Unleashing Social Change

Latest Episodes:

Bonus Episode: High Tech High Unboxed- Improvement as a tool for our collective liberation, with Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford Nov 16, 2022

Unleashing Social Change Podcast has a featured episode for you this week!

High Tech High Unboxed, hosted by Alec Patton. In this Episode, Stacey interviews Brandi. Stacey Caillier talks to Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford about what Improvement Science looks like when equity and liberation are embedded in the PROCESS, not just the hoped-for result. This interview is rooted in two things, how improvement science can be a tool for our collective liberation and what we do in the meantime before that liberation comes about. Hope you enjoy this week's Bonus episode.

Show Resources: HTHunboxed Podcast: https://hthunboxed.org/podcast-home/ Order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

Check out our 1:1 Coaching

Unpacking Mentorship; Humility, Authenticity, and Curiosity. Jun 08, 2022

Nicki Roth and I met back in 2003 working on the 100,000 homes campaign. She is currently heading the executive leadership coaching offered to all MBA students at MIT Sloan School of Management. She has published two books on leadership and is the co-founder of The Messy Truth Leadership. I am honored and SO grateful that Nicki listened to the entirety of Season Four and brought her wisdom and expertise to this debrief.

Nicki is unafraid to call a spade a spade, or an asshole, and for that I love her. Unapologetic in her mission to develop leaders that are able to lift and progress teams rather than exhaust them with tone deaf egos, Nicki has decades of experience working in leader development and has her pulse on what leaders across sectors need.

In this episode we unpack the magnitude of the season. We discuss the threads of leadership lessons we saw woven throughout decades of service and the most prominent characteristics of authentic leadership.

To sit down in conversation with my old friend was a treat. Enjoy the last episode and then start all over again.

Show Notes:

The difference seeing leadership development as a profit generator versus a necessity.
There is more clarity of purpose in mission driven organizations.
Commonalities between nonprofit, military, and corporate leaders.
The journey from being externally motivated to developing intrinsic self worth.
The opposite of humble leadership is “I’m in charge”
The nuance of navigating ego as a non-dominant group leader.
How ego driven leadership limits careers and exhausts staff.
Never underestimate how honored a leader will be if they are asked to be a mentor.
People in non-dominant groups must have internal mentors to advocate for them, to help them navigate systems, see them, hear them, experience them, and help develop their talents.
Leadership isn’t about the leader, it's about the group.

Show Resources

Nicki’s Projects

The Messy Truth Leadership

Sloan's approach to leadership

Private audio coaching

Nicki’s Books

The Messy Truth About Leading People

Beyond Passion: From Nonprofit Expert to Organizational Leader

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

56: Sharon Kanis: A Profile in Interconnectedness of Communion May 24, 2022

My last mentor of the season is one who has known me since before I was born, my Aunt and Godmother, Sharon Kanis of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Taking her vows at the age of 19, Sharon has since gotten a degree in chemistry, a masters in applying Jungian theory to biblical archetypes, and a PhD in how people experience their spirituality in their bodies. When asked if I could introduce her as Doctor Sharon Kanis SSND she scoffed and said the phd was just a thing she did a while ago.

Sharon is a truth teller and willing to question her own assumptions with enduring humility. She has traveled the world to pay witness and be of service. An educator through her decades of service, she brings people and their shared experiences together in community. Sharon has rooted her service in the interconnectedness of the web of life and is unwavering from the oneness of the universe.

In this episode, you’ll hear that the thing Sharon attributes her progress to is also the biggest obstacle she’s faced as a leader - mutual accountability; showing up, consistently, willing to meet someone where they’re at, to get the work done. And although sometimes inconvenient, it is necessary and rooted in justice.

Show Notes:

The lesson I taught her at three years old.
The difference between community and communion.
Theology isn’t about answers, it's about questions.
Our identities are not reasons for division but markers for community.
How to stay in communication with people when egos inflate the room.
Consensus is not always efficient but it is necessary.
The philosophy of mutual availability.
The web of life and what it means to be interconnected.
Making time for contemplative practice.
What happens to one of us happens to all of us.
Weaving together common experiences as a mode of operation.

Order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

55: Noah Winnick and Josue Barnes: A Profile in Fearless Community Activism May 18, 2022

Description:

A few years ago I received advice that every leader should have a mentor who is 20 years younger than them. In the reckoning of June 2020, I found mine in Noah Winnick and Josue Barnes. The duo founded Claremont Change and have been representing the voices of marginalized people in the community since the inception of the organization.

They are fearless advocates who are relentless in their commitment and vision in creating an antiracist Claremont and I will follow them, quite literally in peaceful protest, to the ends of the earth.

The synergy between these lifelong friends is animating to witness. Somehow they are able to make the daunting and often draining work of social justice joyful and approachable. They authentically show up for their hometown and I am so proud to be in arms with them as I do my part in shaping the city where I have rooted my family.

I hope you enjoy this time with “The Rom-Com Boys” as much I did.

Show Highlights:

Fostering fearlessness and Cat’s The Musical
The weight and responsibility of speaking out in a town that you were raised in.
How to bring humor and irrepressible joy to the daunting journey that is social justice advocating.
Learning how to hold your own as the baby of the family.
Trusting instincts and accepting that just because someone knows more than you doesn't mean they’ll be helpful.
Navigating trust in politically charged strategies.
Learning that knowledge does not imply truth or helpfulness.

Show Resources:

Claremont Change

Order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

54: Mark Lipton - A Profile in Vision, Genius, and Feeling Feelings May 10, 2022

This week I sat down with Mark Lipton who I met when he was the Department Chair of my graduate program in Organizational Change Management at The New School. He has since moved on to Professor Emeritus status, which has freed him up to consult with Fortune 500 companies and write awesome books, so be sure to check out Guiding Growth: How Vision Keeps Companies on Course and the award-winning Mean Men: The Perversion of America’s Self-Made Man.

I learned that Mark and I had all kinds of things in common in this episode. For example, we bonded over the fact that both of us entered higher education entirely on a whim. And I was absolutely fascinated to listen to Mark’s thoughts about what he calls Emotional Fortitude - a signature attribute of “undisruptable CEOs” that he defines as, “the art of examining one’s own thoughts and emotions surrounding a decision in order to consider those thoughts and emotions themselves as inputs to the decision-making process.” Though we have traveled different paths, the fact that we are both so keen on helping leaders know themselves and do the inner work of mining their emotions confirmed for me that this is someone I was so lucky to have as a mentor and teacher so many years ago.

Mark’s reflections on purpose and vision are something everyone leading anything needs to listen to. This wonderful human being has a great big heart to match his great big brain. Everything he shares is oozing with humility and thoughtfulness.

I hope you enjoy listening to this show as much as I enjoyed recording it with Mark.

Show Highlights:

“Knocking out a phd” could alter the course of your life
The leadership superpower of Emotional Fortitude
How do organizations set up feedback loops? And how can leaders actively listen?
What is trust and how do we gain, sustain, and lose it?
Why knowing what you are feeling in the moment is one of the most important skills you can build as a leader
What is left when we let go of the notion that we have something to prove to others or ourselves
Understanding your feelings, in the face of a challenge, will let you know what you truly want to do about it
Thoughts on (not) retiring
Vision. Is. Everything.

Show Resources:

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

53: Rosanne Haggerty: A Profile in Disruption and Active Listening May 03, 2022

In this episode, you’ll meet Rosanne Haggerty, winner of the 2001 MacArthur “Genius Award.” Having worked for her for 11 years I can say with no doubt: she really is a genius, although she’d never tell you that herself. Super humble and one of the most relentless leaders I’ve ever known, Rosanne’s work speaks for itself.

Last year the organization she founded, Community Solutions, was awarded the prestigious $100 & Change grant from the MacArthur Foundation, a global competition for a $100 million to fund a single proposal that promises “real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time.” I am so confident Rosanne and her team will deliver on this in spades.

Back in 2003, when Rosanne hired me to reduce street homelessness in two-thirds over three years in parts of Manhattan, NYC, all I knew was that I wanted to throw myself into work where I felt zero ambivalence. Rosanne took me under her wings and taught me that there’s no such thing as a problem that can’t be solved. Why she hired a former Army officer to lead an effort to tackle street homelessness is a mystery that she attempts to answer in this episode, and her answer sheds light on her knack for disrupting business as usual.

Everett Rogers estimates 2.5% of the population are innovators for any given area. Rosanne is one of those rare 2.5% who cannot help but generate fresh insights into entrenched problems. This leader was put on the planet to shake things up!

In this episode, you’ll hear us talk about our time working together on the 100,000 Homes campaign, the challenges we faced, and the power of active listening. You’ll also hear some of the behind-the-scenes stories from my book, Impact with Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself.

As always, enjoy the show and please share far and wide.

Show Notes:

Thinking outside the box when it comes to hiring.
Mobilizing accountability in complex problems.
Homelessness is the collective failure of other systems and structures.
Stepping up for the people who need it.
Why solving short-term crises doesn’t work and where we need to start.
The challenge is not sinister or mysterious - it’s solvable.
Learning how to engage people in a way that’s not overwhelming for everyone.
Matchmaking genius and what it can do for an organization.
Allowing space for what needs to come next.
Finding the balance between keeping an organization afloat while keeping it equitable and innovative.

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

52: Holly Craig Silkman: A Profile in Candor Apr 21, 2022

Holly Craig Silkman, aka Adele Adler, aka my college roomie, joins us from her horse ranch in Montana to talk about her experience narrating the audio version of my book, Impact with Integrity, and her experience as a leader for more than three decades.

Our time as roommates at West Point was much like this episode, a hoot and a half with tons of laughter. Holly was one of the first people I ever came out to and her compassion in that moment forged a friendship that changed both of our lives for the better.

Throughout this episode, Holly’s perseverance, great personality, and candor shine through. A truly authentic leader who leads with compassion, courage, and a heart for service - there is never a dull moment when Holly is in the room. Even in the lowest moments of her incredibly successful career, she found a way to make things better for others.

I am so grateful to embrace this ray of sunshine as my lifelong best friend. I guarantee she’ll have you laughing along within the first few moments of the show.

Show Notes:

“It’s not woo woo if it works.”
Breaking free from toxic social conditioning.
Becky’s favorite Holly story involving a special kind of bird.
“If you don’t seek to be compassionate first, it won’t work.”
How Holly went from being an Army Colonel to narrating books.
Never start to believe your own press.
The price one pays when pride overshadows intuition.
What graduating from Airborne school at the age of 45 looks like.
You can’t be a leader without being a servant.
Navigating the repercussions of sexual assualt from a four star general.
The importance of healthy masculinity and the influence good fathers can have on fostering unwavering leadership.
Good ole cowboy logic: never miss a good chance to shut up.
It’s hard to speak truth to power but people need to hear it, especially from your unique perspective.

Show Resources

You can check out Adele Adler’s other audio recordings on Amazon here.

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

51: Howie Cohen - A Profile in Becoming a Leader's leader Apr 19, 2022

Join me this episode as I sit down with my mentor and friend, retired Colonel Howie Cohen, to discuss leadership, community, standards, and perseverance. We reminisce on the unconventional methods Howie used to instill cohesion in every one of the dozens of organizations he led, from being one of the first officers ever to sign into the Third Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment to commanding the White House Communications Agency.

Woven throughout our conversation you will notice the profound joy of cameraderie forged by the shared experience of selfless service to something bigger than ourselves alongside the heartbreak that comes with the difficult challenges that life brings our way.

Howie embodies the essence of the word excellence and his commitment to learning, growth, and contribution shine through in all his stories. He is a prime example of someone who is a leader’s leader, never asking someone to do something he isn’t willing to do himself, always looking for the developmental moment. Willing to hold himself to a higher standard not because he has to, but because he believes it’s the right thing to do.

I had the privilege of working for Howie two separate times during my nine years of service, first when he was the Battalion Commander of the 112th Signal Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne) and again when he commanded a Special Mission Unit that we both served in. I’m so grateful to share the heart and humor of this amazing leader - this amazing human being - whom I'm honored to call my mentor and friend.

Please check out Howie’s current project on Mental Fitness and preventing veteran suicide in the show notes below and help spread the word to everyone you think might benefit.

Show Highlights:

What it looks like to enforce high standards and how doing so creates a high accountability, high performing organization
Excellence becomes contagious when you lead by example
The experience of community creates an essential bond of an organization and is an essential ingredient for success
The caliber of the team goes up when the accountability of each individual on the team goes up
How to create a self-regulatory culture in an organization
Even if you don’t win, you win when you’re committed to excellence
Finding meaning in sadness.
Asking yourself ‘what am I doing right now to develop my leaders and what can I do better?’
Prioritizing leadership development even when others haven’t
The gift of letting go of something you’re not good at so you can pursue your passion
How to find your resilience even when you suffer from a difficult setback

Show Resources:

Pivotal Moments Media: https://www.pivotalmomentsmedia.com/
Charlie Mike Channel: https://www.pivotalmomentsmedia.com/charlie-mike/
Army ETS Sponsorship Program: https://etssponsorship.com/
Dept of Veteran Affairs TASC: https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/transitioning-service/index.asp

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

50: Jan Hicks: A Profile in Authenticity and Kindness Apr 12, 2022

Today Jan Hicks is living her best life as a farmer, mother, and doting grandmother. When she retired as a two-star Major General in 2005, she was serving as the Commanding General of the United States Army Signal Corps. I had the tremendous good fortune of serving under Jan when she was the Battalion Commander of the 125th Signal Battalion in Helemano, Hawaii. Leokani Okauwila - a Hawaiian phrase that translates into Voice of Lightning - was the motto of our unit that provided tactical communications support to the 25th Infantry Division.

If you’ve read the first chapter of my book, you’ll be familiar with the story about my boss poking me in the chest with some salty language. Jan Hicks was that boss. She was also one of the most inspiring, authentic, and deeply kind leaders I have ever had the privilege of serving under. By the way, if you haven’t read the first chapter of my book, what are you waiting for? I’m giving the first chapter away for free here, so please check it out!

As a freshly minted Lieutenant, I was doubtful that I would ever be able to succeed in the army while at the same time being my authentic self. Though we never spoke about it directly, Jan embodied authenticity and kindness so thoroughly that I have known for the rest of my life that it is 100% possible to be myself and be effective as a leader.

I have to confess, I got a little more emotional than usual recording this episode. I didn’t realize until we were speaking the full extent of Jan’s impact on me all these years later. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to serve with this incredible human being who knows in her bones who she is and what she stands for. I hope that listening to this episode strengthens your own conviction to be true to yourself and kind to others.

Show Notes:

How to handle a man mansplaining to you that he can’t work for you because you’re a woman.
The “rest of the story” behind Becky’s infamous “unfuck this, Lieutenant” moment.
What it was like being the first General Officer in the Army who was also a mom.
The profound gift of life-long friendships.
You can opt out of being miserable.
How life’s pendulum will eventually swing back in your favor.
The ripple effect of embodying goodness and kindness.
It’s okay to make mistakes, just make sure you’re making new ones.

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

49: Jane Holl Lute: A Profile in Never Moving Backwards Apr 05, 2022

Thirty years ago I met Jane Hall Lute while she was my professor at West Point. Since our time together she has gone on to be the Assistant Secretary General for Peacebuilding Support at the United Nations, the former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States, and is now the Director at SIPCA.

As she mentions,” Jane Hall does not move backward”. Her illustrious career is cornerstonesd with humility,curiosity, and a commitment to learn something new from every conversation.

Jane has always been able to distill the most complicated processes and ideas into comprehensible action steps. She is able to shift the context through humor and simplification, on the dime, and even does so a couple of times in this recording.

In this episode, you’ll hear what leadership means to Jane and how we must show up as leaders, not to be praised or because it’s being asked of us - but rather because it is our collective duty as humans.

Jane’s ‘what you see is what you get” demeanor is funny, sharp, and inviting. I’m so grateful for the time we spent together. Enjoy the show!

Show Notes:

What happens to your presence when you realize you’ve become a role model.
Human beings don’t need to earn respect, they deserve respect.
Presence as the most important attribute of a leader.
How being a “spectacular failure” can work out for the good.
Leading by example stays with people for life.
Leaders need to be the weight bearing capacity for the waste of an organization sometimes.
What’s meant to be on your path will find a way to make its way there.
Navigating toxic people in organizations without compromising the mission.
An example of setting boundaries and not suffering in silence.
One of the most important choices we have is choosing who is in the sandbox with us.
Jane’s insights on Ukraine and the Western World.

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

48: Jay Parker: A Profile in Empathy and Unconditional Support Mar 28, 2022

If you’re a frequent listener of this podcast you’ve probably heard the name Jay Parker. Jay is currently the distinguished professor and Major General Fox Conner Chair of International Security Studies in the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University. We met back in the 90’s when I was at West Point and he has been a trusted confidant ever since.

When Jay Parker says to do something – you do it. From an impromptu trip around the world to working for Rosanne Haggerty to help end homelessness – I’ve heeded his advice and been better off for it.

In this episode you’ll hear us reminisce decades old memories of the adventure that formed our lifelong friendship (including a thespian performance which shines a light on Jay’s loveable affability) and the written memometos from him that have influenced the course of my life.

I can speak from experience when I say Jay Parker wraps his mentees in unconditional support and provides us with connections and protections, sometimes even at his own personal risk, in order to help people and organizations reach their highest potential.

I hope this episode sparks some of your own kindling.

Show Notes:

How Becky and Jay ended up on a three week trip around the world together within weeks of meeting one another
Becky’s appreciation of Jay
How Jay got to be so invested in mentoring others
What’s Plutarch got to do with this?
Why leadership is not like Christmas morning or the Easter Bunny leaving extra chocolate
Coping with burnout and seeking the ever elusive work-life balance

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

47: Mimi Finch: A Profile in Becoming the Leader You Never Had Mar 21, 2022

Join Becky as she interviews her Tactical Officer from West Point, Retired Army Officer and Defense Contractor Mimi Finch, and listen to their conversation about the seminal moments that molded Mimi into the leader and person she is today.

A champion of the underdog in her decades-long career, Mimi Finch has consistently stood up to misogyny, racism, and homophobia in situations that required a whole heap of courage. Even when the backlash was harsh and jeopardized her personal safety, her career, or her social status, Mimi spoke up.

Through some harrowing experiences, Mimi became the fearless feminist leader she wished she had herself when she went through the fourth class of women to graduate from West Point.

Mimi’s story highlights the power and strength that can be found in radical vulnerability. Consider this a primer on questioning the status quo and making waves. May we all be inspired by her story and her willingness to disrupt oppression!

Trigger warning: contains discussion of sexual violence

Show Highlights:

Being true to yourself and standing firm in your values, no matter what the consequences
Working through the internal struggle of whether or not to say something when someone has done something wrong
Dealing with the backlash of calling out criminal sexist behavior
Reckoning with the realization that people in power can cause harm

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

46: Brenda Sue Fulton, A Profile of Personal Courage Mar 14, 2022

Like many of Becky’s mentors, Army Veteran Brenda Sue Fulton’s list of accomplishments is longer than a CVS receipt and chock full of lasting impact. Weaving her activism with community building, she has been a key player in ending the military’s discriminatory “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and ending the military’s ban on openly serving transgender people.

A graduate of West Point’s first class to admit women, Sue shares her insights on how to muster the personal courage to keep going in the face of massive resistance.

Show Highlights:

Stories can be more effective and more important that raising money
How Becky and Sue founded Knights Out together and inspired dozens of West Point graduates to come out of the closet in support of ending “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
How Sue inspired SPARTA to pursue ending the ban on openly serving transgender people a decade sooner than anyone thought was possible
Knowing your true north is where you find the personal courage to keep going even when you are scared - and you will be scared.
You can’t change minds until you change hearts.
Once you change hearts you just have to clear the friction.

Show Resources:

TransMilitary Documentary
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” - Maya Angelou

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

Note About Veterans Mar 14, 2022

45: Marie Connor-Glenfield, A Profile in the Healing Power of Presence Mar 08, 2022

In this episode, I sat down with one of my first mentors, Marie Connor-Glenfield, who I met when I was sixteen. In our first encounter, she held space for me to process profound loss. She identified my pain and didn’t try to push me through it, but rather sat with me as I sat with it. Since that first meeting, she has continued to be there for me in seminal moments of my life. When I was lost, when I was celebrating, and when I wasn't sure what my next move would be, Marie accompanied me.

I have witnessed Marie bring healing energy to many people and organizations over the decades I’ve known her. I am so happy she was generous enough to share her deeply personal stories of listening to muses and grounding herself in the interconnectedness of life with all of us.

Her creativity and commitment to be of service has always inspired me to stay true to that part of myself. I hope you get as much from this conversation as I did!

Show Highlights:

Holding deep emotions through presence brings healing
Listening to the inner voice when it says “I know I can help, so I’m going to”
Being of service so that others don’t have to experience the same pain we did; or, if they do, they don’t have to do it alone
When we’re fully present, we’re connected to everything and everyone
How do we stay in our truth when we’re having a bad day, week, or month?
Judgment is not useful. It is a way to avoid the truth
The importance of creating a daily practice of paying attention
The struggle between ego and presence and how to differentiate between the two
Our circumstances are not our story
Sometimes it can be terrifying to get clarity on your purpose
Acupunture as a “legitimate front” for being a healer
Taking responsibility for the change you want to see in the world without burning out

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

44: Susan Rivers Interviews Becky Margiotta Mar 01, 2022

Mentorship is often thought of as unidirectional - flowing from the mentor to mentee. In this upcoming season, I interviewed a baker’s dozen of my mentors - people who were there to guide me through some of my biggest leadership challenges - to find out about their biggest leadership challenges.

If my military mentors taught me anything, it was this: leaders don’t ask the people to do anything they aren’t willing to do themselves. That goes for cleaning toilets, answering the phones, or disclosing your biggest leadership challenges to your podcast listeners. So we’re launching season four with my dear friend, Dr. Susan Rivers, Executive Director and Chief Scientist of iThrive, who agreed to interview me about the hardest challenges I’ve faced as a leader.

Susan invites me to go behind the scenes into some challenges I’ve shared a hundred times before and she draws out some new stories I’ve never shared before. I’m so grateful to Susan for her generous listening, her keen insights, and her ability to help me make sense of some of the hardest moments I’ve experienced.

Show Highlights:

The pain of not being able to tell the truth about my sexual orientation while I served in the military
Why authenticity is so important to me now
How I worked through my fears by being humble and letting go of the need to be blameless
Reckoning with decades of socialization as a white person in the United States and the negative impact that has on showing up fully in community
Differentiating between impact and intent to take responsibility for my actions
The big question: How do I take healthy responsibility for the whole web of life?
Learning to listen to what my body is trying to tell me

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

Season 4 Teaser Feb 28, 2022

Episode 43: Elizabeth Cushing "Shift Aims to Scale Joy" Feb 10, 2022

Anyone who has attended our workshops on how to design large-scale change is familiar with Playworks, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, CA. With their permission, we present a case study of their plans to go to scale as a way to teach people how to set compelling aims for spread/scale. So we thought we should check in on Playworks and their progress toward their truly ambitious aims.

In this episode, we sit down with the CEO of Playworks, Elizabeth Cushing, and dive into the rollercoaster ride of leading an organization through an astonishing transformation and all the lessons learned along the way. Elizabeth has some edge of your chair stories about the thrill of victory and agony of defeat in the day to day adventures of leading large-scale change during a global pandemic.

We learned so much in this conversation and we know you will, too.

Show Highlights:

The difference between scaling the organization and scaling the solution (hint: one has more impact than the other)
Major pivots Playworks accomplished during the pandemic
Setting an aim invigorates organizations and galvanizes donor support, and is well worth doing, even if the aim is not achieved
What’s next for Playworks

Show Resources:

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

Episode 42: Nicole Hockley "Mission Doesn't Happen Without People" Feb 03, 2022

On this episode we welcome back Nicole Hockley, a dear friend and force of nature, for a conversation about how Sandy Hook Promise scaled their proven prevention programs through a pandemic.

Nicole generously talks us through SHP's focus on scale, equity, and adaptating their programs and internal practices. We are deeply honored to get to spend some more time with this brilliant human and grateful for her insights as CEO of an immensely impactful organization. Enjoy the show and please share the below resources as far and wide as you can.

Show Highlights:

Nicole’s thoughts on the stunning fact that the number one cause of death for children under the age of 19 in the United States right now is gun violence
Why parents cannot assume that their kids’ mental health is ok
Nicole’s insights into the phenomenal growth trajectory of Sandy Hook Promise and an update on their impact to date
How Nicole’s thinking on the need to balance mission accomplishment with employee well-being has evolved over time
Nicole’s thoughts on bridging the C3 and C4 arms of Sandy Hook Promise to advance programs and legislative policies.

Show Resources:

Make the promise

Know the signs

Donate to SHP

Say Something Anonymous Crisis Line: To get the reporting system at your school/ district reach out to programs@sandyhookpromise.org

Sandy Hook Promise PSA

How To Overload A Circuit: https://youtu.be/GLapIiOq__Y

How To Make A Homemade Bomb: https://youtu.be/A45mBBsrhG4

How To Perform A Disappearing Act: https://youtu.be/hafbxfHMTKg

Pre-order Becky’s Book Impact With Integrity: Repair the World Without Breaking Yourself

Episode 41: Chris Lubbe - On Activism, Grief, and What He Learned from Nelson Mandela Oct 08, 2021

We did something a little different this time. We’re giving you an almost completely unedited podcast recording because you need to hear every single word Chris said, including those before and after the official "podcast" part of the podcast. This episode is everything to us. Chris has a profound ability to convey meaning and heart through story. We literally cried through half the interview. We learned. We grieved. We grew. We are better humans for listening to his story. And we want to share every moment of it with you. Chris is a gift to this world and we are so grateful he took the time to tell us his story and for the person he is. We hope you’ll take a moment when you’re done listening to share your learnings too.

p.s. Becky's book is available for pre-order. Visit http://www.billionsinstitute.com/books/ for more info!

40: Dr. Christine Ortiz, “Equity is a Verb, not a Noun.” May 26, 2021

40: Dr. Christine Ortiz, “Equity is a Verb, not a Noun.”

Listen in on this episode for an insightful and deeply personal conversation about why equity is a verb with our friend, Dr. Christine Ortiz, Founder of Equity Meets Design. Christine invites us to get curious about the ways philanthropy and the nonprofit sector can be overly focused on spreading solutions at the expense of actually solving problems. We at the Billions Institute are proud to be partnering with her and Equity Meets Design on a new course called Solutions Worth Scaling.

Show Highlights:

Racism and equity are products of design and thus can be redesigned
The difference between Capital D Designers and lower case d designers and why the little d counts!
Why process is everything
Christine’s adventures as a serial entrepreneur and how the most important thing she learned at Harvard was not in the classroom
The pros and cons of working with the philanthropic sector
The problem with jumping to solutions
What it means to embody equity

Resources:

equitymeetsdesign.com
The Problem with Problems Course: https://courses.equitymeetsdesign.com/p/the-problem-with-problems
Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva

p.s. Becky's book is available for pre-order. Visit http://www.billionsinstitute.com/books/ for more info!

Episode 39: Dr. Julia Colwell, “Shifting from Reactive Brain to Creative Brain” Apr 27, 2021

39: Dr. Julia Colwell, “Shifting from Reactive Brain to Creative Brain”

In this episode, we talk with our friend, the brilliant and insightful psychologist Dr. Julia Colwell, about the physiological experience of shame and why it’s so important that we learn how to shift out of our reactive brains - and the hierarchy that comes with it - back into our creative brains where collaboration, connection, and creativity are possible. Join us for this fascinating conversation about how our brains work and how we can use our brains - and our bodies - to advance love and justice in our world. You’ll want to download the handout you can find on our Unleashing Social Change website to follow along with the show.

Show Highlights:

The evolutionary purpose of shame is to dominate another person into submission
How, as Tema Okun says, “Shame is a place to visit but not to stay.”
The difference between power versus force
How the energy of shame is close to death
How pride and contempt can lead to violence
The difference between blaming and non-blaming anger
The two problems with staying in reactive brain
The importance of realizing when you are in fear and a persona so you can minimize any harm you might do from that place
Reactivity is useful for survival, but not for thriving
Getting unstuck from the “I’m not bad, you’re bad” narrative and shifting to appreciation
Moving from “It shouldn’t be this way” to the neutrality of “this is what is”
Anchoring yourself in ways that generate energy
Repairing relationships by engaging above the line
Implications for scarcity versus abundance from your brain state
Connecting the dot with reparations and creating the world we want to live in
Fuel, rest, move - getting out of the stress mode and taking care of our bodies

Resources:

Evolutionarypower.org

https://juliacolwell.com/inner-map

Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory

Dr. David Hawkins, “Power vs. Force”

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Fear Melters - Gay and Katie Hendricks

john powell - Linked Fate

The Open Focus Brain by Les Fehmi and Jim Robbins

p.s. Becky's book is available for pre-order. Visit http://www.billionsinstitute.com/books/ for more info!

Episode 38: Nancy Stubbs, “Aligning Team Talent to Maximize Impact” Mar 30, 2021

Episode 38: Nancy Stubbs, Kolbe Certified™ Consultant, Big Leap Coach and Founder of Hire Resonance - “Aligning Team Talent to Maximize Impact”

In this episode we interview Nancy Stubbs who helps the Billions Institute make fantastic hiring decisions and optimize our genius as a team. We love her so much that we also bring her in to work with all of our Fellows. Bottom line: we think Nancy is genius at helping teams optimize genius! While most companies look for experience and education for hiring decisions, Nancy emphasizes the importance of motivation, intrinsic interests and how people actually get things done. These are the factors that drive job satisfaction and these are the key ingredients for creating a team that thrives. Tune in to see how you can build a team that maximizes impact by aligning the talent.

Show Highlights:

Don’t work on weaknesses; maximize joy and productivity instead
Why it is essential that everyone on your team knows not only their genius, but also their “not genius”
The gift underneath those aspects of yourself that you’ve been told are “too much” or “not enough”
Why we’ll never hire again without the help of Nancy and the Kolbe A Assessment

The Billions Institute is partnering with Nancy to offer a new course called Unapologetic Genius. Enrollment is open and the course will include your very own Kolbe assessment, an individual coaching session with Nancy, and a six-week deep dive into uncovering and fully expressing your genius in the world.

You can learn more about Unapologetic Genius here:

https://billions-institute.mykajabi.com/unapologetic-genius

p.s. Becky's book is available for pre-order. Visit http://www.billionsinstitute.com/books/ for more info!

Episode 37: Mike Thompson, Billions Institute Faculty, “Finding Common Ground in Community” Feb 18, 2021

Episode 37: Mike Thompson, Billions Institute Faculty, “Finding Common Ground in Community”

We kick off Season 4 with a candid discussion between Becky and her dear friend, Mike Thompson. Mike has been a nonprofit Executive Director several times over, and seven people who have worked for him have gone on to become exective directors themselves. In this candid conversation between two old friends, Mike shares his secrets for bringing out the best in each person he works with and each organization he leads. Mike is especially passionate about creating a context where people feel safe and supported to bring their whole selves to the work, and creating impeccably clear agreements with his colleagues, especially his board members! Anyone who serves on a board (or answers to a board) will want to listen to this one. Becky and Mike reflect on the importance of community because this work can be lonely and exhausting. Magic and inspiration naturally flow when leaders come together to form authentic community, something both Becky and Mike are passionate about doing.

Show Highlights:

The ways your identity and experiences of privilege and marginalization shape how you lead
Creating safe spaces so that your people can bring their authentically whole selves to the work
The importance of clear agreements between Executive Directors and their Boards
Why we need to slow down and make time for deeper relationships
The difference between consulting and coaching to support professional growth
The antidote to the loneliness that can come with leadership

p.s. Becky's book is available for pre-order. Visit http://www.billionsinstitute.com/books/ for more info!

Episode 36: Meredith Shockley-Smith and Elizabeth Kelly, “Reducing Infant Mortality by Following the Lead of Black Women” Oct 20, 2020

36: Meredith Shockley-Smith and Elizabeth Kelly, “Reducing Infant Mortality by Following the Lead of Black Women”

Over the past several years, Hamilton County has moved from having one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the United States to being in the lower 25 percentile. While there is still so much work to be done, this staggering improvement deserves our attention. In this episode we check in with Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith and Dr. Elizabeth Kelly with Cradle Cincinnati who attribute their stunning progress on this progress to deliberately following the lead of Black women in the community. In too many sectors, racial equity is given lip service. We can learn so much from these two powerful women who didn’t just redistribute resources, they also redistributed power.

Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith, Director of Community Strategies and Dr. Elizabeth Kelly, co- founder and Director of Systems Strategies, Cradle Cincinnati

Show Highlights:

Why humility is a “must-have” quality for any social change leader
The initiative to hear, see and celebrate Black women
How a recurring potluck dinner became the basis for powerful community organizing
The importance of building bridges and forging authentic relationships across difference
Leading large scale change is really about letting go, but letting go is easier said than done
What happened when Cradle Cincinnati recognized that it wasn’t just a health care problem, it was a justice problem

Links: Cradle Cincinnati: http://www.cradlecincinnati.org/

Articles: SSIR Collective Impact model https://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact

Start Strong Avondale https://www.cradlecincinnati.org/2018/04/12/the-neighborhood-of-avondale-develops-a-promising-model-to-save-lives-as-hamilton-county-infant-mortality-improvement-levels-out/

Get $100 off Impact with Integrity https://www.billionsinstitute.com/impactwithintegrity

35: Melissa Rodgers, “Community Always Trumps Cruelty: Inside the New Americans Campaign to help 500,000 Green Card holders become US citizens.” Oct 13, 2020

35: Melissa Rodgers, “Community Always Trumps Cruelty: Inside the New Americans Campaign to help 500,000 Green Card holders become US citizens.”

The goal of the New Americans Campaign is to help 500,000 - out of the 9 million Green Card holders who are eligible - become citizens by 2021, the Campaign’s 10th anniversary. There are many barriers and obstacles to meeting this ambitious aim, but Melissa Rodgers and her colleagues at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, together with the Campaign’s non-profit partners across the country, are forging ahead with courage, empathy, and wicked smarts! Join us for a conversation about the current state of immigration in the US and why it’s so important that we reform this broken system.

Melissa Rodgers, Director of Programs, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and Director of the New Americans Campaign

Show Highlights:

How difficult it is to become a naturalized citizen of the US, even when you’re eligible
The ways the Trump Administration is making it even more difficult
The systemic cruelty of our immigration system
How community is a protective factor when facing such cruelty
Law as a collaborative profession and co-creation
The New American Campaign’s 5 principles for doing this difficult work
How the New Americans Campaign quadrupled their network of local non-profit partners across the country
The profound benefits of equality under the law
What can happen when we believe something is really doable
Why, for many people, immigration is literally a matter of life and death

Links:

New Americans Campaign https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/

https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/about/

Stories From New Americans: https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/from-new-americans/

Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/

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