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
Aug 21, 2020 • 1h 14min
E118: When Underestimated Leaders Thrive: Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever and Rhodes Perry on Unleashing the Potential of All
In this episode, originally recorded as a DEI community call, Rhodes Perry, the Founder and CEO of Rhodes Perry Consulting, interviewed Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, the author of the award-winning book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead, and Founder of the Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women. The timing of this particular conversation felt extra poignant, given that the call landed on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day: a date that marks the number of days a Black woman must work into the year to earn what her white male counterpart earned in the previous year. Discover how can we form alliances and coalitions and work together strategically so all of us can rise together to create lasting change.
Aug 12, 2020 • 1h 9min
E117: Infusing the Agency with Empathy: Claude Silver of VaynerMedia
This episode, originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, features a conversation with Claude Silver, as she discusses her role as Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia. Discover how to create sustainable change, and how organizations need to evolve during these times. Claude reveals how she works to infuse her organization with empathy, and how to create a workforce culture where everyone feels like they belong. ·
Aug 7, 2020 • 1h 7min
E116: Aging as a Constant: Ashton Applewhite and a Powerful Manifesto Against Ageism
In this episode originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, author, speaker and activist Ashton Applewhite joins the program to discuss the source of discomfort and avoidance so often tied to the topics of ageism and ableism when we talk about diversity dimensions, as well as the tremendous and varied cost of that avoidance to us and to the business world. Discover the intersections of ageism and ableism, ageism and social justice, and how ageism intersects with the conversation this year about the election, voting and accessibility.
Aug 3, 2020 • 1h 5min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Adding the “Plus” to Inclusion: Moving Beyond the Binary and Finding Our Unique Narrative in Change
From The Best of The Will To Change: Diversity and inclusion expert, author, and executive coach, Lily Zheng, joins the program to discuss how to affirm gender expression in the workplace and the leadership skills that are necessary to validate all gender identities. She also discusses the importance of self-awareness in discerning how to best create change, whether that is from the ground up or through influencing those at the top of an organization. Lily also debunks some of the most persistent myths about what it takes to be an ally and activist.
Aug 3, 2020 • 59min
E115: Management by Clicking Around: Creating Psychological Safety in a Virtual World
Karin Hurt, author and founder of Let's Grow Leaders, an international training firm, joins the program to discuss her diversity story and the need for leaders to be transparent and authentic. Karin shares how the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of empathy and psychological safety in the workplace. Discover how to make sure everyone is included in a virtual work environment.
Jul 29, 2020 • 1h 11min
E114: Change or Die: Inclusive Creative Direction with Rana Reeves
Rana Reeves, Creative Director and Founder of RanaVerse, an agency which marries brands with popular and contemporary culture, joins the program to discuss how brands should be thinking about diverse representation and social justice in their messaging. Discover why the identities of why the identify of the entire agency and creative team matter, and the opportunities for brands and companies to use their voice and influence for positive change.
Jul 22, 2020 • 1h 2min
E113: Pain and Possibility: How Dr. Maysa Akbar is Charting What's Beyond Allyship
Dr. Maysa Akbar, groundbreaking psychologist, author, and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University, joins the program to share her own diversity story, including overcoming childhood trauma. Discover a new identity model of allyship, and how to engage well-intentioned, but misguided allies.
Jul 17, 2020 • 54min
E112: Leadership Without Inclusivity is Not Leadership (From the Reboot Podcast)
This episode was originally recorded and released for the Reboot Podcast with Jerry Colonna. "In this release, Jerry sits down with leading diversity and inclusion expert Jennifer Brown to explore her latest book, "How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive." In this conversation, recorded at the beginning of 2020, Jennifer reveals why inclusive leadership is not only risky, but often uncomfortable, and why discomfort is necessary for individual and organizational growth. Jerry and Jennifer analyze why true inclusivity requires removing the barriers to belonging in the workplace and share that when those with whom we work feel a true sense of belonging, trust and productivity increase within an organization. They examine the power of pronouns, make the distinction between allyship and advocacy, confront the ways in which our biases direct us, and describe why leadership without inclusivity is not true leadership."
Jul 15, 2020 • 1h 10min
E111: Navigating Crisis and Opportunity with Hearst's Chief Talent Officer, Keesha Jean-Baptiste
In this episode, previously recorded as a community call, JBC senior consultant Chelsea C. Williams interviews Keesha Jean-Baptiste, Senior Vice President, Chief Talent Officer, for Hearst Magazine, as Keesha provides an inside look at the challenges and opportunities of being a senior talent executive for a global media company. Discover how institutions can avoid performative allyship, how to encourage allyship within organizations, and the ingredients of successful partnerships.
Jul 10, 2020 • 1h 8min
E110: An Officer Finds His Voice: Major Matt McCord and the Story of the Tulsa PD's Inclusion Journey
Join us for this episode, previously recorded as a community call, with Shalynne (Shae) Jackson, the Founder and Principal Consultant at Shalynne Jackson Consulting and Matt McCord, who is a major in the Tulsa Police Department and a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Shalynne and Matt discuss dismantling systemic racism in the police system, the need for cross dialog, and the importance of listening to other people's experiences. Discover the ingredients of successful partnerships, the ally journey, and the progress being made in certain police departments to do deep work on implicit bias and building commmunity relationships.
