The Minor Consult explores leadership with innovators, changemakers, and risk-takers.
Hosted by Stanford School of Medicine Dean Lloyd Minor, MD, the podcast convenes top minds from across fields to share their perspectives, impart lessons from their careers, and discuss the complex challenges leaders face today. Through their conversations, Dr. Minor unearths the qualities and skills that leaders need to succeed in turbulent times.
Dr. Minor has served as Dean since 2012 and is also a professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine. Under his leadership, Stanford Medicine has emerged as a leader in the Precision Health revolution, which emphasizes preventive, personalized health care and leverages advances in biomedicine to treat and cure complex diseases. With more than 160 published articles and chapters, Dr. Minor is an expert in balance and inner ear disorders. In 2012, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Disclaimer: Lloyd Minor has no financial interests in or formal relationships with the organizations of his guests.
S5 Ep4: Trauma expert Katharine Manning on Responding to Distress & Creating an Empathetic Workplace
Dec 06, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Katharine Manning, author, victim rights attorney, and expert on empathy in the workplace, for a conversation about how to support people in distress. They discuss the universal needs of people who have experienced traumatic situations, from being victims of a crime to losing a loved one. They also explore effective ways to respond to people who have confided problems, strategies for coping in professions that are emotionally trying, and how leaders can cultivate a culture of empathy and mental wellbeing at work.
S5 Ep3: Executive Coach Matt Abrahams on How to Connect & Engage in a Time-Starved World
Nov 15, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Matt Abrahams, executive communications coach and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, for a conversation about how to connect and engage different audiences in a wide range of settings. They explore key principles for effective communications, the importance of focusing on audience needs, and how to prepare for spontaneous speaking opportunities. They also discuss how to build trust through collaboration, the pitfalls of going negative, and balancing the efficiency gains of generative AI with the loss of authenticity and human connection.
S5 Ep2: Author & Physician Abraham Verghese on Family, Medicine, and Writing “The Covenant of Water”
Oct 09, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Abraham Verghese, MD, physician, educator, and bestselling author, for a conversation about literature, medicine, and his latest book “The Covenant of Water.” They explore the family history and medical mystery at the heart of the critically acclaimed novel, along with the synergies of writing and medicine. They also discuss the books that inspired Verghese’s career, how he found his artistic voice, and what it’s like when your creation receives enthusiastic support from Oprah Winfrey.
S5 Ep1: Fmr. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer on the Future of AI and Pioneering Transformative Technology
Sep 19, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Marissa Mayer, former Yahoo CEO, early Google employee and co-founder of Sunshine, for a conversation about the past, present, and future of AI and lessons learned from the evolution of search engine technology. They explore her experience pioneering iconic Google applications, what to expect as AI technology matures, and what it will take for a company to distinguish itself in the competitive world of AI. They also discuss the importance of building AI systems around the human experience, how to best regulate emerging technologies, and how to earn the public’s trust when developing transformative innovations.
S4 Ep6: Philanthropist Alice Walton on Building Bridges to Art & Medicine in Underserved Regions
Jun 12, 2023
Show notes
In a special episode recorded from his home state of Arkansas, Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Alice Walton, philanthropist and fellow Arkansan, for a lively conversation about the importance of creating opportunities and access to art and health care, particularly in underserved regions. They explore the intersections of medicine and the humanities, and discuss how Walton’s newly established Whole Health Institute and Alice L. Walton School of Medicine will support human health with a holistic, integrated approach. Walton also shares leadership lessons from her father, Sam Walton, and her insights about building institutions to benefit rural communities.
S4 Ep5: Rite Aid CEO Busy Burr on Practicing Ruthless Vulnerability in Corporate America
May 31, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Busy Burr, interim CEO of the drug store chain Rite Aid, for a wide-ranging discussion on driving transformational change in the tech and health care sectors and fostering an organizational culture of honesty and vulnerability. Burr also provides insights on designing products that people truly want, the evolving role of pharmacists in patient care, and why she feels optimistic about the future of digital health and behavior change technologies. Plus: Find out how lessons from the art of improv translate to the business world in surprising ways.
S4 Ep4: Stripe CEO Patrick Collison On Innovating E-Commerce & Accelerating Biomedical Research
May 15, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Patrick Collison, co-founder and CEO of the e-commerce company Stripe, for a conversation about his journey as an entrepreneur in tech and biomedical science. They explore the origins of his e-commerce monolith, how he keeps Stripe a reliable mainstay for businesses around the world, and why he established the Arc Institute in the midst of a pandemic to accelerate biomedical research. They also discuss the value of continuous improvement in leadership, the importance of understanding generational differences in the workforce, and the critical need to keep expanding the global knowledge base for the greater good.
S4 Ep3: Instacart CEO Fidji Simo On How Technology Is Improving Our Relationship With Food
May 01, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Instacart CEO Fidji Simo for a conversation about how technology has revolutionized the way Americans shop for their food. They explore her path from the south of France to Silicon Valley, her passion for developing technology that solves “real person problems,” and her vision for improving our nation's relationship with food — and their health — through online grocery delivery. They also discuss leadership lessons she learned from Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, how leaders can unlock the magic of their team members, and how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we shop for groceries and put meals on the table.
S4 Ep2: Environmental Activist Catherine Flowers On Climate Change & Failing Sanitation In Rural Communities
Apr 17, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes environmental activist Catherine Coleman Flowers for a conversation about widespread failures of public sanitation in the U.S., and the health and economic impacts on vulnerable populations in rural communities. They explore root causes of these systemic lapses, the increasing threat of climate change, and how her research and advocacy expanded from one Alabama county to communities across the country. They also discuss the power of leading by listening, building a broad, diverse network of supporters, and maintaining humility and optimism in the face of daunting challenges.
S4 Ep1: UPSIDE Foods CEO Uma Valeti on Changing How the World Eats – for Good.
Apr 03, 2023
Show notes
Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of UPSIDE Foods, for a conversation about his company’s breakthrough venture growing cultivated meat from animal cells. They explore the roots of his interest in finding a viable meat alternative, his journey from cardiologist to entrepreneur, and what led him to take a risk on revolutionizing the way we consume animal products. They also discuss what it takes to secure investors and overcome skepticism in a nascent industry, how to inspire teams with an aspirational vision, and how leaders can combine scientific innovation and business acumen to advance positive change on the planet.
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