Today’s guest helps leaders and organizations thrive with disruption as an expert on digital transformation and leadership.

For the past two decades, she has been helping people see the future. She is the Founder and Senior Fellow at Altimeter, a disruptive analyst firm acquired in 2015 by Prophet. She was named one of the Top 50 Leadership Innovators by Inc., and one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company.

Her work includes consulting and serving on boards, including the regional board for YPO, a global network of CEOs. She is a sought-after public speaker and has appeared at events ranging from TED and the World Business Forum to SXSW. She has appeared on 60 Minutes and PBS NewsHour and is frequently quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Associated Press.

She’s the author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller, “Open Leadership” and co-author of the critically acclaimed book, “Groundswell”. Her latest book is the bestseller “The Disruption Mindset.”

Please join me in welcoming Charlene Li.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is the ability to create change and bring people together to make that change.”
• how she dropped pre-med in college to align with her desire to be a leader and make change.
• her fearlessness in school as the only person of color instead of letting it make her a wallflower.
• her college experience of entering Harvard as a sophomore (thanks to AP and summer credits) and declaring a major that didn’t exist (Neurobiology).
• her exposure to racism and misogyny and how her parents tried to talk her out of going into the business world.
• how she started her business during the recession and what her family looked like then.
• her evaluation of the internet to determine where the change would be.
• her reaction to being asked “How do you serve the world?”
• how she rallied during the pandemic and how she still tried to serve others through that disruption.
• her advice for a million dollar business.
• how to get people that are clinging to the old idea of the world to embrace the new world idea.
• the level of intimacy that living and working through a pandemic brought to the table.
• her definition of success.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com – episode 246.