Lead Like You Mean It: A Conversation with Laysha Ward on Living and Leading with Meaning

Full Program Transcript: 

And without further ado, Laysha, I am excited to introduce you. Laysha Ward is an accomplished C-Suite executive with 32 years of leadership experience at Target. She most recently served and retired as the retailer's executive vice president, chief External Engagement Officer, overseeing its enterprise wide approach to stakeholder relations.

She is also the author of Lead You Meet It, lessons of Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite, yet put that book up we could all see it. And the very short period of time that we've had to chat. Fir first of all, been able to connect. I already sense. She embodies purpose-Driven leadership and her work that she does as an author, but also serving on a variety of public and private boards along with nonprofit profit and civic boards.

And I could go on, I can go on for another few minutes on all the accolades and accomplishments and the impact. but you can visit her website and we'll make sure to put that in the chat if you wanna hear more, read more, learn more about Laysha. But the next thing is we have about 30, 35 minutes to learn about you today and to learn about the book and all the work that you're doing.

And I'll start with this question, Lecia, which I think we could, we, you told people a little bit about yourself though, correct? do you did a little, if you don't mind. I, I to ensure that when I have a platform, that I use that platform to lift up others. And, and I'm gonna turn the stage back to you again for a moment.

say a bit more about the great work that you are leading, and we will have a bit of a conversation about the importance of culture, which connects to the work that you do. But, but please, I'd love for you to have a, a moment to shine in this as Oh, you're sweet. Thank you much. I appreciate you Laysha, y'all.

I'm Angela. I'm the CEO of Call for Culture. We are a, workplace culture consultancy that is working at the intersection of social impact and workplace culture, which I think is why this conversation is exciting because we work a lot with purpose-driven leadership. We also run our annual conference, the Culture Impact Lab, every main Chicago, where we blur the lines and bring together speakers in the community around topics at the intersection of social impact and workplace culture.

Great. Thank you. Thank you for curing me. But I do think it's important, again, when we have these moments to be intentional about how we use them, not only to support ourselves, but to support others. And this is a tactical, perfect example of how you can lead with purpose and how you can lead with meaning.

you literally embodied it in this very moment. And for those of you who are watching and listening, doing that within, platforms big this or small, whatever your sphere of influence is, you have this opportunity to elevate others. thank you for embodying that. tell us about your leadership journey. I know you've had an interesting life and career.

What's your story in a nutshell? Tell us a little bit more, A little bit about me. Although you and I started Angie talking about, our shared love of Chicago. My origin story starts in rural Indiana. believe it or not, I grew up in a rural community of only 700 people. And, lived out in a, a community where there was a cornfield on one side of our house and a soybean field on the other dirt road that got a little gravel that got a little tar, almost paved before I went off to college.

and I went to Head Start, which is an early childhood education program for low income family. not the traditional path to the C-Suite in a Fortune 50 company. But, foundational to my learning journey was growing up in rural Indiana. And I say that because, in the book I talk about there's gold in your roots, and sometimes the things that, might have seemed an Achilles heel when you're growing up can turn into your superpowers.

And, and one of those things that felt an Achilles heel for me back in the day was the fact that I was the only black student in my class from first grade through graduating from high school. And, and that was challenging for me, but it also, opened me up to the opportunity to find my voice, use my voice, and to translate being the first one, the only one or one of few, into a superpower to transfer my ability to connect with people from all different walks of life into a superpower that served me throughout my life and my career.

I, I go from rural Indiana, town of 700 to Indiana University in Bloomington. Shout out to, the Hoosiers, particularly as we go into March Madness. And, I recall moving into my dorm McNutt, where the dorm had, 1300 people in it, in the dorm. My town only had 700 people. And what a learning journey that created for me.

And after graduating from iu, I headed to Chicago where I thought I was only, going to be briefly. I thought I would head into the Peace Corps, learn a lot about international affairs, bring that back and apply it. but that hourly part-time job at Marshall Fields in Chicago and retail transformed my life and put me on a different path.

I always knew I wanted to be of service in some way that's in my DNA and a part of my purpose. instilled in me through my parents, who always talked to us about the importance of being of service, even though we were from limited means. But I realized that I didn't have to go off, to the Peace Corps to be able to be of service.

I could be of service in different ways, even in a retail environment, which was surprising to me 'cause I had never considered a career in business. And it reminded me to be open and to be open at the crossroads, because the path to being of service might happen in a way that didn't neatly align with what you initially sketched out for yourself.

I love the origin story because I think it is the, it's the fodder. It's the, it's the, the roots that really build your leadership and leadership philosophy. And sometimes the path is twisty, right? it's not you go right up the ladder, it's more of a jungle gym. You collect These. Absolutely. I love the jungle gym analogy, because I think it's less about climbing a corporate ladder.

It is more about a jungle gem moving around and being agile and adaptable. Quite frankly, I never thought I would have a nearly 33 year career in corporate America. I I didn't think that was a place where I could be of service. But it, it turned out that I was able to be of service to, our customers, which, which we call guests.

I could be of service to our team, which is what we called our employees. I could be of service to the community and our partners mm- Who we did the work with and through and ultimately being of service to the shareholders. Because in a publicly traded company, that's a key constituent too. this idea of being of service played out in ways connected to my purpose, that, that I hadn't again initially envisioned, but became quite powerful for me and, and served as a guide as I moved through my life and career.

you've taken all of this amazing experience that I think you could only really learn jumping into it. And you have written this amazing book, which comes from, I think, a philosophy that you've built over these years. And we, you call it the lead, you mean it philosophy. Tell us what it means and why it's important.

thank you. I think we all wanna be happy and healthy. we wanna be financially secure. We want to do work that's meaningful. And we, we want to be a part of living a life that's filled with purpose and lead, you mean, it offers steps and tools that helps us all lead meaning to lead with meaning rather.

And it's not for executives. I think it's, it's for everyone. I believe in taking a holistic approach to our lives and careers. And that approach really does ask us to make intentional choices about what we will say yes to and what we'll say no to. I call it in the book a strategic Yes. In a strategic No.

And this holistic approach really is reframing, I think, a conversation that has often taught us to have our professional lives over here and our personal lives over there. And that the two don't come together. I'm asking us to break down those walls and to really think about we're one human, we have one life, and that those things do need to come together and not compete, but instead coalesce.

And what's important in doing that, I think is, is also being clear about the framing for leading with meaning, which is that when you're leading with meaning, you're operating with integrity, with intention, and with humanity, you are acting ethically, acting in good faith with the people that you're working with.

and, and you're also acting from your purpose, right? Your purpose is your why, your reason for being what you are called to do at work and in the world. And, and I often say, Angie, that your personal purpose statement is a lantern that likes the way for you. It provides a guide for you that's also a measuring stick that helps you measure your progress and to hold yourself accountable.

And why I talk much about purpose. many of us, I think, know our company's purpose or know the purpose of the nonprofit organization that you work for or that you volunteer with, but you may not know your own personal purpose. And this idea of purpose congruence, what's your personal purpose? How does that align with the organizations where you are involved in giving your time, talent, and treasure that there is alignment between those things, perfect alignment, but alignment.

And at the very least, they shouldn't be in conflict. And I would think there's a lot of self work that you have to do to find that right? And even iterate it and, and, and have some intention over time. what did you have to do to kind of dig deep into that self-work in order to be ready to lean into purpose?

It's such a great question. self-work is essential, right? One of the things I often ask the people that I mentor or sponsor is, do you believe in yourself? And you would think the answer would immediately be, yes, of course. But you'd be surprised at how many people stumble over it, right? Mm- But who better to believe in and bet on and invest in than you?

Mm- And one of the first things I had to do was believe in me, bet on me, invest in me. And that's what I really wanna solve to be thinking about doing. Right? and it's not believing and betting on you, it's knowing who you are, deep down, right? It is showing up for yourself confidently sharing and telling your story and standing in your power.

And it's also focusing on your overall wellbeing. I cannot say enough how important holistic wellbeing is to be an effective leader and to lead with meaning physically, mentally, spiritually, community, and social wellbeing, and financial wellbeing. All of those things contribute to the foundational work.

I think that is required to lead with meaning and to get ready and centered than to write your personal purpose statement and to live it out. I think we're more effective leaders that are better equipped to help lead and care for others and with others if we have first invested in ourselves and taking care of ourselves.

And I think at times people feel oh gosh, that's selfish. I can't do that. Or, I don't want people to think that, I I'm not focused on others, but, you can't pour from an empty cup. you really do need to be a role model in investing in yourself that you have the fuel and energy to do that work with others.

And it sounds in the beginning of our conversation, we talked about this ripple effect, right? That, kind of starts with us as the core. And then you talked about your own leadership journey of, impact to the organization, to the communities that we serve, to the people that I'm leading. I guess I, I wanna double down on it starts with you.

how did you develop that personal purpose statement to ground yourself and anchor yourself in that? it's such a great question. I, I, again, back to my origin story, I always felt I knew that being of service was in my DNA. but, but I didn't have a personal purpose statement per se, right? And in the book, I do suggest that the reader asks themselves a series of questions.

And I won't go through all of those questions now, but, things what do I want to do? Right? What is the impact that I want to have? And how does where I spend my time and energy line up with where I want that impact to be? Do I have the right resources and capabilities around me to help bring that purpose to life?

And it's not always easy to answer those questions, right? And in, in the book, I do provide, I think a series of inspiring stories and examples that will help you reflect on and write your own personal purpose statement. But, but what I think is important for this community to remember is purpose is power, right?

Purpose is power. And you are the CEO of your life and career, and you get to make the decisions, but what's right for you, right? What's right for you is not necessarily going to be what's right for me. And, and having that freedom to make those decisions, I think is very empowering. name it and claim it and get the right partners and resources around you to make it real, but then keep trying every day to make progress against that stated pur purpose.

Right? It's, it's an ongoing journey. and I always say again, it's progress, not perfection. often I think we're the hardest on ourselves, and we expect to be able to achieve everything that we'd to achieve in our personal and professional lives overnight. It's the nature of the world in which we live in too, I think.

But, but keep trying. it is a journey. Be present for the journey, enjoy the journey. There will be successes, and celebrations and victories, but there will also be failures, mistakes and defeat. And even in that, there is learning and an opportunity to continue to grow on that path, that ultimately will make your purpose real.

and not a slogan on the walls, right? But something that is actively being lived out in the halls. Yes. And around you, You're living and breathing it. And I think, when you, when you are leading in an organization, a community, your sphere of influence. me, culture is my jam. I, we talked earlier about this and what that ripple effect is yes, you're getting together a group of leaders who are di directing, guiding, they have a vision around this organization, they're all doing the internal work, right?

And then you bring 'em together and they're shaping culture. in lead, you mean it, you talk about culture. Why is this important? Why is this an important element to include in part of your journey with leading, with meaning? Great question. And, and I love that you said culture is my jam. I think that might be the name of a future book you put out.

Culture is my Jam. Ooh, I love that. Right. You heard it here, everybody. You, You heard it first, First Culture is my jam. But, it, it, i I feel very strongly that, culture matters. and, and, culture is a collective set of behaviors of an organization, and it's also a common set of beliefs, values, and norms for an organization.

And culture needs to be shaped, nurtured. Mm- And, and mutually built. often in organizations, I'll hear folks say, it's senior leaders drive the culture. Culture plays a role in everything, but everyone plays a role in establishing and maintaining and sustaining culture, everyone at every level of an organization.

And, and culture is important because it really does help you bring the organization's purpose, values, strategy, and goals to life, right? It is the fuel that makes it all possible. And I think when you're leading with meaning, you're a connoisseur of culture, right? Ooh, That's a name of a book too.

We got, we got another one. Yes. You're a connoisseur of culture because you embody the behaviors values through your actions, right? Mm. important. And in the book, I talk about the importance of culture in this frame that, I articulate as Care plus. Mm. learning and trust and care Plus for me was about caring for people on the team personally and professionally.

And it comes back to what you and I talked about earlier around what is lead with meaning. It is a holistic approach to your life and career. And, and when you then think about someone on your team, them being their best, doing their best, they may be able to accelerate the work, or perhaps are struggling in the work, and it may not have anything to do with what's happening in their work environment, it may be something that's going on in their personal environment.

Mm- And I'm not suggesting that we can be all things to all people and handle every issue, but even being aware of, the fact that we are fully human and that the things happening at work influence what happens in our personal lives and vice versa, I think allows us to lead with meaning in a very different way, in a way that is more holistic and humane.

this idea of the learning part of culture, I think is essential because that is about, again, holistically personal and professional growth. It's about learning agility, curiosity, all very, very important at every age and stage of our lives and career. And on that front, something that, I referenced in the book that has helped me on my journey is this developmental frame.

Mm- Some of you may have heard of the 70 20 10, and for me, how it's been helpful, and it's not perfectly 70 20 10, by the way, but it's a frame. 70% of my learning historically was through my job, right through on the job experience, and 20% that was through developmental relationships, right? Mm- And then the 10 was through coursework and training.

it's, it's really a portfolio approach to learning and growth personally and professionally. And you get to decide on the, the mix. But that frame has been a guide for me that I do reference and share in the book, and people may have their own versions of things that mm- Allow them to think holistically about what that learning agility should be.

But we want to be constantly learning re-skilling Upskilling and being inspired by, ways to stay, at our best by learning and being curious. And then trust a culture of trust is foundational to high performing teams, right? Without trust, I think the rest of it really falls apart, right? Particularly when things are challenging, it's perhaps easier to, say, oh, we've got the culture.

I'm a culture connoisseur when things are status quo, smooth sailing. But when the waters get tough and rocky and choppy or times are uncertain they are now, if you have a strong culture, it will allow you to more effectively move through those challenging situations as an organization, as a team, as a community.

And feel you can not give up, who you are, in the process. Absolutely. I think what you're talking about is something that's very innately human, which is nurturing relationships. It's something that we, if you think anthropologically, it's something that was needed to survive, and it's, it's seeped into modern day life.

we haven't changed as humans with that social learning element. And I know the second half of your book focused heavily on this idea of nurturing relationships and specifically on how what you say is critical to thriving in both life and business, and how nurturing those relationships and being intentional is important.

say more. Tell us a little bit more about that. I, I love how you frame that too, Angie. Relationships are essential to our success and joy in our lives and careers. And, and in this moment when we continue to talk about the importance of AI and growing technological tools, I do think will, enable us to be able to do more and shift the ways in which we live, work, and play, but they will not replace the importance and power of human connection, in my opinion.

Mm- my grandmother used to always say, there are a few things in life you do by yourself. And that was a recognition of the importance, meaningful relationships. And it's certainly an important part of leading with meaning. one of the things I talk about in the book that I think helps with nurturing relationships is building and forming your kitchen cabinet.

And that's what I call your personal and professional board of directors or advisors, right? That are really helping guide your life, providing a voice, not a vote. Back to this idea, you're the CEO of your life and career. You get to make the final calls, but that kitchen cabinet can provide insight, expertise, perhaps that you don't have.

And what I love about a kitchen cabinet is that you get to stock it with a wide range of people that could range from, cheerleaders who are in your hype squad and who are, again, celebrating your victories to the challengers, who are giving you tough love and are really pushing you towards growth. And I often remind folks that those kitchen cabinet appointments are not lifetime appointments and less you want them to be.

Right. You get to determine what you need at the various stages of your life and career. And some of the people in my kitchen cabinet have been in there for many, many years, and in fact, some until they passed away, while others have been, I'll use the word that might sound awkward, transactional. 'cause transactional is not always bad if there is transparency connected to it.

And there are, folks, particularly when I was joining, public company boards, for example, who were experts in corporate governance. Mm- And I found people in for my kitchen cabinet who were corporate governance experts mm- Who could share that expertise that I did not have. There was a reason and season for those relationships that we talked about very clearly upfront that, that were perfect.

That didn't mean it was a lifetime appointment, that we could come in and out of that kind of connection in ways that, that ideally are mutually beneficial. 'cause the other point I'd make around a kitchen cabinet, I think when they are at their best, we are both teacher and student. Mm. I think about a reciprocity in the relationships that we developed.

How is it then we can both give and receive in ways that are mutually beneficial? Yes. I love that. And you are, I think when you build that kitchen cabinet, what I'd add, Angie, is that building the kitchen cabinet does take time, right? Mm. There's a discipline to it. Sure. and the book gives you some, tools mm- About how to go about, developing that kitchen cabinet, but it's an investment in you.

it's worth the time, to not only develop it, but nurture and sustain it. And then when I think you, champion others, which is a component of, of leading with meaning, that is a way for you to pay that forward. the people who have invested in you and poured into you, when you're then championing others, perhaps serving on someone else's kitchen cabinet, you're paying that forward that ultimately we're leaving people in things better off than we found them.

Ultimately, we're giving more than we take, and that we're being of service, which is an important part of leading with meaning as Absolutely. And speaking of being in service, and you also talked about, I think this idea of mentorship and this generative cyclical, ecosystem opportunity for you to reinvent and, kind of still staying true to your roots and anchoring in that purpose.

But the way that happens, the way that ebbs and flows might, might change over time. And, leaders are often given advice to change and reinvent themselves constantly. I am one of those people who tends to look around and be is this, is this serving me? Should I reinvent myself? Should I rebrand? we always have this at top of mind.

And in the book you share how impactful it is to find the gold in your roots. I'm gonna say that again. To find the gold in your roots, that line really resonated with me. And, there was also a line in the book that says, as much as you change, you are always you. And that really it grounded me in many ways because to your point, that the world is changing.

There's, there's a ton of things happening around us right now, and this idea of being rooted and grounded feels comforting, but it's also, I think, strategic in a way. would love to hear more about that. I could listen to you talk forever. You do. You're such a fabulous moderator. thank you. Thank you for bringing your own perspective to the conversation.

That's when I think it's richest and, and best for both you and I, but also for the community who's listening to us. I I would say this idea of needing to constantly change who you are to fit what you think might be an expectation of others, is something I think that we all face. But instead of thinking about ways that I need to reinvent myself or change myself, I've tried to reframe that around reinvesting in myself, not reinventing, reinvesting, because I do think that, authenticity is, is important.

And yes, we can evolve as humans based on how we learn and grow, but at my core, I am still the same. I think the world needs an original version of us, not an imitation of someone else. being really true to who I am has been very important. And this idea of gold in my roots, authenticity isn't something wrap around you from the outside, a blanket.

It is within you deep inside. letting that come out, I think is what is important, is we are whole, whole humans. We have one life, and I've done my very best to be true to who I am in all of the spheres of my life, trying not to have a mask on at work or in other situations where I'm trying to live up to some expectation of who people think I should be.

But instead standing in my power and being who I am. Now, of course, there are guardrails and guidelines, I'm not, I'm not showing up to work in a tube top and, doing things that are inappropriately expressive. But at my core, I, I think people would say, I am who I am no matter where I am, and mm- I'm doing my best, to, be authentically me.

And that is what I encourage people to do. And does that come with some risk? Sure. but to me it's a risk worth taking that I can live a life that is the life that I'm meant to lead. And I think being purpose driven is, I have to remember that not everybody wakes up in the morning and says, I have this, deep purpose, this fire of my belly to, to, to change or do something different or to live life with meaning.

And I think that What I tell you is for me, because you raise a good point, I think sometimes when you talk purpose can feel lofty and scary and mm- Oh my gosh. how am I going to do that when I hear a company purpose statement and the But, but for me, trying to be of service through my purposes, through actions big and small Every day, right?

it's, I try to take it one step at a time, one action at a time, and to give myself grace for when I perhaps don't live up to the ideal of what I had hoped to do in that day. And then the next day, I get up and try again. I'm gonna mention, a quote that was in the book, and I, I need to hear more about this story.

And it is, as long as I am here, I will be of use. And this is, beginning in chapter three, you shared an encounter, that you experienced with Dr. Maya Angelou while interviewing her as a part of a marketing campaign. And during this conversation, she said, as long as I am here, I will be of use. And that, again, hit my heart and soul in many different ways.

How has that statement influenced you to lead with meaning while being anchored in this deep sense of integrity and purpose? She, was an extraordinary human. and I, I, I hope that people on this, webcast have read some of Dr. May Angel's work and have been inspired by it, perhaps based on this conversational, revisit some of the great, phrases and stories that she has shared, the lessons that she had shared.

But I had the opportunity through a work project to interview her. we were doing a big campaign and I thought we'd get someone Oprah, Robert Walters to interview this iconic woman. but we were doing this project very quickly on a tight budget. And my boss at the time said, you're going to interview her.

And I was oh my gosh. it was a mixture of both fear and excitement. and I worked with an extraordinary team. there's power in, in a team to develop, a robust series of questions. And we were fortunate enough, fortunate enough to be able to do that interview at her home in Winston-Salem. we are in her home.

And I was struck by how welcoming she was. I think she probably knew Ooh, Lord, look at these youngsters coming up in my house. they kind of, look they know what they're doing doing, but I, I love how she welcomed us into her home, was very professional, but also very warm. And by the time we then got to the interview, which was in her living room, I was, more at ease, based on how she had treated us in that moment, which was an important lesson for me that I carried forward.

And I remember, I was sitting on this little stool below her 'cause we were trying to make sure I, I was not in the shot. We were filming it, Dan, we were taking notes. And, and I did find myself, Angie, when you're talking to someone who's work you admire and respect, I was big eye looking up at her.

And yes, admir and sometimes admiration up with her responses as I was oh, you have to be present. I think someone in the chat earlier talked about leading with meeting was also being present. Mm- And I had to shake it off and be present in that moment that we could capture all the notes and the quotes.

but, but it was many things that she said, I, I still remember. And in fact, I have transcription of that interview still to this day. And I highlighted those 11 words, as long as I am here, I will be of use. Right. And I re I went back and they kept playing in my head over and over again. And why they were powerful for me, they were another articulation of the importance of being of service.

Right. And as I talked about my purpose of being of service, I I loved the poetic way in which she was talking about being of service. And she said many things, but one of the things we talked about that day was to ensure that you were being of service through your actions every day. your behaviors are very important, right?

You can't control our folks, but you can control yourself. What is it that you are doing through your behaviors to be of service? She went on to say, being of service happens in many different ways. but it shouldn't be on MLK day or your company sponsored volunteer day. as you've articulated where and how you'd to be of service, as I mentioned earlier.

Mm- I thought about in greater detail than how I could again, be of service to customer, to our team, to the community, to our shareholders. She really opened up my mind to, as long as I am here, I will be of use through my actions big and small, and my behaviors every day. Now, not done perfectly every day, perfectly imperfect, but that I would try, my very best, to uphold the nature of my purpose.

And her words again, were a beautiful way for me to remember it and call upon it. particularly when, life throws things your way and you think you're gonna get off track, it, it, it has helped, centered me, and, and keep me on track while there, she gifted me a, a cookbook, called Hallelujah Table, by the way.

And, I love to eat more than I love to cook, if I'm being honest. But, but this, this cookbook was amazing because it was also a series of stories. She told lovely stories, and then there was a recipe. even in, a, a cookbook, she found this unique ability to connect with people through story and through vulnerability that I think, allowed me to see myself in places that perhaps I wouldn't have ordinarily seen myself.

And I love this story because, someone put in the chat the welcome table. Oh, There it is. I'm not completely following the chat in all honesty. I, I, it's hard, hard for me. I get a little glimpse, glimpses, I get back, back to being vulnerable. it's a lot for me to keep up with. It's a small miracle that I'm on here and that my internet hasn't crashed.

But, I appreciate that the community is alive and and supporting one another, through the chat. But, but there is the lovely story about, Dr. May Angelou is, is in the book, and it was an honor to include it, along, quite frankly, some of the other heroes and sheroes in my life. There is, a couple of lovely references to Mrs.

Coretta, Scott King, who is an extraordinary leader. also the, the wife of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She too had such a huge impact on my purpose, on my ability to serve in good times and bad. and that came also through a work project I had been asked to, to do with the King Center. And that, the successful completion of that project, I was nervous, but I got the courage to ask her if she would be in my kitchen cabinet.

And I fully expected her to say no. she's busy, right? civil rights icon doing all these amazing things. But she said yes. Mm- And that was really powerful. And, it wasn't we met every week. And you have to be thoughtful about how and when you can make a connection. But she committed and I was the beneficiary of that relationship, and I did my best to ensure that she benefited from it as And, and you'll, you'll read about it in, in the book, but there is a lovely story that was really life changing for me when she joined me at a large, internal, meeting where I was a last minute sub for a leader who couldn't speak at this meeting that was the equivalent of a concert, right?

It was over 10,000 people. Hello. this was big, and I was the most junior person, that was, that was speaking. And I asked our CEO at the time, could I, phone a friend, bring a, a guest to join me for my little part of the presentation? And he was who? And I shared that I'd to ask Mrs. Credit Scott King.

And he was wow, if you think you can get her, that'd be great. And, and, and I again asked her short notice, and once again, you, I know her schedule was full. She said, yes, She showed up. She Knew, she showed up, right? again, there are these lessons. How can you show up for people? Mm. It matters.

And we were there about to go on stage. I was scared as hell. I think a lot of people have a fear of, of public speaking quite, if I'm being candid, even speaking today, I get anxious about that. It's something that mm- I get nervous every time and it, it is what it is. I try to take my three deep breaths to calm myself and center myself.

Which speech coach that I had, Theresa Pigg all taught me. Mm. But after doing all of that, I, I'd had the team put a trash can by the stage in case I threw up and I looked over at Mrs. King, and, I'm trying to telepath I got this, I'm brave. But I told her that I was afraid, straight up afraid. she couldn't tell right shaking and, trash can, in case I throw up, all the signals were there.

And she put her hand on my arm, looked me right in the eyes and said, Laysha, you have earned the right to be here. Do what you have to do. Do what you've been called to do, right? Mm- Rounding, centering. I put right head up, shoulders back, and I walked onto that stage and I delivered the goods. Right?

I did it. And I did not throw up and I didn't trip. And, and I think having the person who was in my kitchen cabinet remind me that I was competent, worthy, had earned the right to be there. this was my calling. Do what I had been trained and called to do, even though it was a, I was a last minute sub, didn't mean I wasn't worthy of the moment.

And I did it right. She had my back, and that was the, the wind beneath my wings that I needed in that moment. And, and I will never forget that, and have tried desperately to pay that forward again and again and again in the way that she paid it forward for me. Oh, You've, you've mentioned many, many details around this idea of leading and creating a lasting impact, I think with some of, some of your approach and your actions, some of the, the context you've had around all of these leaders and mentors and, and advocates in your corner.

And how, as we kind of wind down here, which I could talk to you for many, many more hours, and I hope we will, I wanna give something for people to walk away with. Mm- what is one habit that you would recommend for leaders to create a lasting impact? One thing I know, one thing, great question though, because I, I do believe in, in action, right?

And that's why, quite frankly in the book, before I answer that, I would tell you that one, it's a light read, right? Executive summary. It's, it's no high charts or, PowerPoint presentations. It's a series of stories and life lessons. But, but each chapter does have some very simple reflection questions that the reader can use to think about what does this mean in my own life and career, right?

you were at the center of what I was thinking about, when I was, was writing this book. and I'll, I'll come back to that. 'cause there, there are some ways that you can continue. I'll tell you now. in addition to those simple reflection questions, if you go into my website, which I know they dropped into the chat, cia word.com, I do have some additional free development content that was created with my partner from a global leadership firm called Adaption.

And they do amazing work. And there are three, what we call workouts that are connected to the content in my book that really will help you. It can take more action and, and to think about how can I use this in my own life and career. in addition to the book this, the workouts, are on writing your personal purpose statement on building that kitchen cabinet and really thinking through how to be intentional about your strategic yes.

And your strategic now. we'll encourage you to, you check it out on the website, you'll see the adaption logo. It is completely free. you use it, share it with anybody in your community or work. it's a test we're learning, how this either helps people on their learning journey or if there are things about it that you think could be better.

Certainly want feedback, but it is a gift that we want to share with all of you. that helps you do your best and be your best. And I'm telling you, adaption, they are amazing. And, and through a lot of their technology, you'll be able to get some very personalized, customized feedback as a part of the content that we've created.

there's that, because that's a gift to, to this community. I wanna make sure that they don't miss. And then in closing, I guess I would say the, the one thing that I would recommend that you all do, after you've written this personal purpose statement is ensure that your words and your actions are aligned.

Our reputations are built not on what we say, but what we do. ensure that your words and your actions are aligned. That is about integrity. Very, very important. Isha, that wraps up our time together. And I wanna say thank you, a sincere thank you for joining me on this fireside chat. Pleasure. Yes.

There's the book. Your insights around purpose-driven leadership and your own leadership journey are inspiring and quite frankly, timely. this is The time to what, what a moment, girl, what a moment. What a, my goodness. Yes. this is a time where I think the world needs more passionate, purpose-driven leaders who are operating with integrity, intention, and humanity.

Mm- It matters Now more than ever, This book, you need to get in your hands. And we have an opportunity, I think Barry dropped the chat. we are giving away thanks to our sponsor, UKG 200 copies of Lead, You Mean It, submit your info. I will be, you'll be getting an email from me in the next day or announcing the winners and including your continuing education credit.

be on the lookout for that. As I wrap here, I'd you all to, to take a moment to reflect on what you learned today. To integrate is to think about the questions that we were asking to think about. That last part that Laysha mentioned around don't create, create cognitive dissonance with the people who experience you.

Right? if you say something, do it. That's integrity. Closing the gap between what you say and what you do, and all the gems that you drop. Cia, I learned much listening. Oh, thank you. And, learning from you. thank you much for being here. And thank you to everybody who joined. It's great to see you all.

We hope to see you at the next one. Thank you much everyone for joining. I appreciate it. Take care, everybody. Thank you, Angela. Bye-bye. Thank You.

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