Designing Schools

My favorite definition of leadership comes from David Notgrass. He says, "Transformational leaders are those who encourage creativity, recognize accomplishments, build trust and inspire a collective vision. They are role models for the beliefs and values they want to see others adopt and they believe that their audience is able to rise to the occasion."  Today I’m delighted to introduce you to the leader who comes to mind when I think of what it means to be transformational - Dr. Kevin Lohenry. From integrating digital technologies to advancing diversity and equity initiatives, Dr. Lohenry has been at the forefront of leading innovation in higher education. Dr. Lohenry currently serves as the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs and Director for the Division of Physician Assistant Studies at the Keck School of Medicine of USC In this episode we discuss: The history and evolution of the Physician Assistant profession The relationship between leadership and advocacy and how the PA Program at USC prepares students for taking on this role How to advance diversity and equity initiatives The role of digital technologies to keep higher education relevant The importance of leading with empathy and how that can lead to the development of strong teams Strategies and practices for being a transformational leader How to stay optimistic during uncertainty and navigate change What Dr. Lohenry is thinking about for the next five years To connect with Kevin you can follow him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.   

Daniel Andor, founder and lead product designer at Durran, discusses the design sprint process and how it can revolutionize the public school system. He shares a case study of an edtech company, the benefits of bringing in a facilitator, and the role of design sprints in education. The podcast also explores problem-solving strategies, facilitating conversations, rethinking target users, embracing change and empathy in design.

This week you'll hear from me as I share an interview I did with Jason Reagin on his podcast Design Cast. In this episode I share: Why pursuing a doctoral degree was an empathy experiment The research study I did at Design39 Campus on how design thinking can be used to prepare learners with the knowledge, skills and mindsets to thrive in future workplaces and as global citizens How to break the silos in education and design teams that work well together The value of having an. online presence while being a student What I learned students really need from their professors Why cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy To learn more about the research study visit askmsq.com

I first came across today's guest when I read, "I'm a high school sophomore. Here's how schools can teach kids to solve real world problems." I was intrigued and impressed and knew this was a conversation I wanted to share with all of you.  Luke Harris is a New York City high school sophomore at Horace MannSchool. He enjoys taking things apart and not quite getting them back together, building computers, and being a varsity wrestler.  He works part-time for Avid games, helping with the design of their award-winning game Cards, the Universe and Everything.  For the past year, he has been developing a design engineering curriculum for kids, created to teach real-world entrepreneurial and engineering skills. What Luke felt was missing from his high school engineering course What Luke designed to solve for the gap that he saw Why Luke believes the culture of collaboration and brainstorming is broken and what we can do to fix it The difference between creating for yourself and creating for others What students can learn from the engineering curriculum he designed Advice for education leaders and students as we think about reinventing education. To learn more about Luke's curriculum you can visit his website and reach out to him for more details. He is truly an inspiration that we are all creative and we can all design solutions to the challenges we see around us.

Today's guest believes we can democratize more access and exposure to opportunities through the development of a personal brand. Regardless of where you are in your personal branding journey, today’s guest, entrepreneur, personal branding and growth expert Brittany Krystle joins us to share the endless possibilities to what we can create for ourselves through strategically positioning ourselves online so that we can create a more equal distribution where everyone has access to opportunities the world has to offer. In This Episode We Discuss: Why the traditional narrative of the school to career pathway is broken and how Brittany went from being a lawyer to an entrepreneur The relationship and cycle between creation and clarity Strategies students can use to leverage LinkedIn as a portfolio to showcase your work and build a professional network The skills and mindsets that GenZ should enhance and develop during their academic career during the pandemic and beyond Why clarity is a journey and not a goal The relationship between social influence and trust How a personal brand can create more broadly shared prosperity To learn more you can connect with Brittany across her social channels on Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Pinterest | and of course on Clubhouse: @brittanykrystle.

When I think of individuals who have leveraged technology to reinvent work, shape their destiny, create their own path, and empower others to do so as well, the first people who came to mind are entrepreneurs and luxury travel content creators Jeremy Austin and Angie Villa who founded, "The Visionary Media Group." They specialize in creating unrivaled photography, video production and social media campaigns for the World’s leading luxury hotels, resorts and exclusive villa rental properties. Their clients include Four Seasons, the Aman hotels, St Regis and many others. They take us behind the scenes to discuss: Their transition from school to the real world Understanding your unique superpower and how to leverage it The value of showcasing your work online and creating a portfolio How to develop relationships with brands and the importance of overdelivering Why everyone should have a life resume The power of spirituality and manifesting your goals and dreams through a grounding vision How to learn new skills and how to stay relevant in a world that is rapidly changing Why they created, "The Creator Retreat" how you can attend and why this isn't just for travel creators The future of travel and why they are optimistic Resources Learn more about The Visionary Media Group Discover their presets to take your photos to the next level

Erik Brynjolfsson, an expert in the digital economy, joins the podcast to discuss reinventing education for the second machine age. He highlights the need to focus on uniquely human skills and not just invest in education. Brynjolfsson also explores successful countries' approaches and the importance of design thinking and taking risks for progress.

With every social media platform now integrating stories I published a post about why leaders should leverage this medium to build deeper relationships their community. This week on the podcast I'm on the other side of the table, sharing an interview I did on this topic with Jennifer Watson, Social Media Manager at Agorapulse. In this episode we discuss: The significance of the World Economic Forum highlighting "leadership and social influence" as a trending skill for 2022 My research with design thinking and how it can be used to prepare us with the mindset and skillset to adapt and navigate change How leaders can build social influence to encourage creativity, recognize accomplishments, build trust and inspire a collective vision My experience hosting a podcast and the lessons I've learned The role social media will play with people and in marketing for 2021 Share your thoughts and questions with me on Instagram, and Twitter.

"The master has failed more times than the student has tried," thats the mantra today's guest abides by when leaning into new experiences to master his mindset. As you navigate the many changes 2020 has brought upon us, this week's guest, Steve Yu, CFO and Assistant Dean at the UCLA School of Law, shares stories and strategies about how to leverage a network and the role mentors can play in helping you design a life where you can identify and achieve your goals. In This Episode We Discuss... Steve's experience growing up on a farm and how he balanced it with his education How to overcome fears and strategies he uses to master his mindset Leaders as mentors and why age should not be a factor The importance of surrounding yourself with people who can be advocates for you Steve's many side hustles and why he believes in a "yes and..." mentality Steve's journey through mindfulness and meditation practices The importance of self care during the pandemic Connect With Steve To connect and learn more from Steve join him on LinkedIn Connect With Sabba You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn,  Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my websiteaskmsq.com.  

For the past decade Digital Futurist Brian Fanzo has been able to predict future trends with great accuracy. One of these trends is the importance of sharing your story or as Brian says, “Press the Damn Button.” And in 2018 we saw the World Economic Forum identify Leadership and Social Influence as a trending skill.  In this Episode we Discuss: What he means by digital empathy and how he used it to pivot during the pandemic Strategies to prepare for the ambiguity of tomorrow by preparing today Why our challenges are people problems that we need to solve with people Why stories and online content should include the process not just the end results Why he believes we should have a WE > ME mindset The relationship between taking care of ourselves and giving back to other The future of virtual events and why we should redefine how we use the word “interactive”  Connect with Brian To learn more about Brian you can visit his website and I highly recommend you follow him across all platforms where he diversifies his content for Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIN and YouTube. You can learn more from Brian about how to enhance your virtual presentations here. Connect with Sabba You can connect with me, Sabba on LinkedIn,  Instagram and Twitter @AskMsQ or visit my website askmsq.com.