Just Open Your Mouth (wsg Kevin Withane)

During this episode, You, Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Kevin Withane, senior legal and ethics director at TI Fluid Systems. As a global citizen, he discusses some of the difficult realities of ethics, diversity, and the current social unrest tied to race. Kevin also shares his Top Three that includes his wife who helped him find his professional purpose to his father who taught him to never give up to his colleague who let him into the system. And you have to hear what he is trying to do to change the world for his daughter.  About Kevin Withane Kevin Withane is a purpose led senior in-house lawyer and ethics and compliance professional. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in the United Kingdom in 2002 and later dual-qualified as a solicitor. For the last 10 years, Kevin’s work has had an increasing focus towards ethics and compliance. Kevin’s career has spanned a charity, a quasi-governmental organisation, a regulator, private practice, SMEs and now a FTSE 250 multinational company. From the UK, he has worked and lived in Europe, China, Hong Kong, Russia and now, Michigan, USA. Kevin’s purpose is to use his skills and knowledge to help others make a positive impact on the world. He is passionate about helping build positive work cultures with strong climates of integrity, and supporting companies to become truly diverse and inclusive.   Kevin will launch his first podcast, “Cocktail Leadership” in July 2020. The podcast will be a platform for Kevin and his guests to share ideas around human leadership and purpose, as well as talk cocktails, with the hope to inform and inspire current and future leaders on the changing environment of leadership. Show Highlights Segment 1: Overview 0:58      A conversation Gregg is scared to have  4:37     Kevin Withane is “not just talking… he is trying to motivate and do” Segment 2: The “Top Three” 5:51      Kevin’s path to becoming a global citizen 9:03      Focusing on diversity and inclusion to make the world better, especially for his daughter 11:58   Kevin’s “Top Three” begins with his wife, Claire, who keeps him grounded & helped him realize why he wanted to become a lawyer in the first place 14:20   “My purpose is to help other people make positive impact on the world” 17:24   Kevin’s “Top Three” continues with his father who provides him wisdom and serves as a sounding board 20:04   “Has the meaning of we don’t give up changed over time?” 23:04   Human Leadership: Hints for leaders on managing a team’s home life within the workplace 26:29   Does diversity impact how people interrupt a phrase like ‘we don’t give up’? 34:20   Kevin’s “Top Three” concludes with David Ludlow who “let him in” 37:41   “Let’s make sure I’ve given you some doors to open, it’s up to you to go through them” Segment 3: Transformation & Disruption 42:44   Kevin is offering pro-bono work to help organizations build/ develop and revamp diversity and inclusion programs 44:21   “This isn’t about making money… I want things in the world to be better” Segment 4: Wrapping Up 45:52   How to contact Kevin to continue this honest conversation Additional Information Contact Kevin Withane: Kevin’s Email Kevin’s LinkedIn Kevin’s Twitter Contact Gregg Garrett: Gregg’s LinkedIn Gregg’s Twitter Gregg’s Bio Contact CGS Advisors: Website LinkedIn Twitter

Om Podcasten

You, Me, and Your Top Three is a podcast focused on exploring leadership in the connecting world. Specifically, the podcast invites leaders to tell stories, reflect, and discuss their views on: - disruptions in industry and society; - how they are leading transformations considering these disruptions - brave leadership to drive transformation. It is this last point where we focus most of the discussion, asking our guests to share their insights into the relationships they have with their “Top 3” closest advisors. It is our observation and experience that as the world connects, the importance of a diverse set of counselors is increasing in value. For some this may be a formal advisor who has been contracted on behalf of the company. For most this will be deep relationships in which they have been invested and nurtured. Through stories and discussion, we strive to celebrate the art of giving and receiving advice. The stories that are told are heartfelt and real. At the root we are exploring the process of knowledge building, relationship building, and perhaps most importantly, confidence building. After all, it takes a brave leader to battle the inertia that exists in industries, our organizations, and in ourselves. It is our hope that as successful leaders open up about around the subjects and the way in which they interact with their closest confidants, that our listeners will, in turn, reflect on their own “virtual board of advisors.” Over time they will then surround themselves with those who help them stretch toward greatness and lead bravely in the connecting world.