UGI Corporation’s Global Enterprise Lead, Learning & Development Wendy Laverty shares how “Breakthrough Thinking” is reshaping leadership, structure, and strategy at UGI. She explains how a series of workshops with team members has encouraged intentional reflection, language, and a culture of curiosity that’s unlocking new solutions and sustainable change.
Show Notes:
UGI’s Wendy Laverty shares many inspirational and actionable ways to inspire better thinking that leads to sustainable change. Her key points include:
- Breakthrough Thinking is intentional, not accidental. Leaders at UGI are asking “I wonder why/if/how…” to challenge assumptions, see blind spots, and design new pathways instead of defaulting to past practice.
- Language shapes outcomes. Words “get caught like colds.” The way leaders speak influences mindsets, behaviors, and results—so UGI is practicing saying the future they intend to create, then aligning actions to it.
- Structure enables speed. AmeriGas (a UGI company) shifted to a decentralized, pod-based model—returning authority to frontline managers, running weekly problem-solving calls, and using focus groups to surface gaps and improve the system.
- Trust + feedback fuel change.Transparent, authentic feedback sessions—and a bias toward curiosity over criticism—are building a culture where learning is continuous and leaders model the behavior they want to see.
- Lead with “both–and” and look ahead to AI-first learning. UGI equips leaders to hold healthy polarities (e.g., candor and diplomacy) and is exploring AI-first learning approaches to personalize development and drive measurable business results.
Wendy recommends the following books:
Navigating Polarities Using Thinking Transformation
Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.
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