Inclusive Leadership Starts With You

Jennifer Brown is the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Speaks, where she focuses on keynote speaking and coaching organizations on creating inclusive workplaces. As a globally recognized DEI thought leader, speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, and bestselling author, she has 20 years of experience consulting with leaders. Jennifer is the author of Inclusive and How to Be an Inclusive Leader. She has also spoken at institutions and organizations like Google, LinkedIn, and Toyota about building cultures of belonging and envisioning the future of work.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [2:57] Jennifer Brown’s journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship 
  • [6:38] How Jennifer built her consultancy
  • [9:10] Jennifer talks about her company’s merger
  • [12:19] The consequences of the Supreme Court banning affirmative action
  • [20:39] How to build a more inclusive world
  • [26:13] Jennifer opens up about facing stigma

In this episode...

The Supreme Court recently banned affirmative action in college admissions, indirectly impacting businesses’ efforts to foster equal representation and inclusion. With inclusivity and diversity becoming increasingly important, what does it take to lead with authenticity and impact?

As an LGBTQ+ entrepreneur, Jennifer Brown faced stigma and discomfort in the corporate world after coming out, leading her to suppress her identity. Rather than minimizing your or another’s identity, she emphasizes aligning with your true self and fostering an inclusive environment for others. This involves embracing your diverse characteristics and sharing those experiences with others, which can alter established paradigms and empower others facing similar struggles.

In today’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston talks with Jennifer Brown, the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Speaks, about cultivating diversity and inclusion. Jennifer discusses her company’s merger, the current state of DEI programs, and how she built her consultancy from the ground up.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “I just wanted to shed all of that administrivia and just be directly working with people; it’s my happy place.”
  • “There is nothing wasted in your experience. At some point, that skill, that resilience, will make you a different leader.” 
  • “The arc of the moral universe is long. It bends toward justice.”
  •  “Each one of us knows something about diversity, and we need every story and identity.” 
  • “Am I using what I’ve been given? Am I giving voice to what needs to be voiced?”
Action Steps:
  1. Embrace authenticity in leadership: Jennifer Brown emphasizes the importance of showing your true self in leadership roles, which can create more inclusive and supportive work environments. By being open about your identity and experiences, you can foster a culture of trust and authenticity, encouraging others to do the same.
  2. Seek out diverse perspectives: Jennifer highlights the value of learning from those with different life experiences to enhance understanding and innovation. Actively seeking out and engaging with diverse voices can help you challenge your biases and make more informed decisions.
  3. Commit to continuous learning: Jennifer’s journey in diversity and inclusion underscores the importance of ongoing education. Regularly updating your knowledge on inclusion and equity issues can better equip you to lead in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous) world.
  4. Foster a culture of belonging: Jennifer discusses the need for workplaces where everyone feels welcomed and valued. By creating initiatives that support marginalized communities, you can ensure all team members have equal opportunities to thrive.
  5. Challenge the status quo: Jennifer speaks about the importance of pushing back against systems that maintain inequality. Take proactive steps to identify and address institutional biases within your organization, leading to more equitable and just outcomes for all.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer. 

Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer is an online speakers resource dedicated to empowering women in leadership. 

This subscription platform is designed to empower and equip women with the tools and resources they need to excel as speakers and influential leaders.

Its mission is to support women in harnessing their strengths, amplifying their voices, and making a lasting impact on their industries and communities. 

To enroll in Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer, mention this episode by name and sign up on leadlikeawoman.biz/speakher

Creating Clarity

Ann Latham is the Founder of Uncommon Clarity, a consulting firm helping professionals gain cognitive clarity. As a clarity consultant, she has worked with notable businesses, including Hitachi, Boeing, and Medtronic. Ann is also the author of The Power of Clarity, The Disconnect Principle, The Clarity Papers, and Uncommon Meetings. Her insights have appeared in The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Management Today.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [4:05] Why Ann Latham founded Uncommon Clarity
  • [8:30] How Ann developed The Disconnect Principle
  • [14:27] The latest definition of clarity and the habits that impede progress
  • [19:14] Ann’s experience giving a TEDx talk about communication
  • [21:18] Tips and techniques for accelerating results and hosting meetings
  • [27:01] What brings Ann joy?

In this episode...

The word “clarity” is used frequently in business contexts, but what does it mean? For entrepreneurs and leaders, clarity involves identifying your goals and methods for achieving them. How can you gain clarity in all aspects of your professional life?

Widely recognized “Clarity Queen,” Ann Latham has discovered the common roadblocks to goal progression, including a lack of specificity and clear communication. She maintains the importance of gathering enough information to make informed decisions about the next steps. This involves identifying specific decisions and action steps and developing detailed plans to execute them.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston sits down with Ann Latham, the Founder of Uncommon Clarity, to discuss how to gain clarity in your professional life. Ann explains how to accelerate results and optimize communication in meetings, the takeaways from her TEDx talk, and insights from her books.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “I cut to the chase and figure out where we need to start and what we need to do to move things forward.” 
  • “People don’t understand that clarity leads to better business results.” 
  • “All you know for certain is that things didn’t happen the way you expected.” 
  • “Clarity is knowing exactly, very specifically, what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’re going to get there.” 
  • “The best thing you can do is just try to be on the steady incline that goes through the middle of all those peaks and valleys.”
Action Steps:
  1. Ask specific questions for feedback: Instead of vague requests for feedback, specify exactly what information you need, such as asking for permission to start a project. This approach eliminates uncertainty and accelerates decision-making, addressing the challenge of miscommunication.
  2. Use destination verbs in meetings: Replace “treadmill verbs” like “discuss” and “review” with “destination verbs” like “decide,” “plan,” or “approve” to make meetings more productive. This action addresses the common issue of unproductive meetings by ensuring every agenda item has a clear, actionable outcome.
  3. Adopt the disconnect principle: Frame difficult conversations as identifying a “disconnect” rather than assigning blame, which reduces defensiveness and promotes constructive dialogue. This method is effective as it shifts the focus from personal failings to problem-solving.
  4. Practice clarity in decision-making: Implement a structured decision-making process by clearly defining the decision at hand and the criteria needed for making that decision. This step tackles the prevalent lack of systematic decision-making in organizations, ensuring decisions lead to clear and actionable steps.
  5. Embrace open-ended questions: Use questions like “What needs to be different when we’re done?” to clarify objectives and next steps in any project or task. This approach fosters a clearer understanding of goals and helps identify the specific outcomes needed to drive progress.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer. 

Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer is an online speakers resource dedicated to empowering women in leadership. 

This subscription platform is designed to empower and equip women with the tools and resources they need to excel as speakers and influential leaders.

Its mission is to support women in harnessing their strengths, amplifying their voices, and making a lasting impact on their industries and communities. 

To enroll in Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer, mention this episode by name and sign up on leadlikeawoman.biz/speakher

Own Your Voice

Libby Wagner is the President and Chief Visionary Officer at influencingOptions®, a business consulting and training firm that creates high-performance teams and leaders. She is also the Co-founder of The Studio, a change consultancy that fosters innovation through artistry. As an entrepreneur, mentor, and leadership coach, Libby helps executives create impactful organizational cultures. She is the author of The Influencing Option, What Will You Do With Your 90,000 Hours, and three poem collections, including Like This, Like That, Somehow, and Dancing on the Summer Lawn.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [3:40] Libby Wagner’s nonlinear journey from college professor to business owner
  • [9:59] How honing her strengths allowed Libby to launch her business
  • [13:16] The impact of nature on creativity and leadership
  • [19:53] Libby talks about her speaking and writing endeavors in Ireland
  • [24:27] How Libby creates high-trust and performance teams
  • [30:18] Why Libby created a TEDx about owning your voice

In this episode...

Women are well-recognized for their innovation, empathy, and communication, especially in leadership roles. How can you own your voice and strengths to become a high-performing leader?

Writer, poet, and speaker Libby Wagner has harnessed nature and art to connect with her inner self and deliver authentic work. She notes that women leaders often struggle to trust themselves and question their intuition based on negative past experiences. When you become confident in your voice, you can deliver impactful messages that build trust and authority with teams and audiences.

In today’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Libby Wagner, the President and Chief Visionary Officer at influencingOptions®, about cultivating high-trust leadership. Libby shares how connections with nature foster creativity and leadership, her nonlinear career path, and how she honed her strengths to launch her business.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “An inspired path is not linear; they are curving, wild, and inspired.”
  • “You have to like getting the business as much as you like doing the business.”
  • “I would like to help teams and groups get better and especially be nicer to each other.”
  • “The whole person shows up. And I do think that’s one thing that women can bring to leadership and to work.”
  • “I actually do think that my superpower is the ability to notice and listen deeply.”
Action Steps:
  1. Cultivate deep listening and noticing skills: Developing the ability to listen deeply and notice the nuances in conversations can enhance empathy and understanding. This addresses the challenge of effective communication in leadership, helping leaders connect more authentically with their teams and stakeholders.
  2. Reflect and self-assess regularly: Engaging in self-reflection and assessment allows leaders to understand their strengths and areas for growth. This action is crucial for personal growth and ensures leaders can bring their whole, authentic selves to their roles.
  3. Embrace nonlinear career paths: Leaders should be open to exploring diverse experiences and learning from them. This approach can lead to innovative thinking and adaptability, addressing the opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to leadership challenges.
  4. Harness the power of storytelling and poetry in communication: Using storytelling and poetry can make communication more impactful and memorable. This strategy effectively engages teams and conveys complex ideas in an accessible way, leveraging the power of language.
  5. Prioritize building trusting relationships: Focus on creating high-trust environments within teams to enhance collaboration and performance. This fosters a supportive and productive work culture.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer. 

Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer is an online speakers resource dedicated to empowering women in leadership. 

This subscription platform is designed to empower and equip women with the tools and resources they need to excel as speakers and influential leaders.

Its mission is to support women in harnessing their strengths, amplifying their voices, and making a lasting impact on their industries and communities. 

To enroll in Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer, mention this episode by name and sign up on leadlikeawoman.biz/speakher

Decide What You Want

Chanie Gluck is the CEO of 4D Global, a medical billing staffing company. She is also the host of the Growing Global and Leaders in Medical Billing podcasts. As an Inc. 5000 entrepreneur, Chanie has been voted The Next 1,000 CEOs to Watch by Forbes and Inspiring CEOs 2021 by InSight Magazine.

Chanie Gluck
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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [3:18] The freedom that drove Chanie Gluck to entrepreneurship — and her early business success
  • [8:19] Why Chanie began offshoring talent
  • [10:34] How to dismantle misconceptions about offshoring
  • [14:08] What is the future of offshoring?
  • [16:07] Chanie talks about balancing work and motherhood
  • [20:39] Chanie’s approach to leadership

In this episode...

While female leadership styles are becoming more accepted, women still embody male characteristics when leading, especially during stressful periods. How can you embrace your feminine energy in your personal and professional life?

For global entrepreneur Chanie Gluck, leading like a woman means embracing her role as a female in business. Women share unique traits like intuition and strong instincts that allow them to balance work and life effectively. When struggling to maintain composure during high-stress situations, rather than reverting to masculine tendencies, you can delegate tasks to simplify your work-life balancing act. This may involve offshoring talent to streamline responsibilities.

In the latest episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston invites Chanie Gluck, the CEO of 4D Global, who talks about offshoring talent and embracing your feminine characteristics. Chanie discusses the future of offshoring, how she balances work and motherhood, and how she dispels myths about offshoring.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “I firmly believe that we have, and I use that inner voice a lot and listen to it a lot.”
  • “I think the future for offshoring is really bright. And as entrepreneurs, if we don’t embrace it, we’re going to fall behind.”
  • “Really, freedom. I just wanted my freedom. I wanted to come and go. But I also had big dreams.”
  • “Looking at the world from a place of abundance instead of scarcity is a major shift. Very important.”
  • “I never complain about being a woman. Being a woman in business is my superpower.”
Action Steps:
  1. Embrace a growth mindset: Emphasize the importance of maintaining a “glass half full” attitude to overcome obstacles in entrepreneurship. This optimistic approach helps entrepreneurs pivot in challenging times and find opportunities in adversity.
  2. Leverage global talent: Consider offshoring repetitive or non-communication-intensive tasks to tap into a global workforce. This strategy can enhance efficiency and profitability, especially as labor costs increase domestically.
  3. Delegate effectively: Surround yourself with highly skilled individuals and delegate tasks to reduce stress and improve business operations. By trusting your team and letting go of control, you can focus on strategic decisions and personal priorities.
  4. Set clear goals and prioritize: Take time to define what you truly want from your business and life. Having clarity on your goals helps you align your actions to avoid regrets and ensures your business decisions support your overall life objectives.
  5. Lead with empathy and connection: Use your intuition and empathetic nature to lead effectively, understanding the needs of both your clients and team members. Building strong relationships and acknowledging personal milestones can create a supportive and motivated work environment.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer. 

Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer is an online speakers resource dedicated to empowering women in leadership. 

This subscription platform is designed to empower and equip women with the tools and resources they need to excel as speakers and influential leaders.

Its mission is to support women in harnessing their strengths, amplifying their voices, and making a lasting impact on their industries and communities. 

To enroll in Lead Like a Woman SpeakHer, mention this episode by name and sign up on leadlikeawoman.biz/speakher

Find Your Authenticity

Donna Griffit is a corporate storyteller and Communication Coach at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where she works with students to improve their communication, executive presence, writing, storytelling, and pitching. For 30 years, Donna has worked with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors in 30 countries, helping them create, edit, and deliver powerful presentations. She is also the author of Sticking to My Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups.

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [3:12] Donna Griffit’s leap from working for a pet company to becoming an entrepreneur
  • [7:33] The elements of corporate storytelling
  • [16:31] Why you should embrace serendipitous moments
  • [23:01] How to obtain additional business funding for women
  • [29:05] Donna’s winning formula for crafting pitches
  • [32:15] Advice for women to generate sales

In this episode...

While women entrepreneurs have received significantly more funding in recent years, less than 2% of all VC funding goes toward female founders. How can you amplify women’s voices to ensure they receive fair funding?

According to pitch and storytelling alchemist Donna Griffit, the key to capturing investors’ attention is a compelling pitch. Her four-acts formula is based on universal archetypes startups can leverage to simplify their pitches. It involves identifying the villain as the problem, the solution as the hero, the business plan as the hero’s course of action, and the vision for the future as the happy ending. This creates a well-structured pitch that positions you as an authority figure. Founders should also prepare lists of answers to potential investor questions.

In today’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Donna Griffit about crafting winning startup pitches. Donna shares why she embraces serendipitous moments, how to generate more sales, and the essential elements of corporate storytelling.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “I see life as a series of serendipitous signposts. Sometimes, in the moment of the greatest crisis lies opportunity.”
  • “The real alchemy happens when you realize it’s not about you; it’s about them.”
  • “The most important character in that story is the damn audience.”
  • “Think like them wanting to buy. It’s about the audience, not about you.”
  • “Find the best in yourself. Find it within you, front and center.”
Action Steps:
  1. Embrace the villain in your story: Understanding the “villain” or the problem your audience faces is crucial for crafting a compelling narrative. This approach helps you connect deeply with your audience by addressing the innate challenges they are eager to overcome, making your story more relatable and impactful.
  2. Adopt the four-act structure: Use Donna Griffit’s four-act framework — the problem, the solution, the business plan, and the vision for the future, to organize your storytelling. This structured approach ensures clarity and flow, making your message more coherent and persuasive.
  3. Know your audience intimately: Tailoring your story to reflect your audience’s needs and experiences allows them to see themselves in your narrative. This personalization transforms your storytelling from a self-focused pitch to a meaningful dialogue with the audience, enhancing engagement and impact.
  4. Cultivate authenticity in your narrative: Find your unique voice and style rather than mimicking others, as authenticity fosters trust and connection. This genuine approach helps create a memorable impression, allowing your story to resonate more deeply with your audience.
  5. Prepare for questions with a comprehensive Q&A strategy: Anticipate potential questions and prepare clear, concise responses to ensure you are ready for any inquiries from your audience or investors. This preparation demonstrates your expertise and confidence, addressing concerns while reinforcing your narrative’s credibility.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.