Values-driven leadership: A conversation with Munawar Ahmed

In this episode of Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Munawar Ahmed, a design and strategy leader with over two decades of experience at companies like Verizon and Microsoft. Currently an operating partner at Veep, Munawar brings a deeply human approach to complex product and business challenges. Together, Munawar and Tammy discuss values-driven leadership, psychological safety and how to build environments where teams thrive.

Highlights from the episode include:

• Keep it human. On emerging tech, Munawar and Tammy agree: keep it human-centered. AI is amazing, but it’s not always the right answer. It’s possible you’re automating processes that could be completely reimagined.
• Understand and elevate every contributor. The best teams understand each other’s roles. They know what everyone brings and what everyone needs. For Munawar, real leadership means creating space for every discipline to influence the outcome — not just execute on someone else’s plan.
• Confrontation creates safety. Psychological safety isn’t built with soft words — it’s built with clear expectations. To keep teams working together effectively, address tensions as soon as they come up. No festering. No backchanneling.

Check out the full episode to hear more about Munawar’s leadership approach, her run for local office and why sticky notes still matter in the digital world.

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Please note that the views expressed in this episode may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.