Howard Behar, who as President took Starbucks from 28 stores to more than 15,000 across five continents. realized early on that impactful leadership is about accepting limitations. "I couldn't control everything.  It was impossible."  He literally flipped the script, embracing a simple, powerful servant leader approach focused on a constant curiosity and asking questions.  "We weren't in the coffee business serving people.  We were in the people business serving coffee."  It was hard to get fired for missing your numbers.  But mess with people?  You were done.  Empowerment in a growth environment is everything.  "Let the person who sweeps the floor choose the broom."  Be the servant leader who helps your people grow as humans, help them grow as professionals and help their achieve their personal goals in life.

A Servant Leadership Master Class - Howard Behar

Fortune 500 executive and consultancy Founder Nyla Beth Gawel took an non-traditional path into technology, originally studying foreign service not computer science.   In leading transformational initiatives at SAIC, Verizon and Booz Allen Hamilton that included steering $7B+ organizations through AI adoption and digital transformation, her secret was simple.  She never planned any of it. "Career paths are rarely linear.  It really wasn't about what degree did I have.  it wasn't about certifications. It wasn't about things on paper that could correlate to the likelihood of success."  What did matter was intellectual curiosity and the willingness to embrace complexity rather than run from it.  Plus a big dose of really understanding customer needs.  "The best technical solutions cam from a deep understanding of a need, not just the interest in what could happen technologically."  Everything is ultimately about people, and your legacy as a leader is defined by how you inspire them. 

Technology Leadership - Nyla Beth Gawel

Pi Partners llc Managing Partner Phillip Swan shares how now more than ever, tapping into your unique abilities is the key to impactful leadership. "Every single person on this planet has a superpower.  They may not have discovered it yet.  But they have one."   AI isn't the enemy of human potential, it is an amplifier.  Use AI to automate everything you are not passionate about so you can be laser-focused on what makes you irreplaceable.   The business advice he follows consistently is avoid self-sabotage by always asking the uncomfortable question.  "Always ask the question and let them say no."  Partner strategically and build responsibly when it comes to AI implementation.  C-suite leaders need to maintain close customer connection in an AI world, not relying on internal marketing decks to represent the voice of the customer.  Get in the trenches and listen to customers firsthand.  The future isn't about choosing between humans or machines.  It's about humans and machines, each doing what they do best.   This episode has been sponsored by Meter.  Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more.

The AI Equation - Phillip Swan

Global executive and board director Shannon Nutter shines a light on the disturbing trend of "quiet takedowns," the silent extraction of leaders (especially women leaders) from organizations.  Often done subtly and quietly, this behavior is costing us tremendous talent and potential.  Embracing leadership vulnerability creates a culture where leaders grow and thrive instead of disappearing.   Shannon's early-in-career belief that leaders need to always have all the answers and lead with a "command and control" style has been replaced by something more powerful.  "When I build teams, I focus on prioritizing a sense of psychological safety and trust. I build teams who actively debate each other and aren't afraid to tell me when I am wrong."  Staying focused and authentic is key. "Don't be anyone else's version of a leader. And never, ever shrink yourself to make someone else comfortable."  This episode has been sponsored by Meter. Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more.

Quiet Takedowns - Shannon Nutter

Keynote speaker, Customer Success Coach and Podcast Host Bob Mathers is warning all of us not to fall into the trap of thinking everyone else but yourself in your organization, industry and social media has all the answers.  In talking to some of the most successful business leaders in the world, Bob discovered something fascinating.  "They're riddled with the same insecurities and fears as the rest of us."  This gap between perception and reality is killing authentic leadership.  Bob advocates for the "three-legged stool" for every major leadership decision:  Is it good for the company?  Is it good for the team?  Is it good for me?   "If we can't find a positive for all three legs of that stool, we need to keep looking for a solution."   Even with all the change and uncertainty an AI world brings, Bob reminds us to remember our humanity.  "Maybe it's as simple as just being human, leaning into tht things AI will never be.  It will never be curious.  It will never be vulnerable and never be creative."   Walk your talk as a leader.  Your team is always watching, looking for alignment between what you say and how you act.  Once you lose that trust, it is nearly impossible to win back.  This episode has been sponsored by Meter.  Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more. 

Transparent Leadership - Bob Mathers

Join Nancy Ridge, Founder of Ridge Innovative, and Robert Horsley for an insightful conversation on redefining identity in the digital age. 

Robert Horsley is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer of Fragomen WorkRight™, where he leads the design and delivery of technology that transforms workforce compliance into a measurable advantage. With over two decades at Fragomen driving innovation across mobility, operations, and technology, Robert builds systems that combine legal integrity with usability at scale. He directs WorkRight’s product vision, developing tools that help global organizations stay audit-ready while simplifying how HR teams manage compliance in real time.

Index
•	01:11– Robert Horsely’s Background 
•	06:06 – Authenticity in the Age of Digital Illusions 
•	13:05 – Open Culture: The Engine of Next-Wave Innovation 
•	19:37 – Beyond Job Titles: Values as the New Stability 
•	23:58 – Trust in the Age of Deepfakes: Verifying the Digital Self 
•	32:14 – Leading With Purpose: The Core of Trust-Driven Innovation 
•	36:45 – The Innovation Robert would most like to see gain adoption 

Links –

•	Fragomen WorkRight™ – https://www.fragomen.com/ 
•	Robert Horsley LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjhorsley/ 

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Do you have questions, comments, insight on the topics discussed today? Send an email to support@ridgeinnovative.com with Subject: “Culture of Innovation E35”!

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Robert Horsley: Fragmented to Whole: Redefining Identity in the Digital Age | Ep. 35

Joyful Business Revolution Founder & CEO M. Shannon Hernandez shows that messaging is still at the heart of effectively connecting with your very human customers and prospects.  She shares her fascinating journey from teaching 8th graders in Spanish Harlem to helping early stage companies scale through authentic storytelling.   A drive for continuous learning is everything.  "Your business, your company, your organization is only going to grow as far as you grow yourself."   Purpose driven founders are rejecting that growth must be had at all costs.  She sees a big hunger for transparency, integrity and ethical marketing that respects people's intelligence, energy and time.  Less pain-point manipulation, more focus on excellence.  "Do less, but do it better."  And through it all, leaders need to embrace three strategic levers:   Clarity, Kindness and Joy.  This episode has been sponsored by Meter.  Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more. 

Human-Centric Messaging:  M. Shannon Hernandez

Zen Media Partner and Head of Public Relations (PR)  Sarah Evans shares how traditional PR strategies are becoming obsolete.  In an increasingly AI-driven world, visibility for all the hard work put into press releases, media placements, carefully-built websites and SEO is at risk.  The new reality is "dual pathway PR" which blends the best of time-tested PR strategies with innovative, bold approaches for increasing discoverability for your brand from AI prompts.   Take consistent, smaller incremental steps in evolving your execution by picking one topic per quarter.  Think about what your customers are actually asking LLMs, which soon will have direct e-commerce capabilities.  Focus on the places where machines and humans can best find you.  Your ideal customers are making buying decisions on what AI remembers, not what's on your website. Not your latest press release.  "The traditional fundamentals of PR still matter.  That is information, awareness, it's announcing things, its building relationships.  But dual pathway PR also takes into account we are sharing information for machines."    This episode has been sponsored by Meter.  Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more. 

A New Era For PR:  Sarah Evans

Avanti Communications CEO Kyle Whitehill shares his amazing journey in driving global transformation which started by choosing purpose over predictability.   Creating lasting impact is about understanding customers, driving results, developing people authentically and leading with a generous heart.  Sometimes patience pays off the most in long-term career success.   "Don't chase money.  If you're any good, money will find you.  If you love the company, love your job and love your boss that's golden.  If you love the company and your job but are having a tough time with your boss, don't leave. It will play out over time."   This episode has been sponsored by Meter.  Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more. 

Creating Global Transformation:  Kyle Whitehill

Acquia VP Brand Strategy & Creative Shawn Perritt  shows how B2B brands can die a slow death when you are constantly playing it safe.   It's risky being boring, and smart leaders are always working on improving their creative fitness and not falling into a "martech trap" of the illusion of only short term attribution metrics.  Embrace AI and remember the human factor is as impactful as ever.  "AI can absolutely build on what exists, but you still need people to imagine what doesn't."    The bottom line is playing the long game with your brand strategy.   This episode has been sponsored by Meter.  Head to meter.com/marketimpact to learn more. 

Creating B2B Brand Connection:   Shawn Perritt

Market Impact Insights provides the latest in business leadership perspectives.    Hear from global marketing and sales leaders on strategies, tactics and tips to help your business grow and succeed.