Passion and Principles: Leading Groundbreaking Teams
Unleashing Vision, Inspiring Teams, and Great Communication
Most leaders know what it takes to lead high performing teams. However leaders of all levels find it challenging to cut through complexity and competing demands to consistently embody these capabilities day-to-day. This mastery is even more critical for entrepreneurs navigating the opportunities and challenges of business within innovative and fast-evolving industries.
We were curious to explore the perspectives and practices of a leader whose small team is making rapid progress in bringing new, ground-breaking innovation to healthcare globally.
Enter Ehsan Vaghefi, Founder of Toku Inc, our Global Chat guest.
Toku holds the potential to positively impact millions of lives worldwide through its utilization of AI and retinal photography in developing tools for accessible healthcare, enabling early and precise diagnosis of health conditions. Fulfilling Toku’s mission demands a team that embodies traits integral to high performance across all industries: productivity, innovation, and resilience.
Ehsan shares insights into his leadership approach, the qualities he seeks in individuals who help to bring the company’s vision to fruition, and how they navigate the intricacies of cutting-edge, transformative technologies.
Perspective: Organizational Culture and Principles
12% of leaders tell us that the biggest challenge they face relates to a lack of unified goals + vision – Adeption
Setting the tone for what is valued, prioritized and acknowledged starts at the top at Toku. This ethos is cascaded to every team member and is deeply ingrained in the operations, collective identity and behaviours through crystal-clear clarity – a singular vision, and two guiding principles to realize it.
“Having multiple priorities means having none at all”– Ehsan Vaghefi
Perspective: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent
75% of employers globally are reporting they are having challenges in filling roles – Manpower Group
Ehsan believes that a leader’s biggest responsibility is assembling a team of adept individuals relevant to the current needs of the organization. Expanding on this, he explains, “Success has a very high correlation to your team, nobody becomes successful in vacuum”. Interestingly, given the nature of work at Toku, grit and passion are valued above subject matter expertise. This approach fosters a team that embraces change, learns from setbacks, remains inquisitive, and demonstrates commitment.
“It really doesn’t matter how talented a person is if they don’t have grit and passion” – Ehsan Vaghefi
Perspective: AI as an Enabler
65% of organizations now report using genAI in at least one function. – World Economic Forum
Core to Toku is leveraging the potential of AI in retinal screening – offering benefits such as reduced time, costs, and staffing pressures, alongside increased access. Leveraging AI technology is also part of Toku’s day-to-day operations. Ehsan shares firsthand the AI-driven efficiencies he integrates daily, serving as an inspiration for those venturing into AI exploration for the first time.
“AI will not displace people, people who know how to use AI will displace people who don’t.” – Ehsan Vaghefi
Watch the full episode or register for Global Chat sessions for more leadership inspiration.
