From Theatre-in-the-Round to the Boardroom: How Dr. Mark Rittenberg Humanized the C-Suite

Shrinks Rap was recently ranked #2 among psychotherapy podcasts and included in MillionPodcasts’ 2026 Top 100 Psychology Podcasts list. Thank you listeners! This week on Shrinks Rap: what happens when a theater guy walks into the boardroom and accidentally teaches Fortune 100 executives how to have feelings?Dr. James H. Bramson sits down with Dr. Mark Rittenberg — executive coach, leadership whisperer, former actor, Fulbright Scholar, South African bridge-builder, and possibly the only man alive who can quote Shakespeare while fixing your corporate culture.From Harvard to Soweto to Silicon Valley, Mark has spent decades teaching leaders how to communicate like actual humans instead of PowerPoint templates with pulse rates. We talk about his journey from the theater to the boardroom, the profound influence of Angeles Arrien, and why empathy may be the most radical leadership skill left in modern civilization.Somewhere between authentic leadership, multicultural transformation, executive coaching, and stories that sound too cinematic to be real, we also explore: • Why the best leaders know how to listen — and actually know their employees• How acting and presentation skills can rescue broken organizations• The origin story behind his Executive Coaching program at University of California, BerkeleyCredits:River is High, Ticketless TravelerCarl Reisman, guitar, singer, and songwriterJenny Goodwine, vocalsJames Singleton, bassJohnny Vidocovich, drumsDave Easley, steel guitarProduced by Morgan Orion Reismanfor more information, [email protected] 2025MillionPodcasts helps you find the best podcasts on the web.Podcast Database for PR Outreach & Guest Booking - MillionPodcastsWCMI networking group A networking group for mindfulness-focused clinicians dedicated to learning together & collaborating for more information click here