A Call to Lead

Today on A Call to Lead, we have a very special guest: Dr. Jill Biden. Dr. Biden's Memoir, Where the Light Enters, was released earlier this month and I hosted her for a live discussion several months ago at SAP's North America Headquarters near Philadelphia. During the eight years that Jill served in the Obama White House where her husband, Joe, was Vice President, Jill advocated for military families, women and children, STEM education, and more, while never pausing her career as a teacher. Then and now, Jill teaches English at a community college in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. In this interview, she talks about learning leadership from remarkable people, some famous and many more not famous at all. And she shared her view of the famously close relationship between former Vice President Biden and former President Obama. Here are five points that my team and I found valuable to share with you:

1. When I noted that STEM education is a focus of SAP, and confidence is key to helping students succeed, Jill agreed: "The most important thing that I can teach students, I think, is confidence. Confidence that they can do what they strive to do."
2. From watching extraordinary leaders up close, Jill says she has learned this: "To be a good leader, you have to be a really good listener and hear what people are saying to you—and be able to accept it, and do better."
3. I asked if the best leaders continue to be the best students. "Absolutely," Jill replied. "Teachers are really the best example of lifelong learners because they're constantly in their fields learning new things, researching, listening to other people, going to workshops. You know, I don't know what it's like in the corporate environment because I haven't worked there, but teachers are constantly open to new ideas and ways of learning. It's essential."
4. I asked Jill who, in her global travels, strikes her as a great leader. She named three people: Congolese gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege, Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, and Prince Harry. "I've seen him at the Invictus Games, and working with the military," she said about Prince Harry. "People in the military truly have so much respect for him because he's lived their lives. He's walked in their shoes. And he has a really nice rapport with them. So I respect him for that."
5. Leadership happens when no one is looking. "I've met so many incredible people who figure out how to make things work in their communities," Jill said. "That's the important thing, not the title."

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

Where to Listen: Subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Jennifer Morgan is a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE and President of SAP's Cloud Business Group.

I hope you enjoy Part 2 of my conversation with Malcolm Gladwell recorded during a recent live podcast taping. Celebrated journalist, best-selling author, and keen observer of the ways that people lead and succeed, Malcolm continues, in this Q&A portion of our discussion, to talk about how leaders, in every profession, should think about changing how and where we find talent. Here are two interesting points from Malcolm to add to the five points that I shared with you from Part 1 of the interview.

Malcolm shared his view on building a truly diverse team, pointing out that getting this right starts with the right definition of what it means to have a diverse team. "A lot of what we're seeing in the diversity problem is an artifact of the way we choose to look.... building a diverse workforce is made infinitely easier once you change your definition of who you're looking for."

Malcolm also talked about how institutional cultures can harden over time – and that change agents and leaders, particularly those in long-established organizations, have to look for openings and opportunity to drive change. "Institutional cultures are enormously durable. They come with a set of expectations, assumptions, patterns, and practices that persist long past their sell-by date and long past their usefulness. The trick for companies that want to change is to exploit moments of opportunities for transformation."

On this week's episode of A Call to Lead, I talk with Malcolm Gladwell, renowned journalist and best-selling author who is one of the world's foremost observers of how we live and work and lead. Malcolm has plenty to say, and it's all incredibly thoughtful, different, and relevant. He expounds on how people and businesses function amidst tech revolutions and demographic booms. He riffs on how perhaps arbitrary rules change outcomes of chess championships, LSAT scores, and potential careers. And he explains why we may need "a major re-evaluation, in every profession, of where we find talent." Malcolm and I cover that and much more. It was such a great conversation that we'll release it in two parts with the second episode dropping in the coming days. Here are five nuggets that my team and I find particularly intriguing from part 1.

1. Despite the speed of technological change we are living through, Malcolm wondered whether we underestimate the degree to which we sometimes actually struggle to explain or rationalize a technological advancement until long after it appears in the marketplace or in our lives. "I'm really struck by how long it takes us, all of us, to figure out what change means…we come to these conclusions about what something means, but way too quickly. We are sort of fooled by the pace of technological change into thinking that just because technology is moving really quickly, our explanations should have to keep pace. But in fact, what's really striking about technology is how often the technical side outruns the explanatory side."

1. Malcolm talked about how leadership styles are shaped and molded by the culture of the organization in which they lead. "The definition of a leader changes from culture to culture. There are probably a hundred different kinds of leaders. [You] need to define carefully what [you want] in terms of our own institution."

1. We discussed the gap that can exist between the type and caliber of talent an institution wants to hire and who they actually hire. "You may know what you want, but unless, in a very systematic focused way, you make a connection between what you want and what you actually go out and find, you won't do a good job. You'll fall back on old habits, and just hire.
2. Malcolm reaffirmed what I've heard from almost every leader that I've talked to – on the podcast or not – that one of the single most important leadership traits today is humility. "What I'm drawn to, overwhelmingly more and more now, is humility. As the environments that we're working in get more complicated, we need to have leaders who respect that complication—who understand that they cannot know everything."

1. I asked Malcolm about the root cause behind some of the change we are seeing in the world today, and he wondered whether the demographics and age of our society might have something to do with some of the movements that we see shaping the world. "I wonder whether we are at this moment in our history, getting very fearful in ways that would be consistent with an aging society."

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

Where to Listen: Subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Jennifer Morgan is a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE and President of SAP's Cloud Business Group.

On this new episode of A Call to Lead, you'll meet Dana Perino. Dana has seen leadership from some very interesting and unique vantage points. She served as the first female White House press secretary in a Republican administration for President George W. Bush. Today, Dana is a bestselling author, mentor, podcast host, anchor of Fox News' The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino, and co-host of Fox News' The Five. In our conversation, Dana shares lessons learned from her career journey including time in one of the most high pressure, public jobs there is: White House Press Secretary. Here are five things that my team and I found particularly insightful:

1. "I give three pieces of advice to young women: Don't be afraid to move. Find your strong voice. And choosing to be loved is not a career-limiting decision."
2. "Listening is probably the most important leadership quality that you can have."
3. "Choosing not to make a decision is a decision. It's not waffling and it's not weak."
4. To learn from smart bosses, be willing to "take the deputy job or the second-in-charge job."
5. "Find a way to be grateful every day and to express that gratitude."

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

Where to Listen: Subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Jennifer Morgan is a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE and President of SAP's Cloud Business Group.

On this week's episode of A Call to Lead, you'll meet Bob Nardelli, who has an extraordinary breadth of expertise from a series of CEO jobs: GE Power Systems, then Home Depot, and then Chrysler. Bob, who spent three decades at GE, has an incredible perspective on business, operations, and leadership in times of disruption. Here, he shares lots of great advice about building teams and finding opportunity amidst near constant global change. Here are five things that my team and I found particularly insightful:

1. Diversity is most powerful when it's practiced with its broadest definition. "When I think about diversity, it's not numbers, it's diversity of thought, diversity of opinion, diversity of ideas. Nobody has a corner on that, male or female."

1. We talked about the need for speed in a business landscape that is constantly shifting. "Change is the only constant. Like my good friend Roger Penske says, "It's like NASCAR. If I slow down, I'll get lapped, and I don't want to get lapped."

1. Don't let someone else push you to deliver an outcome that you could have achieved without any outside intervention. "It's far better to challenge yourself and win, than to be driven to the same point [by someone else]."

1. Business leaders know what shareholders and employees expect. "Be your own activist. You know what they're looking for, why give them a free throw?"

1. Purpose matters in business - and so does inspiring your team with a mission that matters. "What is prevalent today is having purpose, having mission, having integrity, having compassion and an intellect to improve upon everything you do and your team does. How are you continuing to encourage them to improve every day?"

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

On this week's A Call to Lead, we bring you one of the greatest entrepreneurs and business builders the world has ever seen: Sir Richard Branson. I had the pleasure of talking with Sir Richard at a recent event hosted by SAP Qualtrics. We discussed what makes a great, creative leader and the gaps in consumer experience he saw and exploited in building the iconic Virgin brand and disrupting industries ranging from music to airlines to telecom to space travel. Sir Richard's team was kind enough to let us take a few of the highlights from our conversation and create a short episode of A Call to Lead. Here are five points that the team felt stood out from my conversation with this one of a kind businessman, adventurer, philanthropist, and global icon.

Balance and wellness start with the individual but scale with a global mindset. Sir Richard noted that at Virgin, "We have a something…where the first thing you do is draw a circle around yourself. You make sure that you're looking after yourself, that you find time to keep fit, to keep healthy. You get the right balance...Then increase the circle a bit bigger, around your family, around your friends...around your town, your country, and ultimately when you have a global brand, you can draw a circle around the world."

We've heard this from other guests before, but Sir Richard talked (again) about the importance of leaders stepping outside their opinions to listen, learn, and challenge their assumptions: "You've got to be a good listener. If you're running a company, or if you're running a department, you know what you think. You don't need to hear your own voice speaking."

Loyalty matters. But loyalty is earned by the small things. Sir Richard talked about how important it is to put a spotlight on the all-stars that come up with great ideas. "If somebody comes up with a good idea, write it down. Thank the person. Give them credit for the idea, and they will stay with your company. They'll be very loyal."

Culture matters and so does having an engaged workforce. Sir Richard talked about how that focus is pervasive at Virgin. "Everyday, you've got to be able to go into work feeling great about it. And if you feel that your company is not behaving in the right way, try to force change within your company. Ask the company to experiment."

Building a performance-driven culture means offering great experiences to your people. Sir Richard talked about how he encourages all the Virgin companies to offer unrestricted vacation time to all employees. "At Virgin, we encourage all our companies to give indefinite holiday time. Paid. People get the work done, and they give back 100% in return. So in treating people as adults, the company will get everything back from those people."

We hope you enjoy this episode! You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

Where to Listen: Subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Jennifer Morgan is a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE and President of SAP's Cloud Business Group.

On this week's episode of A Call to Lead, you'll meet Van Le, Co-Founder of Xinja. I sat down with Van on a recent trip to Australia, where Xinja is the country's first "neobank," empowering customers to bank 100% digitally, via a mobile app. Van is an expert on mobile technology and customer experience. She also has an inspiring personal story. She arrived in Australia as an 11-month-old refugee from Vietnam, grew up in Perth, got a law degree, and later traded law for entrepreneurship. I sat down with Van in Sydney, Australia. We shared ideas about technology, team-building, and the parallels between parenthood and leadership. Here are some highlights from what Van told me:

1. There are many commonalities between being a parent and being a leader, including how you deal with the unexpected. Van noted that "the way in which you deal with the unpredictable teaches your kids about what to accept and how to respond."
2. Expectations matter. Van: "One of the easiest ways to erode a leadership relationship is to not be aware of the expectations people have of you as a leader."
3. It's more important than ever to acknowledge great performers and great performances by your people. Van made the point that, "the absence of acknowledging that someone did something [great] can leave people feeling like they're invisible."
4. Customer experience matters now more than ever. Disruptors and new entrants to market are filling gaps in the customer experience. Van noted that in the experience economy, your customers must love you: "We need to think about what makes our customers feel loved."
5. Embrace your curiosity and remember that if you think have all the answers, it's even more likely that you don't. Van: "Knowing all the answers upfront is a very fragile place to be."

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

This week on A Call to Lead, you'll meet Julie Sweet, who is CEO of Accenture North America. Julie's story is remarkable. She was raised by hard-working parents who told their daughter that she could do anything. Julie ran with that ethos all the way to Columbia Law School and a partner position at law giant Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Then she did something really unconventional: Julie quit Cravath, joined Accenture as general counsel, and rose quickly to head Accenture's North American unit, where she oversees one of Accenture's largest, most strategically-important businesses. In this podcast, Julie talks about what we all have to do amidst the tech revolution and disruption: learn continuously, develop flexibility, welcome divergent views, and collaborate constantly. Here are five things that Julie said that struck my team as particularly interesting:

1. Focus on learning and be deliberate in building a learning and development plan for yourself. "If learning is strategic and important, then it needs to be treated as a business priority."
2. Think about risk-taking in your career as a positive. "Instead of thinking about fear, which is [inherently a] negative, or "I'm taking risks," start thinking about, Am I pushing myself and the organization far enough to achieve what they can achieve?'"
3. The convergence of industries means experience spanning multiple industries is important and differentiating. "In a world where you have industry convergence, you can't just have people grow in the industry; they need to understand more."
4. Learn communication skills from leaders around you that communicate well. "To become a good communicator, you need to become a student of other good communicators."
5. In moments of stress, the 'system' doesn't need more stress injected into it. It needs calm, stability, and rationality. "As a leader, the most important thing you can do is to put calm into the system, and to have people believe that you believe we can work through it."

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

This week, A Call to Lead takes us to São Paolo, Brazil, where I sat down with João Paulo Ferreira, the CEO of Natura, a fast-growing multi-billion-dollar beauty company that is both innovative and purpose-driven. João Paulo, a globetrotting former Unilever executive who goes by JP, drives purpose in so many ways—in the products Natura sells, in the way Natura operates its supply chain and its "social network" of salespeople , and even in the way the company operates its distribution center—highly customizing its facility for differently abled employees workers. JP offers fresh lessons in innovative, mission-driven leadership. Here are five points from our conversation:

1. Listening makes a great leader. The more senior you get, the more important this skill and discipline becomes.
2. Embrace topics that you don't know a lot about. Ignorance on certain topics can be frustrating, but this is also an opportunity to identify new ideas to bring back to the company to share them with the team.
3. If you are not learning as a leader, then you are going to be left behind.
4. Design your team with a mix and cross section of high-performing talent with a culture that allows every individual to flourish.
5. Leading a global in a region undergoing socioeconomic and political change means opportunity for growth - as it builds flexibility and teaches resilience in leaders.

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].

In the latest episode of A Call to Lead, I sat down with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, who has seen it all in the tech and startup worlds. Sukhinder was an early leader at Google, where she headed Asia-Pacific and Latin America operations. She went on to run startups that merged tech and fashion (Polyvore and Joyus) before taking the helm of StubHub, the online ticket exchange company owned by eBay. On the side (because Sukhinder is a master multitasker, as we all aspire to be), she founded and has continued to build theBoardlist (an online platform to help women get on corporate boards) while she serves on the board of Urban Outfitters. I could give you a dozen pieces of leadership wisdom from this conversation with Sukhinder, but I'll keep the list to five points and hope you'll listen to the entire podcast to hear the rest.

1. Sukhinder talked about what she called "operating range," what she defines as one's ability to stay strategic or operate at a tactical level when needed. "One thing I look for in [people I hire] is a principle I call operating range—the ability to think about something at 30,000 feet and at 300 feet. The ability to roll your sleeves up and be at 30 feet if that's what it takes to get the job done."

2. We discussed how important it is as a people leader to let go of trying to manage everything and instead, try to build a team that will help manage your energy and focus. "When you're operating through other people, you have to decide whether you're managing everything or you're happy to let people manage you."

3. It's important to embrace being in situations where you're uncomfortable - it's those situations, and sometimes moments of failure when you learn the most. "Don't be intimidated by the thing you don't know. Try it. I guarantee you're going to come out of it having learned something you don't know today. And by the way, failure is quite okay."

4. Sukhinder and I both serve on the boards of large companies and we talked about the fact that the results are clear on diversity in the c suite and the boardroom - companies with more diversity (of all types) at the top drive better bottom lines and better results. "If you want to modernize the boardroom, you need to modernize who's in the boardroom - who brings perspectives that are relevant to these new challenges.

5. We discussed what a challenging operating environment it is for CEOs and executives today - the sheer number of stakeholders, variables, and risks, sometimes unforeseen, seem to grow each day. And you have to operate with your head up as a result. "If I'm just heads down and I'm not aware of all the forces going on around me, my ability to do my job is fundamentally altered because out of left field is going to come something at me, which I thought I was in control of—and lo and behold, I'm not. You have to know when to be heads up. You have to know when to be heads down.

You can learn more by visiting: www.sap.com/acalltolead. And you can subscribe and listen to episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. We welcome your feedback on the pod! Tweet me @JenniferBMorgan and use the hashtag #acalltolead or e-mail us at [email protected].