Gracious Strong

As the nation turns a corner with vaccinations and corporate America slowly reopens, we as leaders are faced with a wave of decision making about how to remain safe as we return to the workplace and embrace what is to come. That is why our ability to master change and make sense as we re-engage in the face of uncertainty will be absolutely critical.

Today's podcast is all about 'Six Strategies for Mastering Change and Building More Resilience', which is the #1 issue I'm asked to speak about and, of course, it's top of mind as we experienced the past year.

We'll dive into:

• The six steps for mastering disruptive change

• Three core assets of the most resilient leaders and best determining your level of resilience

• How to combat the greatest enemy to growth -- complacency

I also share a story about how we identified top leaders within the talent development division at Walmart U.S. based on six core leadership competencies.

The tables are turning. Can you feel it? Are you ready for it?

I recently had a fireside chat with the team at Bic Company during their North America town hall event. Their focus for Women's History Month was to hear from women who were the 'firsts' in their company and/or their industry. In this episode, I share some of the good, the bad and the ugly of the hard-right decisions and sacrifices that were made by both myself and my family. I even share thoughts about the very abrupt experience of losing my husband to a sudden heart attack at the height of my career. As you listen, we'll walk through:

• What to do when you keep hitting a glass ceiling
• Work-life integration (because I DON'T believe in balance)
• The good and bad impacts of moving to a virtual workplace model
• How organizations can revamp their pipelines to ensure their best talent reaches the top
• Should women self-promote themselves to reach the top? (you may be surprised by my answer to this one)
• How to break through your most captive limiting beliefs

The unknown can manifest itself in so many ways. During my career at Walmart Inc. - I led teams through seven CEO transitions under the most scrutinizing circumstances. Each new CEO brought their own priorities and leadership style. Some came from inside the company and culture; some joined from the outside. In every case, there was disruption and a sense of insecurity as we all adjusted to the new leader.

So, for the very first episode of my new Gracious & Strong podcast, I've chosen to kick off with one of my favorite topics - The Gracious and Strong Mindset. I'll unpack how the very best and most compelling leaders use this mindset to ignite a sense of purpose within themselves and those around them. I even share a very personal experience of how I faced the unknown after I was diagnosed with COVID-19, which I am thankfully fully recovered from.