Two Organizations: One Common Goal

Faculty and Community Leaders Collaborate on 11 Episode Podcast 

Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

The premise that two heads are better than one also holds true when the “heads” are organizations and not just individuals. The Heider College of Business and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide metropolitan area professionals programming that enhances their work and personal lives.

New Podcast Creates Connections

When Todd Darnold, PhD, associate dean of graduate, professional and leadership programs and the Charles “Mike” Harper Endowed Chair in Business Leadership at the Heider College of Business, sat down with members of the Greater Omaha Chamber to discuss ways in which the two organizations could add value to the community without hosting yet another event, they landed on a podcast, specifically one that tapped into the wealth of knowledge Omaha’s many business leaders possess.

The result was Lead Together: Conversations to Connect You and Elevate All of Us. Launched in April, the podcast features Darnold in conversation with key players in the Greater Omaha business landscape. Through the anecdotes and insights of real estate titans, young entrepreneurs, nonprofit executive directors, CEOs and educators, Darnold explores such topics as the essence of success, what defines an effective leader, and the challenges and rewards of careers that adhere to a strong code of ethics.

“Learning from top leaders shouldn’t be, and no longer is, an exclusive opportunity,” says Darnold. “We (Creighton University’s Heider College of Business and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce) are bringing these leaders to your device of choice.”

Leaders like Sandy and Kate Dodge, the fifth generation at the helm of a family real estate business, who maintain that sustainable profits are directly linked to ethics at the top of an organization.

And Nancy Williams, CEO of the nonprofit No More Empty Pots, who bolsters confidence in young business professionals, especially women, by telling them to “remember what you bring to the table.”

Or Autumn Pruitt, founder and CEO of Hardy Coffee, who has had the courage to sometimes eschew a “good business decision” (such as adding drive-thrus to her coffee houses) to remain true to who she is and what she wants Hardy Coffee to be.

And, of course, Anthony Hendrickson, PhD, dean of the Heider College of Business, and David Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, who both share the sometimes circuitous routes their careers took in reaching their current positions.

Each season will contain five episodes. Darnold’s goal is to release three seasons yearly, with the next season slotted for distribution in July. Already, producers of the podcast have upgraded the audio equipment, noting that the sound in a few early episodes was not reflective of the high-caliber content presented.

“We are hoping the podcasts resonate with leaders of all ages, but we are particularly excited about reaching out to younger people who like the podcast format,” Darnold says.

Faculty Experts Discuss Inclusiveness

Research conducted by the Greater Omaha Chamber indicated that African American young professionals were five-to-six times less likely than their Caucasian peers to recommend the Omaha metropolitan area as a place to live and work. The Chamber found this unacceptable and was spurred to action, seeking ways to increase opportunities and equity for underrepresented populations. 

One such means was the creation of CODE, Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity for Greater Omaha. In collaboration with Creighton’s Heider College of Business and University Graduate Studies, CODE and the Greater Omaha Chamber Young Professionals Council of Companies have joined forces to present a four-part lecture series designed for young professionals that explores emerging topics in the fields of diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace.

Two Heider College of Business professors, Sarah Walker, PhD, associate professor of management, and Regina Taylor, PhD, assistant professor of management, are presenters in the series.

Walker’s discussion on understanding diversity and inclusion in the organizational setting initiated the lecture series earlier this spring. She provided attendees tips for attracting and selecting diverse candidates and offered specific practices to increase experiences of inclusion for individuals already employed within an organization.

Inclusion is a concept woven into the Creighton mission, Walker says. Coincidentally, when she presented at the Chamber, alumnus and NBA player Kyle Korver, BA’03, HON’19, had just published his essay on race in The Players’ Tribune; he would continue the conversation during his address during Creighton’s 2019 commencement ceremonies.

This September, Taylor will discuss the importance of creating psychologically safe environments in which people feel free to be, and express, themselves. 

While the series is geared for young professionals, Taylor believes topics will resonate with a wider audience because the subject matter touches all age groups. It may seem like common sense that a leader’s role is to promote a work climate that welcomes open exchange and idea sharing. But this is not always the case, Taylor says, citing her own experiences when she worked in the corporate sector.

Jointly, Creighton and the Chamber hope to inspire the city’s next generation of leaders and to make common sense more prevalent in Greater Omaha, such that business and community leaders truly promote opportunity, diversity and equity in their organizations.