Cultivating Top Down Leadership & Culture Excellence: A Deep Dive with Lyndsay Dowd

Takeaways

• Networking is about adding value and building genuine connections.
• Creating a positive culture starts with leaders who lead with heart and genuinely care about their employees.
• Being open and receptive to others' stories and experiences can lead to meaningful connections and opportunities.
• Diversity programs should focus on providing support and clear career paths for employees, rather than just meeting quotas. Recognition and purpose are important factors in employee satisfaction and retention.
• Building a culture of advocacy can help employees feel valued and provide opportunities for growth.
• Writing a book can be a vulnerable experience, but it allows for sharing knowledge and making a positive impact.
• The book, Top Down Culture, is for aspiring leaders and provides stories and examples of good and bad leadership.
• Lyndsay Dowd's future plans include speaking, coaching, and continuing her podcast, The Heartbeat for Hire.
• Taking risks and embracing discomfort can lead to personal growth and transformation.
• Lyndsay's North Star is to transform leadership and leave the world a better place.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
01:20 The Importance of Networking
04:00 Family Influence and IBM Culture
09:18 The Decline of Family Culture in Companies
13:09 Leaving IBM and Starting a New Journey
18:19 The Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur
23:08 The Importance of Being Open and Networking
28:19 The Pitfalls of Diversity Programs
30:20 Building a Supportive Culture and Measuring Success
31:19 The Importance of Recognition and Purpose
32:24 Building a Culture of Advocacy
33:55 Writing the Book: Top Down Culture
36:06 Who Should Read the Book
37:25 Future Plans: Speaking and Coaching
38:48 The Heartbeat for Hire Podcast
40:28 The Power of Taking Risks and Embracing Discomfort
42:32 Transforming Leadership and Leaving a Legacy
43:36 Where to Connect with Lyndsay Dowd