Real World Leadership

The universality and speed of social media has been a game changer for crisis management - and GCs are at the forefront. Three experienced legal leaders share how to partner with non-lawyers to manage responses and prevent reputational damage.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion gets no respect - and neither does the population it was intended to support. Gena Cox, organizational psychologist, strategic advisor and author, believes that labels are beside the point when it comes to building an inclusive organization. It's about listening and feedback, and -- most important -- RESPECT.

Leadership can be learned, but it's not a science. Dr. Tal Zaks, now a Partner at OrbiMed, was Chief Medical Officer at Moderna through the Covid vaccine development process. In this fascinating discussion, he shares how–against all odds–an unprecedented work environment created a modern medical miracle, and how he learned how to step back and allow others to come forward.

Understanding employees is a key challenge for any leader - and especially important in maximizing productivity, continuity, and effectiveness. Dr. JD Pincus, developer of AgileBrain, says "state" is more important than "trait" in understanding employees, especially in today's fraught workplace. In this podcast, Dr. Pincus explains how visuals are far more effective in capturing a person's state of being, and leading them to a better place.

The convergence of intellectual property and social justice is no longer an abstract concept. The "Unleashing American Innovators Act" is now federal law. Lateef Mtima, the Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice explains the implications for both businesses and individual creatives.

A legendary CEO and one a groundbreaking scientist share their insights on what it takes to be a successful leader. From turning around billion dollar companies to creating the Moderna Covid vaccine, these two leaders share what it takes both internally and externally to succeed.

Beth Boland, Partner at Foley and Lardner, board advisor and advocate for women's leadership shares her insights in a wide ranging conversation with The Vanguard Network's Principal Ken Banta. Beth provides practical advice on new challenges being faced by General Counsels, and the pathway for more women to become senior leaders.

Alfreda Bradley-Coar is the Chief Legal and People Officer of the Obama Foundation. In this discussion, she shares how to four generations of team members can work effectively together, in spite of different needs, expectations and languages. Spoiler: "We even make it a little fun."

Craig Tooman has held many C-suite roles in his 25 year plus career. One common pitfall he has seen is "singular thinking," that there's only one way to solve a problem. Instead, Tooman, now President and CEO of Silence Therapeutics, favors empower a diverse team and asking them to "switch chairs." Great ideas come from many places he advises, especially in today's intense, performance-centric environment.

The handwriting is on the wall according to leadership advisor Ram Charan. In this powerful cautionary tale for CEOs, he asks critical questions: "how dependent is your company on China?" and "where are the global business opportunities?"