Lessons From Leaders Podcast

15/12/2023

REGISTER HERE TO RECEIVE MEETING LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkdu-hrDoqGdaNvQxRvBPGTBTZPjlVqQnx

29/08/2023

I'm really excited to share some actionable advice from my recent podcast chat with Sara Nathan, the President & CEO of Amigos de las Américas. We go into the incredible transformation Amigos went through – shifting from being all about US-centric to becoming a locally-led global powerhouse driven by local vibes.

Sara's story kicks off with her days as an Amigos volunteer as a teenager in Latin America, which ignited her passion for community development and leadership. This set the stage for her current global volunteer program leadership role at Amigos.

We had a real heart-to-heart about how Amigos realized they needed to shake things up in a changing world. This lightbulb moment led to Amigos moving from just sending US volunteers to nurturing local leaders, building stronger relationships with local partners, and expanding its reach through local resources and teams. Sara shared that If Amigos had not changed to localization, they would not be relevant today and empowering young people worldwide.

“Right now, 70 young people run programming. Half are from all across Latin America, which is kind of amazing. It's an evolution.”

And as Sara explained, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Embracing change had its own set of challenges. Dealing with remote teams, reimagining programs during the pandemic, and rethinking strategies – it was all part of the wild ride. Sara made it clear that the transformation to being ready to adapt and open to constant evaluation in locally-led development was key. She credits her teams for the success.

“I give credit to our board and the teams that had the courage to envision different ways of doing programming and different ways of reimagining how we could reach our mission and purpose.”

My talk with Sara was like a crash course in continual adaptation, an ongoing need for reassessment and communication within the organization and with external partners in leadership where local partnerships lead to powerful localization.

Thank you, Sara, for sharing your transition to leadership roles and the key events that shaped your passionate leadership perspective.
Get your VIP ticket to explore this fresh approach firsthand and be part of the action. You’re invited to use the link below to join Tom Dente and me on September 15th at 1 pm ET for a locally-led development executive forum. Don't miss out!

REGISTER FOR EXECUTIVE FORUM HERE: https://forms.gle/azExoH3iZm8pBHJf6

https://youtu.be/Oeu-QNgc7g0

I'm really excited to share some actionable advice from my recent podcast chat with Sara Nathan, the President & CEO of Amigos de las Américas. We go into th...

13/08/2023

Join Tom Dente and me for this Transforming INGOs event that promises to inspire and elevate.
Register today: https://lnkd.in/gdrfpXNs

30/06/2023

Constantly on the go, Gina Lagomarsino, the Co-founder & CEO of Results for Development and also the mother of two teenagers shares an interesting analogy between parenting and leading a 15-year-old organization. In both situations, her job description changes every year.

“When you are a parent, your job description changes as your child grows and evolves. I find it is similar to being the leader in a young organization. My job description has changed as we've grown and evolved. I'm always learning and trying to figure out what is needed.”

In our conversation, one topic highlighted is the moment of possibility in the sector, despite the challenges presented by climate change, the pandemic, and other global issues. Gina believes there is a genuine desire for local leadership in the countries where NGOs work and a growing recognition of the need to support local leaders. The focus is shifting towards supporting local communities to develop and implement their own solutions rather than imposing external solutions.

Gina talks about being excited about her learning journey of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the need to apply a global lens to DEI concepts within a diverse organization. The goal is to achieve equity while respecting different cultural norms and laws in various countries. She shares the challenges of creating an inclusive culture that goes beyond any particular group's privilege and promotes a sense of justice and fairness. In this episode, Gina talks about embracing individuality and how a sense of justice is connected to our authentic selves. It is rooted in our innate understanding of fairness and what is right but varies for each person based on their unique experiences and perspectives.

“DEI is a major learning journey for each of us as individuals and as institutions. What is kind of exciting about it in a global organization is bringing a global lens to the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

I invite you to listen to Gina as we discuss “reconnecting with our true selves [being] vital for a fulfilling life.”

Constantly on the go, Gina Lagomarsino, the Co-founder & CEO of Results for Development and also the mother of two teenagers shares an interesting analogy be...

16/06/2023

https://youtu.be/0m9DXRlHJwI

Cheryl Margoluis, the amazing Executive Director of the CARE-WWF Alliance brought an incredible wealth of insights to the table as she shared some crucial topics in the context of leadership. What makes Cheryl's perspective so unique is her role in leading this alliance between two prominent organizations. It gives her a firsthand understanding of just how important collaboration and inclusion are within partnerships.

When it comes to leadership, Cheryl's approach centers around collaboration and noted she firmly believes that by working together, organizations can achieve greater impact and tackle even the most complex challenges, like climate change. Through collaboration, she aims to leverage the strengths of both organizations and find those sweet spots where they can effectively work together and make a tangible difference.

One topic that really stood out during our conversation was inclusion. Cheryl highlighted its tremendous significance, not only within the alliance itself but also in collaboration with the community. By including diverse perspectives and ideas, she firmly believes that partnerships can generate an incredible amount of excitement, energy, and innovative solutions. She even shared a recent workshop experience in Zambia, where the WWF and CARE teams joined forces and witnessed firsthand the positive energy that arises when different organizations collaborate and create something new.

"We have all the outcomes identified that we want to be working towards. Now we need everyone to come together. We need everyone to have that desire to work together and that recognition of the importance of each other's skills, and the complementarity of their skills to make the partnership work can ultimately drive those outcomes."

Failure is something that Cheryl sees as an integral part of the learning process, both at the individual and institutional levels. Instead of shying away from failures, she views them as incredible opportunities for growth and adaptation. They inspire her to approach future endeavors with a fresh perspective and improved strategies.

“I find it inspiring in the sense that failures really helped me see things for the future much better. I will have more opportunities to do things this way next time.”

Throughout our conversation, Cheryl shared her personal journey and provided some truly valuable advice, even reflecting on what she would tell her younger self.

Thank you Cheryl for this enriching conversation.

Cheryl Margoluis, the amazing Executive Director of the CARE-WWF Alliance brought an incredible wealth of insights to the table as she shared some crucial to...

26/05/2023

I was truly inspired as I sat down and heard about my guest, Seynabou Sakho of World Bank, her journey, and how she stays true to her authentic self while making a positive impact in her work. I loved how she shared that she values the wisdom of her ancestors and incorporates their teachings into her approach to life and work. She shares, “My grandma, my role model, has never been to school. And I remember all my life her asking, what's the point of having a brain if you cannot think for yourself?”

In times of crisis, Seynabou shared how it can be challenging to stay focused on one's mission and values, and her example shows that it's possible to remain true to oneself and still make a meaningful contribution. “I've tried all my career and all my life to begin any situation with my whole self and be as authentic to my values, or whatever it is that defines me. And sometimes it's hard because you are really in a vulnerable situation. I think that looking back, it's very difficult to be somebody else, and I'm here to be myself, which brings my culture, my identity, my values, and what I believe in.”

Seynabou also talks about how she sees leadership. “Everybody expects empathy, compassion, understanding and using that as a way to connect with people. Understanding where people come from and that the sense of justice is very universal. Being fairly treated is universal, regardless of where you come from.”

Seynabou's story is a powerful reminder that we can draw strength and inspiration from our own personal histories and cultural traditions and that by honoring our authentic selves, we can make a positive impact on the world around us.

I invite you to enjoy this must-listen to episode with a leader who talks about cherishing her ancestors' advice, celebrates her authentic self, and values those around us.

I was truly inspired as I sat down and heard about my guest, Seynabou Sakho of World Bank, her journey, and how she stays true to her authentic self while ma...

03/04/2023

https://lnkd.in/eBK5k4DE

EPISODE: 089 Curious, Sitting in a Candy Store Gary White, Water.org & WaterEquity I had the opportunity to sit down with Gary White, an…

01/03/2023

This week’s Lessons From Leaders guest is Morgan Lance, CEO of OneSky. Her story and insights as the first CEO to transition into the position after the founder and leader of 24+ years are noteworthy simple truths.

As the new CEO facing difficult decisions, Morgan shared:

“When there's tough decisions to be made, or moments of leadership that I know are going to be difficult for me, I always go back to that question: What is best for the kids that we serve? What is best for the children? What decision do I need to make now, or what do I need to do or embody in order to move the mission forward? And that's a really clear, really clear decision-maker for me. It makes things a lot easier.”

“I learned the speed with which decisions need to be made at the CEO level is far quite different at other leadership levels within an organization….leaders are remembered for the pace at which they make decisions, not necessarily the outcome of those decisions.”

Morgan’s message is timely as leaders refocus on the importance of an organization’s values and mission to revitalize in 2023.

Thank you, Morgan, for sharing your transition story and the reminder to re-evaluate: what's our purpose?

We hope you enjoy this episode and look forward to hearing your comments.

088: Simple Truths
Morgan Lance, CEO, OneSky
https://youtu.be/-y0ZfU7AjmY

25/01/2023

As we've entered a new year, this podcast with Indira Kaur Ahluwalia, President of Kaur Strategies, reminds leaders of the importance of advancing equity in development and looking at challenges in a new light.

12/12/2022

This week, the Lessons from Leaders guest is Tessie San Martin the CEO of FHI 360. We are honored to have her as our leader in this episode. While there are many gold nuggets in this episode, for me there are two that are the most compelling.

The first is when Tessie reminds me that "we can do hard things." Just look at how successfully the INGO sector pivoted in 2020, she points out.

The second nugget is when Tessie talks leaning into the new normal and what that means for INGOs. "We have to reimagine. We are creating what's next in our industry. The settings in which our organizations were designed, if very different than how we are forced to operate today. The question for us now becomes: How can we be effective and how can we deliver?"

Tessie began her leadership journey with Amigos de las Americas. This is something that she and I have in common. In this program youth volunteers went to Latin America for 3 to 5 weeks to participate in vaccination programs.

From that experience, Tessie began to realize what she was capable of doing.

"At a young age, I came out of this experience [working with Amigos de Las Americas] thinking 'I can do anything.' I earned a sense of self confidence, I learned how to make decisions, communicate with others, and lead."

While working in different countries, Tessie shares that what she learned most in addition to outreach, community help, and vaccinations, was about herself.

After volunteering internationally with Amigos de Las Americas for her first time as a sophomore in high school, the following 2 years she decided to return to volunteer but this time as a part of the staff in a management role. She was responsible for running a vaccination program which in her words taught her one critical thing:

"I have never wanted to do anything else. I was hooked on the idea of making a difference and working with others. The international development bug bit me, and never let go."

Our conversation went into leading in today's environment. Tessie shares her perspective that "INGOS are operating in settings where we are not created to operate.” (At the 10 minute mark if you want to jump right to it.)

What she means in this and explains is that INGOS, some of which were created decades ago, were not structurally created to face a global pandemic, hybrid working, racial injustice, the list from the past 2 years goes on and on. Her encouragement to acknowledge the hard things we have all conquered is notable and refreshing. Her observation is that it's time to create, try new things, and not force what once worked to where an organization is now.

And then, one of my favorite parts of our conversation: INGOs can do hard things...

“Collectively the global development sector has been through a lot. By and large we are on the other side of it but we have adapted and adjusted to rethink how our businesses and organizations needed to run. We can do hard things.”

She continues, “We have to continue to reimagine in 2023. We are not ‘back to normal’ , we are creating a new normal.”

Tessie shares her thoughts and plans on how to take the organization she leads, which has been around for over 50 years, into the future, through the trials of these past 2 years and out the other side. I highly suggest listening to this episode to be inspired and tactically supported.

Thank you Tessie for sharing your leadership story, and for the much needed reminder; we can all do hard things.

This week, the Lessons from Leaders guest is Tessie San Martin the CEO of FHI 360. We are honored to have her as our leader in this episode. While there are...

26/09/2022

This week, the Lessons from Leaders guest is Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the President and CEO of Mercy Corps. We are honored to have her as our guest so shortly after her recent trip to Somalia.

One of my favorite moments from this episode is the deep conversation with Tjada talking about courage (at 27 minutes if you want to jump right to it.)

When I asked her what courage has to do with being a leader, she said: "There is a personal courage all leaders have because they are willing to say 'Hold me accountable' when they take on the role of a leader."

She continues, “Courage is taking risks. If no one is upset or ruffled by your decisions, then you might not really be making change. There is courage in moving the status quo. What got you to where you are now is not the thing that will take you to the next level."

Tjada shares her personal definition of courage (which I loved so much I jotted it down as she spoke): "Courage is a willingness to be wrong, a willingness to admit you make mistakes, and a willingness to ask for help."

Thank you Tjada for sharing your leadership story, and for your candor on this episode. You are leading Mercy Corp with courage and honesty even in the face of conflict.

This week, the Lessons from Leaders guest is Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the President and CEO of Mercy Corps. We are honored to have her as our guest so shortly a...

19/09/2022

This week, we have Paige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center, as our guest on Lessons from Leaders.

As I have long been watching the work of The Carter Center, it is a pleasure to sit down with Paige.

We jump right into the conversation:
What is it like to lead right now?
How has communication changed?
What are you hearing from your organization?

Transparency, authenticity, and togetherness, are all qualities that Paige demonstrates. She admits that it took her time and effort to find the balance of the right amount of communication within her team and organization. The lesson she has learned and shares with us around organizational communication is a vital one.

“There is so much noise out there. People say there is no such thing as over-communication [referring to meaningful communication] but I think since we spend so much time at our screens - and keeping up with our inboxes - that we, in fact, may be over-communicating.” - Paige Alexander

Thank you, Paige, for your time, lessons, and for your baking tips (you have to listen in for that.) In this episode, Paige quotes former President Jimmy Carter, and I would like to echo her in leaving you with this:

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” - Jimmy Carter

—

About Paige

Paige Alexander joined The Carter Center as chief executive officer in June 2020. Paige has had a distinguished global development career with over two decades of experience spanning the government and nonprofit sectors. She has held senior leadership positions at two regional bureaus of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), covering missions and development programs in 25 countries.

This week, we have Paige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center, as our guest on Lessons from Leaders.As I have long been watching the work of The Carter Center...

12/09/2022

"If people aren’t failing, then I think that possibly they are actually not pushing beyond the envelope. They are not innovating, or not going for that hard thing and stretching. That's why it is important to recognize and celebrate failure.” Michèle Laird

This week I sat down with Michèle Laird, the Senior VP for Programs at Pact. I love Michèle’s take on failure and the importance to try and be willing to fail, even sharing that when her family is sitting around the table for dinner she asks them, "What did you fail at today?"

Michèle talks about normalizing failure and encouraging looking at what may not have gone "correctly" and learn from what happened.

She also shared a blurb from Janet Finch, the author of White Oleander, who says, “The Phoenix must burn to emerge.” Michèle says that a big ‘burning failure' may not be the goal, but that the lessons learned from failure are ones she encourages all entrepreneurs, CEO's, and leaders, to use to further evolve.

Evolution, innovation, reflection, and impact are all words Michèle used to define values in her organization. Also discussing leading from love, Michèle notes how leading from love can be a calming force to reaction in the face of mistakes, unexpected turmoil, or failures.

"Having conversations from your heart is really important and people will feel that, hear that, and understand they are safe. They will understand they can try new things and if it doesn't go as planned, that's okay.... it helps us to react and lead better."

Michèle wisdom on her core values and principles in this episode is palpable.

Thank you to Pact for sharing another organization member with us this week, we are so grateful!

To connect with Pact: pactworld.org/
To connect with Michèle Laird on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Michele_Laird
To connect with Michèle Laird on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelelaird/?viewAsMember=true

https://youtu.be/lJfsvqVYhqI

"If people aren’t failing, then I think that possibly they are actually not pushing beyond the envelope. They are not innovating, or not going for that hard ...

29/08/2022

Lucia Nasser, President for Vital Voices in Honduras joins us in the leader’s chair to share about Vital Voices, coming back to in person post pandemic, and a personal story about the deep dive into personal growth and what that has to do with leadership.

“When we think of leadership, we usually think of a leader's skills. We focus on the 'what', the 'where', the 'how' and the 'why'. In my personal journey, I have found that the 'who' is very important. Who is that leader? Who is the one coming up with these ideas?” Lucia tells us in this episode.

The take away I would encourage all leaders to pull from this episode is practicing a pause in your day, to identify those important questions Lucia describes: What do you want to accomplish? Where will you focus? And who do you want to be?

It is easy to get caught up in tasks lists and responsibilities, thinking of what a ‘normal leader’ does or should do, but as Lucia mentions, “This [questioning and thinking] has allowed me to see things differently, to see things with more liberty. Now, my leadership is full of freedom and openness, where before I was more rigid and full of preconceived notions that things had to be a certain way.”

This is a great episode for every leader needing a reset on their passion and purpose.

Thank you Lucia for being courageous and joining me in this episode.

Lucia Nasser, President for Vital Voices in Honduras joins us in the leader’s chair to share about Vital Voices, coming back to in person post pandemic, and ...

15/08/2022

This week I sat down with Janti Soeripto, the President and CEO of Save The Children US.

Janti's story of leadership is diverse and unique in her experience. With 20 years in the consumer sector, selling tissues, diapers, and -- as she mentions -- even frozen peas, she shares the similarities and the differences in her leadership upbringing to where she is now.

This episode is not just a must listen because of Janti's story to leadership, but because of our conversation regarding her story of her current leadership. When we started talking about what it is like to lead in this climate of the ever changing workforce, social injustice, a pandemic, and much more, here is what Janti started with:

"You have to be constantly adaptive... The process of planning, thinking of the worst thing that could happen, and thinking of the best thing that could happen, while that is valuable, but do not put too much emphasis on what the outcome could be months from now, because who could have predicted what was going to happen [in the last 2 years]. Let it go. Stay curious about what we don't know."

Janti is a seeker of knowledge, innovation, and wisdom, it is something I deeply admire and loved to glean from in this episode.

I am excited to share this with you and look forward to your takeaways.
Thank you Janti for sharing your time, your story, and your insights.

https://youtu.be/JdAgp5xEqVQ

This week I sat down with Janti Soeripto, the President and CEO of Save The Children US. Janti's story of leadership is diverse and unique in her experience....

01/08/2022

Welcome back, we are thrilled to host Esther Benjamin, CEO and Executive Director of World Education Services.

I have known Esther for many years, through organizations and position changes; it is fulfilling to see the successes she has accomplished and contributions she has made, and to be able to share those moments with you.

From Sri Lanka, her family was seeking opportunity which Esther has created time and time again for herself and others, living, working, and traveling in over 100 countries, and organizations across sectors.

Summarizing all of the journey together, Esther said, “The theme through my work experience would be: drive impact at scale.”

International students, refugees, immigrants, are at the heart of the work of World Education Services. Real empathy and appreciation come authentically from her own personal experience of immigrating to the United States.

Real. Honest. Hopeful. Those are the words I would use to describe this episode. Can’t wait for you to listen.

https://youtu.be/CDprNjQVLg8

Welcome back, we are thrilled to host Esther Benjamin, CEO and Executive Director of World Education Services.I have known Esther for many years, through org...

08/07/2022

Through the Magnifying Glass: Nine Trends For the Global Development Sector in 2022

Join us to learn about the challenges and opportunities leaders in the global development sector face today. Based on CEO interviews with leaders earlier this year, myself and Tom Dente will share our results and lead a robust discussion of the forces at play. This 90-minute virtual session will include small group discussions where participants can share their own insights on the 2022 trends and help identify solutions to the current challenges in global development.

https://sidw.org/event-details/631

07/07/2022

In this episode, Ashok Regmi, Executive Director of Street Law, Inc. shares his leadership path with us.

Originally from Nepal, his leadership trajectory started when he worked to establish the first FM channel to use the power of radio to engage and develop a concept to bring education to his community.

He came to the US for schooling, but it was outside of the classroom that he learned real life strategies of leadership sharing. “Development works well when people closest to the problems are put into leadership and they own the solutions. This was the philosophy for how I worked through my career. I would ask, ‘How do we get the people on the local level, and put them in the decision making platforms and spaces?’”

Today, Ashok works with Street Law, Inc. to leverage the power of education to empower people for justice.

I learned a lot from Ashok in our conversation and took quite a few notes for my own journey. I hope you do the same.

Thank you Ashok for sitting down with me and sharing your journey. It was a pleasure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJgHekuGBp4&list=PLh1caAK_8q7wfwv3j6Mkw1KRz7os4H2pe&index=2

In this episode, Ashok Regmi, Executive Director of Street Law, Inc. shares his leadership path with us.Originally from Nepal, his leadership trajectory star...

07/07/2022

Lucia Nasser, President for Vital Voices in Honduras joins us in the leader’s chair to share about Vital Voices, coming back to in person post pandemic, and a personal story about the deep dive into personal growth and what that has to do with leadership.

“When we think of leadership, we usually think of a leader's skills. We focus on the 'what', the 'where', the 'how' and the 'why'. In my personal journey, I have found that the 'who' is very important. Who is that leader? Who is the one coming up with these ideas?” Lucia tells us in this episode.

The take away I would encourage all leaders to pull from this episode is practicing a pause in your day, to identify those important questions Lucia describes: What do you want to accomplish? Where will you focus? And who do you want to be?

It is easy to get caught up in tasks lists and responsibilities, thinking of what a ‘normal leader’ does or should do, but as Lucia mentions, “This [questioning and thinking] has allowed me to see things differently, to see things with more liberty. Now, my leadership is full of freedom and openness, where before I was more rigid and full of preconceived notions that things had to be a certain way.”

This is a great episode for every leader needing a reset on their passion and purpose.

Thank you Lucia for being courageous and joining me in this episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANkfKHHyPIk&list=PLh1caAK_8q7wfwv3j6Mkw1KRz7os4H2pe

Lucia Nasser, President for Vital Voices in Honduras joins us in the leader’s chair to share about Vital Voices, coming back to in person post pandemic, and ...