Building Brand Gravity Podcast

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:23:01
Speaker 1
Hi, this is Steve Housing, and today we have the privilege of talking with David Algorithm, one of the world's foremost executive coaches. We look at a lot of the different skill set and the leadership reset in our post-pandemic world, and how a leader really needs to have the tools, the insights and the relationships to allow people to show up without fear.

00:00:23:03 - 00:00:34:01
Speaker 1
Or this and more tips. On this episode of Building Brand Gravity and Happiness.

00:00:34:03 - 00:01:02:22
Speaker 2
You are listening to building brand gravity, attracting people into your orbit. A business communications podcast. This is a show for communications pros across industries looking to gain an inside view into industry influence. You're about to hear a conversation with leading industry professionals talking about the importance of building business impact through sound brand strategy. Let's get into the show.

00:01:03:00 - 00:01:26:16
Speaker 1
All right. Welcome, everybody, to this next episode of Building Brand Gravity. And I'm Steve Hauser, your host. And with me today is David All Britain. He's one of the foremost experts in terms of executive coaching. Is more than 35 years of leadership experience across government, corporate and nonprofit sectors. And we're going to have a fascinating discussion today about leadership and culture through comms.

00:01:26:16 - 00:01:29:11
Speaker 1
So, David, welcome so much today.

00:01:29:13 - 00:01:32:21
Speaker 3
Steve, great for thank you so much for having me today. I'm excited to be here.

00:01:32:21 - 00:02:02:15
Speaker 1
You know, there's so much we can cover, David. And I thought you have a really particularly unique, perspective on things. You know, you grew up, just a kid on the streets of Philly. You enlisted in the Navy, and, you know, after what, like basically about a year, you were one of the few people that then got selected to go to the Naval Academy, graduated from Annapolis, graduated from the Navy Postgraduate School, ten years of distinguished service.

00:02:02:17 - 00:02:29:17
Speaker 1
And then as you switched into the private sector, you took on leading comms roles at at some of the most renowned companies in the world. You know, looking at General Motors, Amazon, Raytheon, Hewlett Packard. But that wasn't enough for you. Then you said, okay, well, I want to be one of the few people that's going to shift from a public relations role to be a chief executive of a business division for a fortune 25 company.

00:02:29:19 - 00:02:59:04
Speaker 1
When you served as president of General Motors Defense, so had a great opportunity there. And then, as if that wasn't enough, you decided, I'm going to share the wealth and wisdom and you formed your current firm. 1988 strategy. And you're really focused on, on executive leadership and coaching. So, I mean, it's such a fascinating story. I mean, I just wanted to start by asking you kind of the question, how is how is leadership changed and how has it evolved?

00:02:59:06 - 00:03:22:10
Speaker 3
Thanks again for having me. I think leadership, you know, through the context of every industry, every organization, it's different based on the personalities and the individuals that are there. The understanding of the culture of that organization actually has a huge impact on the culture there. So as a leader, you have to understand what those dynamics are going in, because you help to influence that culture.

00:03:22:10 - 00:03:41:09
Speaker 3
But as you come in as a new leader, you also have to understand and with the dynamics are as you walk in, because you can't just come in today and change a culture by tomorrow. As much as everybody has a great idea that their way is the best way, doesn't necessarily resonate that way. In every culture that you step into.

00:03:41:11 - 00:04:01:17
Speaker 3
So you have to be very adept at reading, what's going on when you get there? Asking a lot of questions, make some fantastic connections and, you know, deep relationships with people, so that you can have a transparent one on one conversation with someone so that you're building trust at the core level that enables you to work together more effectively.

00:04:01:19 - 00:04:26:19
Speaker 1
You know, when you think about leadership skill set, you know, as, as you went through your career and particularly in the private sector, you know, how did the leadership skill sets you developed as a senior communicator translate into your role as an executive? Because usually the communicators advising the executive, how did that work? And did you take your own advice that you would have given yourself as an executive?

00:04:26:21 - 00:04:52:04
Speaker 3
No, it's it's great question. Not all the time. The one thing I'll say, and, and I try to tell this to my coaching clients and all those that I try to mentor as well. Every organization comes down to effective communications. Every organization has a finance, you know, team and HR and business development and, you know, other all the other functions which are critically important to the growth and well-being of that organization.

00:04:52:06 - 00:05:19:10
Speaker 3
But every company, regardless of what they're selling, products or services, is made up of human beings and for human beings to work together well in the same environment, they've got to communicate effectively, either verbally or in written form or whatever form they use as the primary means of engagement. So understanding that at a core, and being able to communicate, and, you know, create a narrative that is cogent, that's clear, that's compelling is something I learned as a communications guy.

00:05:19:12 - 00:05:43:13
Speaker 3
And I was able to translate that into, my chief executive role at GM defense, because then it became about something different. I had to represent the, the, the name, the company brand, the identity, with our customers, with, you know, other stakeholder audiences that I really just supported in the past. Instead of being the kind of the front line mouthpiece for that.

00:05:43:15 - 00:06:01:00
Speaker 3
That was a shift, a huge shift in my brain about how to, actually engage with that. Luckily, I had a strong network of folks who I'd work with, and I had my own mentors that I would engage with to kind of understand how they did it, what they went through, what their thought processes were, you know, those types of things.

00:06:01:05 - 00:06:22:18
Speaker 3
And so I, you know, leaned into that to kind of help me with my own transition, in those areas where I perhaps, maybe I thought I knew, you know, after many years of working as, you know, corporate communications person. But there was much I didn't know. And the willingness to just kind of open up my brain and and listen and take notes and pay attention.

00:06:22:20 - 00:06:24:05
Speaker 3
I think that helped me tremendously.

00:06:24:10 - 00:06:53:18
Speaker 1
Yeah. And and I think that perspective, you know, both being the, the counselor and the executive who has to make the call to be the face as you said, certainly has got to make you a much better, executive coach, whether you're counseling somebody on the comms side or whether you're counseling the leaders, the other thing that's really struck me as kind of interesting, is just how much the different generations are struggling to play out in impact leadership.

00:06:53:18 - 00:07:23:20
Speaker 1
I saw the quote the other day that said, 28% of non millennials or like Gen Xers like me, they view the concept of inclusivity at work as dealing with fairness, viewing it as being fair and equal. And those are kind of the viewpoint. But meanwhile, 71% of millennial just see this as related to core teamwork. So as your advising, advising communicators or executives or you're just thinking about leadership skills, how how do you how do you advise somebody to deal with it?

00:07:23:20 - 00:07:30:18
Speaker 1
If I view it as fairness, somebody else just use it as a way it should be. How should that influence my leadership style?

00:07:30:20 - 00:07:55:09
Speaker 3
Now? To be a great leader, you have to also be a great listener. It's one of the things that I kind of highlight in my coaching career. Now, that is a critical skill. We all grew up in different environments during different eras, during different, you know, just stages of the last, you know, 100 years. As you know, the economy has just transformed itself with the advent of the internet and creation of multibillion dollar companies.

00:07:55:14 - 00:08:30:00
Speaker 3
The way we engage, is totally different now. And so when I look at my children and how they've grown up, much different than me, and so as a leader who has a little gray in the beard these days, I have to be able to be open to different ways of thinking, different ways of engaging, different expectations and the same thing is true for the younger generation, too, because you think about how they've grown up, they've grown up, with, you know, devices in their hands, whether that be a tablet or computer or, you know, a cell phone that gives them instant access to all types of information and engagement with people that they know,

00:08:30:02 - 00:08:59:21
Speaker 3
whether those people are right next to them, you know, in the next house over or they're across the world in working and living in another, you know, country. That's not something that we had growing up. And so, you know, the expectation that, a younger professional might have, you know, around the topic of teamwork, will be different than my own, and my effectiveness as a leader will really be part and parcel to my understanding of how that individual thinks, how they learn, how they engage, what's important to them, you know, those types of things.

00:08:59:23 - 00:09:20:15
Speaker 3
But at the same time, I have to be open enough to allow them to learn me as well. You know, what were my pet peeves? What are the things that are important to me? And I have to be cognizant enough to, you know, recognize that I do have to be transparent in this way so that, you know, my ability to lead them in, in whatever context is going to be effective.

00:09:20:17 - 00:09:46:20
Speaker 3
In a way that's, you know, going to allow us to work well together until you understand, you know, how to listen. It will limit your capacity and your ability to be an effective leader across generations. That's one thing I learned in spades. In my own career. I can tell you that, you know, coming out of the military with a certain mindset and then, you know, stepping into a corporate environment that did not have the same culture as I was used to in the military.

00:09:46:20 - 00:10:10:14
Speaker 3
I was a huge transition for me. And I had to turn this brain on differently. And I know for many years I was showing up as Lieutenant Commander David O'Brien, U.S. Navy, in my corporate jobs. And, you know, it actually took me, taking my first 360 degree assessment to get the feedback of my team, whereas I showed up one way and I felt one, you know, certain way about how we were operating and how the team felt about me.

00:10:10:19 - 00:10:30:04
Speaker 3
But their 360 feedback told me something different, and it shook me to my core, and I had to make some tremendous leadership adjustments in how I was showing up to be effective, you know, and leading those teams. I was very thankful to have that opportunity. I was very thankful to get that feedback. I think as leaders, we should be seeking that feedback on a regular basis.

00:10:30:04 - 00:10:55:00
Speaker 1
Yeah, I think it's is very important and it can be very, very sobering. But that 360 feedback to the point that you said takes it from just beyond what you're thinking, from your viewpoint to how do my team slack? And I think one of the other things too, you really talked about a commitment to listening. You know, there's also a commitment to teaching where we're at a point where a lot of boomers are leaving the, leaving the workforce.

00:10:55:00 - 00:11:21:10
Speaker 1
A lot of that leadership knowledge, a lot of that experience, I've heard it described as a silver wave kind of leaving. But maybe you can talk about that. I mean, what what kind of conversations are you having with senior leaders about kind of their requirement to somewhat pay it forward to the next generation of leaders? What are what are some of those skill sets that they need to pass along that that you think are particularly effective?

00:11:21:12 - 00:11:43:21
Speaker 3
So I think, you know, outside of whatever functional expertise you have, whatever you do, did you've chosen to do after you've come out of college or, you know, if you didn't go to college, whatever you choose to do professionally, become an expert at a lot of things, right? You have to be good at a lot of things and become great at something, so that you can help, your career grow and prosper.

00:11:43:23 - 00:12:05:02
Speaker 3
But you should also learn as much as you can outside of your function to, you know, really develop your business acumen and understand how the organization makes money, whether that's a for profit nonprofit education organization, whatever it may be, how your function relates to that is your going to be and your understanding of that is going to be your success factor.

00:12:05:08 - 00:12:40:12
Speaker 3
And so picking up knowledge from those who have been around, you know, longer than you and taking away that institutional knowledge, you know, is, is critical to future success. On the flip side, those that are probably one, two, five years away from retirement, your opportunity to, you know, continue the success of the organization and actually create somewhat of a legacy for yourself is your ability to reach back and pass on some of that knowledge, whether or not you agree with how they think, how they engage, you know, what environment they're living in, what their you know, their value proposition is in their own minds.

00:12:40:14 - 00:13:02:06
Speaker 3
Your opportunity, is to continue the success of the organization that you're in long after you're gone. And so a commitment to that, you know, with all everything that you've done for the years that you've worked for certain organizations, whether it's two years or 35 years, can be actually very important, you know, based upon the decision you make in your own head.

00:13:02:08 - 00:13:25:20
Speaker 3
So that's the opportunity we have on both sides of it and the requirement for us to continue to grow. So that, you know, the old adage of, you know, what got you here won't get you there, you know, remains true because there's so much you have to learn to continue to grow. And as I say, grow and grow in your career, the much as much as you can pick up from other folks in either direction, will help you tremendously.

00:13:25:23 - 00:13:52:10
Speaker 1
Yeah. And you think about the fundamental shifts, impacting the work workforce, workplace culture, you know, the rise of the hybrid work environment. And then probably, you know, one of the most significant, overlays has been, that at that of the lens of DNI and the need to really, really address it and to make it be a continued commitment in terms of how organizations move forward.

00:13:52:12 - 00:14:21:04
Speaker 1
And here's another stat to get you to respond to David, that only 33% of Gen Xers, about 37% of boomers, believe that DNI really matters when they're considering a new job. But when you look at millennials, 47% say a company's DNI policies and approach are critical to that. So what are the lessons for for today's leaders out of that pretty stark shift?

00:14:21:05 - 00:14:43:10
Speaker 3
As you know, the landscapes scape and, you know, corporations and just organizations writ large have changed, in recognition of the fact that, you know, an effective Dei culture, inside any organization improves the effectiveness of that organization. It's, you know, there are studies that that kind of show that and make the business case for why it matters.

00:14:43:12 - 00:15:09:17
Speaker 3
But that didn't come down to every individual. Right? You can create a Dei culture. You can, you know, work on initiatives that support Dei. Overall. But as it relates to how every individual relates to, you know, those concepts, and there's a separate and distinct concept of diversity versus equity versus inclusion, understanding the nuances of each one of those and how it's important and why, is critical.

00:15:09:19 - 00:15:34:22
Speaker 3
The fact that the younger population, you know, views things differently than us is not any surprise at all. The way they've grown up and how engaged they've been inside their own, you know, physical environments. But being able to, you know, connect and chat with people around the world instantaneously through gaming, through, you know, cell phone chats, through whatever mechanism that they utilize to, you know, stay connected with people.

00:15:35:00 - 00:16:02:13
Speaker 3
We didn't have that. I joke all the time when I graduated high school in 1983, my graduation gift for my parents was a, an electric typewriter. Okay. That's big difference from, you know, coming out and getting the latest Apple, you know, iPhone or whatever that is. And so, you know, that we continue and we talked about this a little bit, have to continue to understand the differences, you know, between us so that we can better, you know, come together and work together.

00:16:02:15 - 00:16:32:04
Speaker 3
You know, for me, you know, I'm very much committed to the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion. But I really like to focus on equity, because when everybody is able to understand, everybody else's, situation, their backgrounds and can, you know, show up in a way that is going to allow everyone that wears the same badge, to operate in a way that allows everyone to feel included.

00:16:32:06 - 00:16:58:18
Speaker 3
And you know, that they're going to have equal opportunity to, move forward and be successful irrespective of background, educational, you know, experience, you know, any of those things, it is just the collective, you know, ideal, if you will, that equity matters. I think is is a true game changing opportunity. But again, it's understanding the perspective of everybody around you that won't, you know, be the catalyst for making that successful.

00:16:58:20 - 00:17:18:03
Speaker 1
You know, I heard you say something, in the speech I watched you give, a few weeks ago, you made the comment. You said, to be a good leader, you have to allow your people to show up without fear. And I just thought that was a really, really powerful statement. Can you share a little bit about that?

00:17:18:03 - 00:17:30:12
Speaker 1
And what are what are the implications of that? Not just for leaders, but particularly within the comms function and their role within their teams and the broader organization?

00:17:30:14 - 00:17:52:14
Speaker 3
Absolutely. If you think about just the experience that we all have and, you know, our desire to come to work in whatever form that is, whether we're going back in the office or we're showing up on zoom screens on a daily basis, being able to freely share ideas are, you know, provide contributions to the overall success of the organization, etc., regardless of title.

00:17:52:16 - 00:18:13:08
Speaker 3
Is very important way to keep people engaged, fully committed, to the task, to the strategy, you know, strategy creation and strategy execution, all those things. If someone is showing up in an environment that they believe, like they're not going to be able to be a full contributor, their ideas are going to be looked at very negatively.

00:18:13:08 - 00:18:33:21
Speaker 3
And the behaviors of leaders and peers and others around them that perhaps make them feel like they can't be 100% contributor, that is, you know, creation of fear. You know, maybe not like, you know, Halloween like we had yesterday with, you know, scary mask or anything. But there are environments where you have, you know, you have a screaming boss and you know that we've grown up in some of those environments.

00:18:33:22 - 00:19:07:13
Speaker 3
That is not a sustainable environment for someone to kind of show up and again, give all of them to that environment. So it is our job as leaders to to help understand how our people believe that, you know, they can contribute not just, you know, the team level, but as a leader, knowing each one of your individuals to a level outside of their title, outside of their job responsibility, knowing enough about them and their personality and what's important to them, that, you know, we can adapt our leadership style as necessary to engage with each one of our employees.

00:19:07:13 - 00:19:33:13
Speaker 3
The right way, rather than just looking at the aggregate. And, you know, creating one leadership style that's, you know, going to be a one size fits all, that is not a tenable position. And, you know, so our job is to allow them, as you said, to kind of show up without fear. You know, it's more important, you know, on top of that to, you know, just really learn the individual, you know, as an individual and help them be successful in everything that they do.

00:19:33:15 - 00:20:08:06
Speaker 1
Yeah, I think a lot of that then it's really what builds trust. And trust is the underpinning of really having a successful team, having a successful brand. And, and I and I saw there was a quick survey lately looking at trust and I thought hearing you talk, it just really reminded me of that, that roughly 47% of business leaders strongly agree that trust today is more bottom up than top down, whereas only 35% of employees strongly agree that that's the case.

00:20:08:08 - 00:20:28:14
Speaker 1
That was is this just part of that? That continued evolution and transformation in the workforce and how that changes leadership style? But anyway, I thought that was interesting that the leaders are saying, hey, this organization is more bottom up than top down, but the employees are saying, well, that may not be the case. And what what's your take on that?

00:20:28:14 - 00:20:32:08
Speaker 1
And then what are what are the lessons for leaders?

00:20:32:10 - 00:20:54:09
Speaker 3
That's actually a surprising stat to me. To see that, you know, there are all kinds of surveys that can indicate all types of results. But when, you know, when you ask that, it kind of just for a little bit of a surprise to me as I think about that, I believe top down leadership is ultimately important.

00:20:54:10 - 00:21:21:23
Speaker 3
We have to have trust at the top aren't starting from the chief executive or, you know, the overarching leader for the organization. And that builds and it cascades because the senior leadership is responsible for cascading the strategic imperative for the organization. That is the only way that anybody can come on board, and the organization can understand how they fit into whatever strategic direction that organization is going into.

00:21:22:01 - 00:21:57:01
Speaker 3
And so, you know, that trust is important to establish from the top that I believe understanding what the employees, you know, believe about certain things. I know many organizations do kind of biennial, you know, surveys on engagement within their organization, and they get some very interesting feedback from the employees who choose to participate, paying attention to that and actually creating actions in, you know, in programs and imperatives across an organization is the only way, to continue your success, you know, going forward.

00:21:57:03 - 00:22:19:18
Speaker 3
Because what will happen and I think we started to see what's happening, you know, with that whole term of, you know, the great resignation, people that are unhappy will vote with their feet. They have other options out there. And so, you know, your inability or your willing, you know, unwillingness to engage at the level, that's required to keep them engaged, and creating that environment of trust.

00:22:19:20 - 00:22:35:00
Speaker 3
Well, you'll, you'll start seeing, you know, diminishing returns when people start walking out the door and going to work for other, you know, companies. It's very important to pay attention to that. And, you know, in my belief system, you know, that top down leadership is ultimately important.

00:22:35:02 - 00:23:09:19
Speaker 1
Yeah. And I think I think it's a really interesting take that you offer David and I, and I definitely think you need top down leadership of the strategy and the purpose and all of those. I and I wonder, as part of the response to that, is it just so much of what we've gone through in the past couple of years of the pandemic and the change of, culture of change, your workforce, there's a lot of things that bubble up, and maybe it's a distinction between what are those things that bubble up that make organizations and leaders need to adapt, and then what are those things that are core to the organization's mission that

00:23:09:19 - 00:23:17:17
Speaker 1
may be a little bit put behind the scenes, as people are more focused on their immediate worlds, immediate teams.

00:23:17:19 - 00:23:18:20
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:23:18:22 - 00:23:44:17
Speaker 1
So yeah, so, so as you think about the leaders, you know, and even just thinking about that, there's so much pressure on our leaders in terms of you've got to be a business expert, you got to be a functioning expert. You need to understand culture. You need to understand all these different dynamics. But how can a leader. Manage all of this?

00:23:44:17 - 00:24:03:05
Speaker 1
How can a leader stay centered? How can a leader stay balanced it? How do they take care of themselves, their network, and their team? And what's what's the importance of that? What are what are some of the things that you're really counseling, the leaders you're working with, they need to think about to be more effective?

00:24:03:07 - 00:24:27:11
Speaker 3
Well, so if you think about that in the context of actually being a leader, you have to do some self analysis yourself, before you can actually take care of anybody around you. There's a professor at Harvard Business School who's done a, you know, she's one of the, you know, leading experts on leadership. And, you know, her whole premise is the fact that, you know, to be an effective leader, you first have to take care of yourself.

00:24:27:13 - 00:24:46:22
Speaker 3
You've got to take care of your network before you then take care of your team. I truly resonate with that, because an unhappy or unfulfilled individual is not going to be able to bring all of yourself to the environment, which means, you know, you got to think about how you're showing up in that environment, how people are engaging and resonating with you.

00:24:47:00 - 00:25:03:09
Speaker 3
And so we got to ask ourselves that question, you know, how are we showing up every day? And do we even know? All right, are we even fully committed to, you know, what we're working on right now? Are we just going through the motions because, you know, we need a paycheck? Are we happy with the role and responsibility we have?

00:25:03:09 - 00:25:25:11
Speaker 3
Are we happy, with the structure that we have, the strategy, the, you know, amount of resources that we have? Do we have the right business case? Do I have, you know, the right intention? All of those types of things, you know, so beyond just the great job title, you know, we've got to ask ourselves, you know, what is it that we want, and expect out of the situation that we're in?

00:25:25:13 - 00:25:59:19
Speaker 3
And until I can fully understand myself, then I can't project anything positively, necessarily to everybody else, because people can recognize when, you know, there's a state of uncertainty or just, you know, you have misgivings and those types of things, you exude things without even knowing it just because of your own uncertainty. And so the better conversation that you're able to have with yourself and then transparently engage with your team in a way that kind of opens a kimono a little bit that allows them in so that they can understand your nuances a little bit.

00:25:59:21 - 00:26:04:08
Speaker 3
You can create that two way dialog that's necessary for very, very effective leadership.

00:26:04:10 - 00:26:19:10
Speaker 1
So, so tell me a little bit about about executive coaching. You know, how does somebody if they're looking for an executive coach, how do they make the decision to say, hey, I need one? And then secondly, how do they find the right coach for them?

00:26:19:12 - 00:26:44:09
Speaker 3
I would you know, I would posit and state for everyone the most effective coaching relationships has, you know, with a coaching coach and a coaching client really comes down to change. All right. You think about how much change we go through on a regular basis and transfer. You know sometimes it's transformative transformative change. You think about the transition from college to the work environment.

00:26:44:09 - 00:27:00:17
Speaker 3
Then you know every subsequent promotion that you get. Well, those are just forms of change that you'll have to address going forward. Everybody that I've kind of ever met, you know, there are few people that love where they're staying and, you know, sitting right now and just kind of want to stay in that same job for the rest of our career.

00:27:00:19 - 00:27:19:06
Speaker 3
We all have aspirations and goals to kind of continue to move forward in our career, even if it's a lot of remove in the short term. The more we learn, the more we're able to get access to different information, different opportunities to show our worth to our value proposition. You know, these are things that enable us to continue to be successful inside the organization.

00:27:19:08 - 00:27:39:14
Speaker 3
A coach can tremendously help you with that because there are so many barriers in our own head that kind of don't permit us to be successful going forward. One of those things might be, you know, I don't see myself as an effective networker. I don't see myself as an effective communicator. I have just kind of this imposter syndrome.

00:27:39:14 - 00:28:04:19
Speaker 3
I have the title, but I'm still asking myself every day, why did they select me for this position? And, you know, there's so many different ways to kind of not allow yourself to be successful. And that's what a coach provides for you if you can, you know, use the analogy of, you know, coaches and sports coaches kind of help bring out your inner game and, you know, allow you to focus on the bigger picture that perhaps you're not even, you know, thinking about today.

00:28:04:21 - 00:28:21:05
Speaker 3
And so, you know, one of the things, particularly as you go up, that the pyramid inside an organization, you start looking left and right as you go up that pyramid, there are less and less people who are your peers. And as you get all the way to to a CEO and you look left to right, there is nobody left to kind of ask questions.

00:28:21:07 - 00:28:41:08
Speaker 3
And so if you aspire for that level of, you know, success in your career, you've got to be prepared for that tremendous change. You know, that happens in between now and whatever that North Star, you know, career goal is for you recognizing that, you know, there are people out there like coaches, to kind of help and assist you.

00:28:41:10 - 00:29:00:13
Speaker 3
You know, that is a tremendous resource. And the one key distinction that I, you know, offer for folks is, you know, a lot of folks toss around the term mentor and coach, as one as, you know, kind of equal, the big difference, you know, in my viewpoint how I tell my clients, you know, mentors are essential.

00:29:00:15 - 00:29:23:17
Speaker 3
I encourage everyone to have as many mentors as they can, to kind of help them understand more about the marketplace, about the industry they're in, about the job function, whatever those things in, and sometimes mentor is not a big a mentor that's official. So a lot of times it's a small team and it's just someone that you know and trust and who can offer, you know, insights and information that can help you grow.

00:29:23:19 - 00:29:44:03
Speaker 3
A coach is much different because, you know, mentoring is informational and coaching is transformational because what a coach does is use it's, you know, his or her listening skills to really dive into the psyche of the, you know, the individual who's being coached and find out what those things that might be getting in the in the way of their future success.

00:29:44:05 - 00:30:04:18
Speaker 3
And then diving in on those things a mentor tends to, and I know from my own personal, experience of being a mentor to many people of my career, I tend to be in transient mode when I'm a mentor here. My journey is this way, and so perhaps your journey should go this way. Based upon my own experience, a coach is not going to tell them what to do.

00:30:04:18 - 00:30:29:02
Speaker 3
We're really trying to focus on what they want. You know, where they want to go and, you know, try to pull out those things that are going to be necessary for you to move forward as a coach, I'm paying attention as much as you know as what you say to what you don't say. And actually your body language when you say it, because you may have imposter syndrome, you may not feel like you're an effective network or a communicator.

00:30:29:04 - 00:30:47:01
Speaker 3
And how you've just answered a question, from me can tell me a lot about how you're actually feeling. And so that allows us to kind of dive in on that and understand the nuances of what it is that, you know, maybe getting in your way that you didn't even know. That's the I think the huge difference between coaching and mentoring.

00:30:47:03 - 00:31:09:15
Speaker 3
And for those that are recognizing that they could use some help and support in those areas, you know, a coach would be a fantastic, you know, resource for you. There are tons and tons of coaches out there. I happen to be accredited by the International Coaching Federation. The ICF has more than 55,000 coaches, as members, who have different levels of accreditation.

00:31:09:17 - 00:31:45:04
Speaker 3
But there are many more, you know, other coaching organizations as well. Those that might be interested in finding a coach can do searches online. And I would encourage you to talk to 2 or 3 coaches just to check out the individual engagement, and the relationship, that you have with that individual to see if you personally feel comfortable with opening up your kimono and actually having a, you know, forthright and transparent communications, you know, sense of a communications, with this person so that you can really dive into ultimately create what's what I would call an individual development plan that's going to work for you.

00:31:45:06 - 00:32:05:07
Speaker 1
Yeah. That's that, that's that's really great. And and I really, really appreciate the distinction. You really covered there in terms of difference of a coach and how a coach is going to move you versus what you're looking for from a mentor. And I think those are really, really important points to, to, to put together. So I really appreciate that.

00:32:05:09 - 00:32:27:23
Speaker 1
So let me ask you a question. So going back we can't get in a time machine because too much has changed. So we can't we can't do the, you know, David today going back to the 18 year old David. But if you were to talk to somebody in similar shoes to you are where you were in Philadelphia today in 18 year old, what is it that you would tell them about about leadership?

00:32:27:23 - 00:32:37:07
Speaker 1
What is it that you would tell them about potentially a career in communications? What what advice would you give the next generation?

00:32:37:08 - 00:32:55:21
Speaker 3
I actually do it a lot. I mentor a lot of young professionals. My, you know, my youngest is a junior at Elon University right now. So amongst his friend group and just others, you know, I do a lot of mentoring at the Naval Academy. Midshipmen there. I have the same conversation over and over.

00:32:55:23 - 00:33:13:09
Speaker 3
Because I was a knucklehead at 18. I look back now, I can say that, and I look at these kids now, there's no way, I was even close to, you know, as capable as these young people are today, I tell them, take advantage of that. You really don't know how sharp you are yet.

00:33:13:10 - 00:33:31:16
Speaker 3
It'll be 15 or 20 years until you really the, you know, the button on your head just turns on and you really realize what you've done and graduating from the institutions that you've graduated from. So take advantage of that and learn as much as you can about everything. Be inquisitive. Ask questions you know, but don't be afraid of that.

00:33:31:18 - 00:33:50:07
Speaker 3
People who you want to you want to engage with will definitely appreciate you wanting to learn more and learn more about their experience and and where they've come from and how they've made the decisions to get where they are. Those are all, you know, great pieces of feedback that you can incorporate into your own decision making process.

00:33:50:11 - 00:34:08:13
Speaker 3
So as you determine what your future career opportunity is going to be and what ultimately your North Star is going to be, you know, having all of that feedback collectively is nothing but goodness and helping you make smarter, more strategic decisions. One of the things I, you know, tell people all the time, right. Let's think 20 years from now.

00:34:08:15 - 00:34:27:10
Speaker 3
Right. So we are November 1st, 2042 right now. Where are you? What's your job title? You know, how much money you're making. How many people are you leading? But to me, one of the most important questions you can ask someone, how many people did you help along the way? I truly believe we do not get through this life alone.

00:34:27:10 - 00:34:50:23
Speaker 3
And the more that I put goodness into the universe in terms of how many people I have helped, it comes back to me in spades when I, you know, do that just as a natural course. My existence and I don't ask for anything, from these individuals. Right. One of the requirements for people that I mentor, first thing I tell them is, all right, you're going to hear my voice 15 years from now when this young professionals reaching out to you and they're asking you for help.

00:34:51:00 - 00:35:03:23
Speaker 3
I hope you hear David Albright and telling you in your ear, you got to help that person, regardless of your schedule, how busy you are, anything. Because that's how we make this work. That's how we continue to be successful together by just helping each other along the way.

00:35:04:01 - 00:35:25:08
Speaker 1
But that's it. That's, I think, a really powerful way to, to wrap here and kind of a challenge to everybody that's listening to, to this podcast is to put down on a piece of paper, where do you think you're going to be on 15 years? Heck, I'd even say put it in an envelope and put it on a shelf and check it every so often to see how you're making progress so.

00:35:25:10 - 00:35:37:14
Speaker 1
Well, David, I've absolutely loved our discussion today about leadership. Your perspective on on so many things. Any any final thoughts that you want to leave our audience with before we wrap today?

00:35:37:16 - 00:36:03:21
Speaker 3
No. Thanks again for the opportunity. It's, you know, really, as you look at your individual circumstance and, you know, as you think about where you want to go, think about those people in your world, personally and professionally, that can be of great help to you and open up your life and your thinking and allow them in at a level that's going to, you know, allow them to be helpful to you.

00:36:03:23 - 00:36:27:19
Speaker 3
That's this mindset that we can do it all alone. I'm smarter than everybody. I have great education, great degrees and all of those things. They're great to a point, but we there's no way. Just because you have title does not mean you know everything. And so even, you know, being able to recognize that even when you have the highest title, there going to be people that work for you that know a whole lot more about a whole lot more stuff than you.

00:36:27:21 - 00:36:48:05
Speaker 3
And you should open your mind up to learning from everybody. And a 360 degree, you know, circle. So, you know, kind of circle when you open your mind up to that, I think what you'll find is that you become a, you know, much more rounded individual and a much better leader overall. And, so that's, kind of the takeaway I'd love for you all to think about today.

00:36:48:07 - 00:37:07:13
Speaker 1
Wonderful. Well, some great closing advice. And once again, on this program, gravity, we did an interview with David Albright and, currently with 1988 strategies. We invite you to listen to more of our podcast, and we will post some more information. If you want to get in touch with David directly so that you can, reach him.

00:37:07:13 - 00:37:11:13
Speaker 1
So, David, thanks again for a great conversation.

00:37:11:15 - 00:37:16:14
Speaker 3
Thank you again. Have a great one.

00:37:16:16 - 00:37:45:15
Speaker 2
We are gas business communications. We are a team of media strategists, storytellers and engagement experts who meet you at the intersection of business and communications. To learn more, visit Gas communications.com. You're listening to Building Brand Gravity, Attracting People into Your Orbit, a gas business communications podcast. Keep connected with us by subscribing to the show in your favorite podcast player.

00:37:45:20 - 00:37:57:13
Speaker 2
If you like what you've heard, please rate the show that helps us to keep delivering the latest industry influence. Thanks for listening. Until next time.

00;00;00;10 - 00;00;30;07
Speaker 3
Hello and welcome to today's episode of Building Brand Gravity. I'm Steve Hulsey, your host. With me today is Professor Matt. I guess I should say full professor Matt Regas at DePaul University. He's with the College of Communication, where he teaches both graduate and undergraduate programs. Courses on business literacy, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, media relations, digital, traditional public relations, you name it.

00;00;30;07 - 00;00;45;11
Speaker 3
If it's related to comms and advertising. The good professor has been part of that. More than 30 colleges and universities around the world are using books that he's coauthored. So, Professor Regas, it's a pleasure to have you with us here today.

00;00;45;13 - 00;00;54;16
Speaker 4
Hey, Steve. It's, it's great to see you. It's great to be here. Hopefully, I don't say something that then makes that number go down. We want to. We want to grow that number. Well, we'll.

00;00;54;16 - 00;01;17;08
Speaker 3
Make one of our KPIs. Do we add more or more colleges and universities to this? And I think really the best way to do that is just really kind of share your, your, your perspective. I mean, you've had a really interesting, academic career. You've been published tremendously, not just, the books that you coauthored, but in professional publications.

00;01;17;11 - 00;01;40;20
Speaker 3
You know, you've really demonstrated a very, just a passion for communications. I also know you're a member of, of the Page Society of Leading Communicators. So maybe we start a little bit there. What what fuels your passion about, the communications industry and, you know, makes you want to share that with, with students and professionals?

00;01;40;22 - 00;02;04;26
Speaker 4
Well, I, I, I think the start off, I would say being a professor in many ways is a calling. And so I think, you know, that, prior to going back to school and doing my doctorate and, and, becoming a little assistant professor to start things off, I did have a career in, financial communications and, business publishing and, you know what's really rewarding?

00;02;04;26 - 00;02;28;08
Speaker 4
And I know you know this because you also do a fair amount of mentoring and working with your own team and then giving back, externally, I really think when you're when you're a teacher and a mentor, you have the opportunity to give back and positively shape. You know, it's a privilege. I get to work with a lot of the future leaders of our, business.

00;02;28;10 - 00;02;54;03
Speaker 4
We've been fortunate have, have, a rising up the ranks that have come out of, you know, Chicago's a major agency in corporate, and nonprofit and cultural, hub. And so to get to use Chicago as my classroom and laboratory and launching point for my teaching and research, this past now, 13 years has really been, a gift.

00;02;54;05 - 00;03;14;20
Speaker 3
You know, we we were talking a little bit earlier just about your research. And I know that you're regularly talking to the top communicators around the world. Agency, corporate, other professors using that to inform your coursework and your books. What are you. What are you hearing? What's on the mind of the top communicators right now?

00;03;14;22 - 00;03;39;19
Speaker 4
Well, it's interesting, when we're recording this right now, I'm actually teaching a graduate seminar on the future of what we call professional communication, or procom, which is a graduate program I lead. And one of those, quarter long assignments is called Crystal Ball Conversations. And yes, you can get crystal balls on on Etsy. Big fan of Etsy.

00;03;39;21 - 00;04;14;25
Speaker 4
And so I've been interviewing different, senior leaders, folks that we both know. And it's interesting to have this conversation today because I've just concluded, in the past couple weeks, interviews with eight senior leaders, and there's definitely some overlapping themes. And I would say the really big theme, Steve, right now is we have been arguing for decades, as you know, that we need to have a seat at the table to do our jobs, you know, and be the most effective and be strategic counselors and advisors and not simply tacticians, technicians.

00;04;14;28 - 00;04;45;01
Speaker 4
We need a seat. And the senior folks consistently that I talked to said, that's great. We're getting that seat at the table. But now what do we do with it? Right? Are we going to take advantage of this opportunity or are we going to squander it, or are we going to add value? Actually, as counselors advisors, do we understand enough about the business and our clients and society to really be able to serve and stay, in that counselor and advisor, capacity?

00;04;45;01 - 00;05;09;15
Speaker 4
And I know we're going to talk about this. Our business is shifting from we've always got to be good at words and messages, crafting and sending effective messages. But hopefully we're reaching a stage in the evolution of our business where we're going to actually be counseling the actions and behaviors and the policies that we then communicate to our stakeholders through messaging.

00;05;09;22 - 00;05;27;19
Speaker 3
Well, you know, what I think is kind of interesting about that point is, you know, again, thinking about when, when I began my career and, you know, the age of the dinosaurs, where you would write a press release, you put it in an envelope, you would call the journalist, say, hey, I'm going to send you something, be on the look for it.

00;05;27;22 - 00;05;49;26
Speaker 3
You mailed it 3 to 5 days later, you called up and said, hey, did you get that? That information I sent you, you would have a discussion. And it was it was a very, kind of paced dialog. But we are in such a hyper connected, hyper, always on to the second world, you know, communications and messaging as they used to be, are no longer.

00;05;49;26 - 00;06;19;10
Speaker 3
Because when you think about corporate reputation or you think about corporate brand that's defined by every single interaction. So while things in the past may have been siloed in departments or businesses or HR or different type of communications, now all of that is falling under the purview of of the CC0. So as you're talking to them, I mean, are they feeling confident or are they feeling overwhelmed?

00;06;19;12 - 00;06;29;26
Speaker 3
Are they what are they what are what are they feeling? So they want to seize the opportunity. They've got to recognize the opportunity. And they got to be motivated to take it.

00;06;29;28 - 00;06;58;07
Speaker 4
Well, you know what I'll take? I'll take a step back. And before I answer the feelings part and observation, I think you've noticed this too, that the titles of those CC0 and top jobs are shifting to meet. I think the reality of the always on and complex world we're in. So you're seeing corporate affairs pop up in more titles, which seems to imply then that government relations, government affairs and policy, falls under it.

00;06;58;10 - 00;07;28;12
Speaker 4
You're seeing, more integrated functions of a chief communications and marketing officer. You're seeing and this aligns with page, society thought leadership. You're seeing brands sometimes explicitly in the titles, of, these senior folks, because of their responsibilities. It is more holistic, right. And just operating in silos is not going to, cut it to how they feel.

00;07;28;15 - 00;07;58;16
Speaker 4
I think there's a fair degree of, optimism when you ask about the future of our, business. And I think if we think back and we're not talking as much these days about reputation, right. Talking a lot about brand and purpose and values and ESG, if we went back 10 or 20 years ago, we were still trying to make the business case for why our function deserved that seat and role at the table and the value that we could add.

00;07;58;18 - 00;08;37;12
Speaker 4
And I think the rise of ESG stakeholder capitalism, purpose, this has permeated boardrooms and C-suite. And so I actually think it's giving us more of an opening to shine, in the link it up, we joked about the beginning KPIs. There's KPIs we can link up, and there's more measurable ways now to show tangible impact. So, I told my students a lot of times, hey, like, your forbearers, the Steves of the world, the guys that were sending mailing and maybe you were using fax machines to track a lot of acts.

00;08;37;13 - 00;08;39;17
Speaker 3
Last professor.

00;08;39;19 - 00;08;58;25
Speaker 4
Hey, hey, that was a, in the air world. That was a high end service station. That was. That was billable. There's been a lot of heavy lifting that's been done to to get these rising leaders to, I think, a clear path in many ways than, than we've had, in many years.

00;08;58;27 - 00;09;17;18
Speaker 3
Well, and I and I think as you talk through that, you know, there was a big shift again, thinking about discussions about the role and the function of senior communicators. You know, several years ago, the conversation was very much about where we should have a seat at the table because we're the corporate conscience. We're we're talking to these audiences.

00;09;17;18 - 00;09;50;25
Speaker 3
We're studying what they're talking about on social media. And really, I think when you look at the convergence of things, like you said about ESG, the rapid pace of technology, you know, you're really having what once was a role of corporate conscious, which is really more of a core corporate strategy. And you think about, you know, the strategic advisors to the CEO, you know, comms is part of everything that that happens within a corporation in a way that it never has before.

00;09;50;28 - 00;10;14;12
Speaker 3
So I guess one of the things I'd be interested in from a couple perspective, one, from what you're hearing from the professionals you're talking about. And then secondly, as you're thinking about how do you educate and train the next generation? To me it seems like there's two kind of categories that skill sets or competencies that, let's see CEOs need to have if they're going to be successful in that seat at the table.

00;10;14;14 - 00;10;55;16
Speaker 3
What is kind of what I'm calling executive skill sets, critical thinking, business acumen, outcome based focus, ability to influence, you know, that the C-suite ability to negotiate, ability to break out a 360 degree world, those are really executive level competency for anybody in the C-suite. But then there's kind of required skill sets, either among themselves or in their team, to think about deeper audience understanding and channel management reality to create compelling content, whether it's B2B, B2C or some hybrid version, and the ability to tap analytics and then now co-create.

00;10;55;23 - 00;11;14;15
Speaker 3
So that's an awful lot to kind of put in there in the two category of executive skill set and com skill set. So how do you build up a competency in that. And then from your role as as a professor, how do you teach about those different skill sets?

00;11;14;17 - 00;11;54;06
Speaker 4
Yeah, it's a it's I really like kind of thinking of it in terms of executive skill sets versus com skill sets almost. You can think of the latter is almost the meat and potatoes or the bread and butter, sort of the, the table stakes that you've, that you've got to have. And so at an undergraduate level and even at a graduate level, the comp skill sets, we shouldn't dismiss, in terms of training and development, because one thing I would say that senior folks in the business, like you see will that are that are the hiring managers and the ultimate bosses will complain about is is the level of writing and editing skills

00;11;54;06 - 00;12;24;05
Speaker 4
or the the the lack of strong writing and editing, skills and see, I think that's also tied then to good writers are generally good critical thinkers and then extend it further even to problem solving or not. And so that is something that is fundamental, I think, as, as educators or as if you're a trainer, you know, learning, learning and, development person that's really core.

00;12;24;05 - 00;12;48;21
Speaker 4
And so I think that still needs to be, part of every class, not just a, writing class. And, and of course, we also have having just developed a new graduate program, Professional Communication. We had those fascinating discussions. We did the focus groups with hiring managers and senior folks and mid-level folks and our business. How do you, level up?

00;12;48;21 - 00;13;22;10
Speaker 4
And so we have a digital media skills, class because we're all content creators now, on, on on some level. Right. But we also have a chief communication officer, business advisor, and counselor. Course. Right. That is, part of our, curriculum. The other thing that I would say Covid has really put, center stage and maybe we can talk about this is the rise of employee engagement and internal communication.

00;13;22;12 - 00;13;47;28
Speaker 4
As you know, for many years, it was kind of that stepchild. Right. And the external comms and the media relations was really the bread and butter. And maybe I see that even more because I work with young people every day. But we built multiple classes into our, our curriculum focused on effective teams and effective internal, communications and employee engagement.

00;13;48;00 - 00;14;15;03
Speaker 4
Because to live out these, these priorities, whether, you know, ESG or, purpose, employees are core to, carrying out these missions or getting getting employee activism. Right. I don't think is going away. Even if the even if the economy is cooling, that's a reality that can that can impede, the progress of our clients and organizations.

00;14;15;03 - 00;14;40;22
Speaker 3
Yeah. And, you know, employee engagement used to be pretty much the, you know, playground of, human resources. You know, it was very much about, you know, what are these engagement scores? How are we progressing? And as you've talked about, you know, the impact of Covid and and particularly, you know, among the, creative class or the class, it doesn't need to physically be in our location.

00;14;40;24 - 00;15;01;14
Speaker 3
It's really changed that dynamic. And then you look at, you know, the war for talent, you look at the great resignation. And you see study after study shows that purpose and the ability to live that purpose. People have more options than ever. So if they don't believe in the purpose of the corporation, you know they can leave. And guess what?

00;15;01;14 - 00;15;23;29
Speaker 3
Their commute is still down the hall in many cases, right? But but I did hear something the other day. I was talking to a, chief communications officer at a at a pretty large multinational, and he kind of used this, this framework, which kind of ties into what what you what you said he said, you know, there's one part which is how we work.

00;15;24;04 - 00;15;47;06
Speaker 3
How do we show the value? What about external comms and how is it change? How about internal columns? How about integrated comms? Because anything you do internally is going to be externally. And really just talking about how the teams are getting bigger and more complex, and it's less about marketing versus com and who owns the data now it's very much about how we work.

00;15;47;08 - 00;16;10;22
Speaker 3
And then there's the what we work on, you know, and really the perspective that we're working on very big core critical strategic business issues. It's no longer being the order taker. What do we say. It's those two parts. How do we work. And then what are we working on and how do we do that as a core advisor to, you know, to the CEO and the other members of the executive team?

00;16;10;25 - 00;16;32;17
Speaker 3
And I guess that for me, is is interesting, even just thinking about your role with undergraduate in the graduate program, you know, how do you start building and then reinforcing that, that mindset that you always have to grow, you always have to develop and you always know? I think it'd be static. As a comms professional.

00;16;32;19 - 00;16;54;21
Speaker 4
It is, you know, you know, it's interesting. And I think you've probably seen this with maybe some of the young people at, G and S is, you know, most curriculums will have a campaigns class, right? Whether it's a Stratcom campaigns or a PR campaigns and, and, and occasionally you hear from a young person.

00;16;54;24 - 00;17;21;21
Speaker 4
Well, I already took the campaigns class. Why am I doing something that seems like a campaign professor in your public relations and advertising entrepreneurs class? And the answer to that is, well, we're in the business of problem solving and trying to come up with solutions. And, and I think the way to help develop future leaders is through hands on, practical and experiential, learning.

00;17;21;23 - 00;17;48;08
Speaker 4
And so it's it's something that not just at DePaul, but I think public relations faculty, we've gotten the message from hiring managers and senior leaders like yourself, Steve. And so we try to do a lot of projects that have real world clients and, who have problems that we can use communication to help solve. And they don't always have a clear answer or a clear path.

00;17;48;11 - 00;18;13;07
Speaker 4
Because we are in this, this age of, as you know, agility. And there's not always straight lines and there's not paint by paint by number answers to things. And so I think it's trying to help our younger talent become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Because that's just the, you talked about this, the velocity and pace of change.

00;18;13;09 - 00;18;41;04
Speaker 4
And, who would if think, think about the events of the last 36 months and anyone that says they could have predicted, you know, that sequence of events, this kid is kidding themselves. And so part of our job, where as we develop talent again, I really think is getting them comfortable, with the uncomfortable. And because generationally, I think sometimes, younger people might feel more comfortable with it.

00;18;41;04 - 00;18;49;27
Speaker 4
And probably older folks too, with having a really clear step, you know, a sequential flowing step of of how to how to march ahead.

00;18;49;27 - 00;19;16;25
Speaker 3
Well, and, you know, I think, I think where the challenge and the opportunity lies, you know, and, and what I would say to any of your students, whether they're just taking their first class or whether it's your, you know, seasoned people in your master's is embrace the ability to shape the future. You know, whether you want to call that transformation passion or or growth or growth and transformation.

00;19;16;27 - 00;19;43;28
Speaker 3
I think really for me, the mindset that I really look for, in, in the professionals and the mindset I try and give to my clients is think about your opportunity to shape the way a business operates and what it shows to the world, and how it shows up to the world, I think. I think that is really critical because if you think about it from that lens, it's yes, you need skill sets, yes, you need campaigns, yes, you need tactics.

00;19;44;01 - 00;19;55;04
Speaker 3
But ultimately your purpose as a communicator is. And how do you shape the way your company and your organization shows up in the world?

00;19;55;06 - 00;20;26;02
Speaker 4
I think that, I think that gets right back to the the title of this podcast and the idea of the actions and activities of an organization, either attracting stakeholders to it or repelling stakeholders and different ways. And I come back again that, perhaps there's no more powerful form of communication than actual communication grounded in actions and the alignments of, words and deeds.

00;20;26;04 - 00;20;57;09
Speaker 4
I read such an interesting point, right? I mean, think about right before Covid happened, what, a year or two before, you had all the CEOs of the Business Roundtable, right. Really kind of elevate in words, at least stakeholder capitalism. And this is how we're going to run our business. And so when we're looking towards the future now, I think young people look at it with, with apt, it's an interesting mix of optimism as well as in skepticism as a, as a generation.

00;20;57;12 - 00;21;05;24
Speaker 4
They're optimistic about the future, but they're skeptical then about will the people in power actually kind of practice, what they preach?

00;21;05;25 - 00;21;31;17
Speaker 3
Well, maybe, maybe, maybe our rallying cry is a bit of a difference. You know, John F Kennedy, you know, ask not what you do for your country. Maybe it should be ask how you can shape your business's future. You know, that that could that could be maybe our challenge for the next generation of comms. So as as I get ready for the podcast, I will say I was interested, professor.

00;21;31;17 - 00;22;00;07
Speaker 3
I went to rate my professor to see how Professor Reagan stacks up. Oh geez. And I gotta say, my friend, you have an average rating of awesome, awesome. Not not great, not awesome. And I could tell why, based on our conversation here, this is just the top quote, so I won't even say is random. It was just, you know, one that was here, but it said it said, Matt is by far one of my favorite professors.

00;22;00;13 - 00;22;23;14
Speaker 3
He arrives to class early. I like that, he gets to know his student and doesn't forget about you either. He's your pleasure to have as a professor and made the material interesting and accessible. He makes you work for the grade. As long as you do your best, you'll be rewarded. And he gives the best feedback. So anyway, I just wanted to say that I was really pleased.

00;22;23;14 - 00;22;31;29
Speaker 3
My friend. When I look through rate my Professor of Awesome, hopefully this podcast elevates out a little bit.

00;22;32;01 - 00;22;41;08
Speaker 4
I remember we have to grow the number of Ron Culp, and I want to grow the number of book adopters. I want you as my publicist for everything in the future.

00;22;41;10 - 00;23;05;17
Speaker 3
Well, we can definitely work on that. Well, I know we're going to have, I have future conversations. You know, we're planning to have additional, podcasts as we go through. What are the thing that, that, Professor Regus and I also talked about is, you know, we may pull some of these outstanding students to share perspectives of, different generations of communicators.

00;23;05;20 - 00;23;18;05
Speaker 3
So, really excited and, mad to have you on, on the podcast today. Is, is there any area we didn't cover that you think we, we need to hit before we wrap today?

00;23;18;07 - 00;23;41;10
Speaker 4
No, I, I would just say, Steve, that, the when you're surrounded by young people each day and have the pleasure to help develop these future leaders, there's a lot of reasons to be optimistic, about our business. And, you know, I really like the theme you said of Create the Future. You know, that you want to create for these organizations.

00;23;41;10 - 00;24;07;13
Speaker 4
Because I will say, as rising leaders, the employee does have more influence than at any time that I can remember to be able to have a voice internally and externally, in helping brands live up to their stated purpose and values. And my last thing is just, thanks, Steve, for always being someone that, that does invest and give back, to our, our profession.

00;24;07;13 - 00;24;13;05
Speaker 4
It's, it's appreciated. And it's it's, what makes us, a great calling.

00;24;13;07 - 00;24;27;12
Speaker 3
Well, I appreciate it. And as always, I appreciate the perspective. And, I'm sure the listeners are building brand gravity are going to be, excited to hear future conversations from us. Professor, thank you so much for your time today.

00;24;27;14 - 00;24;31;25
Speaker 4
Thank you.

00;24;31;27 - 00;25;00;28
Speaker 2
We are GM's business communications. We are a team of media strategists, storytellers and engagement experts who meet you at the intersection of business and communications. To learn more, visit communications.com. You're listening to Building Brand Gravity, Attracting People into Your Orbit, a business communications podcast. Keep connected with us by subscribing to the show in your favorite podcast player.

00;25;01;04 - 00;25;12;18
Speaker 2
If you like what you've heard, please rate the show that helps us to keep delivering the latest in industry influence. Thanks for listening. Until next time.