The Leadership Playbook

Seattle University Emeritus Professor, thought leader, and author Marilyn Gist talks about her seminal work on leading with humility and how it underpins success in the best performing organizations. Gist defines leader humility as 'feeling and displaying deep regard for others' dignity'. Her research shows that contrary to the perception that it denotes weakness, leader humility builds a strong c...

‘Talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.’ When the pandemic hit, K-8 digital math program DreamBox Learning opened its platform for free to schools and parents, providing a much-needed resource during trying times. President, CEO, and Board Chair Jessie Woolley-Wilson talks about COVID being a pivotal moment for DreamBox, the future of education technology, and the challenges she has f...

‘Seek businesses that are built on principle or go and build one of your own.’ In January 2020, the Albers Executive Speaker Series hosted Accolade CEO Rajeev Singh, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most successful entrepreneurs. During his talk, he shared his guidepost for his every decision, other highly successful innovators who embrace beliefs that contradict the current orthodoxy, and how to re...

For the first time ever, three former CEOs from Boeing were on a panel discussing their experiences in leadership and culture during their executive tenures. The Albers Executive Speaker Series hosted Frank Shrontz, Alan Mulally, and Ray Conner in October 2018, asking them a host of questions from the challenges they faced in running Boeing to what advice they'd give students aspiring to senior le...

Embracing diversity in everything from hiring practices to choosing office locations has had multiple benefits for SaaS solutions provider Apptio. Co-founder and CEO Sunny Gupta explains how ‘opening our aperture’ has not only strengthened their culture, it also enabled the Bellevue-based firm to recover faster from the initial impact of COVID-19 on their business.  Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, d...

In October 2019, Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke spoke to a packed Pigott Auditorium about building a successful sports franchise, reviving the Key Arena (now known as Climate Pledge Arena), and what brought him back to Seattle: ‘At the end of the day, you have to believe in the fans’. Followers of hockey and the business of sport will enjoy this throwback episode where Leiweke enthralls and inspir...

As the pandemic deepened in the US, Trek Bikes saw a surge in bicycle sales, especially among new riders. CEO John Burke talks about how this trend has impacted their business, the opportunities presented by e-bikes and new technology, and how to thrive in a family-owned business. He also elaborates on his 16 nonpartisan solutions to save America, as written in his Presidential Playbook 2020.  Hos...

Listen to a sneak preview of The Leadership Playbook featuring Sunny Gupta, CEO of Apptio.  Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've...

Listen to a sneak preview of The Leadership Playbook featuring Amy Hood, CFO of Microsoft.  Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've...

Listen to a sneak preview of the very first episode of The Leadership Playbook featuring John Burke, CEO of Trek Bikes . The complete episode drops on Monday, October 26, 2020.  Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the sto...