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
Nov 24, 2023 • 1h 15min
Best of the Will to Change: Self-Care as a Strategy for Belonging: A Fireside Chat with Joel Brown and Rhodes Perry
From the Best of the Will to Change: In this episode, originally recorded at the Belonging at Work Summit, Jennifer Brown is joined by Rhodes Perry, founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting and Joel Brown, Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos, as they discuss the importance of self-care. Discover how to develop sustainable self-care practices and increase your resilience.
Nov 17, 2023 • 51min
E295: Hindsight is 2020: Adult Development as a Way to Inform 2023 with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal
In this episode, Jennifer continues her conversation with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal about human development frameworks. Christopher and Aman reveal how most DEI conversations happen at lower action logics, creating exclusion and division. Discover the importance of meeting people where they are developmentally, structurally changing systems, and bringing more joy and humanity into DEI work.
Nov 10, 2023 • 57min
E294: Language as a Tool for Inclusion: Expanding Our Linguistic Awareness with Author Jen O'Ryan
This episode features a conversation with inclusive language expert Jen O'Ryan on the nuances of language and word choice for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jen reveals how we can expand our linguistic awareness to lead with more humility and precision and provides concrete examples for humanizing workspaces by removing ableist language and replacing problematic words with more inclusive alternatives. Learn practical tips for giving graceful feedback when problematic language is used, while still aligning as fellow learners. Discover how language can be a powerful tool for creating more belonging if we continually educate ourselves on the impacts of our word choices.
Nov 3, 2023 • 55min
E293: Understanding our Evolution: Why an Adult Development Lens is Critical to Inclusivity, with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal
This episode features a conversation with co-authors Christopher McCormick and Aman Gohal about using the stages of adult development as a framework for expanding DEI conversations. They discuss the action logics model which describes mindsets and behaviors at different maturity levels and reveal how leaders can apply this model to develop a greater understanding of colleagues. Discover the importance of moving from achievement to exploring potential and how these perspectives can lead to new breakthroughs.
Oct 27, 2023 • 52min
E292: Second Chance Hiring with Fifth Third Bank’s Chief Economist, Jeff Korzenik
This episode features a conversation with economist Jeff Korzenik as he explores the overlooked talent pool of people who have interacted with the justice system. Discover the enormous scale of this community, with over 70 million Americans having some involvement with the legal system, and the compelling business case for hiring this untapped talent in light of today’s tight labor market and aging workforce. Jeff also reveals how companies have successfully hired those given a second chance by overcoming assumptions and biases through thoughtful processes.
Oct 20, 2023 • 55min
E291: Speaking from Lived and Learned Experiences: Insights on DEI Storytelling with Carin Taylor
This episode was originally recorded as a DEI Community Call and features a conversation with Carin Taylor, Chief Diversity Officer at Workday, about the transformative power of witnessing others' stories for advancing DEI efforts. Drawing from her extensive professional experience and personal journey, Carin shares insights on how the simple yet courageous act of storytelling can profoundly impact workplace cultures when those stories are held with compassion. Discover how we can lift all voices through storytelling and discuss why this matters now more than ever in these challenging times.
Oct 13, 2023 • 52min
E290: The Legacy of Belonging: Jennifer Joins the BE the CHANGE Podcast
This episode was originally recorded for the BE the CHANGE podcast and features a conversation between Jennifer and host Stephanie Howlett as they discuss the importance of allyship. Jennifer shares tips for navigating the journey of allyship and the importance of using our privilege on behalf of others. Discover why and how leaders need to evolve from outdated mindsets focusing on protecting resources and how to enable humanity in our organizations. You'll also hear about how to rethink affinity groups to focus on shared identities rather than traditional, siloed groups.
Oct 6, 2023 • 1h 11min
E289: Activating Our Allyship Meter: A Senior Leader's Journey Towards Advancing LGBTQ Equality with Erik Day
This episode features a conversation with Erik Day, Senior Vice President of Global Small Business at Dell Technologies. Erik discusses his journey of helping start Dell’s first LGBTQ employee resource group in the early 2000s and reflects on what it takes to drive systemic change. He stresses the importance of intersectionality, using privilege and influence for good, and enacting inclusive policies that support employees’ identities. Discover how senior leaders can leverage their roles to advance equality across organizations and industries.
Sep 29, 2023 • 54min
E288: Scaling Inclusive Leadership in a Doubting World: Jennifer Joins Chuck Shelton on the Courage Counts Program
This episode was originally recorded on the Courage Counts Program and features a conversation between Jennifer Brown and Chuck Shelton as they discuss how to scale inclusive leadership when DEI is being doubted and even weaponized. Jennifer reveals how to assertively drive DEI as a business growth strategy and how to create psychological safety for resistant leaders. Discover the importance of practicing situational allyship and how to let DEI success happen through vertical leadership in organizations.
Sep 22, 2023 • 46min
E287: Leading from the "Messy Middle": An Imperfect Journey Toward Inclusion
This episode was originally recorded for the Workforce Central podcast and features a conversation between Jennifer and host Ron Painter. Jennifer reveals how leaders can foster a sense of belonging among employees, especially in a hybrid work environment. She also shares strategies for understanding and supporting a multi-generational, neurodiverse workforce. Discover how leaders can help create an atmosphere of psychological safety and respond quickly to issues in order to retain talent.
