Leading Through 11 C's (wsg Cheri Alexander)

A machine on your advisory board? Host Gregg Garrett is joined by Cheri Alexander, a professor at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, for a discussion on machines joining virtual boards, lessons learned through Cheri’s 30+ years of leading a Fortune 50 company as well as over a decade of educating one of the world’s top business schools. Cheri also shares her Top Three ranging from her husband who taught her to challenge herself to colleagues who reinforced surrounding yourself with people who know more than you to an aspirational mentor turned colleague who taught her about positive leadership. And you have to hear what she says about the 11 C’s of Leadership. About Cheri Alexander Cheri Alexander teaches Leadership and Managing Human Capital in the Bachelors and Masters Programs at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. In addition, she teaches assorted leadership and HR topics for Ross Execution Education. Prior to January 2021, she was the Chief Innovation Officer-Corporate Learning in the Ross Executive Education Department. Before her time at Ross, she was with General Motors (GM), where prior to retirement, she was the President of the General Motors University and Executive Director Global HR. In that position, she was the Chief Learning Officer of the company overseeing Global Learning & Performance. Alexander was also part of the company’s Global Integration Team that oversaw Global HR Implementation, focusing on the emerging markets. Alexander had thirty-three years with GM which included successful International Human Resource Management and Labor Relations experiences. She has HR expertise in Mergers and Acquisitions, JV formation and execution, talent management, succession planning, leadership development, corporate universities, security, crisis management, safety, industrial health engineering, and business process outsourcing. She was nominated several times and twice received the prestigious Chairman’s Award for her work. Since joining the University of Michigan in 2008, she has continued her positive leadership practices. In addition to working in the Human Capital space, Alexander had assignments in Plant Management, Quality, and Engineering. She lived and worked in 4 countries on 3 continents and was responsible for all HR outside of North America, as the Vice President of HR for International Operations, overseeing and visiting operations in 51 countries. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Alexander received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan, as well as her first Masters in Industrial Health Engineering. She was selected as an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow and completed her Masters of Science in Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also a Certified Executive Leadership Coach. Alexander has published word on Noise Induced Hearing Loss and completed her thesis on the Relocation of Dislocated Automobile Workers. Her work is cited in three books, United We Stand, by Wilbur and Weakley, Successful Mergers, Acquisitions, and Strategic Alliances by Gancel, Rodgers, and Raynaud, and Road to Power, by Colby. Along with Professors Sytch and DeRue, she teaches Managing Talent in the highly successful Coursera MOOC, Leading People and Teams. In addition to her work, Alexander is on the Boards of Inforum Center for Leadership and debunk-it, LTD, a European consultancy. She is dedicated to global education and often speaks on her favorite topics, “Being International” and “Global Superficial Homogenization – White it Means to be Global.”    Show Highlights During this episode: Building your virtual board: When will a machine be added? [0:59] Thought: AI holds the first spot of your advisory board; is this the right answer? [6:18] Welcome human-centric guest, Cheri Alexander [7:02] The “Top Three” Dr. Richard Redding: Cheri’s husband who teaches her to challenge herself [13:38] Cheri’s 11 C’s of Leadership [16:12] Holger Kimmes: Colleague who reinforced surrounding yourself with others who know more than you [27:37] Dr. Robert Quinn: An aspirational mentor turned colleague who taught her about positive leadership [41:50] A bonus Top Three member: Cheri’s daughter, Dr. Alexis Redding [46:32] Transformation & Disruption Innovation in education [48:00] Machines vs Humans: How competition moves forward [51:27] You have to hear this… Write down three things you’re grateful for everyday [54:27] Additional Information Contact Cheri Alexander: Cheri’s LinkedIn Cheri’s Twitter Leadership Training Course: “Leading People and Teams” Contact Gregg Garrett: Gregg’s LinkedIn Gregg’s Twitter Gregg’s Bio Contact CGS Advisors: Website LinkedIn Twitter

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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.