Work and Life with Stew Friedman

Dr. Suskind is a Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics and Public Policy at the University of Chicago, and is Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health. She has dedicated her research and clinical life to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. She is also the author of the bestselling book, Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain. This episode Stew and Dana discuss her latest book, Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise, and the ways parents can use developmental neuroscience to help their children grow and ultimately to build a society that works for families and for all of us.Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Go to https://parentnation.org/get-involved/ and find the Big Shift Tool that Stew and Dana talked about on the show. Take a few minutes to respond to discover what you can do to move our nation toward a better tomorrow for our children. Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Diana Kapp is the author of Girls Who Run the World and now Girls Who Green the World; Thirty-Four Rebel Women Out To Save Our Planet. Her work as a journalist has taken her inside San Quentin prison and to deepest Afghanistan. She's covered teen suicide clusters in Palo Alto, apps and bots to fight depression, and her father falling headlong in love at 85. She's also worked for a senator and a biotech start-up, made ads for Nike, and helped launch women's sportswear retailer Lucy. She's got an MBA from Stanford, loves the Sawtooth Mountains, Neil Young, her 5am running club, and climbing mountains. She's also a wannabe “rancher.” This episode, which is about the biggest work/life issue we can imagine, starts with Diana talking about her father's finding love at 85, after her mother's death, and how this demonstrated hope for the future emerging from the despondency of loss. This heartwarming story sounded the keynote of Stew's conversation with Diana about the inspiring stories of how the women profiled in her book are, in the face of our rapidly failing natural environment, taking action to make things better. These powerful narratives not only tell us about the creative experiments abounding in our midst, they offer empowering ideas for how each and every one of us can do something good for our world. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Find one small thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and tell someone else about what you did, why you did it, and what you're going to do next. Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Amy Beacom is the founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, the first consultancy in the US to focus exclusively on parental leave, and the author of The Parental Leave Playbook: Ten Touchpoints to Transition Smoothly, Strengthen Your Family, and Continue Growing Your Career. She is recognized as the United States' premiere expert on the personal and professional interplay around parental leave for employers and employees. Amy created the first evidence-based parental leave transition coaching model. She has trained and supervised parental leave coaches both in the US and Australia and the manager-focused training program she created can be found in over 80 countries around the world.In this episode, Stew talks with Amy about her evidence-based model for how to manage parental leave, as a working parent and as a manager or co-worker. They talk through the three phases of preparing for leave (which is mostly about work), during leave (about parenting), and returning (about being a working parent). Amy describes the crucial touch points in each of these phases and offers practical advice for anyone experiencing the joys and trials of taking time from work to care for children and for all those who support working parents. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode, if you're a manager of someone approaching parental leave or a person about to take one yourself: What's your vision of how you want things to be upon return? Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christine Porath is an Associate Professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. She's the author of the bestseller Mastering Civility and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior. Her most recent book is Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us from Surviving to Thriving.In this episode, Stew talks with Christine about her research on the waning of community and the effective ways of reweaving the fabric that holds our society together. She describes contemporary examples from sports, business, health care, nonprofits and other organizations that illustrate what it takes to create and sustain communities in organizations and the many benefits that result. Stew and Christine get into how the principles – like building a genuine sense of unity while embracing differences in political, religious and other attitudes – play out in the new world of work and how they inform efforts to save the planet from disastrous climate change. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Is there an opportunity for you to take some action, within your power, to help people in your work life feel a greater sense of common humanity? Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gianna Driver is Chief Human Resources Officer at Exabeam who was a student in Stew's Total Leadership class 20 years ago. After spending five years running a global fair trade organization, she went on to build a highly successful career in human resources and recently started a new job at a company that fights cybercrime. Gianna manages the strategy and processes for building, investing in, and retaining top talent at Exabeam, enabling employees to do their best work. Prior to Exabeam, she was the Chief People Officer at BlueVine, a private fintech company based in Redwood City, CA. Before BlueVine, Gianna led HR and People functions in high-growth technology, gaming, consumer, and SaaS organizations including Playstudios, Aristocrat, Actian Corporation, Talend, and Balsam Brands. In this episode, Stew talks with Gianna about her experiences growing up in Texas, daughter of a Philipine woman who was a mail-order bride, and how that shaped her experiences as an undergraduate student at The Wharton School. Gianna describes how her early life led her to want to have an impact through her work on valuing the humanity in each and every one of us. She describes the opportunities and challenges on her path to pursuing that ambition in her current role and in her life beyond work. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Think about your own history and your particular demographic characteristics – age, race, sexual orientation, etc. – and consider what is it about your particular mix that is distinctly valuable in the world of work. What do you discover by taking a few minutes to think about who you are? Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lynda Gratton is recognized as a global thought leader on the future of work and a Professor of Management Practice at London Business School where she directs ‘Human Resource Strategy in Transforming Companies.' Lynda is the founder of the advisory practice HSM and since 2008 has led the Future of Work Research Consortium which has brought together executives from more than 100 companies. Her books have been translated into more than 15 languages. She has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by HR Magazine and named by 'Business Thinkers 50' as one of the top 15 business thinkers in the world.In this episode, Stew talks with Lynda Gratton about her latest book, Redesigning Work: How to Transform Your Organization and Make Hybrid Work for Everyone. It's a practical guide, with contemporary examples of progressive organizations, for what anyone can do to capitalize on the opportunities created by the revolutionary changes occurring in the world of work, shifts that have the potential to enrich our lives, if managed intentionally and intelligently. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Pause for a moment to consider a change you might make, either in the when or the where of your doing work, that you expect would result in greater performance and harmony in your life. Then try it! Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kevin Hancock is the CEO of Hancock Lumber Company, one of the oldest and best-known family businesses in America, and author of The Seventh Power: One CEO's Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. Hancock Lumber is an eight-time consecutive recipient of the ‘Best Places to Work in Maine' award. Kevin himself is a recipient of the Ed Muskie Access to Justice award, the Habitat for Humanity Spirit of Humanity award, the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen award, and the Timber Processing Magazine Person of the Year award. He's also a member of the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission. Kevin is the founder of The Seventh Power, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing economic sovereignty for native communities across America.In this episode, Stew talks with Kevin about how the loss of his own voice due to a rare illness changed his conception of leadership, how his immersion in the culture and values of indigenous peoples informed his radically revised leadership style, how giving voice to previously oppressed people can change their lives, and much more.Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. What would it take for you to listen more than you speak, especially to people who are in some way hierarchically subordinate to you? Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Larry Hirschhorn is a Principal and one of the founders of the Center for Applied Research, also known as CFAR (which had its origins at the Wharton School). CFAR is a management consulting firm with offices in Philadelphia and Boston. Larry was also a founder of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO) and the founder and director of Dynamics of Consulting, a program for experienced coaches and consultants. He has published several books and many articles linking organizational functioning to psychodynamics, among them The Workplace Within and Reworking Authority, both published by MIT Press. Larry has a PhD in Economics from MIT.In this episode, Stew talks with Larry Hirschhorn about his recently published book about the sudden death of his son, called Grieving Aaron: Poems in Response to the Death of My Adult Son. They discuss anger, despair, ambivalence, the various ways different people express grief, the changes wrought by the loss of a loved one, and what it takes to reach toward hope in the face of tragedy. While Larry's loss is unique to him, with his background in psychology and the kind of consulting and research he has done over the course of his long, illustrious career, he has profoundly useful insights for all those who are grieving losses and dislocations due to the death of loved ones, especially in pandemic times.Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Write a poem about someone you love who has died. How does the writing affect your thoughts and feelings about your loved one and about your own identity and purpose? Share your reactions and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. Her new book is You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate our Power of Persuasion and Why it Matters. Vanessa holds a PhD in psychology from Columbia University and an AB from Brown University. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times and Harvard Business Review, and her research has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and NPR's Hidden Brain.In this episode, Stew talks with Vanessa Bohns about eye-opening research on how people undervalue the impact they have on others and what this means for our lives at work, at home, and in the community. They discuss practical implications for how to ask for help, most effective means for negotiating boundaries between work and home, how to persuade people to take action on social issues like climate change, how embarrassment informs morality, and more. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode: Think of someone who you want to ask for help and use what you learned from this conversation in making that ask. Share your reactions to this episode and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alec Ross is one of the world's leading experts on innovation. A former senior advisor in the Obama Administration, his book is called The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries, People — and the Fight for Our Future. Alec is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at The University of Bologna Business School and a Board Partner at Amplo, a global venture capital firm. During the Obama Administration, Alec served as Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Secretary of State, to help modernize the practice of diplomacy and advance America's foreign policy interests. He also served as the Convener for the Technology & Media Policy Committee on Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. He's also the author of the bestselling book The Industries of the Future.In this episode, Stew talks with one of the world's leading experts on innovation, Alec Ross. A former senior advisor in the Obama Administration, his new book is The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries, People — and the Fight for Our Future. It's a brilliant, highly-readable, comprehensive analysis of how our social contract became broken that provides practical ideas for action to reset our course toward a better tomorrow. Stew and Alec talk about what he learned starting out as a school teacher in an economically ravaged part of Baltimore that informs his current thinking (“talent is everywhere but opportunity is not”); the central problems of government, the private sector, and labor politics; and what we can and must to to create a sustainable world as a nation, as employees, and citizens. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode: What consumer choice can you make, that you've not made before, that will direct your resources toward companies you want to support because of their values, even if it might be relatively less convenient or more costly to acquire their goods or services? Share your reactions to this episode and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rob Cross is the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College and the author of Beyond Collaboration Overload: How to Work Smarter, Get Ahead and Restore Your Well-Being. He has studied the underlying network dynamics of effective organizations and the collaborative practices of high performers for more than 20 years. Rob is cofounder and Research Director of the Connected Commons business consortium. He writes about practical approaches to enhancing collaboration, and is the coauthor of five other books, including The Hidden Power of Social Networks.In this episode, Stew talks with Rob about the causes of the epidemic of too much collaboration at work and how this problem has reduced productivity and well-being in all parts of our lives. They discuss Rob's research on how effective collaborators break free from the tyranny of inessential collaboration and then focus their attention and energy on, among other things, finding simple ways to cultivate diverse networks that give them greater courage via fresh perspectives they gain on how to live a good life. Rob describes how to identify and reduce what he calls the now-common “micro-stressors” in our lives. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode: Identify one micro-stressor in your life – over which you can exert some control – and see if you can come up with a small step you can take to reduce or eliminate it. Share your reactions to this episode and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Scott Behson is a professor of management and Silberman Global Faculty Fellow at Fairleigh Dickinson University where he is an award winning researcher and teacher. He is published in academic journals as well as in the popular press. He is the author of The Working Dad's Survival Guide and most recently The Whole-Person Workplace: Building Better Workplaces Through Work-Life, Wellness and Employee Support.In this episode, Stew talks with Scott about insights for action from his new book on how to garner employer support for all employees, and for working parents in particular, in the new world created by the pandemic's jolt. Scott describes what he's learned about what employees want these days, he offers advice for job seekers in the current labor market, and he suggests some practical ideas for how managers can build a better workplace and improve business results. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode: What can you now envision about your work or career that you couldn't see prior to the pandemic? Share your reactions to this episode and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Carmen Fernandez is Vice President and Chief People Officer at Marsh McClennan, one of the world's leading professional services firms in the areas of risk, strategy and people. She is committed to creating a culture that is inclusive and vibrant with inspiring leadership.In this episode, Stew talks with Carmen about the new challenges in Human Resources today as we strive to emerge from the pandemic; how to attract and retain talent now that so many people have been changed by the experience of remote work and by their increased interest in what matters most in life; diversity and inclusion best practices; what she learned from Stew's Total Leadership approach, and more. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode: Try using Carmen's great example of a community-building activity by starting a meeting asking attendees to write a short note of appreciation to someone in your organization. And here's another great practice from Carmen, one that she uses in her family: Try having a short weekly conversation with your family asking each member to say what they're hoping to accomplish in the week ahead and what help they need to do so. Share your reactions to this episode and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daisy Dowling is Founder and CEO of Workparent, an executive coaching and training firm, and in 2021 she published the book Workparent: The Complete Guide to Succeeding on the Job, Staying True to Yourself, and Raising Happy Kids. As an advisor to working parents, Daisy draws on her own experience as a parent, her years in investment banking, and her work in the field of talent and leadership development to help people find happiness in their careers. In this episode, Stew talks with Daisy about her evolution from investment banking to advisor for working parents, the useful tips she gathered from speaking to a variety of working parents across different stages of the parenting life cycle, what it takes to be the mayor of the village that raises your children, and more about how to succeed as a parent and in your career. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode, and if you are a working parent. Take a moment to find an opportunity to use the advice Daisy offered at the end of this conversation: Express appreciation to your parenting partner – anyone who helps you in this aspect of your life – for their contribution, however big or small, and see what happens. Share your reactions to this episode and suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jen Fisher is Deloitte's chief well-being officer in the United States and the co-author of Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. As Deloitte's chief well-being officer in the United States, Jen helps Deloitte's people to prioritize their well-being so they can be at their best in both their professional and personal lives. In this episode, Stew talks with Jen about relationships at work, how the pandemic as well as technology have had an impact on work connections and performance, and why it's crucial to care for yourself if you're going to succeed. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. What can you do to care for yourself that will improve your performance at work as well as in your family and in your community? Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ulcca Joshi Hansen, a researcher and education advocate, is the author of The Future of Smart: How Our Education System Needs to Change to Help All Young People Thrive. Ulcca believes each young person deserves the chance to discover their unique potential, and to explore what that means for how they contribute to the world. She explores the disconnect between what we want for our children, what we value, and what our education system is actually providing. She's a mother of two and a former elementary teacher who has worked in education for two decades. She is herself an English as a second language learner and a first generation college graduate. Ulcca is the Chief Program Officer at Grantmakers for Education, the nation's largest and most diverse network of education grant makers dedicated to improving educational outcomes and increasing opportunities for all learners. She has a BA in philosophy, a PhD from the University of Oxford, and a JD from Harvard Law School. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and has been recognized nationally for her leadership as a Harry S. Truman Scholar, a British Marshall Scholar, and a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. In this episode, Stew talks with Ulcca about what we want our children to learn and what they are actually being taught in our schools. We discuss what it means to be “smart” in today's in today's complex world -- and in tomorrow's -- and how the educational system we have had for centuries has to change. Ulcca describes what we can do to make the necessary changes, as parents, business leaders, policy makers, and citizens. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Have a conversation with anyone you know about how a more holistic approach to education would make our nation stronger, better prepared to meet the challenges the next generation will face. Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gorick Ng is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School and is now a career adviser at Harvard College, specializing in coaching first-generation, low-income students. He's also a researcher with the Managing the Future of Work project at Harvard. His new book, The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right, is now offered to employees at companies such as IBM, Houlihan Lokey, Invesco, Cigna, Qualcomm, GE, and others. Harvard Business School has also given The Unspoken Rules to every 2021 MBA student to give them an edge in their internships and full-time jobs. In this episode, Stew talks with Gorick about specific guidance for how young people can navigate school and their first jobs for early career success, with particular emphasis on first-generation and low-income students. Gorick's research and practice reveals there are three critical questions one must answer well: Are you competent? Are you committed? Are you compatible? After Gorick describes how his personal history led him to devoting himself to this field, he gets into some practical tips with examples for how to go about demonstrating competence, commitment, and compatibility. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. For yourself, or for a young person you know, ask the three critical questions and come up with an action implied by whatever the answer might be. Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Richard Culatta is author of Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World. Richard serves as CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), a nonprofit serving education leaders in 127 countries. A teacher by training and innovator by inclination, Culatta works to leverage technology to reinvent learning and was appointed by President Obama as the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education. Currently, he serves as a senior fellow at NYU's GovLab and as a design resident for the San Francisco-based innovation and design firm IDEO.In this episode, Stew talks with Richard about practical ideas for how we can cultivate good digital citizenship in our children by developing five essential qualities: focusing on the quality and value of specific content and not on the amount of time spent online; staying informed as a discerning consumer of online content; learning to take in alternative perspectives; engaging in the community; and staying alert and creating safe spaces for others.Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. What small step can you now take to help a child in your life become a stronger citizen of the digital world? Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jessica Bacal is director of Reflective and Integrative Practices and of the Narratives Project at Smith College. Her latest book is The Rejection That Changed My Life: 25+ Powerful Women on Being Let Down, Turning It Around, and Burning It Up at Work. It's is a sequel of sorts to Jessica's first bestseller, Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong. The Narratives Project at Smith encourages students to explore their passions and articulate their values and goals through personal storytelling. Before her career in higher education, Jessica was an elementary school teacher in New York City, and then a curriculum developer and consultant. She received a bachelor's degree from Carleton College, an MFA in writing from Hunter College, and an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania.In this episode, Stew talks with Jessica about how to learn and grow from rejection, a kind of experience everyone has. She describes how to glean useful data from rejections, especially about your values; cultivate creativity on the other side of the awful feelings that follow rejection; build the “rejection muscle” by exposing yourself to small rejections regularly; and take a new path in a rejection's wake. All this comes to light through stories of fascinating women and from exercises derived from their wisdom. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. What small rejections -- at work, at home, in your community, or in your private sphere -- can you induce in order to build your rejection muscle? Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Latha Poonamallee is an Associate Professor, Chair of Faculty of Management, and University Fellow at the New School in New York City. In her book, Expansive Leadership: Cultivating Mindfulness to Lead Self and Others in a Changing World, she explains that meditation and mindfulness are tools that can change how we do business and are part of a new way to lead us to a better, more equitable world. Latha created the Management and Social Justice Conversation Series that she hosts at the New School, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Society of Advancement of Management's Advanced Management Journal. She is also a tech entrepreneur; she co-founded In-Med Prognostics, a neuroscience AI venture that brings affordable and accessible brain health tools to underserved markets.In this episode, Stew talks with Latha about her optimistic view of how the pandemic can change for the better the way we do business. They discuss how mindfulness can increase the resilience of individuals and organizations alike and even help us build community and be more connected to each other. They also discuss how technology can be harnessed for good.Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode. Take a deep breath or two, close your eyes, and imagine an interconnected world and your place in it then write a note to yourself in response to this question: What kind of leadership can you develop to support that world? Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jason Thacker is a Senior Vice President of TD Bank Group and Head of Credit Cards and Unsecured Lending. Prior to his current role, Jason served in various executive positions at TD Bank. He started his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble as the company's youngest global expatriate, leading priority brands in both the US and Canada. Jason holds an MBA from The Wharton School and an HBA from the Ivey Business School. In recent years, Jason has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 40 under 40, The Wharton School's 40 under 40 and P&G's Global Alumni under 40. In this episode, Stew talks with Jason about his career, how he applies lessons learned years ago in Stew's Total Leadership class at Wharton, his recent paternity leave and its impact on his work and most important relationships, the impact of fatherhood on his career, and much more. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you've had a chance to listen to this episode: If you know someone who is thinking about taking paternity leave or is either now on or has just returned from such a leave, how can you support them? Share your reactions to this episode and your suggestions for future shows with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lauren Smith Brody is the founder of The Fifth Trimester and author of the bestselling book The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom's Guide to Style, Sanity, and Success After Baby. Lauren's book was a simultaneous best-seller in the Amazon categories of motherhood, women and business, and cultural anthropology. She writes regularly about the intersection of business and motherhood. She is also on the board of the early education nonprofit Docs for Tots. A longtime leader in the women's magazine industry, Brody was previously the executive editor of Glamour magazine.In this episode, Stew talks with Lauren about the practical advice she gleaned from her research about working mothers' experiences following their children's arrival, including tips for building strong relationships with the most important people in your life. They discuss how the pandemic has both highlighted and exacerbated the challenges working mothers face and what public policy can do to move us faster toward an egalitarian society. Here then, is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you've listened to the conversation. If you agree that investment in our nation's children is wise, express your support for government policy that provides for their care. Share your reactions to this idea, this episode, and suggestions for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jason Harrisis is CEO of the creative agency Mekanism, which has been named to Ad Age's Agency A-list and twice to their Best Places to Work. He’s the author of a recent book called The Soulful Art of Persuasion. Jason works closely with brands using a blend of soul and science to create provocative campaigns that engage audiences. Those iconic brands include Peloton, Ben & Jerry's, MillerCoors, HBO, and the United Nations. He’s been named in the Top 10 Most Influential Social Impact Leaders, as well as the 4A's list of "100 People Who Make Advertising Great." His methods are studied in cases at Harvard Business School.In this episode, Stew talks with Jason about building a trusting workplace culture and strengthening your reputation and your market power through persuasion, though Jason’s take on persuasion is not what most people think about when they picture what it means to be persuasive. He demonstrates with enlightening examples how the ability to persuade -- which we need in all parts of our lives -- results from being original, generous, empathetic, and soulful. And he provides super-practical tips for how to cultivate these qualities. Here then is an invitation for you, a challenge, after you’ve had a chance to listen to this episode: What might you try to say or do that would reveal more of yourself to others, whether at work or in some other part of your life, and thereby build greater trust in your world? Share your reactions and your suggestions for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Liya Shuster-Bier is the founder and CEO of Alula, a radically honest platform for cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors. She is a cancer survivor herself. Prior to Alula, Liya built a career in community development and impact investing, partnering with mayors and governors across the country to create innovative financing solutions that improved community outcomes. She started her career at Goldman Sachs, on the corporate currency derivatives team. In addition to receiving her MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School, where she was a student in Stew’s Total Leadership course, Liya is a proud Dartmouth alum, a native of Queens, NY, and an immigrant.In this episode, Stew talks with Liya about the story of her experience as a caregiver during her mother’s fight against cancer and about her own journey from the discovery of her own cancer to her current life as a survivor. With compelling examples, Liya vividly describes the trials and tribulations -- the physical, social, economic, and emotional challenges -- of living with cancer and how she realized, because she felt lost, the need for a resource that could help people with cancer and their caregivers deal with the realities of the world beyond hospitals. Liya talks about Alula’s mission, it’s fast-growing number of partnerships with product and service providers as well as investors, and how her company’s culture is focused on sustaining the real lives of all its stakeholders. Hers is an inspiring leadership story of how you can transmute an excruciating pain in your life into something of value to others.Here then in an invitation for you, if you or someone you care about is struggling with how to treat and survive cancer: Explore myalula.com and find help. Share your reactions and suggestions for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Erica Dhawan is author of Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection No Matter the Distance. She is also the Founder and CEO of Cotential, a global organization that helps companies, leaders, and managers leverage 21st century collaboration skills and behaviors to improve performance. She’s also co-author of the bestselling Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence. She was named by Thinkers50 as “The Oprah of Management Ideas” and featured as one of the Top 20 Management Experts around the world by GlobalGurus. She has degrees from Harvard University, MIT Sloan, and The Wharton School, where she took Stew’s Total Leadership course. (And when he wasn’t able to receive in person the Thinkers50 award for distinguished achievement in the field of talent, he asked Erica to do so on his behalf -- they’ve been friends for a long time.)In this episode, Stew talks with Erica about her latest book, written before the pandemic but even more important now that so many are working almost entirely in the virtual world. She shares lots of practical advice on such matters as when to write in all caps, with whom to use emojis, how to negotiate ambiguous time-to-respond issues, how to respond to passive aggressive emails, a method for analyzing your digital body language style, and more. Here then, is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation: Pause after drafting your next email, before you send it, and think for a moment about the emotional reaction you expect from the recipient. Does this suggest a change in what you wrote? Share your reactions to this idea, this episode, and suggestions for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Katy Milkman is an award-winning behavioral scientist and the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She hosts Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology and is the co-founder and co-director of The Behavior Change for Good Initiative, a research center at the University of Pennsylvania with the mission of advancing the science of lasting behavior change. This work is being chronicled by Freakonomics Radio. Katy has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to spur positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, 24 Hour Fitness, Walmart and Morningstar. In this episode, Stew talks with Katy about her new book, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Katy shares her very practical advice about how to craft a way to get things done that is tailored to your own particular stumbling blocks whether it is failure to launch, impulsivity, procrastination, forgetfulness, laziness, lack of self-confidence, or a desire to conform to expectations. Katy describes some of her book’s evidence-based strategies for overcoming these obstacles to change -- strategies such as temptation-bundling, commitment devices, and cues -- and when and how to use them to increase your chances of successfully implementing change in your life. Here then, is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Think of something you’d like to change but haven’t yet and come up with a temporal link to your actually doing so by defining your starting time as a fresh start or reset in the creation of a new definition of who you are. Share your reactions to this idea, this episode, and suggestions for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jordan Shapiro is the author of Father Figure: How to Be a Feminist Dad. He is a senior fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. His previous book, The New Childhood: Raising Kids To Thrive in a Connected World, focused on parenting and screen time. During the week, you can find him in the classroom at Temple University, where he teaches in the Intellectual Heritage Program and developed the online version of the university's core curriculum.In this episode, Stew talks with Jordan about fatherhood in the modern world and the dilemmas fathers face at work and at home, stigmas that undermine divorced fathers, why patriarchy is harmful to men and to women, the importance of being a feminist, and what it takes to become a feminist dad -- critical consciousness, responsive fathering, removing locker-room gender essentialism, and rigorous inclusivity. Jordan offers practical advice on how fathers can adopt these principles in their lives, thereby liberating themselves and giving their children the love, support, and guidance their children need to thrive. Here then, fathers, is an invitation, a challenge, just for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. What can you do to demonstrate to your children a commitment to rigorous inclusivity and what, if you did so, would you expect to be the result for your children’s lives? Share your reactions to this episode and ideas for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joann Lublin was management news editor for The Wall Street Journal until she retired in April 2018, and she is still a regular Journal contributor. She shared a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for stories about corporate scandals and was awarded the 2018 Lifetime Achievement from the Loeb Awards, the highest accolade in business journalism. Her new book -- Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life -- explores the emotional and professional challenges women face as they try to move forward in their careers while raising a family. She’s also the author of Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World. In this episode, Stew talks with Joann about what she learned about what it takes to find harmony among the different parts of life from her own personal experience and from interviewing trailblazing women in her own cohort (Boomers, that is), their daughters, and executives who are mothers now. She describes the profound shifts that have occurred across the generations -- in technology, gender roles, and workplace expectations -- and how they have created new pathways for men and women. They discuss practical ideas for how to overcome the guilt that still hurts working mothers, the critical skills mothers develop that are of real value to their business and career success, and how a marriage contract can be a boon to a more egalitarian world. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. What small step can you take to reduce the guilt that a working mother in your life -- perhaps it’s you -- currently feels about her choices? Share your reactions to this episode and ideas for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Susan McPherson is the author of a new book -- The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships. In it she brings to bear 25+ years of experience in marketing, public relations, and communications.In this episode, Stew talks with Susan about the very best question to ask -- How can I help you? -- to build relationships of any kind, at work or elsewhere. They discuss the various types of communication modes and how they can be used effectively to strengthen bonds. Susan describes and illustrates her systematic approach to building networks of support, what she calls the “gather, ask, do” method, demonstrating in this conversation how connection is her superpower.Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. In an upcoming conversation today or tomorrow, lead with the magic question, “how can I help you?” and see what happens. Share your reactions to this episode and ideas for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tsedal Neeley is the Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, an accomplished scholar and author, and award-winning teacher. Her new book, Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere, could not have arrived at a more auspicious moment. Her previous book, The Language of Global Success: How a Common Tongue Transforms Multinational Organizations, chronicles the behind-the-scenes globalization process of a company over the course of five years. Tsedal has also published extensively in leading scholarly and practitioner-oriented outlets about virtual work and large scale change. Her HBS case, “Managing a Global Team: Greg James at Sun Microsystems”, is one of the most used cases worldwide on the subject of virtual work.In this episode, Stew talks with Tsedal about the pros and cons of remote work -- for performance, well-being, and relationships in all parts of our lives -- and what we’ve learned about these pushes and pulls during the disorienting world of the pandemic. Drawing on research evidence across a number of fields, Tsedal describes tools any organization or individual can use to learn to thrive in remote work and offers insights about what the future of work will look like. Stew and Tsedal both talked about the great Richard Hackman’s profound influence on their research and teaching. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. How can you use relaunching as a tool for improving the effectiveness of a team with which you are involved? Share your reactions to this episode and ideas for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Darby Saxbe is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California’s David and Dana Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Darby has two principle, interrelated lines of research: the impact of family environments and family transitions on parents and the impact of family environments on children. Her ongoing Hormones Across the Transition to Childrearing (HATCH) study, funded in 2016 by a five-year CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, follows first-time expectant parents from pregnancy across the first year postpartum in order to understand the factors that predict successful adjustment to parenthood. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from Yale University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from UCLA. In this episode, Stew talks with Darby about the implications of her research on what happens to men and women when they become parents, how the quality of marital relationships affect children, the importance of social support for new parents, how the pandemic has affected parents, the tendency for American mothers to assume they must shoulder rather than share burdens, and more. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. What can you do to provide support for a new parent in your life? And how, by doing so, would you be enriching yourself? Share your reactions to this episode and ideas for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Julie Kashen is the director for women’s economic justice and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a progressive independent think tank that fights for economic, racial, and gender equity in education, health care, and work. Julie has spent her career working for more just and equitable public policies -- including women’s economic justice issues -- in federal and state government, including as Labor Policy Advisor to the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and as Deputy Policy Director for former New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine. She has helped to draft and build momentum for three major pieces of national legislation: the first national paid sick days bill (the Healthy Families Act), major child care legislation, and the national Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Julie holds a master’s in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s with highest honors in political science from the University of Michigan. She also serves as a senior policy advisor to the National Domestic Workers Alliance.In this episode, Stew talks with Julie about the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue plan, also known as the American Rescue Plan, and its implications for strengthening our nation’s care infrastructure. They discuss the economic and social benefits of a more robust child care system and the ways by which such a system would reduce inequality and injustice suffered by women and people of color. Julie describes how ordinary citizens, and not just policy-makers, can and must get involved to affect needed change in our cultural values, to truly invest in children and families. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Find an organization that advocates for the values you hold with respect to building a care infrastructure and sign up to support them. Share your reactions to this episode and ideas for future episodes with Stew by writing to him at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anne Driscoll and Chris Schultz are co-founders of an organization called Launch Pad. Anne serves as CEO and Chris is the Chief Community Officer and they are a married couple. Launch Pad was started in New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Anne was a long-time Silicon Valley Executive. She was an early Google employee and post-Google she has taken her expertise to the Valley’s high-growth startup scene, championing emerging ecosystems and creating platforms to support small businesses such as Ning, Dwolla and GoDaddy. Chris was born in Nigeria to American parents (working in the Peace Corps) and he was inspired by the hustle, grind, and entrepreneurship he saw daily at the Nigerian marketplaces of his youth. He’s an active angel investor and has spent 15+ years bringing together the “doers” of the world—startups that have raised over $160 million in venture capital and created 5,000+ jobs.In this episode, Stew talks with Anne and Chris about how and why they started Launch Pad, the communities it serves, what they’ve had to do to pivot their business during the pandemic, what it takes for a married couple to run a company together, how their philosophy of investing in long-term relationships in growing their business affects their relationship beyond work, and more. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation, especially the part about how Anne and Chris like to “go long,” as they say. How might you take a longer-term view than you now have on a business relationship that matters to you and how by doing so would you benefit? Share your ideas and any reactions to this episode by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he specializes in the theory of distributed systems. Cal is a New York Times bestselling author who writes for a broader audience about the intersection of technology and culture. He's the author of seven books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, which have been published in over thirty languages, and about which he talked with Stew in earlier episodes (# 7 and # 111) . He's also a regular contributor on these topics to national publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Wired, and is a frequent guest on NPR. His blog, Study Hacks, which he's been publishing since 2007, attracts over three million visits a year. Cal is the only guest to have made three appearances on the Work and Life radio show in the eight years it’s been on air. In this episode, Stew and Cal discuss his new book, A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload. Cal reviews the ways in which we as a human race need to adapt to the increasingly ever-present technology disrupting, as well as enriching, our world. He describes how this new book addresses what he’s learned since Digital Minimalism and enumerates strategies for harnessing email and related message systems (e.g., Slack) -- the “hyperactive hive mind,” as he calls it -- because they reduce productivity and make us anxious, distracted, and generally miserable. He introduces the concept of attention capital theory to help us understand the essential problem with email and, using examples from companies operating today, provides practical methods for bringing this theory to bear in our lives. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Think for a minute about your email workflow and try to identify one opportunity to reduce mid-task context switches -- when you have to interrupt your attention -- in that workflow. Share your ideas and any reactions to this episode by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Martin Davidson is the Johnson & Higgins Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and he currently serves as their senior associate dean and global chief diversity officer. He holds degrees from both Harvard and Stanford and was on the faculty at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth prior to arriving at Darden in 1998. His book, The End of Diversity as We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed, introduces a research-driven roadmap to help leaders more effectively create and capitalize on diversity in organizationsIn this episode, Stew and Martin discuss the reasons the diversity and inclusion efforts often fail. Martin reviews ways that leaders can create diverse and inclusive organizations that work by, among other things, embracing the weird. He describes a proven, practical model for seeing real sources of difference, understanding them, and engaging in experimentation to create positive change that benefits collective interests. It can be done! And, as two bass players, they talk about how the purposes served by that musical instrument are analogous to those pursued by people striving to create meaningful dialogue and growth in organizations. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Ask yourself this question: What’s the most critical fissure in the social life of your work team or organization; what, in other words, really divides members in ways that subvert your collective goals? And what would you need to do to better understand the implications of that source of disconnection? Share your ideas and any reactions to this episode by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Erik Peper, a professor in the Institute for Holistic Health Studies at San Francisco State University, is an internationally known expert on workplace health, stress management and holistic health. His book, co-authored with Richard Harvey and Nancy Faass, is Tech Stress: How Technology Is Hijacking Our Lives, Strategies for Coping, and Pragmatic Ergonomics.In this episode, Stew and Erik discuss how to cope with ever-present technology in ways that reduce stress and strain. Erik describes and illustrates, with Stew as his subject, some ergonomic strategies -- how to position our bodies at our workstations, for example -- and ways of re-framing our thoughts and feelings about how we work with the aims of increasing energy and avoiding burnout. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. For just one hour of your next work day, try stopping for a minute every 20 minutes or so, to breathe or stretch and to take stock of how you’re working. What do you discover? Share your ideas and any reactions to this episode by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lindsey Cameron is an Assistant Professor of Management at Wharton whose research focuses on how changes in the modern workplace -- as algorithms/machine learning, short-term employment contracts, and variable pay -- affect work and workers. She recently completed a four-year ethnography of the largest employer in the gig economy, exploring how algorithms are reshaping the nature of managerial control and how workers navigate this new workplace. Previously, Lindsey spent over a decade in the U.S. intelligence and diplomatic communities as a technical and political analyst and completed several overseas assignments in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. She holds a PhD in Management from the University of Michigan, an MS in Engineering Management from the George Washington University, and an SB from Harvard University in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She also studied Arabic intensively at the American University of Cairo.In this episode, Stew and Lindsey discuss the gig economy; how the pandemic has affected gig workers both on the job and in the other parts of their lives; the factors that influence employment choices gig workers make; what they (Stew and Lindsey) learned from their experiences as NYC taxi driver and janitor, respectively; and more. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. What might you do differently the next time you interact with a service provider operating in the gig economy? Share your ideas and any reactions to this episode by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Kristen Shockley is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia. She has been studying how companies adapted during the pandemic, or how they haven’t adjusted, to meet the needs of worker productivity and well-being. She’s also been looking at how couples forced to handle childcare, housework, and their day jobs have divided the responsibilities. Kristen has conducted research aimed at understanding organizational initiatives to help employees manage competing life demands (like flexible work arrangements); the relationship between work-family conflict and health outcomes, including eating behaviors and physiological indicators of health; and understanding how dual-earner couples balance work and family roles. She also studies career development, mentoring, definitions of career success, and the consequences of career compromise. She received her BS in Psychology from the University of Georgia and has an MS and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida. In this episode, Stew and Kristen talk about how the rapid shift to remote work caused by the pandemic has affected well-being and performance. Her research reveals critical factors that influence the success or failure of the adjustments that individuals, families, and organizations have had to make. They discuss some practical implications for how to manage Zoom fatigue (which is a bigger problem for women than for men, according to her findings), how couples should communicate to enable bounded and focused attention by both, and how to reduce the debilitating effects of social isolation. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Start your next Zoom call by asking each participant to write a word or phrase in response to this question: How are you feeling right now? Share your ideas about what you discover, and any reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eve Rodsky is the author of Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (And More Life to Live). She received her B.A. in economics and anthropology from the University of Michigan, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. After working at J.P. Morgan, she founded the Philanthropy Advisory Group to advise high-net worth families and charitable foundations. In her work with hundreds of families over a decade, she realized that her expertise in family mediation, strategy, and organizational management could be applied to a problem closer to home – a system for couples seeking balance, efficiency, and peace in their home. Eve was born and raised by a single mom in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children. In this episode, Stew and Eve talk about what led her to create a practical, now widely-used solution to the ubiquitous problem of inequality in our home lives, our most important organization, as Eve reminds us. They talk about how couples can figure out what’s important to them as individuals and as a partnership and then -- in concrete, specific, and fun ways -- how they can take small steps to more closely hew to their values. They discuss the sources of resistance to change, common mistakes couples make, useful tips for how to overcome these anticipated obstacles, and what it means to live in your “unicorn space.”Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Take a minute to think about how you might be undervaluing the attention required by your partner to do what they do. Then consider what small step you might take to make your partnership a bit more fair. Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Amina Gautier is an associate professor in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Miami. Professor Gautier is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. She’s taught at Penn as well as Marquette University, Saint Joseph’s University, Washington University in St. Louis, and DePaul University. She’s published one hundred and twenty-nine short stories, including three award-winning short story collections -- Now We Will Be Happy, The Loss of All Lost Things, and At-Risk: Stories. Among her many honors, she’s been the recipient of writing awards, prizes, and fellowships. Her critical reviews and essays on 19th-century writers have been published broadly. Amina is a Brooklyn-born native New Yorker who currently divides her time between Chicago and Miami. In this episode, Stew and Amina talk about how her impoverished childhood, in which she split time living in two different parts of Brooklyn, affected her decision to become a writer. Amina describes her early obsession with writing and how, in a fateful conversation with a poetry professor, she realized her calling was as a writer of stories, not poems. She talks about her creative process, especially the importance of managing boundaries that enable her to focus on producing her art, and how her relationships with both students and readers enrich the meaning of her work. Hers is a compelling illustration of what it means to strive for harmony among the different parts of life and the benefits of doing so. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation, near the end of which Amina offers advice for would-be writers. Among this wisdom, she quotes John Gardner’s Art of Fiction: “If there is good to be said, the writer should say it. If there is bad to be said, he should say it in a way that reflects the truth that, though we see the evil, we choose to continue among the living.” If you are aspiring to a creative career, of any sort, or know someone who is, how might you use her advice? Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jay Moldenhauer-Salazar is Chief People Officer for Minted.com. He oversees and manages Minted’s People team, which includes human resources and facilities. After several years running a research lab in Silicon Valley, he went on to lead HR in multiple industries and various scales, from hyper-growth start-up to global Fortune 500, including stints at Sun Microsystems, Taco Bell, BlackRock, Gap and Old Navy, Starbucks, and Riot Games. Prior to his corporate career, he received his Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan, with his dissertation on organizational change and diversity. Jay considers himself a closet creative and maintains a weekly writer’s group and dusty art portfolio. He is an internationally lauded game strategist with a particularly large following in the Magic the Gathering community. In this episode, Stew and Jay talk about lessons he’s learned from decades of experience in cultivating meaningful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives; the disruptive impact of the pandemic on Minted’s business and people operations and how the senior team is responding to those challenges, especially in having to downsize and develop new revenue streams; the hurdles facing women in the gaming industry; how his experience as a self-described gaming nerd has influenced his career; and much more. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. How has your most significant non-work passion influenced your career and how might you teach what you’ve discovered about infusing your work with that passion from another part of your life? Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jessica Calarco is Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University Bloomington. She earned her master’s and her PhD in sociology here at the University of Pennsylvania. Jessica’s research examines inequalities in education and family life, and she’s written about these inequalities for the New York Times, the Atlantic, Inside Higher Ed, and the Conversation. She’s the author of two books, A Field Guide to Grad School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum, which has just been published, and Negotiating Opportunities: How the Middle Class Secures Advantages in Schools, which received a 2019 Scholarly Achievement Award for Best Book by the North Central Sociological Association.In this episode, Stew and Jessica talk about her latest research, which is about how the pandemic and its impact on childcare arrangements and schooling is having a disparate impact on mothers, compared to fathers. Jessica describes the emotional and financial costs for working women and the negative impact on their relationships with their partners as well. They discuss how to turn rage into action and some of the possible solutions -- at the individual, corporate, and societal levels -- women need to ensure they don’t lose the ground they’ve gained in the workforce. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Try taking some action that might help to make clear the structural or systemic forces that are causing distress for the working mothers in your life that results from the feeling of self-blame for failure to live up to impossible standards in pandemic times. Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Carol Cone, Founder and CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, is internationally recognized for her work in social purpose and corporate social responsibility. Carol was a pioneer in the field of social purpose in the 1980s. Her work has built global movements, garnered hundreds of awards, and raised billions of dollars for a variety of worthy causes. She was the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Cone, Inc., recognized as the nation’s leading Cause Branding consultancy. PRWeek called her “arguably the most powerful and visible figure in the world of Cause Branding.” Her book, Breakthrough NonProfit Branding, was published in 2010.In this episode, Stew and Carol talk about the history of incorporating social causes in corporate strategies and her role in it, which grew out of her engagement in social action in the 1960s and 1970s. Carol shares insider insights about Reebok’s role in Amnesty International, PNC Financial’s sponsorship of early childhood education, Aflac’s support for pediatric cancer patients, and more. They discuss what it took to overcome resistance to the idea of embracing social causes in the corporate world, how individuals and organizations today can take positive social action through business, and why it’s so important to do so. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Come up with an idea for some action you can take, no matter how small, that you expect would result in your work being more meaningful because its social purpose is more clear to you. Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Marilyn Gist, author of The Extraordinary Power of Leader Humility: Thriving Organizations & Great Results, is an expert on leader development. Marilyn’s academic career includes time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the University of Washington, where she held the Boeing Endowed Professorship of Business Management; and Seattle University, where she served as Associate Dean, Professor of Management, and Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Formation. She earned her BA from Howard University and her MBA and PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park. In this episode, Stew and Marilyn talk about what it means to lead with humility and why that’s most especially important during these tumultuous times. People are crying out for respect for human dignity as a defining quality for leaders today. Marilyn describes the three questions her research shows are what we ask of our leaders: Who are you? Where are we going? Do you see me? What it takes to bring the answers to these questions is the focus of this conversation. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Think about the people who matter most to you in your life, especially those who might look to you for leadership, as someone who can picture a better tomorrow and bring people along with you. What might you do to demonstrate a greater appreciation for the dignity of one or more of these people? Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joan C. Williams is a Distinguished Professor of Law, Hastings Foundation Chair, and Founding Director of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings Law. Joan has played a central role in reshaping the conversation about work, gender, and class over the past quarter century, and her path-breaking work helped create the field of work-family studies and modern workplace flexibility policies. She’s one of the 10 most cited scholars in her field and has written 11 books, including the influential What Works for Women at Work in 2014 and more recently, White Working Class in 2017. Her awards include the Families and Work Institute’s Work Life Legacy Award (2014), the American Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Scholar Award (2012), and the ABA’s Margaret Brent Women Award for Lawyers of Achievement (2006). Her Harvard Business Review article, “What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class” has been read over 3.7 million times and is now the most read article in HBR’s 90-plus year history.In this episode, Stew and Joan talk about how class, in addition to race and gender, produces dividing lines that result in polarization and alienation. Joan describes and illustrates an evidence-based method for interrupting biases that reinforce systems of oppression in society and at work. They talk about prospects for change in the upcoming Biden-Harris administration, the awful impact of the pandemic on women’s lives and careers, women’s reproductive rights, and more.Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Check out Bias Interrupters and take the quick survey then develop an idea for action based on your results. Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Maurice “Tony” Ewing is the CEO of Conquer Risk, a Hong Kong-based risk management and compliance consultancy, and he’s also a motivational speaker and coach. As a former senior banking executive, public company board member and Princeton-certified behavioral scientist who was a PhD student of Nobel laureates John Nash and Daniel Kahneman, Tony has a broad experience base. He’s advised over $4 billion in corporate investments and initiatives, using behavioral science methods to inform decision-making and group dynamics. He’s also an active columnist for Forbes and he serves on the Executive Education faculty of the University of Cambridge.In this episode, Stew and Tony discuss a few of his recent Forbes pieces about how to talk about hot and potentially divisive issues like politics and race at work. Stew and Tony also talk about the added complexity of what “at work” means during the pandemic when so much of interacting with work colleagues occurs while one is sitting in one’s own home and one’s own home environment is visible to colleagues.Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Try having a conversation with a work colleague, even if it’s on Zoom and not in person, in which you listen to understand what’s really bothering them about the world as it is. Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reverend Charles “Chaz” Howard is the first-ever Vice President for Social Equity and Community at the University of Pennsylvania—a role he assumed in June 2020. But he’s long been a part of the Philadelphia community as Penn’s University Chaplain. After graduating Penn's College of Arts and Sciences in the year 2000, Chaz served in both hospital and hospice chaplaincies, and as a street outreach worker to individuals experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia before returning to his alma mater. As Vice President for Social Equity and Community at Penn he’s overseeing the University’s Projects for Progress, a new fund intended to encourage students, faculty, and staff to design and implement pilot projects based on innovative research that will advance Penn’s aim of a more inclusive university and community. He also works with University leaders to expand successful initiatives across campus, prominent among them Penn’s ongoing Campaign for Community, as well as to convene University events and other programming centered around social equity and community themes. He is the author of five books including most recently Pond River Ocean Rain, a collection of brief essays about going deeper with God, and The Bottom: A Theopoetic of the Streets, which will be released on November 1, 2020.In this episode, Stew and Chaz discuss what the Reverend has learned from his remarkable experience about the difficulties in bridging social divides -- across race, class, gender, and other categories -- and why striving to do so, especially now, is essential for our lives and our communities, at work and beyond. They talk about how to overcome the barriers that keep us from understanding the fears that motivate those who don’t seem to be like us and how embracing love of our common humanity can be liberating. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. What step might you be able to take today to better understand someone who stands on the other side of some important dividing line -- political, cultural, racial, or religious -- in your world? Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Uma Naidoo, Harvard based psychiatrist, chef, and author of This is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, PTSD, ADHD, OCD and More, is regarded internationally as a pioneer in the field of nutritional psychiatry, having founded the first US hospital-based clinical service in this area. She serves as the director of nutritional & lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and is also on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Naidoo also graduated from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts as a professional chef and was awarded her culinary school’s most coveted award, the MFK Fisher Award for Innovation. In this episode, Uma describes to Stew, in very practical terms, the ways that different kinds of food affect our moods, well-being, and productivity; how we can avoid the perils and pitfalls of over-eating or eating the wrong foods, especially when confined to home during the pandemic; and some useful suggestions for how businesses can support sound eating habits. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation, no matter what your current relationship with food. What small change can you make in what and when you eat that you believe will result in a demonstrably positive impact on your mental health? Share your ideas by writing to Stew friedman@wharton.upenn.edu or via LinkedIn. While you’re at it, share your thoughts with him on this episode and your ideas for people you’d like to hear on future shows. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Dana Sumpter is an associate professor of organization theory and management at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business. Her research employs a cross-cultural lens in understanding social behavior at work, studying topics including energy, mindfulness, power, work/family enrichment, managerial systems, and work relationships. She has published in professional journals and has been quoted in various popular outlets. Dr. Sumpter's research has received grants from the Center for Innovation Research in Cultural Intelligence and Leadership, and UC Irvine’s Center for Organizational Research. She is a member of two micro-communities of scholars: Mindfulness at Work, which she co-founded, Positive Relationships at Work. Her recent award-winning international management case focused on a woman’s expatriate human resource experience in Oman. Across 10 Asia-Pacific nations, Professor Sumpter led live executive training and coached executives on people management skills. She is an avid traveler, who has spent time in more than 30 countries (and counting!).In this episode, Stew and Dana discuss her new research, with her colleague Mona Zanhour, on mothers during the pandemic. Dana discusses best practices for working mothers, their partners in parenting, and their employers, including how to engage in meaningful dialogue toward viable new approaches for what, where, and how things get done, and by whom in the domestic sphere. She shares ideas about how to make self-care a priority because of how crucial it is in enabling working mothers to cope well with the intense pressures of our time. And they discuss the importance of hope and the potential silver linings in these dark and difficult times. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Ask yourself this question, if you’re a working mother or want to develop an idea to help one you might know: What small step can you take now to better care of yourself and how by doing so will you increase your capacity to help those who depend on you? Write to Stew (friedman@wharton.upenn.edu) or connect with him on LinkedIn. While you’re at it, share your thoughts with him on this episode and your ideas for people you’d like to hear on future shows. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Professor Quinetta Roberson has over 20 years of experience teaching courses and workshops globally on leadership, talent management and diversity, and her research and teaching are informed by her background in finance, having worked as a financial analyst and small business development consultant. She’s also served as an expert witness in employment discrimination lawsuits and provides professional advice and guidance to for-profit and non-profit organizations. Quinetta earned her Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Maryland and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in finance. Her research interests focus on developing organizational capability and enhancing effectiveness through the strategic management of people, particularly diverse work teams. To summarize some of her experiences and insights from working with organizations, she delivered a TED talk on The Science of Inclusion at the 2013 TEDxVillanova conference. She currently serves as President of the Academy of Management (AOM) for 2020-2021. In this episode, Stew and Quinetta discuss the benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion (after parsing out important distinctions among these three terms, often referred to collectively as “DEI”) for teams and organizations with respect to productivity, retention, and the bottom line. Quinetta shares her research on equity and justice with teams and provides guidance for how to make DEI efforts succeed, starting with a clear sense of purpose as to the expected impact on organization performance. Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Ask yourself this question: If you were to take a step toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment, why would you do it? How, in other words, would you want your team organization to benefit? And, how, by asking this, does your perspective change on what you might do to affect positive change? Write to Stew to let him know, at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu, or connect with him on LinkedIn. While you’re at it, share your thoughts with him on this episode and your ideas for people you’d like to hear on future shows. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christopher Marquis is the Samuel C. Johnson Professor in Global Sustainable Enterprise and Professor of Management at Cornell University. His current teaching and research focus on the two areas of social innovation and change and doing business in China. Prior to joining Cornell, Chris worked for 10 years at Harvard Business School and has held visiting positions at Harvard’s Kennedy School, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Peking University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiaotong University. He received a PhD in sociology and business administration from the University of Michigan.In this episode, Stew and Chris discuss his new book, Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism. Chris reviews the meaning and intent of a B Corp, how this differs from corporate social responsibility initiatives, and why the essential features of B Corps are good for all businesses and their people. They get into why and how the U.S. differs from other industrialized nations in resisting stakeholder (as opposed to shareholder) models. Chris reviews common forms of resistance to taking on social issues -- including the environment, racial and economic justice -- and how to overcome these obstacles to positive change. They discuss generational trends in corporate social responsibility and how the pandemic, the resultant economic crisis, and increased awareness of systemic racism may reshape corporate America.Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. What might you be able to try, in your work environment, that is consistent with the B Corp movement’s principles, that you believe would increase its value as a business? Write to Stew to let him know, at friedman@wharton.upenn.edu, or connect with him on LinkedIn. While you’re at it, share your thoughts with him on this episode and your ideas for people you’d like to hear on future shows. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.