Podcast Summary: Take Command
Episode: "Beyond Shareholders: Rethinking What Winning Means"
Host: Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie
Guest: Ivan Tornos, President, Chairman & CEO, Zimmer Biomet
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Episode Overview
In this engaging episode, Joe Hart sits down with Ivan Tornos, an award-winning leader in the medical technology sector, to explore how leadership is evolving in a world focused beyond just shareholder value. The conversation delves into Ivan’s personal philosophy of "winning," the strategies he uses to drive authentic purpose and culture, balancing short-term performance with long-term impact, and how to lead large organizations with integrity while fostering growth at all levels.
Key Themes & Discussion Points
1. Defining “Winning” Beyond Shareholders
Ivan challenges the traditional business definition of “winning,” emphasizing a more holistic, multidimensional approach encompassing spiritual, personal, physical, mental, and professional well-being.
“My definition of winning is winning spiritually, personally, physically, mentally and then professionally...I have my own KPIs for that.”
— Ivan Tornos [00:00], [16:44]
2. The 4P Leadership Model
Ivan’s leadership is structured around his “4P Algorithm”:
- Purpose: Finding and articulating a meaningful, inspiring reason to lead
- Planning: Thoughtful preparation to execute purpose
- People: Selecting team members by character, commitment, and competence
- Processes: Implementing metrics and governance to execute with discipline
“Purpose, plan, people and processes. Once you find your purpose, you still got to put a plan...get the right people...and execute the right processes.”
— Ivan Tornos [02:00]
3. Ruthless Prioritization & Personal Discipline
Both Joe and Ivan discuss the importance of not spending time on things that don’t matter, including Ivan’s weekly reflection ritual and his bold step of “firing himself from email.”
“80% of what you and I do in business doesn't matter… So asking yourself, does it matter? Is one of the key lessons that probably I didn't learn many, many years ago.”
— Ivan Tornos [03:48]
“I farm myself from email eight years ago. It's changed my life.”
— Ivan Tornos [03:48]
“I celebrate when people tell me, ‘I don't need to be in that meeting… I'm not a decision maker in that activity, so I'm out.’”
— Ivan Tornos [04:44]
4. Building High-Commitment, Accountable Teams
Ivan emphasizes relentless commitment, allowing room to fail, and flattening hierarchy to empower people to challenge and connect directly with leadership.
“Commitment… is united in purpose to the extreme… You are 100% in... And then it's allowing people to fail. You cannot be failing every day, but by God, you better be allowed to fail because otherwise you would not have that culture that you and I aspire to have.”
— Ivan Tornos [07:32]
“I give everybody my cell phone number… Challenge me when things are not going well… running the company truly like it's a friends and family club.”
— Ivan Tornos [07:55]
5. Balancing Results with Empathy
Joe and Ivan discuss the tension between driving for results and embodying authenticity, appreciation, and empathy—core Dale Carnegie values.
“It's like being a father... You gotta have the right perspective when it's time to offer a hug and when it's time to offer a kick… school of life and learning.”
— Ivan Tornos [10:45]
6. Long-Term Vision in a Short-Term World
Ivan candidly reflects on the difficulty of reconciling 90-day public market cycles with long-term, purpose-driven healthcare innovation.
“Every 90 days somebody's going to put you through a test... Yes, shareholders are important, extremely important... But there's something far greater... We are in the business of alleviating pain and improving the quality of life for people.”
— Ivan Tornos [12:41]
7. Partnership with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold isn’t just a figurehead—he models the “never too late” philosophy and partners with Ivan to motivate people suffering from arthritis to seek care.
“Twins Part 2… Arnold and Ivan Tornos. He's been a great partner, a great mentor… He truly does care about others.”
— Ivan Tornos [14:39]
8. Intentional Routines & Personal KPIs
Ivan and Joe discuss the criticality of intentional routines—reflection, planning, family time—and putting what matters most right into the calendar.
“For me, it’s every morning… focused on what happened yesterday and gratitude... prayer... meditation… planning the day. But if we don’t create space for ourselves...”
— Joe Hart [19:29]
“Nothing like getting a performance evaluation from your wife every Christmas… I put all my personal goals for the week and the day in that calendar.”
— Ivan Tornos [20:27]
9. Saying “No” and Protecting Time
They share frank stories about choosing not to do certain things—social media, golf, excessive meetings—in order to excel in the truly important areas.
“I’m going to be mediocre in a million things, to be great in those four or five things.”
— Ivan Tornos [23:59]
10. Ivan’s Non-Negotiable Belief
When asked for his “one non-negotiable belief,” Ivan’s response aligns to uncompromising ethics and prioritizing patients above shareholders.
“We will always do the right thing for those patients whose lives we care for. We're never going to prioritize shareholders over patients… we're going to do it in an ethical way…”
— Ivan Tornos [25:34]
11. The Next 100 Years at Zimmer Biomet
Ivan expresses his excitement about radical innovation—robotics, AI, platform solutions—poised to transform healthcare and keep the company vital for decades to come.
“This company… started in 1927… and 100 years later, we’re just getting started... We’re moving from being a product company to a solutions company."
— Ivan Tornos [26:45]
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “You cannot be failing every day. You cannot be repeating the same mistakes. But by God, you better be allowed to fail because otherwise you would not have that culture that you and I aspire to have.” [07:32]
- “Discipline. Put it in your calendar.” [20:27]
- “There was a gym… with a sign that said, ‘inside of this gym there is somebody busier than you are.’” [22:25]
- “I’m going to be mediocre in a million things, to be great in those four or five things.” [23:59]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Defining Personal Winning: [00:00], [16:44]
- 4P Leadership Model: [02:00]
- Ruthless Prioritization & Weekly Planning: [03:48]
- “Firing” from Email & Meetings: [04:42]
- Building Culture & Failing Boldly: [07:32]
- Balancing Results & Empathy: [10:45]
- Long-Term Vision vs. Short-Term Results: [12:41]
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Partnership: [14:39]
- Personal KPIs & Calendar Discipline: [20:27]
- Non-Negotiable Beliefs: [25:34]
- Zimmer Biomet’s Future: [26:45]
Tone & Takeaways
The tone is candid, reflective, and inspiring. Ivan Tornos demonstrates authenticity, vulnerability, and a relentless focus on purpose over mere metrics. Listeners walk away with actionable habits (calendar discipline, clear priorities), bold leadership philosophies, and a renewed sense that “winning” in business must, above all, improve lives.