The Empathy Edge

Woodson Martin: Balancing Corporate Success with Humanitarian Work

Jan 18, 2022

34:33

Do you have to choose between a successful corporate career and humanitarian work? Or can they live in harmony? Today’s guest proves that you can not only do both, but that you can engage your team and such work can make you a better, more empathetic leader! It’s a beautiful cycle and one I’m thrilled to talk about with Woodson Martin. Today, Woodson shares how he achieves that balance, and offers advice on how you can do both as well. We talk about how his community work has benefited him as a leader, helped engage his team, and how he bounces back and forth between these different worlds. He also shares great stories about how his tech teams have been able to use their unique talents to solve non-profit challenges, hopefully sparking some ideas for you!

Key Takeaways:

It doesn’t require travelling the world to do humanitarian work. There is a lot of need for it within the borders of your own country.
Any kind of change requires courage. If you don’t ask, you will never know what kind of reaction you will get.
Seeing leaders engage in humanitarian work frees employees to feel that they can, too. It also helps to build relationships, not only with your employees, but with your customers and partners.
Values create value. Committing yourself, your company, and your employees to giving back to your community is an investment in your business.

"Do not underestimate the power of giving back and developing a corporate commitment to do that." — Woodson Martin

About Woodson Martin:

Woodson Martin + EVP & GM, Salesforce AppExchange

Woodson has been with Salesforce for over 15 years, and has had the opportunity to wear many hats in roles ranging from marketing, including serving as CMO of Marketing Cloud, to recruiting. Prior to his current role, Woodson was GM of Salesforce IoT. Woodson also spent nine years at Business Objects, where he led the purchase and implementation of Salesforce as their CRM system in the early 2000s and got hooked on the potential of the cloud. Woodson balances and blends his work at Salesforce with community service through several non-profit organizations focused on humanitarian and legal assistance for people seeking asylum in the United States.

Connect with Woodson:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/woodson_martin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodsonmartin/

Sales Force: www.salesforce.com

AppExchange: www.appexchange.com

Team Brownsville: www.teambrownsville.org

Mobile Pathways: www.mobilepathways.org

FROM OUR EPISODE SPONSOR: VAST INSTITUTE

Our guest today will be talking all about how you can balance corporate success with being a humanitarian leader. Business professionals listen up! The world needs more “conscious” leaders and the great news is that operating in this way is goodness for all parties involved: you as a leader, your team, your organization -and yes, the world!

On our next episode, you’ll hear from Transformational Leadership Coach and founder of the VAST Institute, Michelle Sherman. So it’s perfect to mention her work and her fabulous book Kindling the Flame:The Art and Science of Cognitive Replenishment. The book is an uplifting guide to optimism, inclusion, resilience and awakened leadership genius.

Backed by science and psychology, Michelle’s book really opened my eyes to how we can create the world we want, if we simply stop burying ourselves under layers of outdated business models, inauthentic interactions, and toxic media! What we imagine, we can create. What we consume, impacts our frame of mind. What we believe is possible, defines our life.

The VAST Cognitive Replenishment practice outlined in the book Kindling the Flame offers professionals a simple set of tools “to mentally recharge your life, heighten problem solving capabilities, reset to healthier boundaries and tune up your leadership skillset”.

Seriously, I loved this book. It's so helpful and full of insights that will make you a better, stronger and more mindful leader.

Purchase Kindling the Flame: The Art and Science of Cognitive Replenishment

Learn more about VAST Institute and their leadership programs and resources:

https://www.vastinstitute.com

Connect with VAST:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vastmatters

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vast-institute/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadershipGenius

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vastinstitute/

Don’t forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Connect with Maria:

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.com