Real World Leadership: Recent Episodes
The Vanguard Network
Our podcasts bring alive important dialogues around leadership and transformation — all featuring proven leaders and leadership experts, talking about real-world challenges. Jump into one, and up your leadership game!
The majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients come from other countries. Whose responsibility is it to secure America’s future in healthcare innovation? Dr. Jeremy Levin is clear: everyone.
Resilience and focus. Neuroscientist Benjamin Bargetzi shares how these two qualities can help anyone manage trauma, leverage AI, and become better leaders.
What does a GC have that the average lawyer may not? Learn what longtime GC Heather White looks for, plus her take on how COVID and AI changed the game.
Is verbal identity as important to branding as graphics and other visuals? Find out as The Vanguard Network speaks to strategist and veteran copywriter Jim Larkin.
In this episode of Pharmaceutical Executive’s podcast series Leading Edge With Ken Banta, The Vanguard Network founder and CEO is joined by branding strategist Andy Milligan, founding partner of The Caffeine Partnership, where the duo examine why life sciences companies urgently need to rethink how they build, protect, and communicate their brands.From the erosion of trust in pharma to the disconnect between scientific innovation and patient experience, the discussion surfaces a core challenge: companies must evolve beyond product-centric messaging to patient-centric storytelling and emotional connection. The conversation also probes the unique tensions in healthcare — where cost, value, and trust collide — and outlines how leaders can retool brand engagement across stakeholders, including physicians, patients, payers, and investors.Highlights of the discussion with Michael Christel, MJH Life Sciences group managing editor, include:- Relevance + consistency = brand durability. Milligan underscores that strong brands evolve with customers while maintaining a clear, consistent identity — something many biopharma companies struggle to balance.- Trust is pharma’s defining — and fragile — currency. From pricing scrutiny to commercialization skepticism, the industry faces a persistent trust gap that branding must actively address.- The science-to-experience disconnect. While early-stage innovation earns high trust, that credibility often erodes at commercialization, creating a messaging challenge around value, cost, and access.- Storytelling as a strategic lever, especially in rare disease. Patient-centric narratives and simpler, more emotive messaging can bridge gaps across stakeholders and strengthen engagement across the care journey.Milligan advises CEOs and senior management teams on strategies for developing and exploiting brands and growing their business. He is a regular speaker at conferences internationally and has made frequent appearances in media, including on BBC, Sky, and CNN. Milligan has also published six best-selling books.
As general counsel, Tom Sabatino is very familiar with business upheaval. He tells the Vanguard Network why current upsets are different, and how leaders can keep cool.
During business disruptions, Anika Therapeutics CEO Cheryl Blanchard takes a no-nonsense approach with C-suite leaders. Find out how she does it without creating a toxic workplace culture.
Business psychologist Dr. Sharon Melnick says the C-suite isn’t immune to burnout. Learn the root cause of simultaneous exhaustion and overwhelm, as well as the fix.
In this episode, hosts Nate Beaver and Kyle Faget examine the tension between federal and state authority in healthcare regulation. They explore when the FDA has the final say—and when states step in, highlighting real-world examples and legal implications for companies, counsel, and innovators navigating this evolving landscape.
Lomb. His latest book, Seeing Around Corners, gathers lessons from top leaders and is designed to inspire everyone, from emerging professionals to global executives.Ken’s perspective on leadership is shaped by witnessing ordinary people drive extraordinary change, often guided by unexpected leaders like Vaclav Havel. These experiences reinforced his belief that leadership isn’t just for those at the top; anyone, regardless of background or title, can play a vital role. True leaders are consistent in their purpose, adaptable, and agile—qualities that matter as much in everyday life as in the boardroom.Ken’s key takeaway is simple: leadership is for everyone. Whether you’re leading a team or contributing as an individual, you can make an impact by being clear on your purpose, staying flexible in your approach, and staying connected to those around you. Embrace your own ability to lead and remember—often, the most lasting change comes from ordinary people stepping up in extraordinary ways.
In this episode of Your Partner In Success Radio, Denise Griffitts speaks with Ken Banta, a leadership advisor and founder of The Vanguard Network. Drawing on insights from his book Seeing Around Corners, Ken explains how leaders can navigate disruption and crisis while keeping their organizations aligned and resilient. The discussion highlights common mistakes executives make, the importance of communication, and how to anticipate change before it arrives. Listeners will gain actionable insights into making better decisions, strengthening their leadership presence, and guiding their teams through transformation.
Timothy Chow, managing director and senior advisor at Patrick Doerr LLP, visits the Vanguard Network to share practical uses for AI, including applications for corporate problem-solving.
Wes Adams is an organizational psychologist and author who studies what makes our work matter to us. Unsurprisingly, leadership has a lot to do with it.
Ryan McMullan, principal consultant at Lean Green Way, spoke with Vanguard about the evolution of sustainability in business, setting industry standards, and the importance of having patience.
Dr. Jeremy Collins, MD, is the director of medical services at Encompass Health. He shares how his prior career in ballet informs his leadership style today.
Aileen Gonsalves is an actor/director with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. She speaks with Vanguard about how this led her to a business consultancy.
Terry Szmagala is founder and principal at TGS Advisory and former executive vice president and chief legal officer for Eaton.He speaks to Vanguard about how companies can benefit from cultivating a more proactive relationship with the government.
In a turbulent era for biopharma, leadership demands clarity, resilience, and adaptability. In this candid podcast conversation with Pharm Exec, Ken Banta, founder and CEO of The Vanguard Network, shares high-level insights on what CEOs can do to thrive amid the disruption—from regulatory agility to cultural resilience. The corporate strategy expert explains why the best leaders are the best learners—and how prioritization, honesty, and boldness will separate those who merely survive from those who shape the industry’s future.
Just how valuable is the GC to the Board of Directors? Immeasurably, according to Deb Boyda. In fact, the GC holds the unique position of representing shareholder interests with a deep understanding of a business's inner workings. Listen to her insights into how a GC can become both trusted and invaluable to the Board.
In this episode of Unlocking Leadership we explore the imperative for C-suite leaders and boards to realign their strategies and operating models to respond to the evolving geopolitical landscape. A team of international experts from the EU, Washington, D.C. and China join us to discuss this and more, exploring how organizations can:- Create intelligence-gathering mechanisms and protocols that enable smart decision-making across increasingly divergent global markets- Cultivate strategic relationships that creates “buffers” and “accelerators” while recognizing the influence of non-traditional stakeholders- Protect corporate interests by balancing “America First” policies with global stakeholder expectations Participants will gain insights into creating agile strategies that accommodate the reordering of international norms and alliances.
In a conversation with Skot Waldron, Ken Banta discusses the importance of community for C-suite leaders and the challenges they face in the current business landscape. He highlights the need for a safe environment where leaders can share ideas and problems with peers. Ken also addresses the challenges of managing the hybrid work environment and the importance of purpose and adaptability in leadership. He emphasizes the value of building trust by doing what you say you will do and aligning actions with values.
In the crowded life sciences market, a great product isn’t enough—branding is the real differentiator. In this episode, Michael Watras, CEO of Straightline, unpacks why CEOs must be the chief storytellers of their companies. He makes the case for branding as a strategic imperative, weaving together product value, team culture, and sustainability to win over consumers and investors alike.
Visionary leaders can't succeed if they don't bring their teams along for the ride. Change management expert John DiGiambattista talks about the importance of adapting leadership to a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) environment. For DiGiambattista, success lies in promoting adaptability, shared purpose, and a mindset that views challenges as opportunities for growth.
In this “golden age” of biotech, why is it so hard for so many companies to raise money? According to Nancy Lurker, former CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, it comes down to a shortfall in communications skills. Listen to Nancy's practical advice for entrepreneurs, and hear why she remains optimistic about the future of healthcare innovation.
As the head of a branding firm, Skot Waldron often saw companies commission campaigns which they later discarded because of a shift in strategy. This led him to focus instead on corporate culture—helping leaders create alignment by developing their own personal brand.
For Dr. Jack Drescher, the problems caused by stress hark back to a much earlier period of human evolution, when “fight or flight” were the two basic ways to respond to a threat. The modern executive must adopt a different approach to anxiety—one that includes being willing to share these issues with others.
David King, the former CEO and Chair of LabCorp who now runs the Kingman strategic consulting services, analyzes the purpose and pitfalls of the CEO and Chair dynamic. Comparing the function of a Board Chair to that of a basketball backboard, King says Chairs should allow CEOs to bounce ideas off them. They may reframe or restate ideas, but recalling and dictating solutions is a no-no. The health industry legend advises CEOs to be decisive and be transparent at all times, stressing a lack of transparency is the number one threat to the relationship. Meanwhile, the Chair needs to be transparent, too, providing the CEO with their perspective on key corporate issues. Ideally, there should be no surprises on either side.
The "bad guys" as Jim Pastore, Partner with Debevoise and Plimpton, call them, are getting even badder with the advent of AI. Pastore, shared frightening trends in cyber attacks -- targeting leaders' children among them -- in a recent Vanguard Network GC Forum session.
The average CEO changes jobs every seven years. Each time, she or he must build trust and credibility from scratch. Jay Galeota, President and CEO of Kallyope, shares his experience on leveraging the "secret sauce" in any organization–its people.
The reality of leading remotely presents both challenges and opportunities. Fewer ad hoc connections, but also less travel. To Jay Rosenblum, EVP and Chief Legal Officer of Assurant, building community is critical. In this Vanguard Forum for General Counsels session, he discusses with Cynthia Dow of Russell Reynolds why personally connecting deep into a team can yield benefits in productivity and loyalty.
The "ivory tower" of academia often seems foreign to business leaders. And yet, there are lessons to be learned from the collective governance model employed by institutions of higher learning. Here, Christopher Grobe shares how that model could transfer to private enterprise.
The modern world rewards people who move forward with speed and courage. And yet, evolution has taught us to be slow and cautious. As a leader, how can to reconcile those conflicts in your team members. Neuroscientist and venture capitalist Benjamin Bergatzi, in conversation with Vanguard CEO and Founder Ken Banta, explores that paradox.
The pitfall of being a successful, high performer, is getting locked into a certain role. That makes looking ahead to retirement seem like falling off a cliff. Judith Kurnick, who advises senior leaders on their second acts, advises executives to look at it differently. The years between 55 and 85 are actually a stage of new possibilities.
How does a lawyer become passionate about environmental law? It begins at home - at least In the case of Corinne Spencer, a partner at Pearlman, Brown & Wax. Her personal commitment to sustainability translated into "on the job training" in environmental cases. In this dialogue with award-winning journalist Gary Lee, Corinne charts a path toward advocacy.
Could the secret of a high functioning board of directors be "no surprises"? Cal Roberts, CEO of Lighthouse Guild, builds a powerful case that it's that simple. This conversation at the Vanguard Network Life Sciences Forum is a must-watch for any CEO and GC.
"If you are not constitutionally capable of being transparent, then you need to not be a CEO," says Nancy Lurker who has been both a chief executive and board member. Nancy has strong words for CEOs whose egos may cause them to dissemble with their boards. Her advice is critical for senior leaders to hear–and embody.
Frankly, board relations can make or break a CEO. In addition to governance and decision making, board relations is about human relations. In this Vanguard Network CEO Roundtable session, two Life Sciences CEOs share the people side of managing a board -- and the downside of miscalculating.
Mike Colon says you need to flip the narrative: sustainability is not about staying out of trouble, but creating strategic opportunities for a company. The challenge is to unleash passion for sustainability at all levels, from the board to the frontline.
Homelessness has long been of concern to our society and our economy. A tidal wave of new arrivals is severely pressuring the programs and systems trying to eliminate homelessness. Some of the new arrivals are able to legally work, and business needs their labor. What can we do to facilitate their integration into society?Rosanne Haggerty is President and CEO of Community Solutions, which assists communities in solving complex housing problems affecting their most vulnerable residents. She will present an up-to-date snapshot of homelessness, the most promising solutions, and what business can do.
All disruptive technology creates ethical dilemmas - some grounded in facts, others in fear. Dr. Arthur Caplan, founder of NYU's Division of Medical Ethics, helps leaders find ethical and responsible pathways around issues such as GMO foods, pharmaceuticals, and AI. In this Vanguard Dialogue, Dr. Caplan emphatically shines a scientific light on the most controversial issues of our day.
The universality and speed of social media has been a game changer for crisis management - and GCs are at the forefront. Three experienced legal leaders share how to partner with non-lawyers to manage responses and prevent reputational damage.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion gets no respect - and neither does the population it was intended to support. Gena Cox, organizational psychologist, strategic advisor and author, believes that labels are beside the point when it comes to building an inclusive organization. It's about listening and feedback, and -- most important -- RESPECT.
Leadership can be learned, but it's not a science. Dr. Tal Zaks, now a Partner at OrbiMed, was Chief Medical Officer at Moderna through the Covid vaccine development process. In this fascinating discussion, he shares how–against all odds–an unprecedented work environment created a modern medical miracle, and how he learned how to step back and allow others to come forward.
Understanding employees is a key challenge for any leader - and especially important in maximizing productivity, continuity, and effectiveness. Dr. JD Pincus, developer of AgileBrain, says "state" is more important than "trait" in understanding employees, especially in today's fraught workplace. In this podcast, Dr. Pincus explains how visuals are far more effective in capturing a person's state of being, and leading them to a better place.
The convergence of intellectual property and social justice is no longer an abstract concept. The "Unleashing American Innovators Act" is now federal law. Lateef Mtima, the Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice explains the implications for both businesses and individual creatives.
A legendary CEO and one a groundbreaking scientist share their insights on what it takes to be a successful leader. From turning around billion dollar companies to creating the Moderna Covid vaccine, these two leaders share what it takes both internally and externally to succeed.
Beth Boland, Partner at Foley and Lardner, board advisor and advocate for women's leadership shares her insights in a wide ranging conversation with The Vanguard Network's Principal Ken Banta. Beth provides practical advice on new challenges being faced by General Counsels, and the pathway for more women to become senior leaders.
Alfreda Bradley-Coar is the Chief Legal and People Officer of the Obama Foundation. In this discussion, she shares how to four generations of team members can work effectively together, in spite of different needs, expectations and languages. Spoiler: "We even make it a little fun."
Craig Tooman has held many C-suite roles in his 25 year plus career. One common pitfall he has seen is "singular thinking," that there's only one way to solve a problem. Instead, Tooman, now President and CEO of Silence Therapeutics, favors empower a diverse team and asking them to "switch chairs." Great ideas come from many places he advises, especially in today's intense, performance-centric environment.
The handwriting is on the wall according to leadership advisor Ram Charan. In this powerful cautionary tale for CEOs, he asks critical questions: "how dependent is your company on China?" and "where are the global business opportunities?"
The relationship between a General Counsel and the Board of Directors is unique in the C-suite. Here, experienced board member Trace Harris lays out the keys to GC success in nurturing that role.
Gerard Senehi, founder of the Open Future Institute, has an unusual background for a leader. He was a renowned mentalist, with a national media profile. His pivot, more than a decade ago, was to become an educator -- helping young people take charge of their lives with effective decision making.
"Just do it" is more than a Nike slogan. It's great advice for senior leaders, according to psychiatrist Dillon Hayes. He says that less thinking and more doing is vital for successful leadership.
Rather than overthinking and waiting for an "aha moment," Dr. Hayes says that breakthroughs will come by taking action while remaining open and mindful.
Leadership is not determined by where you sit on the org chart. Instead, it has to be earned by skill in human relations. Dr. Lloyd Sederer, author and healthcare change agent, knows that "organizations can be run very well by informal authority."
Dr. Sederer's insights come from more than 30 years at the forefront of healthcare policy and reform. They are valuable to all senior leaders who need to inspire their organizations.
Ignoring AI is like giving up your personal computer or cell phone, said Christian Desrosiers in a conversation with Ken Banta at a recent Vanguard Forum for General Counsels.
His advice to General Counsels: start working with it, but with guardrails to prevent misuse or breaches.
From hero to zero - how quickly public opinion can change -- especially on the companies that saved millions of lives with Covid vaccines. Kate Cronin, Chief Brand Officer for Moderna and Paul Hastings, Board Chair of BIO, share insights on reputation management that are universally relevant to organizations in the public eye.
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today. So says Diego Ontaneda Benavides, co-founder and CEO of the Latin American Leadership Academy.Benavides believes that diversity and access will help alleviate economic and societal issues, which -- left unchecked -- can snowball into political unrest.He shares his philosophy, experience, and hope for the future, with the Vanguard New Leaders, along with Vanguard Network Founder and Principal Ken Banta.
As the tidal wave of Gen Z hits the workforce, what do leaders need to know? Nancy Lurker, CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, has a reliable source -- her own daughter. The answers may surprise you.
Andy Bromberg is CEO and Founding Advisor at Eco, a revolutionary financial institution that transforms what he calls our "dumb money" system into "smart money." In this discussion with public TV journalist Ken Stone, Andy describes how Eco was conceived, built and serves customers in a new era of technology.
Dealing with high pressure situations is a big part of a CEO's job description. Your future may depend on how you perform in crisis. Trusted CEO advisor Justin Menkes shares three powerful principles to mobilize your inner strength and lead others to success.
Philip Friedman is a highly successful photographer, who must take charge of a team, develop trust, and create art, all in a very short time. (As little as 15 minutes in the case of Oprah).In conversation with former journalist Ken Stone, Philip offers practical advice for other leaders on developing rapport and communicating effectively.
Ray Jordan has run corporate affairs for J&J, Amgen, and Moderna, among his portfolio of C-Suite roles. From that experience, Ray comes away convinced that a lot of important leadership tasks can be boxed, delivered, and assembled in the comfort of your office. For example: how to create an annual report. Many leaders start from scratch and learn -anxiously - on the job. But Ray believes that 80% of the work can be delivered through templates, AI and other tools, assembled around a template.During this session, Ray shared his insights about making your leadership less stressful, more fun, and more effective.
AI gets real in 2023, and can yield huge cost savings in advertising and marketing. That's just the beginning, says entrepreneur and date scientist Christian Desrosiers.
Tracy Stone-Manning directs the "other" BLM, the Bureau of Land Management, which controls more than 10% of US territory. Balancing wilderness preservation with mining and drilling leases, requires a deft hand and political acumen. In conversation with Ken Banta, Tracy shares what it takes to succeed with a widely dispersed team of 10,000, and often conflicting interests for 245 million acres of public land.
How do you go about solving problems without obvious solutions? Leaders face this challenge every day. Emily Jiang and Ken Banta discussed this in a Vanguard New Leaders session. Find out how confidence in methodology -- and in your own way of working -- can surmount ambiguity.
Wait, why would organizational psychologist and author of Leading Inclusion proclaim that DEI is BS? Because it must be a subset of leader effectiveness, not a standalone program, according to Gena Cox, PhD.Gena was featured in a recent Vanguard Network Dialogue and delivers a powerful message for senior leaders: you have to be effective with 100% of your talent pool.
Companies routinely survey employees, but do they really listen to them? If not, they are putting their most important asset at risk. This discussion with author Gorick Ng and Vanguard founder Ken Banta is an important reminder that the true intellectual property in any organization resides in the frontline team members.
What can Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau teach use about leadership today? Plenty, according to professor and author Bob Gross, the leading authority on the US Transcendentalist Movement. In this fascinating discussion with journalist Ken Stone, you'll discover parallels between the 19th century and today. Hint: the forces that created the millenials are not so different from what the US was facing nearly 200 years ago.
When you think about the role of the General Counsel -- the chief legal officer in a corporation - what comes to mind as the most important leadership skill?
Would building a diverse, dynamic team rise to the top?
In this recent Vanguard Session, top GCs offer thought provoking opinions on how to be successful as chief lawyer in a corporation.
Talent development is a critical issue for business success. Increasingly, the LGBTQ+ community is a force to be reckoned with. This Vanguard Network Dialogue explores the importance of inclusion and the consequences of not welcoming this powerful segment of the workforce.
According to Calvin Schmidt, mistakes can lead to powerful innovation. He speaks from experience in many leadership roles around the world. Schmidt and Ken Banta discuss how a culture of authenticity, and staying true to purpose, can unleash innovation.
Learning how to change the world. That's the focus of the Vanguard Network's newest program, which connects, inspires and helps guide the leaders of tomorrow.
Meet some of Vanguard's New Leaders, and hear how they plan to change the world.
Do we really listen to others? Or are we busy formulating our responses?
Joe Kwon, the Connection Counselor, understands the power of true stillness in leadership. He recommends it as a leadership and performance tool.
Leading a global company presents cultural and geopolitical challenges. Understanding them can be the difference between long term success and failure.
Richard Schatzberg, Chief Commercial Officer at NeST Technologies, has led his company's global presence for nearly 25 years. He explains some of the opportunities -- and challenges -- in this conversation with TV journalist Ken Stone.
Communication and influence go far beyond the spoken word. How we enter a room, our posture, eye contact, and more, are powerful tools.
Michael Apuzzo of the Paul Taylor Dance Company shares what he learned as a performer -- and what business leaders can harness to command a situation.
From AIDs to SARS to Covid, Dr. Julie Gerberding has helped manage decades of public health crises, as a physician, director of the CDC and now Merck's Chief Patient Officer.
One common thread -- and one she is determined to overcome -- is inequities in access to information, medicines and treatments.
In this Vanguard Network dialogue, Dr. Gerberding shares her vision for improving access and efficacy in spite of the ripple effect of the pandemic.
Tom Sabatino, serial General Counsel for some of America's greatest corporations, is now steering Tenneco through the tempest of ESG.
As he says, corporations are facing enormous pressures from investors, regulators and customers, and facing temptation to overpromise. He cautions about making long term commitments that may not be achievable.
In this conversation with Garrick Isert, Sabatino offers practical advice for senior leaders who need to succeed with ESG, and yet cannot control all the environmental factors.
Essential listening for anyone with an ESG role in a corporation.
A key success factor for senior leaders is the ability to find future opportunities for their organization. Dave King, former CEO and Chair of Labcorp, says that the pandemic may present unforeseen opportunities. Hear his insights in this Vanguard Network "Real Leadership" podcast.
Rosanne Haggerty is the founder and president of Community Solutions, a nonprofit focused not just on reducing homelessness but eradicating it, through data-driven action. The organization has made enormous gains in just a few years, and was recently named a finalist for a $100-million MacArthur Foundation grant.
In a recent conversation, excerpted here, Vanguard founder (and Community Solutions board member) Ken Banta talked with Rosanne about what it takes to lead an organization into that kind of against-the-odds-success.
Covid has taken a terrible toll on minority communities, and brought the issue of health disparities into sharp focus. Gary Puckrein of The National Minority Health Forum says that data analytics, down to the zip code level, can help address the discrepancies.
As important as both corporate and personal branding have been across most industries in the last half-century, they’ve been something of an afterthought in life sciences, where the focus is always on the product over than the company or the people.
That may have something to do with the public’s famous distrust of the industry in recent years. But as Vanguard Principal Ken Banta notes in this conversation with branding expert and Straightline CEO Michael Watras, the pandemic and the race for vaccines has created an opening for something different.
What are the leadership skills that senior life sciences executives need to master?
Matthew Meyer, Chief Client Corporate Development Advisor for Wilson Sonsini, and Ken Banta, Founder and Principal of the Vanguard Group for Leadership, discuss the critical skills needed in life sciences, and the ways advisors like Ken and Matt can help.
Atria Senior Living CEO John Moore made a bold decision early on that the 21,000 residents, and the staff who serve them, deserve to live and work in a vaccinated environment.
His leadership stance, while controversial at the time, has paid dividends in safety, customer confidence, trust and employee satisfaction.
Atria's experience is a classic example of "doing well by doing good." Learn more about the vision and execution here.
It may seem that serving on a board is a natural extension of organizational leadership. Yet, there are key differences in the roles, and a unique selection process. Are you ready to serve on a board? Do you know how to select the right board?
Mark A. Pfister and Ken Banta share some of the key questions you will be asked -- and should ask yourself -- in the process of become a trustee.
Looking to join your first or additional Boards? Our colleagues at M. A. Pfister Strategy Group have just the thing for you. Follow this link: https://www.thevanguardnetwork.com/board-education.
Unconscious bias can hinder decision making in the workplace, including who to hire. Dr. David Rock of the NeuroLeadership Institute shares techniques grounded in brain research to overcome these attitudes.
Who hasn't heard sinister rumors about COVID? Not just the origin of the disease, but the alleged dangers of vaccination from government control to sterilization. Business leaders need their workforce vaccinated and back in the office or in front of customers. Rumor-fueled resistance to vaccination presents a big problem.
Anthropologist Heidi Larson, heads the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her team, which includes psychologists and data analysts, operate like detectives -- tracing the origin of rumors and developing means to combat them.
She says that rumors arise from deep anxieties and a need to blame or make sense of a frightening reality. Listen to her conversation with the Vanguard Vaccination Project's Ken Banta.
Legendary CEO David Pyott explores the nuances of decision making in this excerpt from his "Leading From Experience" session with LIfe Sciences leaders. Pyott explains the critical differences between leading a startup and an established organization, and how to prepare an organization for "courageous" decision making.
Understanding your audience, and using language that resonates with them, is important in any communication -- and critical when it comes to vaccination. Psychographics expert Casey Albertson of PatientBond, demonstrates how to motivate behavior, from "self achievers" to "willful endurers."
Corporate leaders need to be as concerned with ESG as their investors and regulators. Environmental, social and governance covers a broad range of critical business factors and is not "just" sustainability.
This Vanguard Dialogue with ESG expert Sally Curley and Eastgroup Properties CFO Brent Wood, offers practical advice on catching up to ESG needs and expectations for leaders and boards.
Hispanic people make up about 20% of the US workforce, and yet they are being vaccinated for COVID at a rate far lower than other Americans. Their rate of disease and death from COVID is disproportionately high.
Dr. Felix L. Nunez, board president of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved says that employers have the power to improve this situation. First, understand the historical and cultural reasons behind reluctance to get vaccinated. Second, make vaccination accessible. Third, use trusted sources of information: notably those in white coats: doctors, nurses and public health workers.
The pandemic has reshaped workplace leadership as early success in the vaccine rollout has given way to hesitancy and resistance.
Ken Banta Kristi Frank and Viq Pervaaz agree: It’s crucial for bosses to address those feelings head-on, both in their people and in themselves.
The 600,000+ COVID deaths in the US have impacted the lives of countless family members. By understanding the needs of these survivors, and responding to them, employers can make a big difference.
Chris Kocher, Executive Director, COVID Survivors for Change, introduces us to two women whose lives -- personal and workplace -- have been profoundly affected by COVID losses.
For most of its history, the corporate world shied away from talking about mental health in the workplace, particularly when it came to executives. Even in recent years, as organizations have expanded their support for employees in need, they have rarely asked leaders to focus on the issue. Which was a big part of why Nigel Jones, a longtime partner at Linklaters, LLC, joined up a decade ago with two other professionals — one a banker, one from accountancy — to form the City Mental Health Alliance in London.
“We all thought it odd,” Nigel says, that although they were “entirely dependent” on their employees, they were incentivizing an approach to work that "created sickness, not health.”
“We decided to create a safe space,” he adds, “in which senior people from the business could talk to each other openly and honestly about how mental health and well-being is important to them individually, and to the success of their businesses.”
The last year brought mental health to the fore for all of us, and the issues go well beyond loneliness and anxiety about the pandemic. Even the basic tools of doing business remotely are taking a toll: “It’s very, very difficult and tiring to read body language in two dimensions,” Nigel says, and “we can’t do it effectively.” And it’s also “much more tiring because we’re trying so hard.”
Jim Harrington, the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Radius Health in Boston (and a former client of Nigel’s), agrees. “The studies are overwhelmingly consistent that humans need human contact to be happy,” he says. Having a close friend or confidant at work is “the Number 1 correlation to employee retention, happiness, engagement — everything you want in your workforce.” So something to focus on going forward, he argues, is how you can help your employees to “develop those kinds of close contacts” while keeping their distance, and also how you enable new employees “to become engaged and have those personal contacts” right now.
Nigel underscores the bottom-line nature of the issue:
“I would encourage people to stop thinking that there is a balance, on the one hand, between profitability or commercial success, and on the other, the well-being of your people, and recognize that those ‘tram lines’ are parallel and synergistic,” he says. “If you don’t look after yourself and your people, your business will not be sustainable, it will not be commercially successful, and it will not generate a profit.”
To hear more of the discussion between Nigel, Jim, and Vanguard principal Ken Banta — and to learn more practical tips for fostering well-being in your people — check out this highlights video.
A firm belief that "we all deserve to live and work in a vaccinated environment," led John Moore to mandate vaccination for residents and staff of Atria Senior Living. Getting there required both courage and strategic communication, especially to younger employees, "who just don't have the muscle memory of vaccines saving the world."
Sophie Bechu, Executive Vice President of Operations for Philips, talks with Ken Banta about company culture and behaviors that matter. She lays out five key behaviors for operational success and shares how they can influence culture, which in turn drives performance.
It's no surprise that American business was caught flat-footed by the pandemic. And, Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security knows that this won't be the last economic and societal disruption.
Dr. Adalja knew that a pandemic was just around the corner -- he just didn't know when. In this conversation with the Vanguard Network's Ken Banta, he cautions CEOs to never let their emergency plans gather dust again -- or face the consequences.
Business leaders are in uncharted territory when considering how best to protect employees and customers. The legal and ethical implications are dizzying. In this conversation with the Vanguard Network's Ken Banta, Dr. Art Caplan unpacks the nuances from his unique position as a global expert on bioethics.
Dr. Caplan is the head of the Division of Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, one of the world's leading medical ethicists, and a prolific writer. He has become a prominent voice in the conversation about the ethical issues surrounding COVID vaccination.
Donna Murray-Brown is the first black woman to chair the board of the National Council of Nonprofits, and to head the Michigan Nonprofit Association. She says the key to successful corporate giving -- and investing in diversity -- is captured in one word: community.
Jo Pisani, who leads the UK Pharma and Life Sciences Consulting Practice at PWC, explains that technology and data can increase effectiveness while at the same time reduce costs for life sciences companies.
Ajan Reginald of Celexir became a CEO reluctantly. He offers insights into the unique responsibilities of that role, and the importance of relying on others to make a company successful.
In this Vanguard Dialogue, Ken Banta speaks with Jesper Ek on the essence of leadership. Jesper is a leadership expert whose motto is "nothing starts with results, everything starts with people." Jesper tells Ken that leadership is about the longer term and it all starts with a clear vision.
Scientific research on the workings of the brain can be a powerful tool in understanding your own response to crisis -- and the impact on your team. David Rock of the NeuroLeadership Institute explains how the pandemic is triggering reactions deep in our brains.
Ken Banta & Dame Louise Makin, CEO of BTG PLC, the global healthcare company, discusses her views on leadership, focussing on the concept of "Journey Company" and how it can become a core element of rapid, successful growth.
The widening role of the GC now often includes counseling their organizations in DEI. Hear from some leading GCs on what they are doing to lead diversity initiatives -- and the consequences of not taking action.
Rosanne Haggerty, President of Community Solutions believes that homelessness can be eradicated. The MacArthur Foundation agrees -- awarding her organization $100 million to scale and implement its data-driven approach.
Rosanne and Ken Banta, who serves on the Community Solutions board and helped shape the strategy, discuss how looking at homelessness as a public health issue may be the key to solving this problem.
Andy Thompson, a highly successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur, believes that nothing less than a total overhaul will fix American healthcare. Listen to his rationale and ideas to cure our ailing system.
Ensuring that your team is performing at the highest levels requires keen judgment, difficult conversations, and sometimes, hard choices. Mark Effron, president of the Talent Strategy Group, shares his experiences counseling CEOs on the performance of their top talent.
The 2020 election has been a game-changer. Listen to experienced DC strategists, including Rob LIvely, Past Allergan VP of Global Government Affairs, and Bob Bailey, Chief Legal Office of Ciox Health discuss what this means for life sciences companies.
Ken Banta is discussing leadership challenges in today's world with Dr. Jay Feldman of Mentors Collective.
Ken Banta and Orlan Boston, partner at Ernst & Young, argue that every aspiring leader needs to have a side gig.
Ken Banta is discussing the importance of leadership with Rudolf Falat of Voice of FinTech.