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
Oct 27, 2017 • 48min
E19: Navigating Uncertainty: Adapting to Rapid, Inclusive Change in The Workplace
Aaron Dignan, founder of The Ready and co-founder of Responsive.org, shares his own diversity story and why he always felt different growing up. Aaron discusses how companies can move away from command-and-control bureaucracy towards new forms of self-organization, dynamic teaming, and empowerment. He also gives examples from his own company about the practices that he uses to create trust among diverse teams, as well as an overall culture of inclusivity.
Oct 13, 2017 • 50min
E18: "Different" as a Superpower: Trust, Authenticity, and Brand-Building in the New Age of Work
Marketing, branding and management consultant Dorie Clark shares her diversity story of growing up as an LGBTQ individual in a small town in North Carolina, and eventually moving away and graduating from college when she was just 18 years old. Dorie discusses the changing world of work and the corporate power structure, and how becoming more entrepreneurial can afford individuals from traditionally marginalized communities the opportunity to claim their own power and voice and monetize their expertise. Dorie also shares the evolution of her own business, and what you need to do to become an authority in your field.
Sep 29, 2017 • 54min
E17: Closing The Divide: Broadway and Film Producer Seth Greenleaf on Building Bridges and Being an Ally
Tony award winning theatre producer Seth Greenleaf discusses his own diversity story and how that led him to be able to negotiate differences and build bridges between individuals and groups. Seth shares his perspective as a Broadway producer on the benefits of diverse casting in Broadway theatre productions and speaks about his journey of finding himself as a straight man playing in a gay football league. Discover the lessons that Seth took away from his football experience, and what led him to direct an award winning documentary about the National Gay Flag Football League. Finally, Seth shares his wisdom about how we can reject the ideology of intolerance while finding compassion and understanding even for people who hold misguided beliefs.
Sep 15, 2017 • 54min
E16: 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.
Sep 1, 2017 • 54min
E15: Reinventing Work: Dynamic Ways of Working, Learning and Collaborating For Emergent Organizations
Robin Zander, founder of Spring Space and The Responsive Conference, discusses the importance of reinventing work and the connection to diversity and inclusion. Robin shares his thoughts about what's missing from the current structure of work and education, and what needs to change. Robin discusses his background as a performer and how that informs his work, and the unique way that he plans and organizes his conferences.
Aug 18, 2017 • 50min
E14: 100 Years to Gender Parity: Dismantling the Perception Gap of Equal Opportunity
Alexis Krivkovich, partner at Mckinsey and Company and co-leader of McKinsey's "Women in the Workplace" research, shares key takeaways and insights from the 2016 study conducted by LeanIn.org and McKinsey. Alexis shares insights based on her own experience as a woman in senior leadership and the unique challenges that women face in the workforce. She also discusses the role that men can play in fostering a more inclusive workplace environment and how to move beyond good intentions and improve diversity outcomes.
Aug 4, 2017 • 53min
E13: From Immigrant to The Third Most Powerful Man in New York State
Alphonso David, Chief Counsel for NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, shares his experience of living through a military coup in Liberia when he was ten years old, and his subsequent experience of moving to the United States and being taunted and bullied by his peers. Discover how Alphonso found the courage to be true to himself and become an attorney fighting for LGBTQ rights. He also discusses the work he has done as Chief Counsel, including being instrumental in helping to get the Marriage Equality Act passed in 2011, and shares his thoughts on the current political environment and what activists need to do to create positive social change.
Jul 21, 2017 • 47min
E12: Engaging Men As Allies for Gender Equality
Ray Arata, Founder of The Better Man Conference & Co-Founder of The Gender Leadership Group shares his experience of developing his own healthy masculinity and the work that he is doing to engage men and women in partnering to support gender equality. Ray shares what he sees as the biggest obstacles that prevent men from embracing their full self, and the fears that male leaders have about addressing inclusion and diversity. He also shares his perspective on the importance of women embracing men as allies for gender equality, and why gender equality is beneficial for everyone.
Jul 7, 2017 • 43min
E11: Empowering Women to Create Wealth On Their Own Terms
Amanda Steinberg, author of Worth It- Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms and founder of DailyWorth and WorthFM, shares her journey of finding her identity and increasing her net worth. Amanda discusses some of the obstacles that keep women from accumulating wealth, and how to overcome them. She also addresses the need for women to invest their money in people and causes that they believe in and the social impact that investing can create.
Jun 23, 2017 • 56min
E10: Challenging the Patriarchy Through Organizational Design
Bob Gower, organizational design consultant, joins the program to discuss his own diversity story, including his experiences with masculinity. Bob shares his thoughts about how to generate more networked collaboration within organizations and how to create more diverse teams. He also discusses how organizations can become more agile and what leadership looks like in a customer-centric organization.
