We Lead Radio

In this episode, our conversation will be a dialogue about leveraging the strengths of each generation present in a herd or organization. We will be joined by Wendy Merrill, Founder & Chief Rainmaker of StrategyHorse Consulting Group. Wendy continuously mentors aspiring entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs and is a proud winner of the 2016 Greater Baltimore Committee Bridging the Gap Award, given to leaders that foster the success of women and minorities in business. From her forthcoming book, Rising Leaders, Wendy will share her perspective on what motivates, and how to effectively advocate for, the next generation of leaders.

In this week's episode we will be joined by La June Montgomery Tabron, President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, along with her executive coach and colleague, Dr. Paul Martinez. As a champion for vulnerable children and for creating the conditions necessary for them to thrive, Tabron leads the Kellogg Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the U.S., and its work to support thriving children, working families and equitable communities. In short, the Kellogg Foundation's goal is to create sustainable, transformational change. Together, La June and Paul are also walking the path of transforming of The Kellogg Foundation itself. We will be in conversation with them about leading transformation from the inside out, some lessons learned along the way, and what has been required of them personally to bring the vision to life. This will be a conversation not to be missed about making the choice to lead.

What does it take to lead an entrepreneurial organization? In this episode, we will be in conversation with Ravila Gupta, President and CEO of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and Joy Clark, a veteran talent executive, about preparing leaders to create thriving businesses. Nature teaches us a great deal about the value of networks, mentors, and plans for growth. We will explore how these resources are vital for building and sustaining successful entrepreneurial businesses in today's market. We will share some of our own lessons learned and insights from the road we have traveled to build TeachingHorse, LLC.

The 2017-2018 US News and World Report ranked Boston Children's Hospital the #1 children's hospital in the nation. This week we will be in conversation with Dr. Laura J. Wood, DNP, SVP and Chief Nursing Officer for Boston Children's Hospital, about what it takes to create a healthy organizational culture. The hospital's motto is, Until every child is well. Laura is passionate about using collaboration and shared leadership to achieve this intention. We will explore the leader's role in creating the culture of an organization and how shared leadership can enhance patient safety. Laura will also share some of the nuances she has discovered about what it takes to prepare people to share leadership successfully.

How is the world of work changing and what are the implications for leaders? Maryanne Spatola, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PCC, in her new book, Careers in the New World of Work will offer us a fresh perspective on how to lead in the age of disruptive technology and the Gig Economy. Learn a new model for crafting a career that can transcend industries and technologies. Learn new ways to think about leading people who view their work lives very differently than you have viewed yours. Get yourself ready for what is on the horizon for us all.

Mother nature has always known how to leverage all of the resources available to her. Human beings are just learning. The time has come again for us to highlight the value of a currently underutilized resource, our women leaders. In this episode we will be joined by Leslie Bacqué Smith, Portfolio Director for UNC Kenan-Flagler Executive Development. Leslie is a passionate advocate for preparing women for the role as leaders. We will be in conversation about the salient challenges facing women in business, the unique value they bring to our organizations, and the impact of the rising tide of women in political leadership positions. Join us for what will surely be a powerful conversation among women leaders committed to having a positive impact on all of our collective futures.

How do you act decisively in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous)? This will be the topic of conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Oyekan. Elizabeth is a sought after healthcare strategist who helps leaders rise above the noise and understand the relevant trends that deserve our attention. She will share her journey of transformation as a leader in the field of healthcare and the vital lessons she has learned about setting direction and pace in a constantly changing environment. We will explore how to use simple rules to bring clarity out of chaos and inspire focused action.

In a recent article in HBR (Feb. 2018), Syndey Finklestein asserts that the best leaders are great teachers. In this episode we will entertain the question, If the best leaders are great teachers, what does it mean to be a great teacher? We will shed light on how horses mentor their next generation of leaders. We will be gifted with the presence of world renowned author and educator Dr. Jane K Vella. and Dr. Paula Berardinelli, author, educator, and a sought after adviser to the advisers. Join us for this virtual visit with Jane and Paula to be in conversation about leadership, learning, and the art of dialogue as a tool for developing current and future talent.

In this episode we will explore the challenges of 21st century leadership that will require new thinking to address. We will be in conversation with fellow pioneers in the field of experiential learning with horses, David and Sharon Harris. We will delve deeper into the roles of herd leadership and potential solutions they present to current business challenges.Together we will shed light on how the timeless wisdom of horses offers us a way to reimagine leadership for our collective future.

There are few places where life is more uncertain than for wild horses and the people who are trying to save them. On a daily basis, wild horses face not only a number of natural threats - including predators, dwindling resources, and rapidly changing environments - but also must grapple with the threat of round-up, separation from their herds, and removal from land that has been designated by law as their rightful place. In this episode we will talk with three individuals on the forefront of wild horse conservation who have faced all these uncertainties first-hand and still manage to maintain confidence and forward momentum in their quest. Neda DeMayo, Founder of Return to Freedom, will explore with us some of her lessons learned from being a leader committed to giving a voice to America's Wild Horses. Neda will be joined by Cory Golden and Chris Heyde to share some of their learning on how to align leadership, inspire people to take action, and maintain confidence in uncertainty.

In this episode, we will begin reframing uncertainty as the place where possibility and innovation are born. We will be exploring questions like: How do we see uncertainty?; How has life with horses informed our thinking?; and, What becomes possible when we let go of our attachment to certainty? We will explore how our thinking about uncertainty has influenced the design and evolution of our businesses. We will share how we see confusion as a sign of progress and a signal that opportunity and innovation are on the horizon. We will be in conversation with one of the Co- Founders of TimeZero Enterprises, Argerie Vasilakes, and inventor of the Flourishing Living Systems™ Platform. Taking a cue from Nature, Argerie has learned that uncertainty and complexity are forces to leverage – not to resist – for healthy and productive ecosystems.

During this episode, you will get to know the co-hosts, and learn why this show is important to us and to you. During our conversation, we will share the big questions the show will explore. We will begin by sharing our perspective on how the world we live in today requires us to re-imagine leadership for the road ahead. We will share stories about what we have learned from horses to spark your imagination with ways to elevate confidence in your leadership. This show is the beginning of creating a community of people who are choosing to lead through uncertainty, and who have a place to go to remember we are not alone.