Empowering Leadership

Leadership is built on a person's relationships, experiences, their own unique drive to succeed. Today's guest on Empowering Leadership has deeply moving and profound ties to all of these.

Jesse Milan is CEO of AIDS United in Washington DC-based non-profit that has funded and advocated for AIDS research, therapy, community programs and more in its 30-year history.

Jesse joins host Doug McVadon to talk about his journey to his current position, including a personal tragedy that shaped the focus of his work. He also speaks about his father, who was the first African-American school teacher in a Kansas public school, as well as a highly-revered organizer and social justice advocate. They also touch on the similarities between HIV and COVID, the impacts of social justice and the workplace, and what Jesse sees as the future of leadership in a post-pandemic world.

If YKK sounds familiar, but you're not quite sure where you've seen it, you're not alone. YKK is the Japanese company that makes many of the world's zippers that you might find right now in the pants you're wearing.

Today's guest on Empowering Leadership is Jessica Cork, who has spent time working in the Japanese Consulate before transitioning to the private sector and working with YKK.

Jessica talks to host Doug McVadon about her affinity towards Japanese culture growing up, living in working in Japan, and how the hallmarks of Japanese social culture impact business in ways that are very different from what most Americans are accustomed to.

Leadership is often thought of as how we present ourselves in the workplace, and how we give direction and inspiration to our colleagues and peers. Today's guest on Empowering Leadership is well versed in that world of leadership, but also has redefined leadership as a personal and spiritual endeavor as well. 

In today's episode, host Doug McVadon talks to Durham (NC) County Commission Chair Brenda Howerton about the many ways in which she has embodied leadership for herself and those around her.

Long before her career in politics, Howerton was a mother looking after two young boys. Both her sons were tragically killed by gun violence within a year of each other, one shot by police. Responding to this devastating loss, Brenda sought elective office as a way to change things. She won, and has now been re-elected three times. 

Doug and Brenda talk about Brenda's experience with loss and how she not only recovered, but also went on to start a career in politics. They also discuss how the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd has reframed the conversation about racism in workplaces and beyond.

Effective leadership depends on effective communication, and yet, communication is at the heart of almost every business breakdown. For decades, “communication” has appeared time and again on company survey results, regardless of industry or organizational size, and with employees and customers. So while the benefits of well-crafted communications are plenty, the consequences of ineffective communication can be critically damaging and even have legal and financial repercussions.

Today's guest on Empowering Leadership is Dr. Deborah Bosley, Owner and Principal of The Plain Language Group and Professor Emeritus of English at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Bosley joins host Doug McVadon to share her expertise about how to use communication as a leader, why good communication builds trust, how to meet people on their level, and how to use your "Way of Listening" in everyday communication.

Empowering a team doesn't mean you let go of the reins and put your feet up on the desk while everyone else works, according to Andrew Parlour. It actually involves a higher level of involvement with your team and holding them accountable.

On today's episode of Empowering Leadership, Andrew Parlour of the Bühler Group joins host Doug McVadon. Bühler Group is a Swiss-based, fifth generation family-owned company that employs more than 12,000 people world wide and specializes in consumer foods and machine processing. As VP of Sales for the North American region, Andrew works with his teams on a daily basis to produce outstanding results. 

Andrew and Doug talk about the value of failure, what he looks for when building a team, the hardest thing about being a leader, his background learning from his father's business, and the importance of accountability.

Welcome to Empowering Leadership, a podcast by Dorrier Underwood. If you're discovering us for the first time, get to know Dorrier Underwood by listening to this short episode featuring Doug McVadon, Dorrier Underwood Senior Consultant and President and host of Empowering Leadership. If you like what you hear, subscribe now and never miss the latest episode!