The Will to Change: Where Leadership Meets the Courage to Evolve
Jennifer Brown
Why is change so difficult and yet so necessary?
We live in a world that is increasingly complex, unpredictable, and demanding of our resilience. The challenges we face are not just external but deeply personal, asking us to redefine who we are, what we stand for, and how we lead.
Transformation isn't just a possibility, it's an imperative.
On The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown invites listeners to explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, resilience, and human connection. Each month, we feature both thought-provoking conversations with a guest who inspires new ways of thinking, as well as Jennifer's reflective mini-episodes that dive deeper into themes like courage, growth, and the art of navigating uncertainty.
This isn't just about leadership in the workplace - it's about leadership in life. Together, we'll examine the systems and beliefs that shape us and uncover how to lead authentically, inclusively, and boldly in a rapidly changing world.
If you're ready to stretch beyond the familiar, embrace new perspectives, and discover the will to evolve—for yourself and others—this podcast is for you.
To learn more, visit http://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
We live in a world that is increasingly complex, unpredictable, and demanding of our resilience. The challenges we face are not just external but deeply personal, asking us to redefine who we are, what we stand for, and how we lead.
Transformation isn't just a possibility, it's an imperative.
On The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown invites listeners to explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, resilience, and human connection. Each month, we feature both thought-provoking conversations with a guest who inspires new ways of thinking, as well as Jennifer's reflective mini-episodes that dive deeper into themes like courage, growth, and the art of navigating uncertainty.
This isn't just about leadership in the workplace - it's about leadership in life. Together, we'll examine the systems and beliefs that shape us and uncover how to lead authentically, inclusively, and boldly in a rapidly changing world.
If you're ready to stretch beyond the familiar, embrace new perspectives, and discover the will to evolve—for yourself and others—this podcast is for you.
To learn more, visit http://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 1, 2019 • 58min
E52: Chip Conley and the Modern Elder- How Wisdom@Work is Revolutionizing Inclusion and Belonging
Entrepreneur, author and speaker Chip Conley joins the program to discuss the importance of treating age as we would other types of diversity in the workplace. He shares his own experience of joining the disruptive startup Airbnb when he was in midlife, and the lessons he learned along the way. He also reveals his perspective on generations in the workplace, and how a sense of shared meaning and purpose can unite workers from all age groups.
Feb 26, 2019 • 58min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Ella and Marilyn, Venus and Billie Jean: Using Our Privilege to Keep the Door to Equity Open for All
Trudy Bourgeois, CEO and Founder of The Center for Workforce Excellence, and author of the book Equality: Courageous Conversations About Women, Men, and Race to Spark a Diversity and Inclusion Breakthrough, joins the program to discuss her own diversity story of growing up as an African-American woman in the segregated south in the 1960s. Trudy shares her journey of going on to break the glass ceiling in the consumer goods industry by becoming the first African American woman to rise to the level of VP, and eventually founding an organizational cultural change, training, consulting and coaching company. Discover an alternative way of thinking about allyship, the need for those with privilege to support marginalized groups, and what is needed to move from rhetoric about diversity and inclusion to true transformation.
Feb 26, 2019 • 54min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Sports, Stereotypes and Sexual Orientation: Lessons From a Gay ex-NFL Player
Wade Davis, ex-NFL player, speaker and author, shares his journey of being a a gay man in the NFL and subsequently becoming the NFL's first LGBT inclusion consultant. Wade reveals why it can sometimes be easier to have challenging conversations in the sports world than in a corporate environment, and discusses what senior leadership can do to make positive changes in their organizations. He also examines the struggle for gender equality, how to use fear in a constructive manner, and the importance of taking risks in order to grow and change.
Feb 26, 2019 • 54min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Advocacy and Accessibility at Uber-The Gift Of Being An Outsider
Malcom Glenn, strategic partnerships manager at Uber Technologies, discusses what led him to join Uber and the work that Uber is doing to increase accessibility for people with disabilities as well as other diverse populations. Malcom shares his perspective on the Google memo, both as a man of color in the tech industry, as well as a former employee of Google. He also discusses his perspective on what needs to happen to create lasting change in the tech industry when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and expresses why he believes the tech industry will be a source of positive social change.
Feb 22, 2019 • 34min
Minisode #23: Reflections on Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, Jennifer shares her thoughts on several pertinent (and previously released) episodes from The Will To Change. You'll discover what leaders need to do to increase empathy in their organization, the role of storytelling in DE&I work, how to challenge our own bias and more. Don't miss this special episode!
Feb 15, 2019 • 46min
E51: The Business Case For Belonging: How Shifting Gender Assumptions Can Unleash Innovation and Improve Performance
Rhodes Perry, consultant, author and podcaster, joins the program to discuss his own journey of being a transgender man in the workplace and what he has learned from his experiences. He reveals how creating a culture of belonging in the workplace can leader to greater innovation and productivity and explains why transgender and non-binary people can act as bridges when it comes to gender conversations. He also discusses practical steps that leaders and allies can take to create positive change.
Feb 8, 2019 • 55min
E50: Believing Is Seeing: Finding Our Blind Spots and Creating Authentic Inclusion and Accessibility
Albert Rizzi, founder of My Blind Spot, a non-profit dedicated to accessibility, education, and advocacy, joins the program to discuss his own diversity of story of losing his sight in 2005 after developing meningitis. Albert shares the theoretical blind spots that can get in the way of progress. He also reveals why digital equity will ultimately benefit people of all abilities and discusses the business case for corporations to become more accessible.
Feb 1, 2019 • 46min
E49: Bring Your Human To Work: Intentional Work Practices for Inclusion
Author and speaker Erica Keswin joins the program to discuss the importance of paying attention to the human aspects of work, and how a lack of flexibility in the workplace can ultimately hurt a company's ability to recruit and retain talent. Discover the steps that leaders can take to help reduce employee stress levels and examples of what a human conversation would look like between a manager and employee. Erica also reveals how to help employees from marginalized groups build community and connection.
Jan 25, 2019 • 54min
E48: The Person You Mean to be: How Progress Requires Activism and Understanding
In this episode, author and professor Dolly Chugh joins the program to discuss the ways in which seeing ourselves as "good" can lead to greater fragility, and introduces the idea of being a "good-ish" person and what that entails. She also discusses the ways in which creating lasting change requires both confrontation and engagement and how leaders can use both for maximum impact.
Jan 18, 2019 • 52min
E47: Beyond Symbols to Action: Intersectional Allyship and the City of Philadelphia's Journey to Inclusion
Amber Hikes, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia, join the program to discuss her own diversity story of growing up in the South and her experience of coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community. She reveals the changes that were made to Philadelphia's rainbow pride flag, and the international reaction that resulted from that change. Discover the importance of intersectional allyship, and how to move from symbols to action.
