Episode 140: Trudy Bourgeois on Having More Courageous Conversations
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
In my latest episode of Beyond the Business Suit I interviewed Trudy Bourgeois. Trudy is one of America's leading experts on transformational leadership and a highly regarded leader in the field of workforce performance and diversity and inclusion.
When I learned about Trudy and her background, I couldn't wait to talk to her. And let me tell you, she does not disappoint. And make sure you listen all the way to the end. She shared such a touching story about her son that will touch your soul.
Some of what we covered in this episode
- How Trudy got into the work she does
- The challenges facing the diversity and inclusion space
- Her perspective on why we haven't made much progress with diversity and inclusion
- What companies can do to to effectively create an inclusive workplace
- Why more courageous conversations are needed
- how we can have more courageous conversations
- A whole lot more!
Trudy's Bio
Trudy Bourgeois is one of America's leading experts on transformational
leadership and a highly regarded leader in the field of workforce performance
and diversity and inclusion. An expert at developing managers and leaders how
to unleash the greatest potential of every employee, Bourgeois is a highly sought-out resource. She is the founder and CEO of the Center for Workforce Excellence and has been leading the organization for nearly two decades.
Dollars and Sense Magazine honored Bourgeois as one of the “Best and Brightest Women Leaders.” In her various roles as author, speaker, teacher and researcher, Bourgeois continues to utilize her superb management and interpersonal skills. Known as the “truth teller,” Bourgeois has a rare ability to tackle very difficult subjects such as race and bias without stirring negative emotions. She operates from a principle that “everyone has something to learn” on the journey to accepting each other across differences and building workplaces that are truly inclusive.
Trudy has authored four leadership books, HER CORNER OFFICE: A Guide to Help Women Find a Place and a Voice in Corporate America and Her Corner Office (2nd Edition) and THE HYBRID LEADER: Blending the Best of Male and Female Leadership Styles, and has just released her latest book entitled, EQUALITY: Courageous Conversations About Women, Men, and Race To Spark a Diversity and Inclusion Breakthrough due out in January 2018. She has also written numerous articles and white papers, and she contributes regularly to educational materials for corporations, associations and trade groups. She is a frequent Huffington Post blogger. Trudy serves on a CEO Roundtable Board in Europe in the Consumer Package Goods industry as an
advisor to drive gender equality over the next decade in conjunction with the nonprofit group- LEAD. Trudy is also on the board of advisors to the nonprofit organization Women of Color in Pharma. This organization is dedicated to improving representation for women of color in the pharmaceutical industry.
In 2016 The Network of Executive Women honored Bourgeois for her tireless efforts in advancing women’s leadership in the consumer goods, retail and service industries.
She has been married to her husband for 38 years and is the mother of two. Trudy resides in Prosper, Texas.
Quotables
“A lot of leaders espouse that they believe diversity and inclusion is a business imperative but…I don’t think we’re tracking it like a business imperative.”
“We’ve got to find a way to display empathy as leaders because maybe you’ re never going to know what it’s like to be an African American female or be a person of color or be a member of a minority group, but you can have empathy.”
“We’ve lost empathy for human feelings – for humanity!”
“If you don’t create environments where people can be authentic on the inside, you never get the emotional investment from them and therefore you don’t innovate and if you don’t innovate you’ve lost your competitive advantage and as you lose your competitive advantage, you get left behind.”
The Final Five
- Her 1st job ever: a babysitter at 9 years old
- The best advice she’s ever received: when it’s all said and done, no one will remember how many widgets you sold, people will remember how you treated them. She wants her legacy to be that she used her gifts and talents to make a difference in others and that she treated people well.
- One thing she wishes she would have learned sooner: that life goes by really, really fast and you need to enjoy the journey. And that you are more than your career.
- How she manages all of her priorities: organization, puts her tools down and focus on her family. She’s been married for 38 years. She’s intentional about setting goals in each area of her life and takes semi-annual retreats to see how she’s tracking toward her established goals.
- Her favorite “power outfit”: Where she invests her energy is in shaping her thoughts and believing that things are possible. She is also into affirmations that speak to her spirit and speak to her mind. If you’re not in a space where you believe you can, then you can’t.
How you can connect with her:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trudybourgeois/
- Twitter: @trudybourgeois
- Website: www.workforceexcellence.com
- Trudy's Latest Book: Equality: Courageous Conversations About Women, Men, and Race to Spark a Diversity and Inclusion Breakthrough
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.