocketing autism, and other mental and behavioral health conditions.

AIF has become the investment and innovation arm of the autism community.

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Dave Boehmer was one of the top executive search professionals in the entire world.

At the pinnacle of his career, he suddenly left the global giant, Heidrick & Struggles. Dave had an entrepreneurial itch. He wanted to create something new. He wanted to make an even bigger impact in the world.

He succeeded.

His new firm – Banff Advisors – is like a Hollywood talent agent or like a concierge doctor but for leadership in the business world. He and his colleagues are trusted advisors to top leaders who want to do things like build their network, or rethink think their brand, or position themselves for exciting new board opportunities.

And...oh yeah...Banff also works with some of the most interesting companies, in the entire country, to help them build their talent pipelines. it's like a permanent flow of great talent and bench strength.

Learn how Dave created this ecosystem in today's episode of Imperfect Leaders.

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Adrian Jones is one of the classiest, humble, and resilient leaders I have ever met. Not just at Goldman Sachs, but at any company.

His son Liam – received a diagnosis of profound autism at 2 years old. As you can imagine, this crucible experience forever changed the lives of Adrian and his incredible wife, Tina.

Aside from bringing immeasurable joy (and, if we're being honest lots of heartache and pain), Liam has helped Adrian become crystal clear about his core values, deeply held beliefs, and North Star.

in very real ways, Liam has helped his dad become a better leader, husband, father, and human being.

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Today's guest – Brian Harper – shares how his beautiful son, Caleb, who has profound autism, taught him how to be a better CEO, a better father, a better husband, and a better human being.

Brian sits at the intersection of two brutally competitive, results-oriented industries – private equity and real estate.

And his new firm – 11 North Partners – invests in beautiful, open-air developments – and drives alpha in an unusual way.

They do it through humanity, empathy, and values-driven leadership. The 'soft skills' really do drive 'hard' business results.

And by the way, Caleb couldn't be happier – he lives at The Center for Discovery – which provides a unique and powerful way of helping autistic individuals reach their full potential.

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