Imperfect Leaders

When Chuck Muth was the Chief Growth Officer at Beyond Meat the company experienced faster growth than virtually any other food product in history.  The company went on to conduct an IPO - and saw its stock price soar to unimaginable heights, all fueled by the growth that Chuck led.  Earlier in his career, Muth worked his way up through the ranks at Coca Cola.  Muth makes a convincing argument that it's every leader's job to create a culture that helps talent reach their full leadership potential. The flip side of that same coin, if you're a talented-future-leader, be sure to carefully examine culture fit before accepting a job offer. If you pick poorly you'll likely fail. If you pick wisely you'll succeed beyond expectations. Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.

Eileen Murray is one of the most powerful women on Wall Street. And she has been for decades.  She was co-CEO of Bridgewater, the global hedge fund behemoth, a senior executive at Morgan Stanley, and a current board member at HSBC and the financial regulatory agency FINRA.  In this episode of Imperfect Leaders she shares perspective on governance, leadership development, core values, and technology. Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.

Click here for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders. Today’s guest – Roger Martin – is one of the smartest people on the planet when it comes to business and leadership. He was recently voted the #1 by Thinkers50 a ranking of the most influential global business thinkers. He is on speed dial of hundreds of famous CEOs across the world – from Silicon Valley startups to Fortune 50 giants. They call Roger when they are faced with a complex strategic or cultural issue that has no easy answer. Roger has a unique way of framing tough challenges and communicating in a crystal-clear way that helps top leaders rethink old mental models. He’s recently written a new book – which I loved – called “A New Way to Think” – and he’s published some of the all-time best-selling articles for the Harvard Business Review. In that context, he’s the perfect guest to help leaders – of all shapes and sizes – think about their flaws, outdated mental models, and imperfections. Just because you learned a new principle at a top business school, doesn’t make it right. In fact it may be dead wrong, according to Roger. He should know, he was the Dean of one of the top business schools in the country – The Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto – for 15 years! Nothing is out of bounds during our conversation – from money, power, politics, and capitalism, itself.

Tom Sellig is this week's podcast guest - and the CEO of Adare, an amazing pharmaceutical technology company owned by top private equity investors, Thomas H. Lee and Frazier Healthcare.    Tom was kind enough to let me sprinkle in a few questions that I often use during actual CEO interviews when Boards ask me to help them assess top prospects. Rising star leaders can listen and learn how authentic CEOs - like Tom - answer these questions in a clear and concise way. The truth is CEOs interview for jobs, just like the rest of us.  But understandably, their interview process is quite a bit more rigorous. They go through an intense, multi-faceted assessment process that focuses on leadership potential, culture fit, and the so called ‘intangibles’ that company's crave. It’s never too early to start thinking about these questions and learning how to tell your story - the good, the bad, and even the ugly - in an honest way that clearly demonstrates your leadership style, strengths and development needs.  After all, there’s no such thing as a perfect leader. Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.

Hall of Fame venture capitalist, Doug Leone of #1 ranked Sequoia Capital, discusses the imperfections that will absolutely destroy you during a pitch. He offers practical advice for future founders and leaders. This podcast was taped during Doug's session with student leaders across the country!  Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.

Ever wonder why an astounding 95% of CEOs in Corporate America are white males?  Why do so few black people - and other minorities - make it to the corner office? Most companies talk a good game about building a robust and diverse leadership pipeline. Organizations claim to create cultures that inspire and enable people to reach their full potential. The best ideas win. Everyone has equal opportunity. Executives gain power through hard work and intellect. The best people will rise to the top.  But these are just the lies we tell ourselves, according to Dr. Robert Carter, the country’s most renowned expert on these topics - an acclaimed author and distinguished professor emeritus of psychology at Columbia University It makes us feel good. It makes us feel worthy. But there are deeper, psychological forces and invisible barriers at play. And even though we can’t see these barriers with the naked eye, they exist, and they are causing real harm and economic pain.  Agree or not, Professor Carter shines an interesting perspective on this complex topic, and helps us understand the root, psychological causes and structural barriers to achieving progress.  Perhaps we should take his advice seriously. Until we do the hard work necessary to become more self aware and empathic, we won’t be able to capitalize on the economic benefits of diversity and inclusion. Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.

Click here for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders. Brad Karp has been the Chairman of Paul, Weiss since 2008. He is described by Chambers as “the best strategic adviser in the business,” “the best litigator in the country,” and “someone who every CEO in America should have on speed dial.” Brad is described by The New York Times and by Bloomberg as “the most connected lawyer in the country,” and by Best Lawyers as “the most talented, responsive, client-sensitive, creative, effective lawyer of his generation in the country, no question.” Yet - for the first time ever he admits to Imperfect Leaders that he had to overcome extreme shyness and introversion earlier in his career.  In fact, in law school he didn't speak up and voice his opinion nearly as much as he would have liked. This is almost impossible to fathom given his role as Chair of one of the top 10 law firms in the country and his role as an elite corporate litigator arguing his clients' point of view in front of crowded court rooms and tough judges.   But it's true. Brad of the country’s leading litigators and corporate advisers, Brad has successfully guided numerous Fortune 100 companies, global financial institutions and other companies and individuals through “bet the company” litigations, regulatory matters, internal investigations, and corporate crises.   Brad has been selected multiple times as the “Lawyer of the Year” and “Litigator of the Year.” Brad has earned dozens of industry awards and recognitions for his successful client representations and legal achievements as well as for his role as a leader in the legal profession, the business community and the public interest sphere. Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.

Click here for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders. Alan is almost 90 years old and a living legend in the venture capital arena. He has been a pioneer in this industry for over 50 years.  Fifty years!  Let that sink in for a moment. When he first started there really was no well defined industry at all. It was a bunch of mom and pop players scrambling to earn a living. Amidst this backdrop Alan helped create two hugely successful firms Greycroft and Apax Partners, which played a fundamental role in consolidating this fragmented space.  Not one to sit still at the young age of 88 years old, he is now launching his third firm to much fanfare - Primetime Partners - focusing on a weirdly overlooked consumer base of 60+ year consumers. Virtually all of his former partners are investing in the new fund, signaling their confidence in both the business plan and Alan's potential to live to 100.  But don't tell Alan, that will only get him mad. He's convinced he'll live to at least 114. This is to say just one thing - Alan has been around the block a few times - so it might be worth listening to his advice.  His philosophy - and the name of his incredible new book - 'No Red Lights' perfectly summarizes his life philosophy. There's simply nothing he won't try. Don't believe me? Well, he's going to Burning Man this year.  To receive free podcast episodes each week, subscribe at www.imperfectleaders.com

Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders. Thumbtack - a marketplace for professionals who can take care of  your home - is a gem in the portfolio of Sequoia Capital, the legendary venture capital investors.   Through his vulnerability and thoughtfulness, Thumbtack CEO, Marco Zappacosta, has institutionalized a culture of leadership development and continuous improvement. In this podcast he asserts that life can be cruel - a leader's biggest strength can often be their biggest weakness. Just like one of our other podcast guests, Brad Smith, Board Chair at Intuit and Nordstrom, Zappacosta is completely transparent and shares his performance review with his entire company. To proactively keep things running smoothly, Zappacosta ensures rising star leaders receive plenty of coaching, mentorship, and developmental opportunities. It’s no wonder that pros earn billions on Thumbtack, delighting customers across the country.. Soon the phrase, "Just Thumbtack It" will be an action verb synonymous for taking care of your home. To receive free podcast episodes each week, subscribe at www.imperfectleaders.com

Where do Elon Musk and James Cameron go when they need a creative jolt of inspiration?  Both recently went backstage at Cirque du Soleil and asked an awful lot of questions. They were like kids in the proverbial candy store. So, who the heck is in charge at Cirque? The CEO - for nearly two decades - was a man named Daniel Lamare. I have been wanting to interview him for quite some time - to help unlock a few secrets of creativity. All of us get stressed out when the creative lightbulb doesn't come on as quickly as we'd like.  Click on www.imperfectleaders.com for free weekly episodes delivered to your inbox and the opportunity to join live discussions with top leaders.