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Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! Im Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages ofInc.andFast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you cansign up to get it yourselfevery Monday morning. Last June, global architecture and design firm Gensler named Elizabeth Brink and Jordan Goldstein as co-CEOs, succeeding Andy Cohen and Diane Hoskins, who jointly led the company for nearly 20 years. Though some U.S. companies, including Netflix, Zola, and Warby Parker, have two chief executive officers, the dual-CEO arrangement remains rare. In a recent joint interview, Brink and Goldstein explained how co-leadership permeates the entire organizationmost of Genslers offices and its regions are led by pairsand the way the model helps nurture managerial talent and train future managers to collaborate. They also shared insights into how they make their long-distance partnership work (Goldstein is based in Washington, D.C., and Brink is in Los Angeles), and why the co-CEO model isnt for every company. Edited excerpts follow: Modern CEO: Lets start by talking about the co-CEO relationship. You are the second set of co-CEOs at Gensler. Jordan Goldstein: The company started in 1965 and Art Gensler, who founded it, led it for a number of years. The prior CEOs, who actually were mentors to both of us, have now stepped into global chair roles. Elizabeth Brink: The co-leadership model is pretty deep in the organization. JG: We have about 300 co-leaders. My introduction to co roles started at the office level. I was a co-office leader starting in 2008. Elizabeths been here 20 years, so weve known each other for 20 years in the organization. I did the co-office director role, then we each did co-regional roles, then moved into [the co-CEO] roles. My background is definitely heavy in design and design-oriented technology. My experiences in the firm have been focused on design on a global scale, practicing in different locations around the world, working with different cultures, different climates. EB: My background has been more on strategy and pushing our design strategy into areas that we have not been, connecting business and design, and also a little bit on the urban strategy side of things. Its a really nice balance. I think we are both also people-oriented leaders, and one of the areas where we really overlap is an incredible focus on mentorship. And thats part of why we work so well as a duo togetherbecause of that kind of commitment. MC: You were elevated to the co-CEO roles simultaneously. But co-leads are not always assigned at the same time, right? JG: Right. For instance, when I was leading the Washington, D.C., office, it was me and another person, and we worked together growing our architectural practice in the D.C. metropolitan area. We did that for a number of years, and then my business partner said, You know what? I really want to get back to just designing every day. He stepped back into that everyday work, and then we brought in another individual who was much more oriented around particular industries. She joined me for a couple of years, and then I rotated out. EB: The organization is pretty matrixed, too. Were always looking at what the needs are within each market, within each office, within each region, and who are the best people to be partnering together to create that balance? But our situation was a little bit different because of the scale [of the roles]. MC: Tell me about how that succession process worked. In your situation, when did it become clear that you were going to be each others co-CEOs? EB: We were on our own leadership exploration journeys; we were both getting opportunities across the firm. I had stepped in on building a lot of our work around our people and culture. Jordan had been a really strong design leader. Both of us had been members of the board. And both of us had stepped into some key task force development over the last couple of years. Thats where we really started developing our connection, and I think others saw how well we work together and what we could really bring to the table as a duo. JG: I was really focused on a design career, but as I got into larger, complex projects globally, I really enjoyed the leadership aspect of that. It was 10 years ago when the CEO team [at the time] asked: Would you be interested in this type of path? EB: One of the things thats been so beneficial about both of us having these non-linear career journeys is the depth of relationships that we have stepping into this role. Were leaning on people who have been peers, who have been mentors to us, who weve mentored. MC: Do you share direct reports, or do you divide and conquer? JG: The way we approached it was, for the beginning of our tenure together, we were all in on all [reports] so we could really get the lay of the land and feel where there was natural chemistry within the organization. [A few weeks ago] we mapped it out and said, All right, given what weve experienced, lets talk through it. And we just divided it up. And were now letting people know shes first position on this, and Im first position on that. That doesnt mean we wont both be on the calls or both be in a meeting. EB: What it allows us to do iswhen there are challenges, when there are issuesone of us can go really deep. Its been very beneficial to have spent that time together because we start to understand how we each think about the tricky problems. I know which parts of a problem Jordans going to want to know about. And the reverse: He knows what parts are going to be really important for me to understand. And we text all the time. MC: It seems like trust is such an important part of what makes this co-leadership model work at the regional levels, at the office levels, and crucially at the CEO level. JG: I think its like trust combined with almost like an iterative dialogue. EB: I will say, to put out the vulnerable part of this, too, over the last year-and-a-half as weve been stepping into things, we both made mistakes. Weve had times where I should have read you in on that. Or said, Oops, I misread that situation. But I think where the trust is coming in is in the openness with one another and [acknowledging]: I made a mistake on that one. The trust lies in both of our intentions and both of our ambitions to do whats right for this organization. MC: Have you had co-leaders at the office or regional level where the pairing didnt work out? JG: Yes, and those are obviously delicate conversations because the people can still be valuable to the organization. We just have to help them see a new perspective on how they can contribute, where their value add is, and how that offers career growth opportunities for them. The interesting thing for us is that when the co isnt working, its not just something you see in th pairing, you see it in the office. It translates to other aspects of business. EB: When it works, it really can expand and elevate peoples opportunities to make an impact. But when it doesnt, weve learned to not let that fester. The more you just hope for it to go away, the less it goes away and the more it impacts other people. MC: Would you recommend co-leadership to other organizations? And if a company is thinking about either starting out with co-leadership or adopting co-leadership, what advice would you give them? JG: There are some industries where its probably a tough fit. We actually get questions from clients [about the model]. It has to be something that can stand up on the pillars of a strategy that is embedded in the organization. The thing we havent really talked about is that the co model also enables a level of exploration, for pushing innovation in a way that you know surprises people when we talk about it. When I was an office leader, we talked about [developing] a venture capital mindset, to encourage different thinking. If one person was trying to grow the business and delegated [different thinking], thats very different than if its owned by these two leaders, and they can touch it in different ways. We ended up creating these innovation funds, which were granted based on peoples ideas, which ended up going firmwide. EB: I think the co-leadership model has enabled really rapid growth, innovation, and iteration. I dont know that its something to put onto an established organization. But I think, particularly for a creative entrepreneurial organization that is looking to grow or provide a platform for [professional] growth for a really talented team of people, its a great model. JG: When I was visiting Elizabeth recently, I spoke at USCs [University of Southern Californias] business school, and the students were fascinated by the co-CEO model. You could just see the wheels turning because the students never thought about [the CEO role] that way. It was always the CEO as the singular visionaryand thats not this model. EB: Ego has to be put aside. JG: Absolutely. EB: If you come in with ego, it doesnt work. Does your company divvy up leadership roles? Are you a co-CEO or co-leader in your organization? How do you divide duties, and what are the skills and practices you employ to make the partnership work? Send your comments to me at stephaniemehta@mansueto.com. Id like to share some of your insights in an upcoming newsletter dedicated to co-leadership. Read and watch: co-leadership at work Inside Netflixs unusual co-CEO arrangementand why it works Zola co-CEO Rachel Jarrett says you need this skill for a good partnership Is it time to consider co-CEOs?
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E-Commerce
Generative AI transforms the way we work, but its impacts arent limited to what it can do. It can also teach us about language and communication. We typically think of hallucinations as sensory perceptionslike a sound or imagethat seem real in the mind but didnt occur in external reality. In the era of Generative AI, the word hallucination refers to a large language model that produces incorrect or fabricated information. But hallucinations arent just an AI problem, because inaccuracies are an equally common occurrence in human interactions. Most conversations contain hallucinations, and the corporate meeting is a space that is especially prone to that. Meetings are often where we tackle the most challenging communication tasks. Balancing priorities, working through clarifying questions, delivering newsthese tasks require the tools of real-time responses and nuanced inflection. Meeting hallucinations occur when incorrect assumptions derail conversations. These misunderstandings can lead to circular conversations or meetings that dont accomplish their goal. These hallucinations are a key piece of the puzzle of our meeting culture. And this is why many despise meetings even though they remain necessary. The concept of common ground In my subfield of linguisticspragmaticstheres a foundational concept called common ground. During a conversation, common ground refers to the information that all parties have established to be true. If information is in the common ground, you dont need to restate it. In my role as a data scientist at AT&T, we dont feel the need to say things like: this is an AT&T meeting, we are data scientists, or this is a work meeting. However, its fair to say that all of those assumptions are in common ground at any given time. Or do they? The challenge with meeting hallucinations occurs when you have mismatched common ground assumptions. One persons understanding of what constitutes common ground (e.g., the purpose of the meeting, the goal of the project, the best outcome of the discussion, the role of the meeting participant) doesnt always match someone elses. Meeting hallucinationsor mismatched common ground assumptions in meetingscan lead to conflict that diverts the focus. It can also mask the fundamental disagreement, which might not actually be about a specific solution requirementbut the goal of the solution writ large. Addressing meeting hallucinations will reduce the frequency of meetings, increase productivity in meetings across the board, and perhaps most importantly: will enhance the buy-in to your meetings. Here are some best practices to follow to overcome these subtle, hidden miscommunications: Reflect on common ground assumptions before a meeting Preventing meeting hallucinations starts with understanding what is in your own set of common ground assumptions. Before you begin a meeting, think through what you want to achieve. Consider what you believe to be true about the topics youre discussing. Reflect on whether all parties in the meeting share this belief. Boldly state the obvious at the top of the meeting No one wants to beat a dead horse. But its worth talking through relevant common ground assumptions with other meeting participants. This way, you can avoid unnecessary miscommunication and avoid wasting time. Whether the common ground assumption is about timelines, who owns the work, or the overall goal of a project, take the time to say the obvious part out loud. It might not be obvious to everyone. Identify possible communication gaps by restating the common ground assumptions When meeting hallucinations happen, they require you to recognize that a moment of conflict or confusion isnt always due to the discussion topic. If you feel like a meeting is going south, reset the conversation. You can do this by reestablishing common ground assumptions or flagging statements that seem to introduce a new common ground assumption to the context. Perspectives based on unrelated previous outcomes, rigid takes on a situation based on specific training, rushing to judgement without all the informationthese are common issues that many have with corporate meetings. Theyre also core drivers of AI hallucinations, and they are also lurking in our corporate culture. Meeting hallucinations might feel like a strange way to think about meetings. But once you apply it, youll find that youre finally meeting your colleagues where they are.
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E-Commerce
At a time when book bans are raging and the federal government is pushing back against DEI initiatives, there’s one place where diversity is thriving: children’s literature. Picture bookswhich cater to those under the age of 10are often children’s first introduction to poetry and art. And this year, there are many newly-published picture books that celebrate aspects of Black life in nuanced ways, portraying history, culture, and joy. Here are five of our favorites. ‘City Summer, Country Summer’ [Art: Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House] By Kiese Laymon, illustrated by Alexis Franklin. (Kokila/Penguin Young Readers, ages 5-9.) Author Kiese Laymon is the author of Heavy: An American Memoir. In 2020, he wrote an article for the New York Times describing what how Black boys from New York would come down South to visit their grandparents during the summer months. He’s translated this narrative into a story about three Black boys who spend a summer together exploring the woods of Mississippi, under the watchful eye of their grandmother. Under the surface, you find a tale about how the Great Migration shaped the Black community, resulting in different subcultures in the North and South. But ultimately the story is about the tender bonds of friendship that Black boys create with one another, and how they turn to one other to express their joy, as well as their fear. ‘Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became A Writer’ [Art: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers] By Quartez Harris, illustrated by Gordon C James. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ages 7-10.) James Baldwin is remembered as a celebrated writer whose work offered Americans a powerful insight into the richness and complexity of Black American life. But few of us know about his childhood. Growing up in Harlem, he was known as a Jimmy, and the stepson of a Reverend who preached fiery sermons against racism. At fourteen, Jimmy decided to take to the pulpit, but chose to speak from a place of love. This pivotal moment informs the years to come, as Jimmy leaves home to become a writer. With lyrical language, the book shows Jimmy traveling to France and returning back to New York to write his first book, Go Tell It On The Mountain. ‘On Our Way! What a Day!’ [Art: Courtesy of Penguin Random House] By JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony. (Nancy Paulsen/Penguin Young Readers, ages 4-6). This is a fun, colorful book that will delight young readers. Six grandkids wake up and get ready to go visit their grandmother on her birthday. But none of them have a gift. As they walk over as a grouplooking after one another along the waythey come across lots of little objects, from pine cones to pencils. But they’re not sure whether any of these things are good enough for Gram. This book is ultimately about the joy of having siblings, discovering treasures in the world around us, and enjoying a little bit of independence from grown-ups. The illustrations in this book are replete with little details that will keep children coming back to it again and again. ‘And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life’ [Art: Courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers] By Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Daniel Minter. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ages 4-8). This book is written as a poem that captures the beauty in Toni Morrison’s language. It depicts how she grew up in a small town in Ohio by the name of Chloe Ardelia, finding joy playing hopscotch in the playground and as the only Black girl at her school. It was at Howard University that she decided to take her fate into her own hands and change her name. We learn about how Morrison rose through the ranks of the all-white publishing world as an editor. And even though she have very little time as a single mother, she woke up a four in the morning to write her own stories. The words, and she was loved echoes in each page, reflecting how she took all the support her community gave her to create some of the greatest works of American literature. ‘Girls on the Rise’ [Art: Courtesy of Penguin Random House] By Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loveis Wise. (Viking Books for Young Readers, ages 4-8). The poet Amanda Gorman has a new picture book dedicated to girls, written in verse. It is a manifesto about how girls are strong and capable, but are unstoppable when they work together to bring about change. The book nods to history, as the illustrations explore everything from the achievements of everyone from Beyonce to the Williams sisters to Simone Biles. But it also hints at how women have had to fight for their rights, including reproductive freedom. Gorman first came to the world’s attention as the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration four years ago, when President Biden entered office. As a new administration takes root with a much more regressive stance on women’s rights, this picture book could not come at a better time.
Category:
E-Commerce
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