The Courage to Change: Kellie McElhaney

Dr. Kellie McElhaney, Distinguished Teaching Fellow and Founding Director of the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership (EGAL) at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, talks to Jesse about how she blends inspiration and agitation to help students and business leaders discover how to grow and change, and about the times she’s needed to muster up the courage of her conviction to make real change in her own professional and personal life. She shares her view on the importance of corporate social responsibility as good business strategy, the role of our lived experiences in helping inform our ability to grow, and how Equity-Fluent Leadership is a key to building more diverse, inclusive organizations. 

How can I use my position or business to do good in the world? How can my values and core competencies inform my corporate social responsibility strategy? How can equity fluency help me build a more impactful and profitable business? How can I develop more personal courage, and enable my business to make more courageous moves? 

Guest Bio:
Dr. McElhaney is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership (EGAL) and is on the faculty at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She also runs her own Equity Fluent Leadership consultancy and advisory services for businesses, boards, and nonprofits. Kellie also founded the Center for Responsible Business (CRB). 

Kellie is a passionate believer in the potential and power of business to make positive change. She authored the book Just Good Business: The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand. She also writes numerous case studies of companies who are investing in diversity and inclusion, and conducts research in the areas of equal pay, conscious inclusion, equity fluent leadership, and value-creating strategies of diversity and inclusion. As such, Kellie is a much sought-after global keynote speaker, corporate / c-suite advisor, strategy consultant, mentor, and professor.

Kellie holds degrees. from the University of North Carolina (B.A.), Ohio University (M.A.), and the University of Michigan (PhD). She lives in Oakland, California with her two college-aged daughters. 

Linkedin: /kelliemcelhaney

Building Blocks:
Think about your own lived experience and write down a few things: 

1. What do you think have been the top 2-3 influences in your life? 
2. How did you get to have access to those influences, those people or those experiences of those environments? 
3. How have those influences, experiences, or environments affect the outcomes to this point in your life? 

Helpful Links:
Kellie’s publications, research, and accomplishments: https://expertfile.com/experts/kellie.mcelhaney

Kellie’s book, Just Good Business, about the strategic value of corporate social responsibility: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Good-Business-Strategic-Responsibility/dp/1576754413

Kellie speaking at TEDxPresido: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpNoEs1TH58

Berkeley Haas Center for Equality, Gender, and Leadership:  https://haas.berkeley.edu/equity/

Berkeley Haas Center for Responsible Business: https://haas.berkeley.edu/responsible-business/