Elevate with Robert Glazer David Gelles On Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, Jack Welch's Leadership And More
Sep 9, 2025
David Gelles, an award-winning New York Times reporter and bestselling author, dives into the fascinating worlds of Jack Welch and Yvon Chouinard. He explores Welch's aggressive leadership style and its long-term impacts on corporate culture. The conversation shifts to Patagonia's unique commitment to environmental ethics, revealing how its culture attracts dedicated employees. Gelles also highlights the balance between profit and sustainability, alongside the complexities of values-driven leadership in today's business landscape.
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How Dostoevsky Sparked A Career
- David Gelles discovered his love of writing in high school after a teacher gave him Crime and Punishment.
- That book made him see writing as a craft and set him on a professional path.
Business Reporting Reveals People
- Business reporting excites Gelles because it reveals people behind numbers: crimes, scandals, and entrepreneurship.
- He decided on the spot to specialize in business reporting and stuck with it for decades.
Build Access Through Empathy
- Meet sources where they are and seek to understand their context instead of arriving with judgment.
- Use empathy to build access and get people to share candid information.
