Greetings Friends,

This week’s Leading With Respect conversation is a truly special one for me.

I’m honored to feature, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks, lifelong student of servant leadership, and someone I’ve had the privilege of knowing and learning from for many years. Howard is one of those rare leaders who doesn’t just talk about values—he lives them. And few people are as credible a voice on respect, trust, and leadership as he is.

When I asked Howard what he’s most passionate about today, his answer was immediate and unwavering: servant leadership. It's been his focus for decades.

Not as a leadership model. Not as a business framework. But as a life model.

Howard shared that after more than 60 years of studying and practicing servant leadership, he still believes its core truth is simple and profound: we are here to serve one another. When leaders truly embrace this mindset, it fundamentally changes how we relate, collaborate, and accomplish things together.

I’m thrilled to introduce this week’s guest: Jonathan Walker, RBLP-T, a leader I deeply admire and a peer in the leadership development space. Jon has spent his career serving others: from his roots in military training and psychology to his current role as a Senior Learning & Development Consultant at GE Appliances, where he works with employees across the full spectrum, from blue-collar manufacturing teams to white-collar leaders and the C-suite.

Jon lives the work. He embodies respect, service, and the belief that every individual carries inherent dignity and worth. I’m grateful to bring his voice into this series.

This week, I’m thrilled to share a conversation that has been a long time coming. My dear friend from the Seattle leadership community, Britt Provost, joined me for a powerful dialogue on respect, trust, and the courage it takes to lead in complex times.

For more than a decade, Britt has served as Chief People Officer across multiple companies. She’s now teaching leadership and management at the University of Washington – Bothell, leaning into a long-time passion for equipping future leaders. And like many of us this year, she’s in a moment of reflection, exploring what comes next.

What I appreciate most about Britt is her clarity, honesty, and heart. And in this conversation, she delivers some of the most grounded insights we’ve had on the show.

Listen here or watch the conversation on YouTube.

Welcome everyone. I’m thrilled to bring you this week’s conversation with someone whose work and presence radiate purpose and care. Today, I’m joined by Analiese Báez Brown, PHR the Chief People Officer at CampMinder, a technology company serving summer camps across the country.

From the moment we began recording, I felt the depth of her passion for people, culture, and the employee experience. She’s spent nearly nine years shaping CampMinder’s culture, after an earlier career across people and culture roles in tech.

And as you’ll hear, her reflections on respect are profound. They go straight to the heart of what we are elevating through The RESPECT Quotient™.

Hello everyone,

This week’s episode of Leading With Respect is a special one. I had the joy of sitting down with Megan Fanale, the COO of Abilitie, the global leadership development organization known for delivering world-class, team-based competitive business simulations and AI case studies.

As many of you know, I’ve had the honor of serving as a certified Abilitie facilitator for years. Their approach resonates deeply with my own: we both care about respect for every stakeholder in the corporate learning ecosystem. Leaders. Participants. Sponsors. Teams. And the people they influence every day.

In this conversation, Megan offers a perspective on respect that is generous, deeply human, and, in many ways, transformative.

Let’s dive in.

Hello everyone — This week’s Leading with Respect conversation was one I’ll remember for a long time. My guest, Irada, is not only a fellow Microsoft alum but also a true thought leader in organizational development, blending technical depth and cultural wisdom.

Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Irada began her career in academia before transitioning into corporate life. Over the past 20 years — including two impactful decades at Microsoft — she has worked across engineering systems and cultural activation, helping shape the company’s transformation under Satya Nadella’s leadership.

From the very start of our conversation, Irada reframed respect as something far deeper than politeness or professional courtesy.

She said something that struck me immediately: “There are 8 billion people on this planet — and 8 billion archetypes.” That insight beautifully captures the first dimension of The RESPECT Quotient™ — Recognize.

To lead with respect, we must first recognize that every person sees the world through their own lens — shaped by culture, values, and lived experience. Diversity isn’t just about demographics; it’s about the infinite uniqueness of being human.

This week’s Leading with Respect conversation brings us to SAP, where I had the pleasure of speaking with Laurel Schuler, Head of Learning Design & Development. Laurel leads a talented team of instructional and graphic designers focused on enablement and internal training across SAP. This role blends creativity, empathy, and a deep understanding of human learning.

I’m thrilled to share this week’s Leading with Respect conversation with Lacee Jacobs, a dear friend, respected peer, and someone whose work continues to shape how leaders think about dignity, respect, and humanity in the workplace.

Lacee is the CEO and Founder of The Coaching Salon, a coaching and facilitation practice she has led since 2005 — and, as she puts it, “an absolute calling.”

In our conversation, Lacee and I explored what respect really means — beyond the surface of politeness or compliance — and how it connects deeply to dignity, presence, and choice.