Melissa: Rehearsing to grow range, being thoughtful and intentional is critical. But the whole point of all that work is then to be able to let it go and be right there in the moment with the needs of your people. If you were to capture the best communication advice you ever received as a five to seven word presentation slide title, what would that title be? Keep pace with the present oh, i like the haste of the present.
"Leadership is a role that you play, like a part you play in other people’s lives. And [your] expression of that role is your responsibility as a leader,” says Stanford GSB lecturer Melissa Jones Briggs. Jones Briggs’ work combines techniques from the theater with social science research to teach lessons about power and communication. In this conversation with podcast host Matt Abrahams, she discusses how acting in a leadership position requires staying present and also knowing when to step back.
“Power and authority often determine which stories are centered and which stories are marginalized,” Jones Briggs says. “By uncovering previously untold stories, we can create environments that invite new stories in, and that helps shape inclusive and equitable work cultures.”
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Show Notes
Melissa Jones Briggs
Washington Post: Virtual work is making you talk like a business robot. Here’s how to ‘circle back’ to being human.
Kenji Yoshino, Professor of Law at New York University
Kay Kostopolous, Actor, Director, and Theater Coach
Erving Grossman, Canadian-American Sociologist