Leading Forward

Episode #23 (Part II): All about Change and Simple Thinking with Richard Gerver, Acclaimed Speaker, Author, and Instructor

In Part II of Leading Forward's Season One Finale, Christie spoke with Richard Gerver. Richard Gerver has been described as one of the most inspirational leaders of his generation. He is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author, and world-renowned thinker. Richard began his career in education, most notably as headmaster of the failing Grange Primary School. In just two years, he famously transformed the school into one of the most acclaimed learning environments in the world. He was celebrated by UNESCO and the UK Government for its incredible turnaround.

Richard has since transitioned to the global stage where he uses his trademark humor and natural style to deliver passionate, provocative and authentic speeches. He draws upon the first-hand experiences and unique insights garnered from frontline education to explore the links between great leadership, human potential, change, and innovation. His ability to connect experiences across many seemingly different environments helps people to expand their thinking and perception of potential. It is this authenticity and uniqueness which has helped Richard win him global acclaim and invitations to speak on the most recognized stages, including TED, the RSA and BBC radio.

The three core principles underpinning Richard's philosophy are communication, empowerment, and impact. He argues that great leadership is first and foremost about serving the needs of the people who work for you. His mantra: systems and structures change nothing; people do.

Highlights "All about Change and Simple Thinking"

• Brand authenticity and integrity are the most important aspects to consumers.
• Today there is a higher expectation of companies to support social issues.
• “The great idea could come from anywhere, at any moment, and from any person-wherever, they are in the organization.”
• If employees feel their job has value and meaning and can see the impact of their work-that becomes a very persuasive motivator for people.
• Middle managers tend to face roadblocks by the people below them and above them.
• “Senior management should change the culture and expect the middle managers to find the superstars below them, and that is how their performance is measured.”
• If people’s pay is determined by outperforming people, then there is no incentive for collaboration and teamwork.
• “Systems and structures change nothing, people do.” This is because oftentimes the systems and structures get in the way.
• Organizational change requires a culture shift, and that takes time.
• Starting small with organizational change can achieve results much quicker than attempting to change the entire organization by a singular launch date.
• Taking people along with you means you “are not doing something to someone but they are along for the process.”
• As teachers, parents, managers, and leaders we must remember challenges bring learning, and sheltering too much becomes a hindrance to a person’s potential.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #23 (Part I): All about Change and Simple Thinking with Richard Gerver, Acclaimed Speaker, Author, and Instructor

In Part I of Leading Forward's Season One Finale, Christie spoke with Richard Gerver. Richard Gerver has been described as one of the most inspirational leaders of his generation. He is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author, and world-renowned thinker. Richard began his career in education, most notably as headmaster of the failing Grange Primary School. In just two years, he famously transformed the school into one of the most acclaimed learning environments in the world. He was celebrated by UNESCO and the UK Government for its incredible turnaround. 

Richard has since transitioned to the global stage where he uses his trademark humor and natural style to deliver passionate, provocative and authentic speeches. He draws upon the first-hand experiences and unique insights garnered from frontline education to explore the links between great leadership, human potential, change and innovation. His ability to connect experiences across many seemingly different environments helps people to expand their thinking and perception of potential. It is this authenticity and uniqueness which has helped Richard win him global acclaim and invitations to speak on the most recognized stages, including TED, the RSA and BBC radio.

The three core principles underpinning Richard's philosophy are communication, empowerment, and impact. He argues that great leadership is first and foremost about serving the needs of the people who work for you. His mantra: systems and structures change nothing; people do.

Highlights: "All about Change and Simple Thinking"

• As a parent, it can be difficult to sit back and support your child when they make decisions you may not agree with.
• “Some of our most highly qualified, highly gifted, highly talented professionals are the ones that find change most challenging.”
• People that have never failed, made mistakes or experienced real adversity tend to walk away.
• Adversity and mistakes present an opportunity for the individual to persevere.
• “The more time you invest in people at the human level, they will give it back to you in Spades.”
• Building your people up develops the most loyal, connected and capable people in your organization.
• There is no shortcut to having the best team, it starts with the leader investing in their team members.
• Psychological safety is at the core of the most successful corporations.
• “Lack of control” is a key component in a person feeling uneasy about change.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us. 

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Episode #22: Leading to Align and Motivate your Teams with Ann Hatcher, EVP & Chief Human Officer at Wellpath

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Ann Hatcher. In April of 2019, Ann Hatcher joined Wellpath as their Chief Human Resource Officer. Prior to joining Wellpath, Ann served more than two decades with HCA where she held a number of positions and was a proven healthcare and human resources leader. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated the ability to build a culture of highly effective and engaged healthcare professionals committed to delivering quality health outcomes for patients. Since joining Wellpath, she has repositioned the Human Resources team to support the execution of business results through leading candidate attraction, employee retention, and leadership development initiatives.  2020 brought a new challenge to the human resource departments across the country with the Covid-19 pandemic and the myriad of employee challenges that followed. Under Ann’s leadership not only did Wellpath announce in early April, enhanced bonuses, but also increased paid time off, and other benefits to help the thousands of frontline team members in sites providing clinical care during the coronavirus crisis. 

Highlights: "Leading to Align and Motivate your Teams"

• 2020 was the “year of HR leadership” because organizations relied heavily upon their HR team to keep moving forward.
• Getting organized and assembling key leaders is important to make sure everyone is on the same page.
• Expert council is necessary to review data and then develop a plan to accomplish the organization’s goals.
• Blurred lines can lead to burnout among staff and it is up to leaders to monitor their people.
• Communication cues act as a strong indicator of burnout. Things like looking down at your phone or cutting someone off during a call.
• Supporting a direct report or your team begins with the leader being present.
• Listen to what’s on the surface, listen to what is not being said, and then a leader can better understand how to support.
• Meaningful work, opportunity to influence, and learning something new are key motivators for many people in the job search.
• It is not the work that messes people up when they make a transition, it’s the culture.
• Do new hires read the culture, understand the culture and help move the culture to where it needs to be?
• Learning the unwritten “rules of the road” depends on relationship building and starting slow enough but getting early wins.
• The corporate office is a symbol to represent what is important in the culture.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #21: Redefining Success and Priorities of a Global Business Unit During Immense Change with Emily Poladian, President at Firestone Industrial Products

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Emily Poladian. Emily is the President of Firestone Industrial Products. As President, Poladian oversees all aspects of the FSIP business, including management of the more than 1,500 employees around the world who play an integral part in the company’s growth and commitment to designing industry-leading technology to eliminate vibration in global transportation.

Emily joined Bridgestone in June 1995.  She began her career with Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC (FSIP) as a Product Engineer and was named Sales Engineer for Industrial Sales four years later. In June of 2009, Poladian was named Manager, North and Central American Distributor Sales responsible for Aftermarket, OES, and Industrial sales.

Highlights: "Redefining Success and Priorities of a Global Business Unit During Immense Change"

• Transitioning into a new role requires a lot of navigating- developing the right structure and team.
• COVID gave an opportunity for teams to communicate more frequently and move things along more quickly.
• Leaders must be transparent with their team- it allows team members to understand the “why” around certain decisions.
• Part of leadership’s job is to have aspirations for the organization, but those aspirations have to become inspiration for members of the organization.
• Cultural sensitivity around communication is important for global teams.
• Surveys and feedback are great metrics to determine that all members are understanding what leadership is communicating.
• One-on-one conversations or small group conversations lead to better qualitative “pulse checking” to receive feedback/understand engagement from the team.
• The effectiveness of the team and its culture are indicators of a team leader’s success.
• Setting the broad vision and then empowering the leaders in your team to lead at their level in the organization.
• It is okay for women to be intentional with their goal setting (for both career and personal life), you do not need to be apologetic for any of your goals.
• Owning where you want to go, laying out the groundwork to get there, advocating for it (and yourself), and then planning accordingly will help you accomplish your plan.
• Focusing too much on the “growth areas” of the business is not sustainable, developing a balance between the “growth” and “bread and butter” leads to balanced success.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us. 

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Episode #20: Compassionate Care, Systemic Change and Mental Health at Work with Jaclyn Pritchett, SVP of Human Resources at Brookdale

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Jaclyn Pritchett. Jaclyn Pritchett is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Brookdale Senior Living.  Prior to Brookdale, she was at Bridgestone Americas, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and worked within the auto industry, government & non-profit sector, and consulting. Jaclyn previously served on the Board of Directors for MT|SHRM, and currently serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Leadership Development Program. She also currently serves on the Board for New Frontiers, and is President of the Board for Crowned for Ashes.

Highlights: "Compassionate Care, Systemic Change and Mental Health at Work"

• COVID-19 has provided businesses with a real-life case scenario that cannot be taught in training classes.
  
• A few business lessons like variables changing every day and making decisions across the nation, are products of 2020.
  
• During a crisis, an organization will be successful if the right procedures were set up prior in the weeks or months before.
  
• Recognizing your leaders, both publicly and privately, is critical for human resources.
  
• Discussions around mental health are necessary because “What’s going on at home is affecting people at work and people need to bring their whole self to work.”
  
• Recharging, “What happens during the loss of control in a crisis?”, Zoom fatigue, guilt, & burnout are conversation starters to let your people know they are not alone.
  
• What support mechanisms are set up in your organization to support your people’s mental health? What roles are dedicated to this?
  
• Step one of systemic change is integrating the new policy into the system. Step two is working to integrate it with your managers and other employees.
  
• Compassionate leadership is a tool for leading during a crisis.
  
• Growing vertically in an organization is standard. Growing horizontally is not as common and having a “playground” of options is ideal.
  
• Creating and letting people see what is possible in the organization, supports employees to develop as individuals and leaders.
  
• Taking risks and saying ‘yes’ to things that you may not check every checkbox, may seem scary at first but can pay off.
  

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #19: Driving Growth and Developing Leaders by Letting Go with Greg Baumer, CGO at naviHealth

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Greg Baumer. As Chief Growth Officer at naviHealth, Greg Baumer serves many of naviHealth’s external functions, including sales, account management, marketing, partnerships, and new solution development. Greg has spent the majority of his career focused on health care, including prior roles in healthcare investing at Advent International and healthcare consulting at McKinsey & Company. When he is not at work, Greg loves to explore Nashville’s burgeoning restaurant scene with his wife and go on “bear hunts” (i.e., family walks) with his three young kids.

Highlights: "Driving Growth and Developing Leaders by Letting Go"

• In navigating a crisis, leadership must be ready to expedite necessary change.
• To drive growth, it is important to raise your people up and equip them with the resources necessary to support them in their role.
• “If I am leading a function, my job is to build up those leaders and put them in a position to lead. They have to do it. I cannot do it for them.”
• Moving up in an organization may require letting go of the things that made you successful in your previous role.
• Outside of performance reviews, a leader should encourage their team members to have personal development goals and then check-in on their progress during one-on-ones.
• Individual goals will help the leader be accountable to allow their team to test different options that allow the team to achieve those individual goals.
• Part of the fun in business is engaging in detailed problem solving. When your role evolves you become more involved in people development, that can be hard to balance.
• As a leader, only worry about the 2-3 things that could be “catastrophic” if they go wrong. Everything else-allow your leaders to have more bandwidth.
• A “pulse-check” on the organization involves asking questions like, “How can I better support the organization” or “Are there any potential issues my leaders will face.”
• The best leaders have a great intersection of both confidence and humility.
• Having clear development goals can begin with copying your favorite leaders. Think about their story, because there is no need to “reinvent the wheel.”
• Sometimes we cannot see what is right in front of us, so just ask, it can be that simple. That shows humility and continuous growth.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #18: The Impact of Surrounding yourself with Extraordinary People with Cordia Harrington, CEO & Founder at Crown Bakeries  

In today's episode of Leading Forward, Christie spoke with Cordia Harrington. Cordia Harrington is CEO and founder of Crown Bakeries, a highly automated, high-speed baking company that bakes over 10 million baked goods daily and employs more than 800 people, serving elite customers in the United States, South America and the Caribbean. As CEO, Ms. Harrington guides the executive team to successful planning, business development, sales and marketing, and brand management.   

Highlights: "The Impact of Surrounding yourself with Extraordinary People"

• “Every leader’s job is to give hope and see the possibilities.”
• Leaders need to be resourceful and open to change.
• “Great leaders are able to deliver the truth, even when it is painful, it is hard or it hurts. Authentic leaders are not afraid to be themselves.”
• If there is disagreement in the team, is the team able to disagree and commit? To continue working together, despite the potential conflict?
• Buy-in is necessary for leadership teams. Once the team has “bought” the vision, the more excited and hopeful they are. They will then present the opportunity to their team.
• Leaders must recognize that development includes career pathing, people can select out/opt-out and life stages change, people also reprioritize their life. It is okay if team members must leave the organization, in the name of development.
• Micromanaging team members gives an impression that their supervisor does not trust them and it can spiral quickly.
• Technical and functional expertise often are qualifiers for promotions and for team members to transition “up” in the organization. However, those skills do not translate to leadership.
• Who we surround ourselves with and what we read are two factors that play into a leader's success.
• When you are around people that do extraordinary things, you realize that YOU can do extraordinary things.
• “Making money is not the most important thing, but I think it is more about overcoming challenges and doing things that you think are absolutely impossible, and it makes it so much fun.” 
• A grave mistake leaders tend to make is not thinking big enough. Instead, have hope and make one step in moving forward.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #17: Developing a Great Work Culture and Leveraging the Collective with Beth Chase, Entrepreneur

In today's episode, Christie interviewed Beth Chase. Beth R. Chase is a serial entrepreneur, corporate board director, and community leader. She was the founder and CEO of c3/consulting, growing the firm to the largest in Middle Tennessee prior to merging with Ankura Consulting Group. Beth has collaborated with c-suite leaders in an array of industries that include private equity, healthcare, finance, banking, insurance, distribution, logistics, publishing, business services, and technology. She co-founded a successful technology consulting firm prior to starting c3. Her career began with IBM, where she held a variety of sales, financial, and consulting positions.

Highlights: "Developing a Great Work Culture and Leveraging the Collective with Beth Chase, Entrepreneur"

• Working in the community is a “triple play”-you make an impact, grow your leadership skills, you’re making new connections, and growing your network.
• There isn’t one work culture that works for everyone, leaders need to find what is most natural for their organization.
• “Leverage the collective” in a work culture looks like helping and supporting one another, leaning on each other, and challenging/building on ideas.
• Leading based on your values, when done right, is not a “check-the-box” task. Instead, when it is incorporated into every aspect of the business, it becomes the company’s work culture.
• “Start with the heart,” means to look at the individual first. It does not mean you “end with the heart” (and make poor business decisions), instead, it allows you to have meaningful connections with your team.
• Employees cared more about their organizations in 2020. Employees stepped up and had an opportunity to take a new seat at the table.
• Leaders poured more into their people and reflected on how people and teams function.
• Culture is just a collection of behaviors and does not come about on its own. Great leadership is how culture is manifested.
• Great leaders must have the ability to inspire, delegate and mentor others.
• How to delegate: start by figuring out what you really love and are good at in the organization. Then determine where the holes are and delegate those items.
• Leaders must always be learning.
• Opportunities come from relationships. Networking and building relationships go hand in hand.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #16: Leveraging Change to Enhance Your Purpose and Value to All Stakeholders with Kip Hallman, President at Wellpath

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Kip Hallman, President at Wellpath. Kip has more than 30 years of diverse experience, including co-founding and growing a large national healthcare services company and leading the turnaround of a national diagnostic imaging provider. He has a passion is leading teams to achieve great results. 2020 brought extraordinary challenges not only to Wellpath but across the country with the Covid19 pandemic and the myriad of business challenges that followed. Kip’s passion for leading teams proved invaluable as an integral part of the Wellpath Covid19 Executive Task Force, made up of multi-disciplinary leaders from around the organization.  The Task Force met multiple times a week and constantly worked to ensure our partner agencies, our sites leadership and home office staff had the up to date information and resources they need to manage the pandemic and most importantly kept our staff, our partners and our patients safe. His new challenge is charting Wellpath’s “New Normal”.

Highlights: "Leveraging Change to Enhance Your Purpose and Value to All Stakeholders"

• To pivot a crisis, an organization must first have their top leaders in alignment before speaking to the rest of the team.
• Setting vision for the organization relies upon the repetitive nature of messaging to have it align across the organization.
• Communicating to make a change depends on saying it “seven times in seven different ways.”
• Leaders must be repetitive in their messaging and demonstrate that they “believe in this.”
• “If your organization is doing business the same way a year from now, as it was a year prior, then you’ve let an opportunity go by.”
• Virtual calls may allow organizations to have more touchpoints with stakeholders throughout the year, and less in person.
• Utilizing technology moving forward past COVID, will help less “wear and tear” on team members.
• Building trust within the organization is the most important thing and starts with building trust with each other and with stakeholders.
• Authenticity, integrity and doing the right thing are all critical aspects to great leadership.
• Core intention and purpose manifest in many ways depending on different leadership styles and the uniqueness of the situation.
• If you build the right type of organization, “the best people do not need to be managed.” Meaning, your organization will be a place people want to be.
• There is a difference between leading and managing your team.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #15: The Financial Impact of Leading with Transparency, Heart and Putting Employees First with Sherry Deutschmann, Entrepreneur, CEO and Author

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Sherry Deutschmann. Sherry is a serial entrepreneur, author, and passionate advocate for entrepreneurship.  In 2019, Sherry founded BrainTrust, a company dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses to $1 Million in annual revenue…and beyond. Prior to founding BrainTrust, Sherry was founder and CEO of LetterLogic, Inc., a company she grew to $40 Million and sold in 2016.  LetterLogic was named an INC 5000 company (fastest-growing privately held businesses in the US) for ten consecutive years.

Sherry attributes the success of LetterLogic to its unique culture in which the needs of the employees came before those of the customer or shareholder.  That culture led Sherry to be recognized by EY as one of their 2009 Entrepreneurial Winning Women and LetterLogic was featured in the New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Business Leaders, INC, and Fast Company.   Sherry was honored by President Barack Obama as a White House Champion of Change in 2016.

Sherry’s book, Lunch with Lucy – Maximize Profits by Investing in your People – was released in March 2020.

Highlights: "The Financial Impact of Leading with Transparency, Heart and Putting Employees First"

• Employees will not care about their work if the organization’s leaders do not care about them.
• Inspiration can come from things that are not inspiring and ideas to fix that.
• Leaders need to think about every team member, not just the ones in “glamorous” positions.
• Worrying about utility bills, child care or insurance bills takes a toll on employees. If their employer gets rid of that for them, the employer will gain “trust points.”
• How do we as leaders drive commitment to the organization and to one another?
• “I would advise anybody in leadership to take the time and break bread with the people that report to you, and it doesn’t have to be fancy.”
• Just listening to your employees doesn’t do much, acting based on what you hear creates sustainable change.
• If you treat your employees right, they won't carry the burden on their own.
• Putting employees first is a really good business model.
• “It wasn’t just my family that I was trying to support, it was those 50+ other families and their extended families."
• Empowering women is necessary and can begin in any organization.
• A byproduct of a successful business is gaining influence; it is imperative that when given a "megaphone," leaders empower all of their employees and use their influence to give everyone a better chance at success.
  

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #14: Leading with Care from a Distance and Redefining Success with Chris Bird, EVP & COO at Life Care Services

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Chris Bird. Capitalizing on his reputation as a change agent, Chris Bird brings his expertise to the communities LCS serves. By leading operations, building community occupancy, fostering capital partner relationships, and developing new business, Chris implements strategies to deliver on the expectations of owners and shareholders. As executive vice president, chief operating officer, Chris oversees Life Care Services, CPS, asset management, procurement, and onboarding operations. His ability to analyze issues, devise continuous process improvements, and incorporate business process initiatives drives performance improvement for the overall operation.    

Highlights: "Leading with Care from a Distance and Redefining Success"  

• Life Care Services put a team together to start crisis planning for COVID in late February when the first cases were being reported in the West Coast.
• Communication and recognizing the organization could experience burnout from their employees.
• It is important to ask yourself as leaders, “How can I help my team with the small things?”
• If your organization has great leaders, the leaders likely hired great people and you need to make sure you take time off. This shows that you trust your team(s).
• If your batteries die, you will not be able to meet the needs of your team.
• COVID has shown a greater rise in employee burnout because our brains need to focus harder on video calls. We may have had the same number of meetings pre-COVID, however it was easier for our brains to focus.
• Leaders need to stay focused on the need in the present. With so many potential distractions, it is important to center yourself so that you can make better decisions.
• You can only do the best you can do with the information in the moment.
• Listening can also be practiced by asking lots of questions to truly understand what your team members are saying.
• Education never ends and thinking you have nothing left to learn is going to stop a leader from growing.
• Storytelling is powerful and can include your story or someone else’s story, and lay out new perspectives or lessons to the listener.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.  

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Episode #12: Jenny Butler, CPO at Ingram Barge- The Connection Between Vulnerability, Reflection and Building a High Performing Team

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Jenny Butler, CPO at Ingram Barge. Jennifer has 30 years of professional Human Resource experience.  She started her career in Organization Development and eventually became HR leader for companies in the transportation, distribution, and professional services industries.  Currently, Jennifer is Chief People Officer for Ingram Barge Company headquartered in Nashville, TN.  In her role, she oversees Human Resources for 1750 inland waterway mariners and 500 shore associates who provide logistics and transportation services.

Jennifer’s expertise is in managing organizational change efforts like ERP implementations, M&A transactions, and business transformation.  She leverages her unique capabilities in talent assessment and change leadership to drive the success of these initiatives.  She received her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Organization Communication from Murray State University.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "The Connection Between Vulnerability, Reflection and Building a High Performing Team"

• Leading with perspective and creating plans while leading with your heart.
• It is important to understand and appreciate where customers and manufacturers are coming from. Understanding both sides is critical.
• “Lead with passion” and “not try to be what someone else is expecting you to be as a leader.”
• It is okay to be vulnerable with your team and to accept vulnerability as a leader
• Mentors are important because they help you “see yourself differently”
• “As the pace of change accelerates, we don’t have to run faster; we need to lead smarter.”
• The organization needed to be more patient and listen while being more flexible.
• Continuing to enhance the organization’s appreciation was necessary to stay active in the community.
• Communicating better as a team: transitioning to video communication and rolling out an internal social media platform to have more personal interaction.
• Weekly check-in with team members and leadership and a “pulse survey” has helped the organization pivot based on team member feedback
• Moving forward after COVID-19, the organization will have a more flexible work schedule. Managing balance in work and life is important and the pandemic has shown ways to be more intentional with communication.
• Opportunities facing the natural gas industry: to continue to invest in technology and infrastructure to utilize natural gas in different ways that are more environmentally sound.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #11: Jimmy Staton, CEO at Southern Star - Team Communication, Vulnerability & Being A Flexible Leader

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Jimmy Staton. Jimmy D. Staton serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Southern Star joining the Company in December 2016.  Mr. Staton has extensive experience in the energy industry.  Before joining Southern Star, he served as the Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors for Venture Global LNG.  Prior to his work with Venture Global, he served as Executive Vice President of NiSource and the Chief Executive Officer of the Columbia Pipeline Group, Northern Indiana Public Service Company and the Columbia Distribution Companies.

Mr. Staton served in several Senior Executive roles with Dominion Energy where he led Dominion’s Natural Gas, Electric Transmission and Distribution and Telecommunications operations.  Prior to joining Dominion Energy, Mr. Staton was President, Regulated Operations, for Consolidated Natural Gas.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "Team Communication, Vulnerability & Being A Flexible Leader"

• Leading with perspective and creating plans while leading with your heart.
• It is important to understand and appreciate where customers and manufacturers are coming from. Understanding both sides is critical.
• “Lead with passion” and “not try to be what someone else is expecting you to be as a leader.”
• It is okay to be vulnerable with your team and to accept vulnerability as a leader
• Mentors are important because they help you “see yourself differently”
• “As the pace of change accelerates, we don’t have to run faster; we need to lead smarter.”
• The organization needed to be more patient and listen while being more flexible.
• Continuing to enhance the organization’s appreciation was necessary to stay active in the community.
• Communicating better as a team: transitioning to video communication and rolling out an internal social media platform to have more personal interaction.
• Weekly check-in with team members and leadership and a “pulse survey” has helped the organization pivot based on team member feedback
• Moving forward after COVID-19, the organization will have a more flexible work schedule. Managing balance in work and life is important and the pandemic has shown ways to be more intentional with communication.
• Opportunities facing the natural gas industry: to continue to invest in technology and infrastructure to utilize natural gas in different ways that are more environmentally sound.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #10: Ray Brocato, CEO at The Next Door- How Mission Guides Decision Making and Culture 

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Ray Brocato, the CEO of The Next Door. The Next Door is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving women in crisis, equipping them for lives of wholeness and hope. The Next Door provides services to women who are impacted by addiction, mental illness, trauma and/or incarceration. In recognition of the common need among residents for mental health and addiction counseling, The Next Door provides an integrated model to address the co-occurring disorders. A professional team of counselors, case managers, nurse practitioners – both medical and psychiatric, medical doctors, masters level social work interns, mentors, and job coaches complete the staff to provide comprehensive coverage to residents’ needs.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "How Mission Guides Decision Making and Culture"

• Addiction is a ripple effect that impacts everyone around them.
  
• Recovery never ends, it is a lifelong process.
  
• Reminding team members to take time off and to take care of themselves is crucial to fight burnout.
  
• Addiction treatment is hard and a pandemic has led to an additional layer of stress.
  
• Knowing what to look for and normalizing “it’s okay to be burned out” is important.
  
• Changing an organization’s culture takes consistent work and a leader must be patient.
  
• Non-profits do not work for shareholders, they work for the people they serve.
  
• The pandemic has forced non-profits to get creative and to find new ways to fundraise, to continue serving their cause.
  
• A mission is what benchmarks tough decision making and it should guide every decision that needs to be made.
  
• Leaders must rely on the organization’s purpose to guide team members and inspire them, especially during a pandemic.
  
• Adjusting as you go is a natural part of leadership and these three questions can help in navigating decision making, “What is best for our clients? What is best for our staff? What is best for our facility?”

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #9: Leila Bryner, SVP, Employee Communications & Employee Experience at Change Healthcare- Authentic Leadership and the Value of a Diverse Team

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Leila Bryner, Senior Vice President of Employee Communications & Employee Experience at Change Healthcare. Leila provides the vision, strategy, and leadership that deepens engagement with stakeholders. Repeatedly, she has been called upon to build teams and capabilities that support communication, engagement, and experience improvements for internal and external stakeholders. A trusted advisor to several Fortune 500 CEOs and executive officers, Leila is passionate about reimagining the role of communications to drive creative and lasting results.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "Authentic Leadership and the Value of a Diverse Team"

• Change can present an organization the opportunity to be agile and try new things, by trusting your team to navigate through the change.
  
• Leadership skills should focus on being: transparent, honest, vulnerable, and having a two-way conversation.
  
• When building a team: Finding people who not only have the skills you need but the right attitude. A candidate should have an open mindset, be prone to growth, be willing to take risks, fail, learn and move on.
  
• A team that has a growth mindset and is diverse (demographically and in thought) is important.
  
• Being purposeful: What can someone new bring to the team that will “fill in the gaps?”
  
• Hire people that want to have fun. These are the people you will be spending lots of time with. You want team members you can laugh with, and liking your team members is crucial.
  
• Knowing your role and being confident in your expertise and speaking with professionals that are experts in their own fields, is a balance that leaders must learn.
  
• “Leadership does evolve over time.” As you progress as a leader, you will find that you are less focused on day-to-day task-oriented skills but more focused on the soft skills.
  
• Relationships really matter in upper management. Not looking to please people but to build relationships and build trust.
  
• Be deliberate as a leader to reflect and fight team burnout. Take time off on the weekends, don’t send emails late at night.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #8: Rob Ivy, CFO, Lee Company- How Values Anchor an Organization during Unstable Times

In today's episode, Christie had the opportunity to speak with Rob Ivy. Mr. Ivy is a strategic all-purpose executive with 25 years’ experience across a diverse set of industries. He has extensive experience managing various administrative and support services functions and has a track record of driving results by creating clarity, developing staff, and leading change. Rob leads Lee Company’s Support Services group, composed of five departments: Accounting & Finance, IT, People Services, Learning & Development, and Risk Management. He works alongside other senior executives to develop and implement financial and operational strategies across the organization. Rob also serves as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "How Values Anchor an Organization during Unstable Times"

• Anticipating change is necessary for any leader, while it is difficult to predict a pandemic, a leader must have a contingency plan and be looking for change indicators on the horizon.
• Learning to delegate and trust while monitoring team member performance, is a skill every leader must master.
• Achievement alone isn’t good enough: the end doesn’t justify the means in leadership.
• Listening to care is greater than listening to solve a problem.
• Lead from your role and “rolling up your sleeves” is not always the best approach.
• Everyone on your team should participate in how we [the organization] got there, to have true success.
• Creating Clarity: Making complex things simple; through process & improvement and managing the data.
• The lack of skilled labor is a major hurdle that anyone in the skilled trade faces.
• The southeast migration, people moving to the southeast, is the largest advantage that skilled labor has an opportunity to serve.
• Not everyone needs to go to college, and young people must be exposed to this opportunity.
• The TED platform is centered around informing and making people think, without politics, in a concise manner.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #7: Jackie Blanchard, VP, Infection Prevention, HCA Healthcare- How to Reframe and Celebrate Success during COVID-19  

In today's episode, Christie had the opportunity to speak with Eunice “Jackie” Blanchard. Jackie joined the HCA family in September 2017, as the Assistant Vice President, Infection Prevention, and reports directly to the Chief Epidemiologist and Patient Safety Officer in the Clinical Services Group.  Jackie is responsible for assuring that standards of care in infection prevention are met throughout HCA facilities, and leads the HAI reduction initiatives in partnership with key stakeholders.  

Leading Forward with Christie Berger 

Highlights: "How to Reframe and Celebrate Success during COVID"

• Jackie Blanchard started as a school nurse and worked her way up to their role as the Assistant Vice President of infection protection at HCA Healthcare.
• Change in the process: Always learn from what we received yesterday and implement that into the next opportunity and into the next phase to what we can give our customers.
• Leveraging technology to stand up very quickly: The only way to support and be there for our leaders is to never disengage from the one on ones. In that setting, no one is afraid of an audience, to say something first because it’s intimate so that they are able to open up and if they need to cry, they are allowed to.
• We need to identify ourselves by many different types of accomplishments.
• Know your colleague’s baselines: The picture of someone who is completely disengaged can look like the exact same picture as someone who is absolutely exhausted. Being that we can’t just walk into someone’s offices, because everyone is remote, we need to check in on each other.
• Being there for a colleague or a loved one is a huge accomplishment, and that is more important than a checklist with a multitude of tasks.
• Reframe accomplishments: Figuring out how to define our success and the impact we are making and our fulfillment amidst the volume and the change.
• Monotasking: You have to be fully there for your colleagues. They know if you are talking to someone else on the call or are being distracted in another way.
• Every single colleague has life outside of work and if the conversation has to shift to just listen to them, it makes you a better team. We need to truly listen.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us. 

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Episode #6: Matt Burnstein | Partner and Chair of the Firm, Waller - Continuous Learning, Humility and Organizational Mindset  

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Matt Burnstein. Matt has served as chair of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP since 2014. In this role, Matt focuses on driving the firm's growth, vision, and strategic planning. Waller has grown to more than 275 attorneys in five offices and earned numerous workplace, civic and diversity awards under his leadership. Matt’s legal practice focuses on transactional matters involving healthcare companies, private equity, and venture capital funds. He also works with emerging companies and investors across a range of sectors. Matt has been recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and other publications for his experience leading corporate and commercial transactions. Matt earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School where he graduated Order of the Coif. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger 

Highlights: "Continuous Learning, Humility and Organizational Mindset"

• “Bigger is better” and “Profitability and Success” are not truly the most important goals for an organization.
  
• The only asset a law firm has is its talent.
  
• There are two main points to keep in mind with talent acquisition: retaining the talent when you have it and bring the right talent in.
  
• Matt’s job is to make sure that people want to spend their time at Waller because without that, nothing else matters.
  
• Leadership begins with self-recognition, humility and a genuine love of the organization.
  
• Being able to learn from the mistakes you make and to learn from the patterns is important.
  
• The best leaders realize they are always learning.
  
• It is up to the leader to have a “pro-firm” approach before they can ask their employees to do so.
  
• “Urgent” and pressing matters of the organization require putting on the breaks and pushing the organization to move toward the “not urgent but important” long term things.
  
• “Reading the room” and perspective checking to see if what you’re “reading” is important.
  

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #5: Jim Catino | EVP, Sony Music - Music, Mentorship & Leading Through Change

In today's episode, Christie spoke with Jim Catino, a 22-year music industry veteran. Catino first joined Sony Music Nashville in 2001 after graduating from Belmont University. The Cleveland, Ohio native previously held posts at DreamWorks Music Publishing, Giant Records, and MCA Music Publishing, working closely with songwriters and securing copyrights. He serves on the Board of Belmont’s Music Business Department and is a member of the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, Leadership Music and The Recording Academy, including the P&E Wing.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "Music, Mentorship & Leading Through Change"

• The music industry is constantly changing, and the “way” talent is found is different from how it was years ago.
• “If you can’t expose it (the music) to fans, they don’t know it’s there.”
• Being a fly on the wall can teach things that words cannot.
• Mentorship and the diversity of mentors empowered Jim to become successful.
• Transitioning into new career opportunities can be scary…but patience can bring a sense of peace.
• Thinking about the long term when presented with new opportunities can protect a person from making the wrong short-term move.
• Sometimes transitioning upwards in an organization means you may no longer be directly involved in the day to day (in the “thing you loved”) yet your ability to impact "it" on a larger scale increases.
• Hopefully, the roles will reverse, and YOU will become the mentor.
• If you feel nervous about a new position, dive in. You were chosen for a reason, so “bet on yourself.”
• The past ten years have been very difficult for the music industry. As of three years ago, music sales have started to make a comeback and now COVID has really devastated the industry.
• Finding your “favorite” thing in your career is relative to where you were at that time.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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Episode #4: Ingrid Sinclair | Global President, Sims Lifestyle Services - Enterprise Perspective, Horizontal Planning & Leading Globally

In today's episode, Christie sat down with Ingrid Sinclair. Ingrid was appointed to the position of Global President of Sims Lifecycle Services effective February 1st, 2019. Prior to that as VP of Recycling for Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS), Ingrid spearheaded innovation in electronics recycling operations for almost 10 years. Ingrid has been in the electronics recycling industry for over 20 years, starting her career in this field as a process engineer at the Glencore Canada (formerly Noranda) copper and precious metal refinery in Montreal, Quebec.  In addition to being trained as a Six Sigma Black Belt, Ingrid has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "Enterprise Perspective, Horizontal Planning & Leading Globally"

• There is more urgency due to COVID and that has led to longer workdays and more video calls.
• Pivoting is the means of navigating the challenges that the pandemic has presented.
• Being a leader has an added level of stress because “we don’t know when this is going to end.”
• It is important for an organization to be flexible and compassionate for its employees.
• By leaning in and listening, two-way communication can occur and propel the organization to be more flexible.
• It’s not easy to keep a team engaged and inspired during this pandemic…but it is possible.
• Celebrating the team’s wins is crucial for encouraging team members.
• Video calls are the “next best thing” compared to face-to-face and setting up 1-on-1 calls with team members is important.
• Informal discussions are great learning tools to bounce ideas and figure out “what is next.”
• Building a connection with your boss can help with transitioning upward in the organization.
• Looking at a higher position may feel daunting but it is important to think “Why not me?”
• Give yourself a chance.
• Building relationships, asking questions and learning from others can help in transitioning to a new role
• Confidence in moving forward when we are not confident helps build confidence
• Creating value for your employees can help them see the larger impact their work is doing.

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.

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EPISODE #1: DEE ANNA SMITH | CEO, SARAH CANNON- HOW TO LEAD WITH EMPATHY AND INCLUSIVITY  

Welcome to Leading Forward!  

In today's episode, Christie had the opportunity to sit down with Dee Anna Smith, the chief executive officer of Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare. Appointed as CEO in 2006, Smith is responsible for leading the organization’s overall mission and vision to make a global impact on cancer research and care. Under her leadership, Sarah Cannon has grown its reach in bringing world-class cancer care closer to home for hundreds of thousands of people facing cancer across the United States and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the organization has been a key contributor to clinical research that has led to the majority of newly approved cancer therapies over the last decade.    

Leading Forward with Christie Berger 

"How to Lead with Empathy and Inclusivity"  

- Passion is the Core of Connecting Physicians with Patients 

- Importance of Ongoing Individual and Organizational Learning 

 - COVID-19 has Enhanced a Different Version of Connectedness  

- Listen for Understanding       

     -Not a "One-Size-Fits-All" Approach 

-Set an Organization up to Grow and Function Without Relying on You 

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LEADING FORWARD breaks down professional assumptions through meaningful conversations that remind us all that leading, effectively, can and often does look different for each of us.  Hosted by Christie Berger, LEADING FORWARD will explore how successful leaders thrive, in spite of, and sometimes because of challenge and uncertainty. Each conversation will unveil the unique stories and experiences that will help others expand their own definition of leadership and identify new ways to leverage the opportunities that lie ahead.  

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