Love in Action

A special thanks to our sponsor, Duck Creek Technologies for making the episode possible. Built for insurance, by insurance. Duck Creek Technologies offers the vision and tools you need to drive your business in 2021 and beyond. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more.***Colleen Ammerman is the Director of Gender Initiative at Harvard Business School. She has authored various articles and teaching materials on gender and work, and her research with Harvard Business School Alumni examines how race, gender, and other factors shaped their life and career experiences after grad school. Her colleague is Boris Groysberg, Professor of Business Administration. He is the author of the award-winning book Chasing Stars: The Myth of Talent. A frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Boris has written more than 100 articles and case studies on how firms hire, engage, develop, retain, and communicate with diverse talents to create inclusive cultures.Their book, Glass Half Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work, aims to peel open the curtain on the pervasive managerial actions and organizational obstacles that perpetuate the gender gap. They are joint guests in this week’s episode of Love In Action, sponsored by Duck Creek Technologies.We’ve made high strides in the fight for gender equality for the last 10-15 years, Marcel says. The gap between the percentage of men and women in the workplace has been the lowest in history as of two years ago. However, women remain underrepresented in positions of authority, despite making up roughly half (and sometimes the majority) of the workforce. [1:32]“It can be easy to be a little cynical and pessimistic when you realize how far we have to go even though we’ve made so much progress,” Colleen comments. “But doing the research for the book made me feel inspired and hopeful, after talking to a lot of people who were committed to being change agents.” [10:02]“[In writing the book], we were trying to do something that would be [both] rigorous and actionable,” Boris shares. “We were determined to write a book that will have practical implications for organizations [and] managers. The other thing that we were trying to do was… see if we could actually get men involved in creating more diverse and more inclusive organizations. If the [specific] group of people is not involved [in that process]... we will only make minimalistic progress, at best.” [11:07]Colleen witnessed first-hand how many women’s self-confidence had been chipped away when they realized their path to success was littered with seemingly impossible hurdles and obstacles. It’s a loss of human potential, she adds. Even women with advantages like an education from Harvard were finding their paths blocked. [15:50]The main difference between men and women is sociological in nature, not biological, Colleen claims. Their behavior looks different, but if you investigate it, you will find that it’s because they are experiencing a different environment, even on the same team or in the same organization. The difficulties women face in moving up the ranks is due to how they are treated, and not caused by gender makeup. [19:26]Women fall through the cracks in moving up the ranks at every level, according to Boris. It happens in hiring, integration, development, promotions, compensations, and across the board. “This cumulative effect is why we have organizations that still aren’t very inclusive,” he remarks. “Additionally, many companies are more focused on the D in D and I. Diversity is about counting the numbers, but inclusiveness is about making the numbers count.” [29:27]ResourcesColleen Ammerman on LinkedIn | TwitterBoris Groysberg on LinkedInGlass Half Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at WorkSend Marcel a text message!

A special thanks to our sponsor, Duck Creek Technologies for making the episode possible. Built for insurance, by insurance. Duck Creek Technologies offers the vision and tools you need to drive your business in 2021 and beyond. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more.***Robert Glazer is the founder and CEO of global partnership marketing agency Acceleration Partners. A serial entrepreneur, award-winning executive, and accomplished operator, Bob has a passion for helping individuals and organizations build their capacity and elevate their performance. Bob is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today international bestselling author of four books, his most recent being How To Thrive In The Virtual Workplace: Simple and Effective Tips For Successful, Productive and Empowered Remote Work. He is this week’s guest on this episode of Love In Action, sponsored by Duck Creek Technologies.Marcel asks Bob about how he started his newsletter, Friday Forward. “I had a folder of just some quotes and some stories and things that I liked, so I started to fire off an email to my team… it's like spicy chicken soup for the soul [that] challenges you or pushes you to consider something… I don't know if anyone was even reading it but I was enjoying the process of thinking about these things and writing about them. And then 5 to 6 weeks later I heard from people that they really liked it… they were sharing it outside the company,” Bob shares. [5:58]People who oppose remote work may find themselves facing difficulties later down the line. “A notable CEO called remote work ‘an aberration that needs to be corrected as soon as possible,’ yet when the company released their earnings for the quarter with employees remote, it was recorded as the single highest revenue and profitability in the history of the company,” Bob remarks. “So clearly, something is working.” [13:55]Managers aren’t good at delegating, according to Bob. When a new manager comes in, they are rewarded for doing work, and their delegation skills suffer for it. [19:39]“When you get promoted to manager… you are now rewarded for how good your people are; you should be feeling that warm, fuzzy feeling when someone says ‘your team is crushing it,’ not ‘you were crushing it.’ You are the conductor, you're not playing the instruments,” Bob warns. [22:09]Marcel asks Bob what the secrets to his success are. “I try… to be consistent between what we believe, what we say, and what we do,” he responds. “I spent a lot of my time focusing on developing our people; it's what I enjoy. There's probably other aspects of being a CEO that I'm not as good at… I think what really frustrates people about leadership is people not being authentic,” he adds. [28:46]“My dominant core value is ‘find a better way and share it,’” Bob comments. “Self-reliance, respectful authenticity, long term orientation and health and vitality… I make decisions based on these things. The company values are own it, embrace relationships, excel, and improve.” [33:28]Leaders that want to reform their company culture should first work on their core values, Bob advises. “Figure out your personal core values and what the organization wants; be radically honest with the world about that and get the right people on board,” he says. [39:12]“I always find that [change] is not about committing to a huge [goal] on January 1st. I'm more likely to believe in the person that starts doing one or two little things than the one who says they’re going to change their life and lose 30 pounds,” Bob muses. “I always say to do the 1% rule: do just one thing better. 1% a day in that direction rather than stressing yourself out making huge changes is more likely to give you better outcomes.”ResourcesRobert Glazer on LinkedInHow To Thrive In The Virtual Workplace: Simple and Effective Tips For Successful, Productive and Empowered Remote Send Marcel a text message!

As Chief Strategy Officer at Duck Creek Technologies, Eva Huston is responsible for building value for the technology and spearheading corporate strategy on a global scale. She is also an independent board member at E2open and previously served as CFO at Verisk Analytics, as well as Managing Director at JPMorgan. Eva is Marcel Schwantes’s guest on this episode of Love In Action. “I think that whenever you can bring your whole self [to work] ... you're just going to be better. Regardless of your background, everybody has something special to bring to the table,” Eva comments. [7:10]Marcel asks Eva to share lessons she learned moving up the ranks as a woman in a male dominated industry. “You'll hear that a theme in my career is that I would create a role that didn’t exist... It's finding new ways to bring value to a company,” she replies. “I tried to look for creative ways to approach things and some ways that might be more traditionally female.” [10:11]Leading with love starts by seeing and honoring the people on your team, Eva says. You would think that you would automatically do that while spending time with them, but it’s common to be around someone for a long time and still not truly see or honor them. Practical love starts when you look at who your team is, what motivates them, and what lies in their hearts. By doing that, you validate them as people. [17:37]“As you go up the leadership ranks, I think that you have to find ways to show your strength that are more indirect so people feel like they have that freedom to grow and flourish,” Eva shares. [21:38]Marcel asks Eva what leadership trait is the hardest to internalize and carry out. “Patience,” she responds. “It's hard for leaders because a person who views themselves as a leader wants to run forward and go fast and get things done. You almost have to counterbalance that with that patience and say like ‘Who's on my team? What do they have to bring?,’ and ‘Let's not start running at a target before we know what we've got here.’” [26:32]It’s hard to be soft, Eva claims, which is why soft skills are so hard to grasp. “That's just something that we as leaders have to realize: that being soft, being human, and being down to earth and approachable is what's going to make our businesses perform the best.” [30:42]A special thanks to our sponsor, Duck Creek Technologies for making the episode possible. Built for insurance, by insurance. Duck Creek Technologies offers the vision and tools you need to drive your business in 2021 and beyond. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more.ResourcesEva Huston on LinkedInDuck Creek Technologies | LinkedIn | TwitterSend Marcel a text message!

Marcel Schwantes’ guest on this episode of Love In Action is Susan McPherson, founder, and CEO of McPherson Strategies. A renowned keynote speaker and facilitator at American Speakers Bureau, Susan is also a founding member of Kindred, and a board member at THE LIST and The 19th. She has over 25 years of experience in marketing, PR, and sustainability communications. Her most recent book - The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships - provides insights on how to forge lasting relationships and foster value-based connections. Technology is a tool that helps us connect, but we tend to measure connection by clicks, likes, and followers, according to Susan. [9:06]Marcel shares his experience of seemingly genuine attempts at connection which turned out to be someone trying to sell him something. “When we reach out to others,” Susan advises, “lead with how you can be helpful; go as far as doing a little bit of research about the person before you reach out to them.” [12:49]We are now more wired than ever before, but somehow we're more disconnected from each other, Marcel claims. He asks Susan how we can address the current ‘loneliness epidemic.’ "I think intentionality has broken down the loneliness during this pandemic,” Susan replies. “One of the ways we can help ourselves be less lonely is by reaching out to the people that we know.” [19:05]“From a professional perspective, I learned early on that if you don’t have a seat at the table, you have to make your own. If you invite two people and ask them to bring two people, guess what: you're the convener, you're bringing the people together.  There’s joy, love, and power in that,” Susan remarks. [23:30]Research shows that friendships and meaningful connections at work directly impact an organization’s performance. Productivity skyrockets, turnover rates decrease, and people are more likely to recommend the company to someone they know and admire, Susan shares. [27:02]Marcel asks Susan how leaders can show love in the workplace. “I think we have to look inside ourselves and think about what our superpowers are, what our strengths are, and what we can do to help others. When we can find that, then we can share those with the people that we care about, the people that help us succeed,” she says. [31:59]ResourcesSusan McPherson on LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramThe Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business RelationshipsSend Marcel a text message!

Marcel Schwantes’ guest on this week’s episode of Love In Action is Erica Dhawan, founder and CEO of Cotential Group, a global consulting firm that transforms the way companies work through 21st-century collaboration. She is a keynote speaker and expert on 21st-century collaboration skills and behaviors. Her most recent book, Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance, educates and instructs readers on how to translate traditional body language to the digital world. Currently, body language is a popular topic among leaders. They want to know how to communicate better nonverbally. There are many subtle things that leaders do or neglect to do that send messages, whether they want to or not. For example, Marcel shares, leaning forward when someone is speaking to you conveys that you are listening attentively to what they are saying. [1:22]“You have to build trust in order to have a healthy culture and high performing organization,” Marcel says. “I think that in a virtual setting especially, trust can make or break teams.” Erica talks about the current crisis of misunderstanding that the virtual nature of the workplace is creating, and how it impacts productivity, collaboration, and profits. [8:10]People read and interpret messages very differently, so we need a new set of common rules to root out miscommunication. According to Erica, research has shown that placing a period at the end of a sentence can signify frustration or anger for the younger generation, but people who learned digital communication in adulthood may interpret it as good grammar. [12:36]“[A] key piece of misunderstanding is how much it's shaped by the power and trust gaps with the other person,” Erica claims. “We are always reading into others’ digital body language based on two questions: ‘Who has more or less power?’ and ‘How much do you trust each other?’” [18:20]Erica shares things you consider when conducting a virtual meeting. Leaders should be mindful of the various personality types in their teams. The extroverts of the team may find it easy to speak up and contribute to discussions, but the introverts may face difficulties and will subsequently be spoken over. Facilitating accommodations like chat tools and small breakout rooms to combat this issue will ensure that everyone has an opportunity to let their voice be heard. [27:07]“Listening [as a skill] today is not only being thoughtful and responsive, but it's also being conscious and careful in the words…” Erica remarks. “Reading carefully is about taking the time to make sure you're reading by assuming good intent, you're reading for how you can add value and respond to them thoughtfully.” [33:34]“I think what is most exciting about leadership in a digital era is how much more geographically inclusive and less visually biased we can be,” Erica comments. “We can truly allow anyone into our space and I think that is the full extension of love and the human spirit.” [40:38]ResourcesErica Dhawan on LinkedIn | TwitterEricaDhawan.comDigital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the DistanceSend Marcel a text message!

On this episode of the Love in Action Podcast, Marcel Schwantes is talking to Helena Clayton, a researcher who focuses on the practical application of love in the workplace. Helena has been working as a coach and facilitator for 25 years, helping organizations through struggles and challenges from a foundation of love. They talk about what is possible in organizations when you lead with love – and what it looks like when you do.·    Helena has found that as a coach, you get access and information about difficulties and pain that people usually keep to themselves – and when you approach them with love, and bring them to the group, healing can happen. She eventually asked: “How can the love in practice that happens individually find its way into organizations?” Marcel notes that this is critical because fear, pain and toxicity at work can lead to poor health outcomes for workers [03:25]·    Marcel asks Helena what made her decide that her research was really needed now, and she shares that when she told her colleagues she was going to be focused on love, people were skeptical. Although the idea has gained more traction, there is still resistance to the concept. “The word love comes with connotations of religion, romance, inappropriate sexual conduct, or sentiment.” Different definitions are needed, and she has uncovered several high-level strands of how people think about love in the workplace: care, listening, holding strong boundaries, and acceptance. [06:00]·    One of the questions Helene explored in her research was “What would it be like if love were present in the workplace?” She and Marcel discuss the responses to that question, noting that people believe they would benefit hugely if it was the case – bringing their best selves to work, being less fearful, being more able to collaborate, and ultimately be more creative and innovative. [12:10]·    Getting down to brass tacks, Marcel points out that there are still many people who say: “This will never work for my company,” and asks Helena what she would say to those people about the difference that love can make. She says it’s a question of leadership philosophy, what are the assumptions we make about what work is? [18:40]·    Helena and Marcel talk about masculine vs. feminine traits in leadership, and how they don’t really align with gender – all people have the capacity for all traits, even if they display some more than others. Helena reminds us that “Love is a core human need,” and Marcel adds that we have the capacity to love people at work – it’s only that modern workplace culture dictates we suppress it. [25:20]·    If we talk about love, we might end up developing practices that are about empathy, compassion and nurturing. If we start with a big word like love, we end up with that, but if we start with a smaller word like compassion we get something watered down. This is why intentionally talking about love is so important. Helena recommends just start the conversations: “what we think about, we bring about.” [31:20]Resources:Twitter: @HelenaClaytonHelenaClayton.co.ukSend Marcel a text message!

Marcel Schwantes’ guest on this episode of Love In Action is Sabrina Horn, an award-winning CEO, communications expert, and author. Sabrina is an advisory board member to several organizations and founded Horn Group, becoming one of the few female CEOs in Silicon Valley in the early 90’s. Her most recent book, Make It, Don't Fake It: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success, aims to help executives make the right decisions as they start and grow their businesses for long term success.The phrase ‘fake it til you make it’ has bred and normalized dishonesty to get ahead, Marcel says. It encourages people to lie or twist the truth for personal gain, which sabotages your success and destroys your reputation. [3:04]“Technology is often misunderstood or not understood,” Sabrina claims. “I made a living out of helping people who would otherwise never meet, connect with each other; and making complex things simple to move things forward. That’s essentially an act of love to me because you're making the world a better place that way.” [7:28]Running a business with integrity and authenticity is difficult because taking the shortcuts to avoid that is easier, Sabrina says. By definition, integrity means truth, but the reality is that sometimes truth hurts. “If your product has a flaw and you have to do a recall or if the market's turning sour and you have to do a layoff, that’s hard to face,” she remarks. [12:26]Marcel asks Sabrina to discuss why core values and transforming your workplace and brand are important. “My advice to every entrepreneur is to determine what you stand for and what your company has to offer before you start,” she replies. “Think about every business process you’ll have in your company and how your values will integrate into them.” [20:43]In recreating and revamping your company culture, you should first elaborate on how your values manifest through the culture and what you will and will not tolerate. You must also lead by example. “I also suggest that leaders overcommunicate with their teams, especially coming out of the pandemic,” she adds. “In the midst of all this uncertainty and doubt, you need to know what is unknown. You need to acquire a bias for information and overcommunicate with your people to remove that uncertainty and doubt.” [25:33]Marcel asks Sabrina how leaders can show love at work. “A leader loves well by creating an environment where values and culture matter, where people feel like they can stay and grow and build their careers, where they feel like they can be themselves… when you give that kind of care [to your people], that ultimately translates into better financial performance, more employee retention, and a stronger brand; all of it pointing to a more successful business,” she responds. [33:22]ResourcesSabrina Horn on LinkedInSabrinaHorn.comMake It, Don't Fake It: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business SuccessSend Marcel a text message!

This week’s show is one of the best yet! Dr. Nate Regier gives Marcel Schwantes and listeners a new way to think about conflict, calling it the greatest untapped energy resource in the world. Considering that Gallup estimates that negative conflict costs the US economy $350 billion a year, Nate’s statement seems doubly shocking. He joins Marcel to discuss this counterintuitive idea as well as his new book, Conflict Without Casualties: A Field Guide For Compassionate Accountability.Dr. Nate Regier is the co-founder and CEO of Next Element, a global leadership training and certification company specializing in communication and conflict skills. He is an expert in positive conflict, social and emotional intelligence and leadership, neuropsychology, and group dynamics. [2:00]Conflict Without Casualties is a field guide that covers actionable techniques and strategies to deal with conflict, based on Nate’s years of research and experience. [4:42]Mediation, management and reduction are some of the most popular terms associated with conflict, Nate says. This implies that conflict is the bad guy. Quite the opposite, he believes that conflict is simply a gap between what we want and what we’re experiencing. It’s neither good nor bad. [6:45]Conflict is like the grain of sand in an oyster shell, Nate says. Without it there wouldn’t be a pearl. Conflict has a purpose and a reason so it can have a productive outcome. As such, conflict should be stewarded and leveraged. [9:19]Marcel asks Nate to talk about the drama triangle. Nate describes the three roles in the drama triangle and argues that it’s actually the rescuer who does the most harm. [12:52]Diversity is part of the grand design of the universe, and where there is diversity there will be conflict. Therefore, conflict must be by design as well, Nate posits. The only question is how are we going to use it. [17:35]Conflict is the energy source, but compassion is how we turn that energy into something positive. Compassion means to struggle with, to be with people in the suffering. Our purpose is not to alleviate suffering, but to struggle purposefully with others to create amazing things, Nate says. That’s when conflict can do miracles. [18:05]Compassionate accountability is the art and science of struggling with people in a spirit of dignity to create something amazing. Compassion drives inclusion and engagement, and coupled with accountability, it helps people achieve. [19:53]Compassion is a cycle of three interrelated skills that happen in order. These skills are openness, resourcefulness and persistence. The most effective strategy for communicating through conflict is the ORPO (open, resourceful, persistent, open) strategy. Nate describes the ORPO strategy and explains how it works in everyday practice. [21:50]Marcel comments that this approach to conflict is based on authentic communication. When leaders model it, it filters down throughout the organization and creates a positive culture. [28:00]Nate’s mission is to bring compassion to every workplace in the world through simple, elegant, powerful and scalable methodologies that anybody can learn and use. [31:05]One of the most powerful things leaders can do is to start at open by disclosing their motives. [34:46]ResourcesTheCompassionMindset.comNext-Element.comDr. Nate Regier on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramSend Marcel a text message!

The Los Angeles Times describes Frances Frei as “the go-to woman for companies like Uber who are looking to improve their image.” Frances is a Harvard Business School (HBS) professor who is credited with making HBS more gender-inclusive. She also served recently as Uber’s first VP of Leadership and Strategy, brought in to turn around its toxic culture. Along with co-author Anne Morriss, she has written Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her book and how to unleash the potential of those you lead by applying practical love.Marcel quotes Frances’ book: “Leadership is about empowering other people as a result of your presence and making sure that impact continues into your absence.” [5:46]Empowerment leadership can be represented by a target, the bullseye of which is trust. As a leader moves outward with each ring, they gain the skills to empower more and more people. The next ring is love: How can I set up one other person for success? Belonging is next: What can I do for a varied group? Influencing others is the next step, which entails combining strategy and culture to influence people even in your absence. [6:52]Frances recounts how she helped change the culture of Uber. [9:50]If your culture is broken, start with trust. [18:00]“The reason that people haven't been able to make much progress on trust is they kept trying to move to trust without understanding its very different but comprehensive component parts,” Frances explains. These components are authenticity, logic and empathy. She describes the role of each component in building a trustworthy culture. [18:40]Love is empowering people by setting high standards and revealing deep devotion to them. To bring out someone’s best, they have to feel your high standards as much as your devotion to them. Marcel comments that people often forget the leadership part of servant leadership: high standards and accountability are as important as caring. Both are necessary in a great leader. [23:20]Two practical ways to be more loving by setting high standards are: set better goals and celebrate wins. Two ways to show devotion are: proactively help, and fulfill people’s basic needs. [25:05]Marcel and Frances talk about how she helped make HBS more gender-inclusive. [28:39]“If there are demographic tendencies associated with who's thriving, your culture is broken,” Frances says. [30:54]“If you only give me an hour to diagnose whether the culture has a problem, I'm going to do two things. I'm going to listen to see if any of the cultural values are weaponized, and I'm going to look at the data to see if women and men are thriving at the same rates,” says Frances.Marcel asks, “One of the strategies that often fails in making a workplace more diverse and inclusive - especially for women looking to move up into the higher ranks - is the recruitment process. So what are some ways we can improve it to promote more diversity?” Frances responds with practical advice. [41:20]The most important thing to do for our employees during this pandemic, Frances says, is to enrich them by helping them develop. [46:48]Frances wants leaders to take away this point: if you notice something wrong, address it now. “Meaningful change only happens quickly,” she argues. “Meaningful change happens when the thing you want to change is your number one priority… So when you see something, address it; address it with all your might, close it, and move on to the next thing.” [51:06]Marcel walks listeners through the Leadership Performance Curve exercise from Frances’ book. [53:36]ResourcesFrances Frei on LinkedInTheLeadersGuide.comUnleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You TED Talk: How to Build (and Rebuild) TrustMarcelShwantes.com Send Marcel a text message!

Marcel Schwantes calls this episode “one of the most authentic and real and raw conversations” he has ever had. His guest, JT McCormick, is the CEO of Scribe Media, a multimillion-dollar publishing company that has been ranked the number one Top Company Culture in America by Entrepreneur magazine, and number two Best Place to Work in Texas. JT is the author of I Got There: How a Mixed Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty and Abuse to Arrive at The American Dream. He joins Marcel to chat about his amazing life story - his journey from scrubbing toilets at a restaurant to becoming President of a million-dollar software company, and now CEO of Scribe Media - and to share the lessons he learned along the way.JT says, “If you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the ground, you’ve got to be excellent… Anything that’s not excellent in my life I’m the only one that can change it, so there’s no need to complain about it, just get to work.” [3:45]“My why is to be a phenomenal husband, a phenomenal father, a phenomenal CEO. And then I would say fourth on the list is to give back to the communities which I came from.” [5:07]Marcel asks JT how he overcame all the adversity of his early life. He replies that he refused to be a victim. He decided, at age eight, not to spend his time trying to get everyone to like him, because some people just would not. This early lesson spared him years of grief. Another fundamental lesson he learned was to believe in himself. [8:38]“I just tend to look at things from a positive standpoint… I choose to figure out, How can we make a positive out of a negative situation?” [10:20]JT shares his journey from scrubbing toilets to President of a software company. Two lessons he learned were to be the best at whatever he did, and the magic of compound interest. [12:22]When JT was promoted to President, it struck him that he was only as good as the people he surrounded himself with. As such, his focus shifted to finding the greatest people to surround the company and himself with. [17:03]“If you are in a leadership position, you're only a leader if you serve,” JT argues. He describes how the principle of putting people first is lived out at Scribe Media. [18:05]Marcel asks, “How does a company become number one in the category of culture?” JT responds that it’s a matter of the little actions taken every day to live out your principles. At Scribe Media, they work with each other, not for JT. They bring their whole selves to work: he doesn’t believe in a work self vs a home self. He shares several practices they adopt at the company that build the culture. [22:37]JT and Marcel discuss Scribe Media’s Culture Bible, which is freely accessible to the public. They talk about three of the principles listed in the Culture Bible: Do right by people;Bring your whole self to work;Ask questions. [26:46]“A lot of times you can eliminate questions in transparency,” JT points out. [33:21]JT explains why he disagrees with the remote work trend. [35:37]“What’s your best advice for business owners trying to stay resilient during these crazy stressful times?” Marcel asks. JT advises leaders to put their people first, be transparent, be visible and let people know where they stand. Let people feel safe, he adds, and if you have to pivot or make other tough decisions, make them early and let people know so that you can set their expectations. [39:35]JT teaches through sharing his mistakes. [44:19]“I can't become something that I don't even know exists,” JT says. “...I believe if people just know what's possible they can strive to achieve that.” [46:19]“I live by a formula: Mindset, choices and hard work equals success.” [48:48]ResourcesJT McCormick on LinkedInJT@ScribeMedia.comI Got There: How a Mixed Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty and Abuse to Arrive at The American DreamSend Marcel a text message!