Merav Yanai spent 30 years watching companies fail their managers, and she finally did something about it.
She’s an HR executive who moved to operations after an acquisition, led a major merger across US and Israeli teams, then left corporate to found Leap, an AI tool that gives mid-level managers the real-time thinking partner most of them never get: private, in the flow of work, available when the actual problem shows up.
In this episode, Merav and I go deep on career transitions, the psychology of leading out of your depth, and what the AI revolution is really demanding from managers right now.
You’ll hear:
- Why Merav walked into her operations team in week one and named the elephant in the room out loud — and what happened next
- The “power of not knowing” mindset she uses every time she steps into unfamiliar territory
- What nobody warns you about when you make a career move: you lose your identity, your authority, and your confidence, and you have to rebuild all three
- Why 70% of managers still learn by trial and error — and what Merav built to change that
- How Robin (Leap’s AI agent) works differently from ChatGPT, Gemini, or any general-purpose LLM
- The question Robin asked her, which she couldn’t answer at first, was: “How would you change your behavior to get a different result?”
- Early results: 12% faster decision-making, 30% improvement in strategic thinking
- Whether AI will make Coaching and mentoring redundant (short answer: no, but the role shifts)
Guest: Merav Yanai, founder of Leap (myleap.ai), former VP HR and Operations executive
Connect with Merav: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merav-yanai/
Connect with Limor:
From a Woman to a Leader drops every Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you listen.
I’m Limor Bergman Gross - a leadership coach, speaker, and podcast host passionate about helping women in tech step into their full power. After 20+ years in the tech industry, including leading engineering teams at companies like DigitalOcean, I now coach women who want to grow their confidence, influence, and leadership presence.
I’m also the host of From a Woman to a Leader, a podcast where I share real stories and practical advice to help women break through barriers and thrive. As a mother of four, I understand the juggle, and I’m here to show that it’s possible to lead with courage, clarity, and authenticity.
