A Seat at the Table

In this episode, Ilene Gordon, former CEO & Chairman of Ingredion, and her husband, Bram Bluestein, former management consultant, share their advice and successful strategies for dual-career families. Juggling family, relationships and work responsibilities is not an easy task, but over the course of their 40+ years of marriage, Ilene and Bram learned how to balance their robust careers while employing creative methods to stay connected and engaged as a family. The priorities and insights that they share in this episode expand upon concepts from their recent book, Doubling Down: The Secret Sauce for Dual-Career Families.

Discussion Questions

We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:

1. What are your non-negotiables around family and work?

2. What trade-offs have you made in order to maintain those non-negotiables?

3. Do you have rituals -- like Ilene's and Bram's Sunday-night dinners -- that you have put in place to help you stay organized as a family?

4. How do you or other leaders in your organization model work-life balance?

HIGHLIGHTS:

First Encounters: 5:38

Issues Facing Dual-Career Couples: 8:03

Finding Your Non-Negotiables: 12:06

Modeling the Behavior as Leaders: 16:30

Making Inevitable Trade-Offs: 21:15

Being Inventive to Make it All Work: 23:19

In this episode, three women leaders from Boise Cascade discuss the organization's foray into their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey. Leading Women Executives Fellows Jo Barney, Vice President Western Operations (Fall, 2021), and Bertha Villalobos, Engineered Wood Products National Accounts Manager (Fall, 2022), are joined by Trina Finley Ponce, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director, as they share the challenges that Boise Cascade is overcoming and the goals the company is striving to achieve through this important and impactful effort.

Discussion Questions

We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:

1. What is your company doing to create a sense of belonging and an environment where all employees can bring their authentic selves to work?

2. How are you using your voice and 'seat at the table' to create pathways for other women?

3. What advice would you give to women who are working to overcome the "confidence gap"?

4. What questions are you and your organization asking 'why' about when it comes to DEI efforts?

HIGHLIGHTS:

Building the Foundation for DEI at Boise Cascade [7:13]

Embracing Differences [12:17]

Navigating Conversations to Foster Change (14:37)

The Importance of Being Intentional When Recruiting and Hiring (20:00)

Keep Asking "Why?" (23:41)

Boise Cascade's DEI Accomplishments to Date (29:23)

Words of Advice (32:32)

Linda Nolan, Senior Managing Director at Northern Trust, and Leading Women Executives Fellow (Fall, 2011), shares how core values provide a foundation for leadership style; and how alignment of your values with those of your employer can empower you to lead with your colleagues' and clients' best interests in mind. Linda discusses how embracing this servant leadership philosophy guides her professional and civic roles, where she strives to lead with kindness and compassion.

Discussion Questions

We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:

1. What is the personal, family and community legacy you want to leave behind?

2. In the spirit of "People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care", what are ways you can authentically convey as a leader how much you care?

HIGHLIGHTS:

Finding the Right Space and Place as a Leader [5:18]

The Financial Power of Women [8:07]

What Executives Need to Understand [12:13]

Women and Philanthropy [13:33]

Focus on the Servant Leadership Model [18:06]

In this episode, Deborah Gordon, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief Legal Officer for Memorial Hermann Health System, discusses her career journey and becoming an authentic leader. Deborah explores issues that many women leaders face, including building an executive brand, overcoming imposter syndrome and investing in your own personal and professional development.

SHOW NOTES:

The Opportunities and Challenges of Working in the Healthcare Industry [4:27]

Expanding into New Roles [8:57]

Executive Brands are Always Evolving [12:09]

Finding Your Authentic Self as a Leader [14:06]

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome [17:42]

How to Step Up as a Leader [20:34]

The Benefit of Bi-Directional Relationships [23:18]

Connecting with the Community [31:40]

Discussion Questions:

· How are you actively working to evolve your personal brand?

· What are some examples of authentic leadership that you have observed recently?

· What do you tell yourself/others you mentor to help overcome feelings of imposter syndrome?

· How can you find ways to connect with your community and reap the benefits of those networks and new opportunities?

There are many benefits to serving on a not-for-profit board, including helping to fulfill an organization's mission, expanding your skillset and broadening your network. Finding the right fit and understanding the expectations of Board membership is important to ensure an optimal experience. In this episode, Leading Women Executives Fellows Aimee Nolan and Sara Granack discuss their experiences serving on not-for-profit Boards, and how they have benefitted by serving as civic leaders.

Aimee is Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Chief IP Counsel at Grainger, and currently serves as the Board Chair for the Alzheimer's Association, Illinois Chapter (Leading Women Executives, Spring 2014). Sara is Vice President, Corporate Communication & Reputation at CDW, and is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors for Bernie's Book Bank (Leading Women Executives, Spring 2015).

SHOW NOTES:

About Bernie's Book Bank and the Alzheimer's Association [9:06]

The Inspiration to Get Involved [12:27]

Doing Your Research – What You Need to Understand [16:08]

Getting Started: How to Get Involved [20:06]

Opportunities to Develop New Skills [22:54]

Expanding Your Network Through Board Service [25:30]

Understanding the Expectations of Being a Board Member [27:31]

Discussion Questions:

· What issues would you like to make an impact on outside of work?

· What types of non-profits align with those issues?

· Who in your network could help you get connected to non-profits that focus on these issues?

· What professional skills might a non-profit Board help you build?

In this inaugural episode of Season 4, Mary Ann Korenic, CEO of The Chicago Trust Company at Wintrust Wealth Management, shares her leadership and life journey. Having faced numerous personal and professional hardships, Mary Ann shares her perspectives on facing adversity and discusses how these challenges forced her to persevere and ultimately, conquer new summits.

Many thanks to Discover for sponsoring the 2023 Season Podcast of "A Seat at the Table".

SHOW NOTES:

[2:15] The Path to Becoming CEO

[7:23] Skills Executive Leaders Need

[9:35] Learning to Be Better, Not Bitter

[12:00] Facing Health Challenges

[13:58] Persevering Through the Impossible

[17:00] Career Summits: Helping Others to Grow and Lead

[19:46] The Benefits of Board Service

[23:24] Don't Call Them "Resolutions"…Call Them "Continual Improvements"

Discussion Questions:

· How are you pushing yourself to not have to be in every meeting, or step away from some of the details, to allow yourself time to focus on more strategic issues?

· Can you think of a situation where you might have achieved a better outcome if you had used the 'power of the pause'?

· How are you taking care of your own health and well-being, and how are modeling that for your team so that they also make their health a priority?

· Where might there be an opportunity for you to tap someone on the shoulder and offer them a stretch opportunity?

In this episode, Deb DeHaas, CEO of Corporate Leadership Center, talks with Michelle Banks as she discusses her career journey and the key inflection points that led her to her current role as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Kohl's. Michelle articulates the many ways that Kohl's is working to surpass its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion goals across the key pillars of people, community, and customers. She also highlights the valuable role Kohl's Business Resource Groups (BRGs) serve, bringing diverse perspectives and strategic ideas to the table, and championing a culture of inclusion and belonging.

SHOW NOTES:

Driving Results Through People [6:59]

How Kohl's is Achieving its DEI Goals [8:29]

Creating a More Inclusive Culture [11:25]

Leveraging the Voice of Business Resource Groups [12:28]

Connecting with Diverse Customers [16:17]

Supporting Supplier Diversity [18:56]

Engaging the Board of Directors in Achieving DEI Goals [24:03]

Finding one's leadership voice and style is never easy, and for women of color, it can be particularly challenging. Often women of color find themselves facing social and cultural constraints as the "firsts" in corporate leadership roles and feel pressured to conform in order to advance in their careers. In this episode, Valerie Purdie Greenaway, Professor of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University and Leading Women Executives faculty member, and Deepa Purushothaman, Co-Founder of nFormation and the author of The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, discuss their research on the challenges of being a woman of color in business, and how companies can help to mitigate these issues.

SHOWNOTES:

Negotiations as a Form of Social Justice [3:30]

Finding Patterns in the Experiences of Women of Color [5:34]

The Challenges of Corporate America [7:35]

Creating Environments for Women of Color to Thrive [11:30]

Negotiate for What You Need and What You Want [16:21]

The Lonely Only Trap [20:30]

Strategies and Words of Wisdom [26:12]

Career transitions provide a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect before embarking on new ventures. Oftentimes, insights gleaned during this period help to guide future decisions, both professionally and personally. Having recently left JLL as Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Mary Bilbrey (CEO Perspectives alumna, 2019) reflects on her career journey and lessons learned as a result of the pandemic. She also shares valuable perspectives on how companies can foster ongoing employee engagement and build a powerful corporate culture.

SHOWNOTES:

Considering the Next Career Chapter [2:00]

How to Think About Employee Engagement [5:32]

Putting Your Own Mask on First [7:02]

Advice on Transitioning to a New Role or Company [8:44]

Influencing Culture in Your Organization [11:07]

The Most Important Leadership Capabilities to Cultivate [16:35]

Developing Diverse and Inclusive Cultures [18:57]

Every business leader can benefit from greater insight on how to collaborate more effectively with their in-house legal team. In turn, every legal team can provide greater impact when viewed as a strategic partner, collaborating with the business to achieve its goals.

In this episode, Laura Wood, General Counsel, Zoro US; Leading Women Executives alumna, Spring 2019; and Tamela Merriweather, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Northern Trust; Leading Women Executives alumna, Fall 2018, discuss their work to build relationships within their organizations and showcase the strategic value of the legal function in business.

SHOWNOTES:

The Impact of the Leading Women Executives Program [1:46]

How In-House Lawyers Can Help Drive Business Outcomes [4:11]

Understanding the Legal Aspects of Product Development [9:54]

Contracts are Actually Business Roadmaps – What You Need to Know [11:58]

"What Happens If…" – Understanding Termination Rights [14:48]

How to Develop Strong Relationships with Your Legal Team [21:29]

Recommended Reads [28:28]