374: How to Lead People Who Are Different From You with Stephanie Chung

21 snips

Sep 9, 2025

In this conversation, Stephanie Chung, an international bestselling author and human capital expert, discusses leading diverse teams effectively. She emphasizes that understanding differences—such as generational, cultural, and gender variances—is crucial for managers. Chung introduces her ALLY framework, which encourages curiosity and inclusive practices. She also highlights leveraging privilege responsibly to foster inclusivity and create high-performing teams. By promoting a culture of learning and active listening, leaders can truly embrace the power of diversity.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Everyone You Lead Is Different

Everyone on your team is different from you in some way, so a one-size-fits-all approach fails.
Leaders who can lead people who are not like them gain a competitive advantage.

INSIGHT

Privilege Is Not A Dirty Word

Privilege is universal and not inherently negative; everyone has some form of it.
Managers should identify their privileges and use them intentionally to serve their teams.

ADVICE

Apply The ALLY Framework

Use the ALLY framework: Ask, Listen, Learn, and then Act Yourself.
Take action using your privilege to develop and open opportunities for others.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

What if your greatest strength as a leader isn’t your expertise but your ability to lead people who are completely different from you?

In today’s diverse workplaces, managers can’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Understanding how to adapt your leadership to different personalities, backgrounds, and working styles is key to building high-performing teams because, let’s be honest, everyone is different from you.

Thankfully, today’s guest brings decades of wisdom on how to do it well, sharing practical strategies for inclusive, effective leadership.

Stephanie Chung is an international bestselling author, strategic innovator, and expert in human capital management with more than 30 years of experience turning challenges into opportunities.

She shares why understanding privilege isn’t about guilt but about using what you have to serve others, and how her ALLY framework (Ask, Listen, Learn, and Act Yourself) helps leaders embrace curiosity, build stronger relationships, and unlock the power of truly diverse teams.

✨In the extended episode for members, Stephanie goes deeper into the EARN approach and how to create engaged, high-performing, diverse teams.

Become a member of Podcast Plus for extended episodes, guest bonuses, and more at themodernmanager.com/more

Conversation Topics

(00:00) Introduction: The Uniqueness of Individuals
(00:35) Meet Stephanie Chung: A Force in Business Growth
(01:11) Understanding Differences in the Workplace
(05:22) The Concept of Privilege in Leadership
(09:25) Leveraging Privilege to Empower Teams
(19:00) The Power of Curiosity in Leadership
(21:55) Creating Inclusive and Effective Teams
(28:51) Conclusion: Embracing Diversity for Success
(31:12) [Extended Episode Only] Stephanie shares the EARN approach to building teams.

Additional Resources

✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/

✨Level up your skills: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle

✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=
✨Read the transcript here

Keep Up With Stephanie Chung
- Follow Stephanie on LinkedIn here
- Follow her on Instagram here
- Like her on Facebook here
- Follow her on TikTok here
- Learn more on her Website here
- Watch her speaker reel on YouTube Shorts:@thestephaniechung
- Subscribe to her Newsletter here

Guest Bonus: 3 Book Giveaway: Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You.
Stephanie is giving away three copies of her book Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You. This book is not just about traditional leadership; it's about revolutionizing leadership practices to be more effective in a rapidly changing corporate world. This issue transcends categories of race, gender, sexual orientation, different abilities, and age - it's a universal concern that affects everyone.

👉To get this guest bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community: https://themodernmanager.com/more

---------------------

The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!