159. Earn Your Audience: You Can’t Lead If No One’s Listening

What it takes to develop as a leader. Great leaders and great communicators aren't born, they're made. That's why John Hennessy and Tina Seelig , directors of Stanford University’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars , are working to create the great storytellers of tomorrow, today. "We decided that there was a leadership void, and that was a driving motivation to do this," says Hennessy, former Stanford president and current Alphabet chairman. The program, which he co-founded in 2016 with Stanford alum and Nike co-founder Phil Knight, equips scholars with essential leadership skills through hands-on experience and collaborative problem-solving. Seelig, executive director of the program, emphasizes that great leadership centers on effective storytelling. "No matter how compelling your invention, your idea, the thing you want to do in the world, if you can't communicate it in [an] effective way, nobody's going to listen," she says. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Hennessy, Seelig, and host Matt Abrahams explore what it takes to develop as a leader, discussing the role of communication, the power of empathy, and the centrality of storytelling. Episode Reference Links: John L Hennessy Tina Seelig Knight-Hennessy Scholars Leading Matters Podcast Ep.155 Can We Be Candid? How to Communicate Clearly and Directly Ep.35 Leading From the Hot Seat: Hot to Communicate Under Pressure Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (02:36) - The Core of Knight-Hennessy Scholars (03:24) - Knight-Hennessy Scholars Leadership Model (05:03) - Empathy and Humility in Leadership (07:29) - Storytelling in Leadership (08:51) - Challenges in Storytelling (10:25) - Diversity in Leadership (12:49) - Feedback in Leadership Development (13:59) - Aspiring to Big Ideas in Leadership (14:45) - The Leading Matters Podcast (16:39) - The Final Three Questions (21:13) - Conclusion ******** Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost. This episode is brought to you by Babbel . Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription. Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.