Interview with Michelle Johnston - Executive Coach

Michelle Johnson is an executive coach, professional management professor and author who discussed the importance of a business mindset. She believes that the traditional approach of just focusing on bottom line results is no longer enough. She believes that leaders need to adapt to the new world of work and higher expectations when it comes to culture, climate, and environment within a business. She discussed her research and interviews on how leaders and humans can adapt. She also mentioned that she has seen good and bad culture within companies during her 14 years in corporate before she started her own business.  

The conversation discussed the seismic shift in the business world over the past few decades, particularly in relation to gender and culture. It was suggested that millennials have had a major influence on this change, as have women in leadership roles. An example was provided of a 2004-2005 executive mentor program, which aimed to connect fresh, wide-eyed business students with business leaders in order to orient them to the world of business opportunities and to keep them in the New Orleans area. The executives reported that the new generation of workers was vastly different. Thus, this conversation highlighted the importance of millennials and women in leadership roles in driving the change in the business world.  

The conversation discussed the cultural shift within the workplace, brought on by millennials and their push for work-life balance that their parents’ generation did not have. The speaker shared a story of her father who worked for General Motors and moved around every two years due to corporate promotions. The speaker then discussed Jenny Blumenthal, a high-level leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers who quit her job during the pandemic due to the inability to balance her work and family responsibilities. The speaker then raised the point that if companies do not listen to the push for work-life balance, their workforce will be disengaged and their bottom line will suffer. The conversation concluded with the speaker questioning what the alternative would be if companies do not listen.

Timestamps

0:02:47

Interview with Michelle Johnson: Exploring the Seismic Shift in Leadership and Business Mindset

0:04:56

Heading: Examining the Seismic Shift in Business Culture Over the Last Century

0:06:43

Discussion on Work-Life Balance in the Modern Workplace

0:10:42

Exploring Work-Life Balance with a Millennial Corporate Brat

0:15:30

Heading: "The Power of Owning Your Story: An Executive Coach's Journey to Authenticity"

0:17:59

"The Benefits of Being Authentic and Emotionally Intelligent in the Workplace"

0:19:31

"Bringing Humanity to the Workplace: A Conversation with Michelle"

0:21:07