Say It Skillfully® – Bob Whalen, Creating Value for the Long-term
November 30, 2021
Hosted by Molly Tschang
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Guest Information
Episode Description
Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 108, Bob Whalen shares his unexpected journey to becoming CEO of a company with the ambition of lasting 200 years under employee ownership! Eldest of four boys, Bob’s leadership training started at a young age. While he was the first of his family to actually go to college, it was always the expectation. Bob shares the impact and valuable lessons of both of his parents, including the words of his mother—“nobody is better than you, and you are no better than anyone else.” Along with his sports upbringing, this paved the way not only for his college decisions, but also for the evolution of his business values. With lightness, Bob shares how “he had no idea” what job he’d do after college, and offers one of his “cringeworthy” learning moments, showing how senior leaders must continuously learn. He stresses the importance of being receptive to feedback and admitting mistakes, and opens up about the beginning of the pandemic when he told his workers that it’s their societal duty to get vaccinated. After receiving feedback and reflecting, Bob concluded that while he does strongly feel this way, it’s not his job as CEO to choose what his employees’ values should be. Learn also about the company’s successful acquisition strategy. Join Bob and Molly for an engaging discussion about the impact of family, taking risk and leading in a way that creates meaningfulness in people’s lives. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation that will help you learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Read more to learn how a 100-year-old company plans to reach its 200th anniversary https://www.tugboatinstitute.com/a-100-year-old-companys-plan-to-reach-its-200th-anniversary/ Molly's thought for the week (Thank you Bob): Strive to be the best version of yourself. Get a little bit better each day.
Say It Skillfully®
Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time on VoiceAmerica Business Channel
Molly Tschang's Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly's guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. She helps everyone from CEOs to interns to recognize that we are all both part of the problem as well as the solution, and that the path to solving any problem is to say what needs to be said.
Molly is a rare breed: tough enough to advise CEOs and company boards, but empathetic enough to understand the human costs of not allowing talent to shine. She has helped dozens of management teams navigate the human after-effects of mergers and acquisitions, and her show brings her expert guidance to a wider audience.
Say It Skillfully® every Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel.
Molly Tschang
Molly Tschang helps her clients' organizations gain the skills to Win As One, which most other companies never even try to do. She starts at the top, guiding management to commit to each other’s success and lead as one cohesive unit.
Molly is Founder and CEO of Abella Consulting, a New York-based leadership development and business advisory consultancy that helps senior leaders cultivate the collaborative capacity to elevate individual, team and organizational performance resulting in accelerated sustained, profitable growth. She created and hosts the “Say It Skillfully®” video series on LinkedIn, making it easier for all members of an organization to say what needs to be said in a constructive and productive manner.
Prior to launching Abella, Molly held executive leadership positions at Cisco Systems and U.S. Filter, where she led the integration of over 80 acquisitions. She holds a BS in chemical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from UCLA. In 2017, Molly was selected from among 12,000 applicants to be a protégé of Marshall Goldsmith through his 100 Coaches initiative. In her downtime, she enjoys tennis, yoga and cooking with family and friends.
