Ep15 Marcus Stevenson, from Imposter Syndrome to Salesforce AI Leader: Leadership Development

This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village off-the-grid, migrated to the U.S., learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years.  Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and a social entrepreneur. 

GUEST BIO: Marcus Stevenson is the Senior Manager of AI Augmentation and Role Redesign at Salesforce. Based in the Bay Area, Marcus leads workforce innovation initiatives focused on empowering humans through AI, not replacing them. From selling bathtubs to presenting to the Congressional Black Caucus, his journey reflects a powerful blend of humility, leadership, and next-gen workforce vision.

Find our guest at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcussavon
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com

Leadership Keywords: AI and leadership, workforce innovation, future of work, psychological safety, mentoring new leaders, career mobility, leadership impact, diversity in tech, values-driven leadership, servant leadership, opportunity equity 

Leadership Summary:
Marcus Stevenson shares how growing up in Hayward, CA with limited options taught him grit. Through mentors, Year Up, and relentless hustle, he broke into tech and rose through eight roles in nine years. Now he helps Salesforce design roles that center humans in the AI era. He urges leaders to invest in people, lead meetings with empathy, and give others the same opportunity someone gave them. 

10 Takeaways on Leadership
✅ Give people opportunities before they're "ready"
✅ Let others lead low-risk projects
✅ Invest in people, not positions
✅ Embrace imposter syndrome as part of growth
✅ Lead with empathy and listen actively
✅ Build psychological safety for feedback
✅ Develop future leaders through real tasks
✅ Stay nimble and pivot
✅ See every role as foundation-building
✅ Use your platform to uplift others 

5 Titles for Leadership
✅ From Grocery Store to Salesforce Tower
✅ Build Leaders by Letting Them Lead
✅ Your Voice Belongs in the Room
✅ Why Role Redesign Begins With People
✅ The Power of Opportunity and Belief 

5 Sound Bites for Leadership
🗣 “Opportunity is the greatest investment.”
🗣 “I’m serving humans, not tech.”
🗣 “Give someone a meeting to lead. Watch them grow.”
🗣 “I walked miles to that first lunch meeting. It changed my life.”
🗣 “Everything I learned in my neighborhood made me ready.” 

10 Chapters on Leadership
00:00 – Meet Marcus Stevenson
02:00 – Who He Serves: Humans in the AI Era
05:00 – Life-Changing Mentors
07:00 – Year Up, Toastmasters, and Early Programs
10:00 – Teachers That Shifted His Path
12:00 – How Leaders Build Leaders
15:00 – Working With Gen Z and Gen Alpha
18:00 – Entering Salesforce With Imposter Syndrome
22:00 – Finding Belonging Through Purpose
27:00 – His Why: Build the Foundation for Others 

#OVinspires
 #LeadershipMessengers
 #leadership
 #community 

Leadership Culture podcast
Top Management podcast
Business leadership podcast
Executive leadership podcast
Organizational leadership podcast
Transformational leadership podcast
Top Leadership podcast for managers
Building High-Performance Teams podcast
Corporate leadership podcast
School leadership podcast
Educational leadership podcast
Professional Development podcast
Change Management podcast