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The Evolving Leader

Think Anew about Diversity and Inclusion with Jonathan Kaufman

October 11, 2023 Jonathan Kaufman Season 6 Episode 7

Chapters

How would you describe what you do if talking to a stranger?

How has your cerebral palsy influenced your life and specifically how has this influenced your mindset?

Share with us your story about meeting with Barrack Obama at The University of Chicago and how did that shape your career?

Within your work, you often draw on your own experiences to help organisations think differently, to consider where the future lies and how to be truly progressive and innovative. Can you give us some sense of how you think about this?

We often see the story of disabled individuals achieving remarkable things reduced down to the ‘great person’ narrative. Can you help get under the skin of this to see the innovative thinking at work that we can all learn from?

If you could offer our listeners one action that they could implement today that would help advance inclusion in their spaces, what would that be?

If you close your eyes and imagine what 2035 or beyond looks like, what’s your dream?

Could you tell us about some of the tech that is now ubiquitous in our life that was originally born from innovation inspired by disabilities and what impact will this have on the future?

You mention the need for empathy because organisations can struggle, staying in the design space propelled not by the problem they are solving, but by the idea that they have. How do we structurally embrace empathy into organisations?

In your thought leadership, you make reference to “mental fitness”. Can you tell us more about this term?

What’s your favourite self-care ritual?

You talk earlier about a needs-based form of thinking. Can you expand on that so we can see a little bit more about how leaders in organisations can use that form of thinking to make progress?

In your work with clients in the C suite, what are the more stubborn or resistant beliefs or mindsets that you need to help them move past?

I’d like to get some progress in my mind around the nature of WOKE vs non WOKE. There’s a real block in some people’s minds that this is a no-go territory. How do we break out of this so we don’t have “you’re in this camp or you’re not”?

How do you think about the disability mindset and how that prepares us to think differently about the future?

Are there any moments in your career when you look back on them with today’s lens, are there any that you would approach differently today?

What’s next for you?

Info

The Evolving Leader

Think Anew about Diversity and Inclusion with Jonathan Kaufman

Oct 11, 2023 Season 6 Episode 7

Jonathan Kaufman

In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Sara Deschamps talk to Jonathan Kaufman, who is leading the debate about how we can think differently about the converging issues of diversity, disability and the huge market opportunities they represent. Our conversation ranges from his time as a White House advisor to Barack Obama, to his current work as a research consultant and activist. His creative and optimistic mind is infectious, constantly reframing to find social and commercial innovation opportunities where others see stalled points and roadblocks. There's much to learn here so sit back and enjoy this fascinating conversation.

Referenced during this episode:

J Kaufman Consulting

Forbes articles

Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future (Jean Gomes, 2022)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)

Social:
Instagram @evolvingleader
LinkedIn The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter @Evolving_Leader
YouTube @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

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In this episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Sara Deschamps talk to Jonathan Kaufman, who is leading the debate about how we can think differently about the converging issues of diversity, disability and the huge market opportunities they represent. Our conversation ranges from his time as a White House advisor to Barack Obama, to his current work as a research consultant and activist. His creative and optimistic mind is infectious, constantly reframing to find social and commercial innovation opportunities where others see stalled points and roadblocks. There's much to learn here so sit back and enjoy this fascinating conversation.

Referenced during this episode:

J Kaufman Consulting

Forbes articles

Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future (Jean Gomes, 2022)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence: A Journey to Personal and Professional Success (Scott Allender, 2023)

Social:
Instagram @evolvingleader
LinkedIn The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter @Evolving_Leader
YouTube @evolvingleader

The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Introduction

How would you describe what you do if talking to a stranger?

How has your cerebral palsy influenced your life and specifically how has this influenced your mindset?

Share with us your story about meeting with Barrack Obama at The University of Chicago and how did that shape your career?

Within your work, you often draw on your own experiences to help organisations think differently, to consider where the future lies and how to be truly progressive and innovative. Can you give us some sense of how you think about this?

We often see the story of disabled individuals achieving remarkable things reduced down to the ‘great person’ narrative. Can you help get under the skin of this to see the innovative thinking at work that we can all learn from?

If you could offer our listeners one action that they could implement today that would help advance inclusion in their spaces, what would that be?

If you close your eyes and imagine what 2035 or beyond looks like, what’s your dream?

Could you tell us about some of the tech that is now ubiquitous in our life that was originally born from innovation inspired by disabilities and what impact will this have on the future?

You mention the need for empathy because organisations can struggle, staying in the design space propelled not by the problem they are solving, but by the idea that they have. How do we structurally embrace empathy into organisations?

In your thought leadership, you make reference to “mental fitness”. Can you tell us more about this term?

What’s your favourite self-care ritual?

You talk earlier about a needs-based form of thinking. Can you expand on that so we can see a little bit more about how leaders in organisations can use that form of thinking to make progress?

In your work with clients in the C suite, what are the more stubborn or resistant beliefs or mindsets that you need to help them move past?

I’d like to get some progress in my mind around the nature of WOKE vs non WOKE. There’s a real block in some people’s minds that this is a no-go territory. How do we break out of this so we don’t have “you’re in this camp or you’re not”?

How do you think about the disability mindset and how that prepares us to think differently about the future?

Are there any moments in your career when you look back on them with today’s lens, are there any that you would approach differently today?

What’s next for you?