The Will to Change: Where Leadership Meets the Courage to Evolve
Jennifer Brown
Why is change so difficult and yet so necessary?
We live in a world that is increasingly complex, unpredictable, and demanding of our resilience. The challenges we face are not just external but deeply personal, asking us to redefine who we are, what we stand for, and how we lead.
Transformation isn’t just a possibility, it’s an imperative.
On The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown invites listeners to explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, resilience, and human connection. Each month, we feature both thought-provoking conversations with a guest who inspires new ways of thinking, as well as Jennifer’s reflective mini-episodes that dive deeper into themes like courage, growth, and the art of navigating uncertainty.
This isn’t just about leadership in the workplace - it’s about leadership in life. Together, we’ll examine the systems and beliefs that shape us and uncover how to lead authentically, inclusively, and boldly in a rapidly changing world.
If you’re ready to stretch beyond the familiar, embrace new perspectives, and discover the will to evolve—for yourself and others—this podcast is for you.
To learn more, visit http://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
We live in a world that is increasingly complex, unpredictable, and demanding of our resilience. The challenges we face are not just external but deeply personal, asking us to redefine who we are, what we stand for, and how we lead.
Transformation isn’t just a possibility, it’s an imperative.
On The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown invites listeners to explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, resilience, and human connection. Each month, we feature both thought-provoking conversations with a guest who inspires new ways of thinking, as well as Jennifer’s reflective mini-episodes that dive deeper into themes like courage, growth, and the art of navigating uncertainty.
This isn’t just about leadership in the workplace - it’s about leadership in life. Together, we’ll examine the systems and beliefs that shape us and uncover how to lead authentically, inclusively, and boldly in a rapidly changing world.
If you’re ready to stretch beyond the familiar, embrace new perspectives, and discover the will to evolve—for yourself and others—this podcast is for you.
To learn more, visit http://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books
12 snips
Mar 10, 2021 • 53min
E154: Shifting Power with Curiousity: Michael Bungay Stanier on Decentering Ourselves and Elevating Others
In this engaging discussion, Michael Bungay Stanier, author and founder of Box of Crayons, delves into the transformative power of curiosity in leadership. He emphasizes the need to decenter ourselves to empower others, sharing insights from his personal journey towards feminism and navigating privilege. Michael introduces a unique tree model for decision-making and offers practical tactics for leaders to step back and foster collective ownership. With a focus on small, feedback-driven steps, he explores the complexities of embracing one's power.
Mar 3, 2021 • 53min
E153: Next Generation Voices: The Uncompromising, Unrelenting Drive of Gen Z for a More Equitable World
In this episode, originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, Farah Bala, the Founder & CEO at FARSIGHT led a discussion alongside Jannie Kamara, a fourth year student studying Black World Studies and Diversity in Leadership at Miami University, and Gentle Ramirez, a Bronx Native majoring in Africana Studies, and minoring in Creative Writing and Computer Science at New York University. Topics discussed include how to bridge generational divides in organizational structures, how to responsibly push socially conscious messaging on various social media platforms, and how to apply mutual aid, transformative justice, and social capital redistribution theories to the workplace. ·
Feb 26, 2021 • 1h 7min
E152: Celebrating Black Futures: The ACLU Joins the Community Call
This episode, originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, was moderated by returning guest Amber Hikes, the Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Joining her were the leads of two of ACLU’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): the Black Women and Non-Binary ERG, and the Black Men and Non-Binary ERG: · Raquel Fossett, Program Coordinator to the Director of Board Relations and Special Projects · Whitney Barnes, Manager of Strategic Partnerships · Brandon Felton, Marketing Executive in National Brand Engagement · Jason Williamson, Deputy Director of the Criminal Law Reform Project The five panelists spoke to the critical nuances that distinguish their respective groups, but a common throughline emerged: empathy leads to action. The more we engage in transparent and honest conversation, the more we begin to understand one another. And the more we understand one another, the more we feel compelled to fight on their behalf. Amber says, “if Black History Month is about study, Black Futures Month is about action.”
Feb 22, 2021 • 1h 4min
E151: Nothing About Us, Without Us: When Neurodiversity Works with Natalia Lyckowski
Natalia Lyckowski, Neurodiversity@IBM Global Business Resource Group Co-Chair, joins the program to discuss the importance of addressing neurodiversity in the workplace, and the stages of representation. Discover the strengths and challenges that neurodivergent talent bring to the workplace, and how to create an environment where everyone can do their best work.
Feb 16, 2021 • 1h 2min
E150: Ports in the Storm: The Grounding Wisdom of Diverse Networks with Gusto's Bernard Coleman
Bernard Coleman, Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer for Gusto, joins the program to discuss his career journey and what he has learned from ERG's and employee activism. Discover DEI trends and best practices, and how to ensure employee engagement when managing a distributed workforce.
Feb 12, 2021 • 1h 17min
E149: The Transformation Generation: The Keys to Gen Z with Pranam Lipinski
Pranam Lipinski, co-founder of Work with Gen Z, joins the program to discuss the formative events that have shaped Gen Z, and what Gen Z looks for when they join an employer. Pranam also shares his thoughts about cancel culture, and how Gen Z has been instrumental in destigmatizing discussions about mental health.
Feb 9, 2021 • 55min
E148: The Way - and the Will - to Change: Jennifer joins Denise Cooper on Closing The Gap Podcast
This episode was originally recorded for Closing the Gap on C-Suite Radio. Tune in as Jennifer Brown is interviewed by host Denise Cooper. The topics covered include how to build and sustain high performing inclusive cultures, and how leaders can develop a strong, enduring will to change.
Feb 2, 2021 • 1h 14min
E147: Deep Reckonings Artist Stephanie Lepp and the Power of Purposeful Fiction
Stephanie Lepp, artist, producer and speaker, joins the program to discuss the pro-social use of AI, including "deepfake" technology. Stephanie discusses her project Deep Reckonings, a series of explicitly-marked synthetic videos including Brett Kavanaugh, Alex Jones and Mark Zuckerberg having a reckoning. There's also a very special offer in this podcast, so make sure to listen carefully!
Jan 27, 2021 • 1h 10min
E146: The Performance of Gender: Improv and the Exploration of Identities and Norms w Ali Hannon
Speaker, trainer, performer, and activist Ali Hannon joins the program to share their diversity story, why we need to move beyond the binary when it comes to gender, as well as the performance of gender. Ali also shares their thoughts about why they don't like the concept of allyship when it comes to gender, and what they'd like to see instead.
Jan 22, 2021 • 48min
E145: Wokeness, Cancel Culture, and a Third Way: With Kay Fabella
In this special episode of The Will to Change, you'll hear a conversation between Jennifer Brown and DEI consultant Kay Fabella, as they reflect on Kay's recent episode of her podcast, Inclusion in Progress, titled "My Top DEI Lessons from 2020." You'll also hear a segment of Kay's podcast, where Kay outlines the top DEI lessons from 2020.
