The Leadership Podcast

Sandra Sucher is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and an internationally recognized researcher on the subject of trust. Sandra shares her research findings about trust, and why leaders are often working against their natural instincts once they've been promoted. Trust is not just one thing we have to develop, it's four things. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:55] There are six different kinds of apologies that you can make. [7:25] It's so hard to apologize when you know your intentions were good. [8:20] The four elements of trust are: Competence Motives Means Impact [10:55] Jim tends to see a lot of people failing at competence when trying to build trust. [14:55] The very behaviors that make you trustworthy can also begin to disappear when you become a leader. Sandra dives deeper into this and what research has shown. [16:25] Just by being the leader, you can stop caring about your peers and turn inward and act selfishly. Absolute power corrupts absolutely is a true statement. [17:35] We're asking a lot from our leaders. We are almost asking them to act against their natural instincts. [21:00] Sandra answers the questions on whether "selfless leaders" are truly trustworthy. [23:35] We don't always have to like a person in order for us to trust someone. [25:35] If you just look at survey results in the Net Promoter Score system, you're missing a wide variety of details and information your customers are telling you. [26:55] With the increase in AI and the use of technology to determine if someone is trustworthy, Sandra explores whether we should rely on the data or rely on our gut instead. [32:05] Here are three questions you should be asking your employees: How has your COVID-19 been? How have we done as a business? What's one challenge that you face in this new world that we can help you with? [35:25] We tend to focus on whether a leader is trustworthy, but there's more of an emphasis today on whether a company can be trusted. [40:45] Trust is a relationship that's running in the background at all times. You will always have opportunities to earn it and to lose it. [41:15] Listener challenge: Take a long-term perspective on building trust. It takes time, but work at it bit by bit. Quotable Quotes "Trust is built from the inside out. It's impossible to be trusted by people outside of your firm if you're not trusted inside the firm." "Leaders have to work harder to regain their empathy." "You can build trust either at the brand level and the company level. Hopefully, it's both." "All companies are being evaluated on whether they're trustworthy right now. There's no moment that's 'trust free'." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com Connect with Sandra: hbs.edu/faculty and Sandra on LinkedIn Sandra's book: The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It Vincenzo (TV series) The Future of Trust

res·ig·na·tion /ˌrezəɡˈnāSH(ə)n/ noun an act of retiring or giving up a position."he announced his resignation" the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable."a shrug of resignation" Join Jim and Jan in a unique episode as they share their latest thoughts about talent - acquisition, retention and meaning. We are seeing a huge reshuffle taking place, and Jim and Jan explore the reasons behind this seismic shift, and what it may mean for each generation of leaders. Listen in on what you can do today that will have an effect for years to come. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [5:30] Jan shares some of the biggest problems leaders are facing today. [6:00] Leaders are just losing people. There's a great resignation happening. [9:45] Leaders are currently reacting instead of taking a step back and going through the framework of motivation and what really drives people. [10:45] Leaders often blame themselves when things go wrong. It's a very me-centric stance. Leaders need to remember it's a two-way street. [11:35] Jim uses the three-legged stool analogy on how leaders can best find balance. [16:15] Everything you want in life, you're faced with choice points. If you want one thing, it means taking time away from another equally important area of life (like spending time with family). [21:00] Don't paint yourself into a corner by lack of foresight. Think strategically. Think several moves ahead. You need to play a bit of chess when it comes to your longevity. [22:15] With that being said, you don't want to keep too many of your options open because it makes you lose focus and stops you from making a vital decision point. [26:55] Gallup did a great study on what makes employees engaged. Six of the strategies presented cost nothing! [30:00] People will move from company to company just to be with you. That's the metric of good leadership. [32:10] Be open to bad news. If you thought you were a great boss but "the pandemic made them leave," think again. It might have just been the excuse your employees needed to leave. [33:05] No one wants to feel like another cog in the machine. Jan offers ways to show how to care, really care, for your people. [35:35] Some of Jan's best bosses could call him up today and he'd do anything for them. [38:40] Now is a perfect time for leaders to assess how they did during the crisis and how they're doing now. [38:50] Make sure that 40% of your workers are not looking for better opportunities. [41:05] Listener challenge: Keep trying to keep things in balance and find those subtle cracks. Also, get better at building your self-awareness. Quotable Quotes "What's interesting about the great resignation is it's an edge-case scenario. An edge-case scenario exposes cracks and flaws. We're pressure-testing the system." "The pandemic raised the level of anxiety and stress for a lot of people. Sometimes it's not what you did as a leader, it's the problems people are having in their life." 'Am I easy to follow?' People want to feel like they are cared for as humans first - workers second. Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Gallup's Q12 Employee Engagement Survey Robert Cialdini Dale Carnegie

As leaders focus on short-term results, tactical issues, quarterly numbers, and the crisis of the day, Kim Cameron shares an untapped and hidden resource that provides four-times better results. This is Kim Cameron's second appearance on The Leadership Podcast, and he shares how leaders can be effective energizers for short-term yield, and long-term gain. Kim is a Professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Listen in as one of the most influential minds discusses the science of positivity. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:50] Kim shares what the heliotropic effect is and how humans prosper around light and positive energy. [7:45] Good leaders help other people flourish. Energy plays an important role in the workforce because it means the right people can brighten the entire office, and the wrong people can suck the good energy dry. [8:40] Empirical evidence says that positive leaders produce excellent bottom-line results. [10:00] Positive energy and lighting up a room with your presence should not be confused with extroverted or introverted people. These are two separate things. [11:15] A study showed that people who made positive phone calls to those they loved were eight times healthier than those who received a positive phone call. [13:35] Kim shares an example of how Delta Airlines rewards its customers. [17:00] Children as young as three months old can actively recognize good and virtuous acts. [21:20] People are willing to give up salary, vacation days, and more so that they can work in a place that has meaning. [23:45] You don't need to wait for management to develop a meaningful job purpose for you. You can create your own job's purpose. Kim shares an example of what this looks like. [26:55] If you'd like to create and measure a baseline of positive energy in your organization, start by creating an energy network map. [29:15] So many leaders do not realize the power of having a positive energizer on their team. It is an untapped resource that creates a 4X better impact. [35:00] Positive impact doesn't just apply to workplace situations. It can be applied as a parent, too. [39:25] Listener challenge: What's the best thing you did for somebody today? Quotable Quotes "Leaders who help other people flourish … tend to be generous." "Positive energizing leaders are those who help other people flourish." "On an individual level, people can, and should, craft their own jobs." "Does anybody get rewarded or recognized, or hired, for being a positive energizer? It is 4X more important in predicting performance than what we normally measure!" Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Kim: Michiganross.umich.edu Kim's latest book: Positively Energizing Leadership: Virtuous Actions and Relationships That Create High Performance Kim's prior guest appearance on The Leadership Podcast.

Stephen Drum is a retired combat-tested Navy SEAL Master Chief who has 27 years of experience leading and developing high-performance teams. As a speaker and consultant, he helps individuals and organizations develop leadership and performance strategies. Stephen shares his thoughts on giving effective feedback, the importance of professional development, and decision-making pitfalls. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:25] If there is a secret to enhancing your performance, it comes down to intentionality and consistency. [5:25] All the stressors that you feel in business… are similar to what you feel on the battlefield. [9:20] A good leader is decisive and takes ownership. You have to be bold when you need to be bold, and patient when you need to be patient. Most importantly, you need to understand the root reason behind your decision-making skills. [13:45] Failure is a requirement for success. [16:35] You can create "self-contained" failure bubbles to help people prosper and grow. [20:35] Business leaders are falling short when they're not carving out time for training and development. [25:45] When there's an environment of fear, we react instead of respond. [29:40] Thoughts on how to provide good feedback without being hurtful. [34:40] The true leader becomes revealed when things go sideways. [37:55] You might not always like your boss, but at the end of the day, you still have to be true to who you are, you still have to be dependable. [41:15] Good sales staff and leaders ask the right questions to tailor a solution to the individual. It goes beyond serving their own self-interest. [42:35] Listener challenge: Identify your key triggers and stressors, and get better at managing them. Quotable Quotes When there's an environment of fear, we react instead of respond. The true leader becomes revealed when things go sideways. When providing feedback, spend as little time in the past as possible - be future-focused. Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Stephen: Stephendrum.com, and Stephen on LinkedIn

Mike Zani is the CEO of The Predictive Index, a company that allows recruiters to evaluate the cognitive abilities, personality traits, and behavioral tendencies of a potential employee to determine best fit. An avid sailor, Mike began his career in marketing and sales with Vanguard Sailboats and was a coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. In this week's episode, Mike shares his thoughts on the last 18 months, and the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants leadership style for constructive feedback. Listen in for Mike's analogy regarding the front and back of a t-shirt! Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:25] If you want a winning team, your leadership needs to be self-aware. [5:45] Every person wants to be managed differently. As leaders, it's important to adapt to these different management styles. [7:45] With such a fast-paced world, leaders need to take a step back and slow down to build a winning team. [9:55] Mike has a background in geology and sailing, he shares what he's learned in these two disciplines and how he leverages this to become a better leader. [12:15] Within 20 minutes, Mike could tell when a sailing team had a good or bad culture. [16:25] Mike shares a few of his shortcomings and how he's had to adapt to this new normal in the last 18 months. [17:15] Mike describes the "front of the T-shirt and back of the T-shirt" analogy. [18:45] Under pressure, people go back to their native code. [20:25] Burnout is real. A lot of leaders have been keeping a positive face, but it's hard to keep up after 18 months. [23:25] Leaders are the key drivers of culture, passion is one of the key pieces to driving that change. [26:00] You can't explain or minimalize a problem away. The best way to tackle it is head-on. [28:45] Don't wait around for the perfect strategy. [30:00] Mike offers advice on how best to give constructive feedback. [33:45] Mike shares a lesson he's learned that's made him a better leader. [34:55] Let go of your fear of failure and narrow your focus on what you can control. [36:35] Leadership is a lonely place, but it doesn't have to be. You need to reach out to a peer group to source different perspectives. [38:40] Listener challenge: Work on the front of your T-shirt and the back of your T-shirt. Quotable Quotes "The culture and the mission need to be relevant to the type of people that you're trying to recruit. If you want to attract world-class people, you have to relate to a culture and a mission that's meaningful and real." "The onus is on a great leader to modify themselves." "Do you want to win today or do you want to win long-term?" "Under stress, a lot of your 'back of the T-shirt' stuff rears its ugly head." "The lack of passion leads to tragic disengagement." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Mike: Predictiveindex.com, and Mike on LinkedIn Buy Mike's book: The Science of Dream Teams: How Talent Optimization Can Drive Engagement, Productivity, and Happiness "21 Most Compelling Qualities of a Great Leader" "5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became the CEO of The Predictive Index"

Lida Citroen works with international leaders on dynamic personal branding and reputation management strategies to make them more intentional, focused and relevant. Her latest book is Control the Narrative - ​​Building, Pivoting and Repairing Your Reputation. Listen in as Lida talks about how to recover from a public reputation blunder, how to remain authentic while curating a specific message, and the power of personal brand. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:55] Everyone has a brand or a reputation; whether it's intentional or not, that's another story. Everyone needs to be thinking about this, no matter where they are in their career. [5:45] A good measurement for reputation and brand success is knowing you're consistently attracting the right kind of opportunities. [12:40] It's important to discard what's no longer serving you as you adapt to a new culture. [13:15] Personal branding is all about you and it's centered around you, but context and the situation matters. You can have a refined message and still be authentic to you. [16:55] Where people fall short in their personal brand is that they're trying to appeal to everybody. This is the wrong message you're putting out. [18:25] Lida shares a story where a client of hers needed a reputation repair when they hadn't actually done anything wrong. Sometimes you can have your reputation tarnished just by who you are associated with. [21:50] What might be an innocent share of a meme can turn into a big explosion on social media. There are a lot of little landmines you have to navigate through today. [23:10] It's natural to disable all social media when the world is attacking you, but that means only the negative narrative is getting spread around. [27:30] Unfortunately, so many people just react to social media instead of creating meaningful intention around it. [28:50] The biggest contributor to a tarnished reputation is that people have forgotten about the importance of boundaries and privacy. You can be authentic without having it all "hang out." Sometimes, it's best not to share that political/religious/etc. message publicly, especially if it's not in line with your brand and the work that you do. [34:10] Listener challenge: Start paying attention to other people's perceptions about you. Quotable Quotes "If we're strategic and intentional about the way we want people to experience us, then we tend to attract the opportunities in people that are most meaningful. If we leave it to chance, we're giving up all that power." "If you interact with people, you need to be thinking about reputation and branding. It's simply where all the power in our career lies." "If you're a leader, it's not about you." "Being authentic doesn't mean you know everything about me. It just means what I do share is real. I am allowed to keep things private." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Lida: Lida360.com, and @Lida360 on Twitter Buy Lida's books: Lida360.com/store

Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of THE PERFECT STORM, FIRE, A DEATH IN BELMONT, WAR, and TRIBE. Sebastian joins the show for the second time to talk about his latest book, FREEDOM. Sebastian discusses our common quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet we are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. Listen in as Sebastian shares what lies at the heart of what it means to be human. As an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and a special correspondent at ABC News, he has covered major international news stories around the world and received both a National Magazine Award and a Peabody Award. Junger is also a documentary filmmaker whose debut film Restrepo, a feature-length documentary (co-directed with Tim Hetherington), was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:35] Despite writing multiple books, Sebastian's book, Freedom, has been on his mind since the very beginning of his writing career. [7:30] Sebastian first had to define freedom. [9:15] Humans do not survive alone in nature. We get our safety from others, and without safety, we have no freedom. [11:50] Freedom is not a solitary thing that only one person can obtain. Part of freedom means that if you need help, you have people to help you. This gift goes both ways. [14:40] What makes an autonomous underdog group successful is when leaders are eager to embrace the same risks and hardships as their people. [17:20] Freedom can be hard for people to understand, especially if they've never lived with serious threats. [20:15] In a safe society, it's good to put yourself in situations you're not in control to build an appreciation for your freedom. [25:15] To maintain your freedom, you must successfully fight an enemy that's larger than you and more powerful than you. [29:35] The people who run this country — politicians, government, police, etc. — all the laws we have today equally apply to them as well. This was not true in past societies. If you were a nobleman, you were often above the law. [35:30] When under massive amounts of stress, the body holds up fairly well, it's your mind that you have to tackle and control. This is why pacing, especially in grueling situations, is critical to success. [39:50] Sebastian would like to see or at least feel like his leaders would die for him. He wants his leader to have, and stand for, core principles. [43:00] Think carefully about what freedom means to you, and the trade-offs you're willing to sacrifice to obtain that freedom. [43:15] Listener challenge: To be free of oppression does not mean to be free of obligation. You must give back. Quotable Quotes "One's community, one's children, are things that people will die for without hesitation, and the other thing is freedom." "I thought, 'What's the freest you've ever been?' It depends on how you define it." "We were able to make our own decisions every day on what we were going to do, how we were going to do it, and where we were going to do it. That kind of autonomy is really only experienced by nomadic people." "Freedom can be hard for people who have never been under serious threat to understand." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Sebastian: Sebastianjunger.com, and @sebastianjunger on Twitter Sebastian's latest book: Freedom

Ram Charan is a world-renowned business consultant, author and speaker who has spent the past 40 years working with many top companies, CEOs, and boards of our time. In his work with companies including Toyota, Bank of America, Novartis, Humana, etc., Ram is known for cutting through the complexity of running a business in today's fast changing environment to uncover the core business problem. Ram's real-world solutions, shared with millions through his books and articles in top business publications, have been praised for being practical, relevant and highly actionable — the kind of advice you can use Monday morning–in areas such as growth, talent development, corporate governance, and money-making models for the digital age. Ram is out with a new book, Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age. On The Leadership Podcast, Ram shares ​​how the end-to-end individual consumer experience will separate winners from losers in our new digital age, and six new critical rules for leaders. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [2:25] Ram makes an active effort to learn something new every day. [3:35] Ram credits a lot of his luck and success with having a mentor early in his career. [4:15] This morning Ram learned something new about batteries! [6:45] All the major tech giants today didn't exist in the '80s. In less than 20 years, they've amassed a big fortune and following. The key has been through personalization. [12:25] There are six rules to achieving a competitive advantage in the digital age: Rule 1: Must connect digitally to customers. Rule 2: Data is essential. Rule 3: Build an ecosystem. Rule 4: Measure the cash. Rule 5: Innovation is driven by the people and culture. Rule 6: Every good leader continuously learns. [18:10] Remember, the person is the product. You have to work with your customer on their pain points and find a solution to their problem. The way most companies do this is backward. [22:35] Ram talks about how tech companies and old school companies use scale to their advantage. [26:25] Despite how big some of these tech companies get, the consumers are still in charge. [29:45] Without enough data, you cannot make empowered decisions. Also, most companies have 12 layers to work through and this blocks leadership empowerment. [31:50] The problem is often not the people wanting responsibility. It's often the bosses. They have a hard time giving up control. [36:10] Ram shares an example of how great leaders and companies show up. It all comes down to the "best fit." [40:15] You know if you have a best fit when you experience a "bend in the road." Ram dives into what this looks like, but it often comes in a form of new and uncomfortable innovation. [44:10] Listener challenge: Invest your time in external change. Find it and explore it. Don't shun it. Quotable Quotes "Good leaders listen and build other people's ideas." "You need to explore with your customer what the pain point is, and that person may have a distorted view of the pain point." "When you have 10 layers, [leadership] empowerment doesn't apply. And very large companies have 12 layers. We need to bring them down to 2‒4 layers." Real empowerment comes from secure bosses. Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Ram: Ram-charan.com, and Ram on LinkedIn Ram's books: Ram-charan.com/books & Latest book: Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age, by Ram Charan

Peter Economy is a Wall Street Journal best-selling business author, ghostwriter, developmental editor, and publishing consultant with more than 100 books to his credit (and more than three million copies sold). Peter's latest book, Wait, I'm Working With Who?!?, dives into how to work with anyone in your office and manage both the difficult and toxic relationships that are within that environment. In this week's episode, Peter shares what he's learned over the years, how the leadership tides are changing for the better, and the best ways to navigate a toxic work environment. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:15] Over the years, Peter has seen a shift to a much more empowered workforce. [5:35] Peter has also seen a shift in his Inc. readers. More people want to become leaders. [6:40] Peter has learned over time that anybody can be a leader and that there are a variety of leadership styles out there that are effective. There isn't a "one size" style to leadership. [8:25] Two-thirds of American employees have worked in at least one toxic environment. [9:00] If there's a toxic person in the workplace, they're poisoning the well. [12:00] There are three things to do if you're in a toxic environment: Suck it up, change it, or leave. [15:30] Peter's management style is always looking for the good in people and assuming good intent. [17:50] If people feel like they can take a risk, they will. If they're punished for it, then the whole culture changes. [19:50] Corporations are taking a stance on social and political issues. Peter shares his thoughts on this changing landscape. [23:10] The bigger the organization, the harder it is for them to remain neutral on certain topics. [28:30] Feedback is important, but how it's delivered can really break empathy and make it difficult for the person receiving the feedback to see the bigger picture. [30:25] Peter shares a leadership challenge he experienced in his career when he went from leading 10 people to 400 people. [34:30] Peter shares his predictions on what will happen to the workplace when COVID-19 is gone. He doesn't believe we'll be going back to "normal." [38:30] Peter lists some of the warning signs that you have a toxic person in your organization. Quotable Quotes "I don't think there's a recipe for being a great leader. I think great leaders can be all kinds of people." "A toxic workplace, you just can't ignore it. My advice is to always deal with it. Take it on." "It's hard and it's difficult, but we should always assume the best in our people until proven otherwise." "A lot of people are afraid to give feedback, especially to their boss. Gallup has found the number one reason people quit their jobs is because of their boss." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Peter: Petereconomy.com, Inc.com/author/peter-economy, and Peter on LinkedIn Peter's newest book: Wait, I'm Working With Who?!?: The Essential Guide to Dealing with Difficult Coworkers, Annoying Managers, and Other Toxic Personalities

Cristina Killingsworth was the Senior Advisor to the CEO at Millennium Challenge Corporate, advising on strategies to deliver smarter foreign assistance. She was also the Director of Strategic Planning & Director for African Affairs for the White House National Security Council Staff during the Obama Administration. Today, Cristina is the Vice President of WestExec Advisors. Cristina Killingsworth most recently served as Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, advising on strategies to deliver smarter foreign assistance. Prior, Cristina was Director for Strategic Planning at the White House National Security Council where she developed a policy process to optimize resource allocation across the national security budget. She then served as Director for African Affairs at the NSC and managed President Obama's historic trip to Kenya and Ethiopia. Previously, she was in the International Affairs Division of the White House Office of Management and Budget where she ensured the President's policy priorities were appropriately resourced in areas related to trade, global health, the war in Afghanistan, and global poverty reduction. On The Leadership Podcast, Cristina discusses the complex challenges Africa is facing today, her political experiences regarding high-level decision-making. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:50] Cristina shares some of the complex challenges she faced as the Senior Advisor to the CEO at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. [9:15] The name of the game is to get buy-in from different stakeholder groups to advance the company's main mission. [9:30] In order to succeed in doing this, you have to give people the opportunity to feel heard. [12:55] Unfortunately, the scandal is more interesting than the success story. [14:10] Cristina notes the tough, but similar, challenges both Africa and the Western world are facing today. [19:40] Cristina doesn't believe the U.S. can come into a different culture and "make it better." However, there are always opportunities to kickstart an economy in the right direction. [20:25] When the Chinese came in to "help," the locals knew that it was because they really just wanted something. [24:05] Cristina was faced with uncertain times when she was at MCC. She didn't know if the organization would continue to be funded. As a leader, she had to remain calm and collected. [27:50] Cristina shares what's next for her in her career. She's not done with public service just yet! [31:30] Ageism is very real in the corporate world and very few organizations have been able to adjust against this bias. [31:50] WestExec hosts a mentorship program to help diversify the national security field and it's been rewarding to see that new learnings are going in both directions and it does not just benefit the mentees. [33:35] Cristina shares an impactful leadership story she witnessed in the Obama administration. [35:15] Leadership is a constant deliberate decision that you have to make. [36:50] As people, we all have shortcomings, but a good leader knows how important it is to trust yourself and to trust your team. [39:25] Listener challenge: Trust yourself. Quotable Quotes "If you give the people an opportunity to be heard, and importantly, listen to what it is that they have to say, you have a lot better chance of driving progress." "It's really, really hard. A lot of the issues Africa is facing are institutional. Maybe an outside entity can change a sector or incentivize reforms in one place, but it's very difficult to do that across an entire government or economy." "It's systems thinking. You can't fix something over here and not think about the side effects." "Obama was not afraid to pull punches no matter who it was he was talking to, but also wasn't afraid to listen no matter who it was he was talking to, and he surrounded himself with a team of rivals." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Cristina: Westexec.com and Cristina on LinkedIn Earhustlesq.com Mcc.gov