12 Comments

I would love to shadow Brene Brown. That may seem like an odd choice considering my profession as the Home Build Mentor. But the reasoning at the heart of everything I do, is to teach the world what an impact our homes- How they are built, and how we live in them, has the power to impact how we connect and our wellness every day. Brene Brown's work has such a focus on being seen and valued, and I would love to follow how she conducts her research, studies the outcomes and delivers it in such a powerful way so that I can emulate that in our homes. Because our homes are so much more than bricks and mortar.

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"Our homes are so much more than bricks and mortar." For many people, homes are just bricks and mortar - or trophies to show off yet not to shape and experience - how crazy! Love that you focus on homes and their impact on how people connect and their wellbeing. Shadowing Brene Brown would be amazing!

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I would love to shadow Richard Branson. He has always been so passionate about taking care of his people first and foremost, and his customers. I have heard many stories of how he jumps behind counters and works with teams, travels on planes with his pen and notepad to illicit feedback from customers on how to improve, all while bringing fun and joy to his interactions.

There are many leaders who talk about the integration of employee and customer experience, living and breathing this is another thing. I would love to witness the ripples of his hands on, visible leadership and directly observe how it is truly possible to take care of both people and customers and build a successful brand.

Great question Sophie!

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“Directly observe how it is truly possible to take care of both people and customers and build a successful brand.” That insight would be valuable in so many industries worldwide. Monique, perhaps you could go spend a week on Necker Island to shadow Branson. Imagining a global keynote presentation and book stemming from it where you make these insights accessible to all. That would be amazing!

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Mine would be Volodymyr Zelenskyy to understand how he gets up everyday and continue to fight for his people and their right to exist in a free democratic country, the relentless pursuit to protect his country and continue to rally a population with the fatigue of the ongoing war .

He did not win the presidency to assume the role he now plays of global democratic defender against a dictatorship that has no rule of law and a formidable advantage. Leadership in this environment where you are protecting the right of a democracy to exist while being hamstrung and negotiating both internally and more broadly externally with a global tribalism and weak Western leaders .

His mindset , energy , resourcefulness and stoicism has been remarkable and has shone a light on the chasm of National leadership globally.

No greater calling than protecting human freedom. He would be my choice .

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Yes! What a leader.

"Leadership in this environment where you are protecting the right of a democracy to exist while being hamstrung and negotiating both internally and more broadly externally with a global tribalism and weak Western leaders." Well said, Scott. Zelenskyy's achievements are remarkable. Imagine if aspiring leaders globally, who are otherwise jaded by a lack of postive-sum leadership on the world stage, could learn how to lead from him.

Related: the below was posted on LI yesterday and it made me reflect on the training ground for future world leaders - are those experiencing the the most challenging of times around the world going to be the most powerful leaders of tomorrow? I hope it's a case of the pressure making the diamond (although, with a magic wand, the preference would absolutely be to remove the pressure):

"One of the most uplifting stories for me is how, despite the horrors inflicted on their cities by brutal Russian terror-bombing campaigns, Ukrainian law students keep absolutely crushing it in some of the most prestigious competitions in the world.

You simply cannot defeat a country whose young people draft world class briefs under bomb shelter lights."

See post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dmitry-grozoubinski_john-h-jackson-moot-court-competition-concludes-activity-7211688511182172160-4_av?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

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For me, it would be Dr. Sean Simpson, co-founder of LanzaTech. I've had several meetings with him regarding potential partnerships before, but I didn't really get the chance to meet him in person when I visited LanzaTech's HQ in Skokie (so I'd love to get that opportunity!). I was deeply impressed by how he help built a synbio company that has reached NASDAQ-listing status. Given our shared interests, I'm confident that shadowing him would be an invaluable learning experience. I hope to gain not only technical knowledge in synthetic biology but also insights into building a company that tackles major global challenges like climate change and sustainability. Moreover, I want to understand how to maintain a purpose-driven mission despite global economic pressures which the world has experienced since LanzaTech was co-founded by Dr. Simpson. Dr. Simpson stands out among other synbio leaders for me due to his innovative approach to transforming waste carbon into valuable resources, fostering a circular economy, and driving forward sustainable technology. His unique ability to turn groundbreaking ideas into practical, impactful solutions is truly inspiring. We need more global leaders who are committed to ensuring a sustainable and thriving planet for future generations.

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"I want to understand how to maintain a purpose-driven mission despite global economic pressures which the world." This is a superpower and imagine if more leaders had this capability. Rey, I think you should ask Dr. Sean Simpson if you can shadow him for a week and distill these insights for sharing with the world as well shaping your global leadership. That is win-win-win. Go on...

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If I could shadow a global leader for a week, it would be Patrick Collison, the CEO of Stripe. Stripe is a technology company that has disrupted the payments industry with a focus on innovation and scalability. By shadowing him, I hope to gain insights into how he drives rapid technological innovation in a purpose-driven way, his approach to building and scaling a new organisation from scratch, and how he balances profitability with long-term impact. Patrick's experience in creating a company that challenges established markets while maintaining a forward-thinking, inclusive culture would provide invaluable lessons for effectively disrupting legacy industries without being constrained by traditional shareholder interests.

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Can I join you, Shane? I’d love to follow Patrick Colliding too. Would be amazing to get insights into his worldview for the future and how that influences what he builds and backs next. He’s 35 and so I wonder what are his next ambitious goals.

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Since her leadership of New Zealand through Covid, Christchurch massacre and White Island eruption crises, I have had deep admiration for Jacinda Ardern, and believe she is one of the most extraordinary leaders of our time. I have written before that she is an example of someone who easily fulfils the Four Needs of Followers (Strengths-Based Leadership, Tom Rath) - Hope, Trust, Stability and Compassion and while she had opposition to her time as Prime Minister, most people respected and supported the leadership she demonstrated through some of the most challenging periods in New Zealand's history. I believe she is currently both studying and setting up new movements to encourage leadership around the world

In following Jacinda for a week, I would love to better understand how she consciously leverages her strengths (I am aware that she has completed at least one meaningful global assessment), how she fosters exceptional relationships, and how she integrates life and work while feeding her own self-care (she has a young family and a talented husband).

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Love this, Christopher. Imagine that week! It would be amazing. And, I dare say, not impossible given your work in the field of strengths-based leadership.

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