This week on the podcast, we continue our series “Lessons from the Top” where we talk with C-suite executives about what it takes to succeed at the highest levels in complex organizations. On this episode, we have a rich conversation with Burt Fealing, the general counsel at Southwire, about the evolution of the legal function, how to become a trusted advisor to your CEO, and the best practices for leading and inspiring your team. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I encourage all of us to exercise our basic civic obligations to enact positive social change.

As a star athlete on Notre Dame’s national championship team, Rod had every intention of having a career in professional football. Then, as an attorney at Entergy Corporation, Rod had every intention of enjoying a purposeful, yet stable corporate career. As the first episode in our Protégé Podcast series “Lessons from the Top,” I have an intense and reflective conversation with Rod West, Entergy Corporation’s Group President for Utility Operations. We talk about activating your contingency plans in the storms of life and career, what it means to truly add value at your company, and the importance of longevity in your career. We also bring back “The Breakdown” segment to analyze the leadership competencies Rod has exhibited in his dynamic career, and their importance for anyone looking to enter the C-suite.

He’s been called the Vernon Jordan of our generation. David Sutphen’s network extends from Capitol Hill to Hollywood, from the Obama Administration to Silicon Valley, and from corporate board rooms to the civil rights establishment. On this week’s Protégé Podcast, uber-networked technology executive David Sutphen discusses his nonlinear career path and the influential relationships he built along the way. His secrets: boundless generosity and the creative genius to see connections between people and opportunities that most people miss. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I discuss the Protégé Pipeline, exciting executive opportunities at our client partners.

In our fourth episode in the Protégé Podcast series on D&I in the Workplace, I have the distinct honor to talk to two superstars in the diversity function. Deb Elam is the Founder and President of Corporate Playbook and the former Chief Diversity Officer at GE. Dominica Groom is the VP for Diversity and Inclusion at Freddie Mac and a former diversity executive at Marriott Corporation. We discuss the evolution of the diversity officer function, the importance of supplier diversity, and the increasing role of data in driving D&I initiatives and outcomes. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I rave about the inclusiveness of the royal wedding.

This week on Protégé Podcast, we have our third episode in our series on D&I in the Workplace. In my conversation with Harvard Law professor David Wilkins, the foremost scholar on the legal profession and a thought leader on corporate diversity, we discuss diversity within the legal profession, the myth of the pipeline problem, and what law firms and companies can do to improve D&I in their workplaces. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I rave about customer service – exceptional customer service – at a time when black people are getting the cops called on them for living their normal lives.

In our second episode on D&I in the Workplace, I talk with Joanna Lane, the Vice President for Talent Engagement and Inclusion at Publicis Group, a strategic marketing and communications agency. Joanna and I talk about the evolution of the diversity function and why consumer goods companies like Nivea, Dove, and others keep making culturally insensitive advertisements. We also discuss the unique perspective she brings as a Caucasian woman to the diversity function. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I rave about companies which have their chief diversity officers reporting into the CEO.

From Google to Starbucks to trade associations and nonprofits, leadership in diversity and inclusion can be critical to organizational success. On this week’s Protégé Podcast, we launch a series on Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. On today’s episode, we provide three reasons why every employee should get to know their organization’s Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), and the seven leadership competencies necessary for CDOs to be impactful as culture change agents.

In our third episode in our series “Women Leaders in Media and Entertainment,” I talk with Laura Lee, the SVP of Human Resources at MGM Resorts International. A people operations leader in the gaming sector for over 25 years, Laura talks about MGM’s innovative talent and workforce development strategies, and how the company has been successful in retaining and promoting diverse talent at the management level. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I rave about the startup media company CultureBanx.

In our second episode in our series “Women Leaders in Entertainment,” I talk with Nadja Webb Cogsville, Viacom’s Deputy General Counsel. Nadja is now directly responsible for legal affairs for seven Viacom cable channels and the music strategy group. Whether she’s overseeing a new partnership in her L.A. office or negotiating a deal with Nick Cannon in Miami, Nadja has never forgotten her humble roots in the Bronx. We talk about sponsorship and confidence, and examine the myth of work/life balance. On the Rant/Rave/Review segment, I rave about Viacom’s business and legal affairs fellowship and rant about the Starbucks arrests.