Anne Chow, the first woman of color CEO at AT&T Business, discusses the transformative power of inclusion and values in the workplace. She emphasizes the distinction between core and aspirational values, advocating for aligning them with actual behaviors. Anne shares strategies for engaging teams in values discussions and stresses the importance of accountability and regular assessments to build trust. The conversation also touches on evolving perspectives around generational diversity and the need for leaders to understand the unique motivations of younger employees.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Respect Over Profit
Anne Chow discusses a client interaction where she prioritized respect over profit.
Despite needing the business, she addressed the client's disrespectful behavior and ultimately lost the account.
insights INSIGHT
Values vs. Ideology
Values are guiding principles that shape a company's culture, influencing actions and decisions.
Ideology represents individual beliefs, and diverse ideologies are essential for a wider perspective and better performance.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Balancing Ideology
To avoid over-indexing on ideology, assess team composition for diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
Partner with HR to identify unconscious biases and ensure a balanced team.
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In 'Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion,' Anne Chow draws from her over three decades of experience to introduce a new approach to inclusive leadership. The book reframes inclusion as a key leadership competency, going beyond traditional DEI initiatives to expand perspectives and drive innovation and growth. Chow provides practical insights, real-world examples, and contributions from leadership visionaries like General Stanley McChrystal, Arianna Huffington, and Adam Grant. The book aims to help leaders create a dynamic, inclusive environment that engages and empowers their workforce, adapting to the ever-changing business landscape.
Anne Chow: Lead Bigger
Anne Chow was the CEO of AT&T Business and the first woman of color CEO in AT&T’s 140+ year history, responsible for leading a $35B global operating unit of over 35,000 people. She was named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business twice and today serves on a number of boards, including FranklinCovey, 3M, and CSX. She is the author of Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion.
We all know the importance of values, but it’s often hard to know where to begin when clarifying them with a team. In this conversation, Anne and I explore how to align on values that support a great culture and move towards a vision.
Key Points
Values and ideologies are distinct. Leading bigger means honoring diverse ideologies while aligning on core values.
Bigger leaders have the courage to admit and cite situations where they fall short.
When asking people to craft values, invite them to start by individually considering their personal values.
When discussing values as a group, highlight both the common agreements and also the outlying ideas.
Leaders must ultimately decide which values best embody the culture and vision of their organization.
Bring in different stakeholders to do a gut check on whether the values are legitimate.
Measure behaviors against values and review and update values and metrics regularly.
Resources Mentioned
Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion by Anne Chow
Interview Notes
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Related Episodes
How to Create Team Guidelines, with Susan Gerke (episode 192)
How to Discover What Others Value, with Joe Hart (episode 616)
How to Prevent a Team From Repeating Mistakes, with Robert “Cujo” Teschner (episode 660)
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