Architecting Culture #36

Overview of Episode #36 -Suzie interviews Jeff Gray CTO/VP of Novologic; Teachable Moment; Culture Host; Force Multiplier & Thoughtmosphere; 3 Love Languages

Contact Suzie Price, [e-mail]   770-578-6976

Timing on Recording: @ 5:45  ---

Topic 1: Welcome; Getting to Know Jeff Gray.

• “Chicken Jeff” the breakdancing, clogging chicken
• “My job is to embarrass my kids!” 
• “Life is too short not to create memories and have fun! Laughter is a wonderful and therapeutic thing.”
• “Life is not a straight line, life is a bunch of different curves and different points.

Timing on Recording: @ 13:15  ---

Topic 2: Most Challenging Moment as a Leader.

• Speaking up when knowing something wouldn’t be fair or reasonable for my team. 
• Knowing something was going to happen at the end of a conversation that is going to take me in a different direction. 
• Assumptions do not go well in strategic meetings, things have to stay true. 
• Get clarity up front, know your swim lane, speak up when things aren’t on track, be authentic, transparent. 
• Letting people know you care, you have to have trust and credibility, people don’t care about what you know, how much do you care about succeeding and us is what matters. 

Timing on Recording: @ 19:30  ---

Topic 3:  Role Models.

• Manager Steve and Dad. 
• What they said and what they did were always connected. 
• Integrity. “Go be awesome.” Encouraging. 

Timing on Recording: @ 22:30 ---

Topic 4:  Most Rewarding Moment as a Leader.

• When I see people lead and start doing things without me knowing, they are just doing it while developing other people. 
• A leader should be handing off things, encouraging other leaders. You have the opportunity to make a difference in other’s lives. 
• “Sometimes you just have to snot bubble it”…it means that you have to try so hard that you have snot bubbles coming out of your nose. Sometime you are going to have adversity in your life but you just have to hold tight and power through and hold on!

Timing on Recording: @ 28:30 ---

Topic 5:  Journey as a Leader.

• High School - I was asked to lead things. 
• Career at IBM was asked to lead which required to take on a lot of responsibility. 
• Needed to get along with people, support and work well together. 
• Studied behaviors, what makes them tick, motivates them. 
• Servant-based leader - As a leader you are there to serve others, not have others serve you. 
• What is the brand? Leaders drive culture, culture drive engagement, engagement drives results, everything is driven by leaders. People model what you do. 
• Leaders are culture hosts. 

Timing on Recording: @ 35:45 ---

Topic 6:  How to Create Force Multipliers and a "Thoughtmosphere."

• Force multipliers – A relevant, meaningful dialogue constantly creates alignment. 
• A “thoughtmosphere” is balancing your brand promise internally and externally. What is important? “I need to be serving.”

Timing on Recording: @ 40:42 ---

Topic 7:  Culture Host.

• Be present and visible.  Leaders are “on” 100% of the time. 
• Culture comes from the top (most of the time), it can create positive and negative culture, culture can be bad or good. 

Timing on Recording: @ 43:00 ---

Topic 8:  Getting a Consistent Culture.

• There has to be different processes, people and technology as the company expands. 
• People want meaning