Real World Leadership

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...

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...

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...

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 o...

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 env...

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.