HOW Conversations

[Archive Interview from Oct 29, 2020] Admiral William H. McRaven is the former director of U.S. Special Command Operations where he commanded the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.  'Speaking truth to power can always be dangerous,'  but being truthful is the 'foundation of integrity,'  McRaven tells Brig. Gen. Dana H. Born in this episode of HOW Conversations. The two also disc...

[Archive Interview from Oct 27, 2020] On this episode of HOW Conversations, the CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. Chip Bergh tells Dov Seidman how difficult it was to learn only about 3% of Levi’s leadership management are black and how he’s leading the plan to fix the problem using transparency and humility. ‘A diverse organization at all levels will outperform a homogenous one every single time’ Chi...

[Archive Interview Oct 27, 2020] Admiral James Stavridis says when leaders set positive goals and visions people will stand and deliver—leaders need to be “dealers of hope.”   Admiral Stavridis is a member of the board of The HOW Institute and an Operating Executive at the Carlyle Group.  He spoke with HOW Senior Fellow, Brigadier General Dana Born, in the first of a series of special HOW Conversa...

[Archive Interview Oct 27, 2020] Lt. General Nadja West, the recently retired Army’s top doctor, knows what it takes to be a successful moral leader. She was one of the first women to graduate from West Point and went on to earn a medical degree. Lt. Gen. West spent 37 years in the military rising to become a three-star general and the first black Surgeon General of the U.S. Army.  In this episode...

[Archive interview from Oct 27, 2020]  Nancy Gibbs, the former editor in chief of TIME magazine, the Lombard Director of the Shorenstein Center at Harvard Kennedy School and a HOW Institute Board member, says we are at an extraordinary moment in history.  Faced with the simultaneous crises of a pandemic, economic instability and social injustice, moral leadership has evolved from worthy pursuit to...

In this installment of the HOW Conversations podcast, Dov Seidman speaks with Darren Walker, the President of the Ford Foundation, a global, social-justice philanthropy. Under Darren’s leadership, the Ford Foundation became the first non-profit in US history to issue a $1 billion social bond. The proceeds were used to strengthen and stabilize non-profit organizations in the wake of COVID-19.  Darr...

In this installment of the HOW Conversations podcast, co-host Dana Born had the honor of chatting with her former classmate at the Air Force Academy, retired U.S. Air Force General David Goldfein. General Goldfein – who prefers to be called Dave now that he’s retired - dedicated his life’s work to serving the United States, notedly referring to his job as a sacred duty. During his time as a comman...

For this episode of HOW Conversations, Dov Seidman spoke with Angela Ahrendts.  Angela is an incredibly inspirational person who has always endeavored to put heart and humanity at the center of business.  Her list of accomplishments is long: she’s the former CEO of Burberry, a former Senior Vice President at Apple Retail, she’s also a member of the HOW Institute for Society’s board of directors an...

Ajay Banga is the former Executive Chairman and CEO of Mastercard, during Ajay’s 12-year tenure, Mastercard’s revenue tripled, but what makes Ajay so admirable is how he led Mastercard with his heart, putting moral decency at the center of the culture and of all decision making. He has proven that companies can do well by doing good.  Ajay's conversation with Dov Seidman took place in 2021 ju...

Ellen Ochoa is a real trailblazer – she became the first Hispanic woman to go to space and the first Hispanic and second woman to serve as the director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.  All in, Ellen has spent more than 1000 hours in space.   She spoke with The HOW Institute's senior fellow, Dana Born, about how redefining failure has helped her succeed as an astronaut and a leader. 

Senator Booker has devoted his life to public service, from his position as Mayor of Newark to becoming New Jersey’s first Black senator to then throwing his hat in the ring for President of the United States in 2020. Throughout it all he has endeavored to lead with compassion, empathy and humility.   Senator Booker spoke with Dov Seidman about how, when there are so many forces out there trying t...

Former Burberry CEO, former Apple SVP and current chair for Save the Children International, Angela Ahrendts joins founder and executive chairman of The HOW Institute Dov Seidman for a discussion on human connection in the workplace and the power of trust and love in business. 

Retired 4-star general and former Air Force chief of staff, David Goldfein, joins HOW Conversations with HOW Institute senior fellow Dana Born. David and Dana attended the Air Force academy together and discuss leading with service-first mentality.  David talks about taking a pause when making tough decisions and using character as a foundation.