In any competitive work environment, you can show off financial progress reports, and you can demonstrate impressive metrics of success to shareholders. However, what we’re seeing more and more across the spectrum of the corporate world today is that a true leader is more than an embodiment of the title they bear. A true leader is someone who serves with purpose. 

Purpose is a concept that’s being woven into the corporate agenda as more people who believe in a purpose-driven life strive to incorporate similar values in the workplace. We want to infuse meaning into the work we do. We want to bravely advocate for bold change and use our positions of power for the greater good. We want to be voices of positivity.

My guest today is someone who has dedicated her life and work to being among these voices. Lisa Osborne Ross is the U.S. Chief Operating Officer of Edelman’s PR, and President at Edelman’s Washington D.C. Her work around diversity and inclusion has made her a sought after counselor to senior executives at Fortune 500, higher education, and government institutions. 

As part of the Clinton Administration, she served as Communications Director at the U.S. Department of Labor, leading the Department’s effort to create and promote high-performance workplaces. She also served as the Deputy Director of the bipartisan Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, and was a member of the inaugural team of the White House Office of Women’s Initiatives and Outreach. 

She co-founded and led the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund grassroots organizations addressing the needs of women and young girls throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Her goal is to build a better Washington and to empower women. 

In today’s episode, Lisa shares the observations and experiences that led her into an impressive number of leadership roles in high-level organizations. She talks about the unique challenges that the environmental circumstances of 2020 have presented, and how the events of this year have continued to drive her passion to place more diverse voices into the ranks of leadership. She believes that a positive mindset and bold leadership can help everyone make a difference and find significance in the work they do. 

What You Will Learn:

• The lasting impact of powerful female allies (5:26)
• Using the patriarchy as inspiration for unleashing your roar (11:43)
• Manifesting a “bold & brave” approach to life (15:40)
• Making meaningful, principled decisions in the work you do (19:49)
• The importance of the words you choose (25:56)
• How failed assumptions can shift our perspective (27:05)
• Keeping purpose as your north star (33:18)
• Using the reach you have to create actionable change (37:01)
• Breaking the cultural barriers of black masculinity to allow healing (40:43)
• The full circle journey of diversity through an organization (46:32)

Connect with Lisa Ross:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Resources:

• Edelman
• The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation

Let’s connect!

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram

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