May 26, 2020
Why am I willing to measure success in inches and not miles, you wonder?
Many reasons including what happened in the last week: two women reached out *asking* for a Peer Coaching Call to help them grow in their career.
One woman said to me after being a member for *10* years that she is finally ready to say out loud that she wants to be the CEO of her digital business. So she asked if other CEOs could help her think about how to evolve her career to make that happen.
Hooray!
It’s taken 15+ years of organizing inch by inch to build a community where leaders will – on their own without prompting from us – ask for help on hard and important questions.
Once someone asks for help we can open the floodgates. We have thousands of leaders ready to help because *giving* help is an honor. It’s fun. It’s gratifying.
But we need leaders to ask first. That’s the trigger that makes everything possible.
And – here’s the catch – asking for help is hard.
Even people — like me, for example – who think they are good at asking for help can sometimes stay silent. In fact, I’ve learned that when we most need help we are *least* likely to ask.
That’s where the community comes in.
If each of us sees *other* leaders asking for help, then it makes it easier for us to do the same.
So, yes, it’s inch by inch by inch.
But each inch is a real victory.
Best,
Phyl
P.S. We have lots of great talks coming up and archives worth watching. See below. Email Britany if you’d like an invite.
Most Popular Recordings
- Dan Ariely: How COVID-19 Changes Consumer Behavior
- Leading the NBA during Coronavirus
- Brainstorming on Zoom
- InVision: Best (and worst) Practices of a Remote Workforce
Upcoming Sessions
- The Gender Gap in Film – two-part session on Thu, May 28 @8pm ET for the Watch Party, and Fri, May 29 @12pm ET for QnA and Discussion
Diana Martinez, Ph.D., Film Streams’ Artistic DirectorFirst, we’ll host a watch party on Thu, May 28 at 8pm ET and individually watch the documentary ‘Half the Picture’, about the disparity in women directors in film, on Amazon Prime while chatting about it live on a special Slack channel. Then, on Fri, May 29 @12pm ET, Diana will join us for a QnA based on what you’ve seen. (Note: this was originally scheduled as an in-person “adventure” for Council members meeting in Omaha). Email Britany if you’d like an invite.
- The Art of Transformation: Beyond Control – Fri, June 5 @12pm ET
Pete Anderson, VP, Agile Experience Owner, Transformation Office, US Bank
We recently learned that longtime CG member, Pete Anderson, has been preparing to give a TEDx talk on his professional learnings from two Fortune 125 Transformation efforts. To get some practice under his belt, Pete will be doing a dry-run of his talk for the CG community.
Email Britany if you’d like an invite.
And, email Britany if you’d like to schedule a dry-run of a talk you are preparing (members only).
- Leadership Lessons from the Early Innings of COVD-19 – Tue, June 9 @3pm ETElizabeth Harz, CEO, SitterCity.com
When the world changed overnight with the COVID-19 pandemic it created immediate and enormous challenges—but also the opportunity to make a difference. These are the times in our lives that truly reveal and define us.This is the story of what Elizabeth Harz, CEO of SitterCity.com learned in the first innings of this pandemic. Email Britany if you’d like an invite.
- ‘Animals Included’ at the Zoomaha Zoo – Wed, June 10 @4pm ET
Tina Cherica, President & CEO of the Omaha Zoo Foundation, and Cheryl Morris, Ph.D., Vice President of Conservation, Omaha ZooMost don’t know that Omaha is home to one of the top 3 zoos in the world. Further, it holds this position largely because of its intense focus on conservation and user experience – including that of its 4-legged, winged, aquatic, and amphibious customers. Tina Cherica and Cheryl Morris will talk about how the Zoo has built a vigorous program of scientific investigation in the fields of molecular genetics, reproductive physiology, nutrition, and conservation medicine. And then they will take us behind-the-scenes with some of the zoo’s residents. (Spoiler: one of them is from the Indian subcontinent, the other from sub-Saharan Africa. One more hint: one has a prehensile lip and the other teams up with her cousins and sisters to hunt. Can you guess which animals you’ll be meeting?) Email Britany if you’d like an invite.
- Getting Started with Visual Methods – Thu, June 18 @12pm ET
Summer Koide, Senior Director of New Ventures, TargetIf you’ve ever seen Graphic Recording live at a conference, or been the benefactor of a visual facilitator for an offsite or workshop, you may have seen the power that visuals can bring to any group setting. Join this adventure to get started with the basics of visuals. Council member Summer Koide from Target will talk about why visuals work, how visuals can appear in your work, and instruct you through some hands-on practice. This session is designed for beginners and those interested in clearing the first hurdle in your visual journey. All you need is paper and a pen – bonus points if you scrounge up drawing utensils in multiple colors. Email Britany if you’d like an invite.
Recent Talks and Activity Recordings
- The Future Path of the Pandemic
Kirk Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Global Environmental Health at University of California, Berkeley
UC Berkeley’ s Professor Kirk Smith is a leading epidemiologist and public health scientist and will be joining Phil for a live QnA. Smith is currently a Professor of Global Environmental Health, the founder and co-Director of the university’s Global Health and Environment Program, and Associate Director for International Programs at the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. Special thanks to member George Eberstadt who invited Professor Smith to speak to us.
- Diversity, Inclusion, and the Museum Experience
Jack Becker, Ph.D., Executive Director & CEO, Joslyn Art Museum
Over the last several years Jack Becker and his team at the Joslyn Art Museum have prioritized a diversity initiative – ranging from special exhibitions to diversifying the permanent collection (including acquiring works of art from Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, and Maria van Oosterwyck). Jack will take members on a behind the scenes Zoom tour of the Museum’s ‘evolution of access.’ (Note: this was originally scheduled as an in-person “adventure” for Council members meeting in Omaha).
- Dan Ariely: How COVID-19 Changes Consumer Behavior (YouTube)
Dan Ariely, James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University
Dan Ariely, the best-selling author of Predictably Irrational and other books, is an Israeli-American professor and global authority on behavioral economics. He advises governments and a range of corporations on behavioral economics and policy including now during this global pandemic, and on this webinar he shared how COVID-19 may affect consumer behavior now and in the long-term. Special thanks to member Doug Claffey for inviting the wonderful Dan Ariely to speak to us.
- How Buffett Built a Pandemic-Proof Company (YouTube)
Phil Terry, Founder & CEO, Collaborative Gain
I teach a number of key concepts and values including what Buffett calls Noah’s principle: “Predicting rain doesn’t count; building arks does.” And what an ark Berkshire has become. I walk listeners through a brief history of the company, its culture and values, and show how Buffett has designed a pandemic-proof company.
- Fireside Chat with Don Graham (No Recording)
Don Graham, Chairman, Graham Holdings
Don Graham was the longtime CEO and Chairman of the Washington Post Company (now he is the Chairman of Graham Holdings). Graham and Buffett have been friends for almost 50 years and both joined the board of the Washington Post Company at the same time in the early 1970s. Buffett became a longtime mentor to Graham and has publicly said Graham is one of the smartest people he’s ever met. Phil adds that Graham is also one of the most humble and genuine. We spent 90 minutes in a fireside conversation with Don. Terrific.
- Leading the NBA during Coronavirus (YouTube)
Mark Tatum, Deputy Commissioner and COO, NBA
Mark Tatum is second in command of what is now a ~$9 billion multi-media, content-streaming global juggernaut with a 215 country footprint. Tatum has been instrumental in many historic initiatives including the first NBA game in Africa, the launch of seven NBA Academies around the world for youth and elite development, and the debut of the Jr. NBA World Championship, a first-of-its-kind global youth basketball tournament. His portfolio includes the league’s accelerating new-technology push, which has gained momentum since the crisis. Mark joined us to talk about what he’s learned in real-time about leading during this massive upheaval, including thoughts on how technology may change the game and when the league might re-open.
- 2008 vs. 2020 – Financial Crisis vs. Pandemic (YouTube)
Dean Cecilia Rouse, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton
Professor Cecilia Rouse is the Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and one of the top economists in the world, as well as one of very few African American women in the upper levels of the profession. A member of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers in 2009-2011, she spoke with us about the difference between the crisis we face today and the financial crisis of 2008.
- Virtual Wine Tasting (YouTube)
Anthony Giglio, New York-based sommelier, journalist, and author
A Virtual Wine Tasting with Anthony Giglio, one of the most entertaining wine and spirits authorities on the planet. He is a writer, educator, curator of the Amex Centurion lounge wine program and raconteur who motivates countless imbibers to trust their own tastes and relax the rules. Anthony led us through a tasting using what most of us have in our wine cabinet already – something sparkling.
- Brainstorming on Zoom (YouTube)
Elizabeth Peaslee, human-centered design practitioner, educator, facilitator, and coach, and CG Councils moderator
While you have some of the basics of remote working down, you probably are finding it hard to brainstorm, ideate, and innovate with everyone on your team working remotely. If that’s true for you — and it’s for most of us — then watch to this session where CG Moderator Elizabeth Peaslee ran training on tools and frameworks you can use to brainstorm remotely.
- Managing Pressure During the Covid-19 Crisis (YouTube)
Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry, President and Co-Founder, IHHP
Everyone is feeling the effects of these uncertain times. Tough decisions need to be made; difficult conversations need to take place. Emotional intelligence expert Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry explained how to use emotional intelligence to best manage your team and the tough decisions and conversations you face through this challenging time.
- See talks from the last month and beyond here.
