Episode 7: A conversation with Nell Derick Debevoise

This was such an enjoyable and engaging conversation with Nell, an incredible purpose-driven leader doing amazing work.

Nell’s Bio:

Nell Derick Debevoise is a thought partner to purpose-driven leaders, as well as speaker, author, and Founder and CEO of Inspiring Capital. Debevoise’s guidance helps CEOs and CHROs expand their impact, grow their businesses, and build powerful legacies. She has lived and worked on 4 continents, and collaborated across sectors with Japanese executives, Palestinian community leaders, French high school students, and Mozambique education ministry officials among others.

Debevoise also studied leadership, innovation, and intercultural dialog at Harvard, Cambridge, Universita di Roma, and Columbia and London Business Schools. In 2011, she moved to New York and founded Inspiring Capital, a certified B Corp that offers purposeful leadership development content and programming to accelerate the movement of business as a force for good. Debevoise is a Senior Contributor for Forbes, and her first book, Going First: Find the Courage to Lead Purposefully and Inspire Action (Fall 2021) is an International Best Seller.

Segments / Notes to episode:

2:00 Magic Moments

• Me: my true self a 12/10!

• We: $500k of value

• World: 400 yards to Harvard…and beyond

12:10 Relieving the self-driven pressure of investors, through my coach….and connection to the universe…plus a contribution from Nell’s puppy

16:30 initial macro response to Nell’s book “Going First, an invitation to Find the Courage to Lead Purposefully and Inspire Action” – incredible response from and engagement with C-Level Execs

20:30 countering the “Great Resignation”

21:00 make a difference

23:15 purpose insights from the Executives- no real surprises, rather this is so human- a life long journey. It is also simple, not easy, but simple.

“Perfect is the enemy of the good”

“The Grandmother test”

“Contentment, satisfaction and calm”

27:15 what does leading with purpose mean to Nell? Being really intentional about my choices across the Me – We – World dimensions.

29:00 has to start with me. Be well, mental health, what’s my crazy / uniqueness?

31:30 how has the world changed over the last 10 years between on the social impact – profit spectrum?

• value of human capital vs sole purpose of profit leading to stakeholder capitalism more mainstream.

• plus, re-humanization of work: “Work can be a beautiful fundamental piece of human dignity and identify and wellbeing.

37:30 How do you bring purpose to life as a leader? Simply- “you ask”. Soften questions a little to take off some of the purpose pressure, get people comfortable with talking about what they care about and be clear what your organization cares about.

42:20 don’t forget basic needs- well-being, pay, benefits to provide some safety and security.

44:00 passion, impact and application

Nell’s purpose statement: “Lovingly wrangle ideas and people to make work purposeful for all of us”

• Passion- connecting ideas and people to improve outcomes

• Application- making work healthier, fairer and more inspiring

• Impact- seeing the “authentic ahas”

Find Nell Here:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nellderickdebevoise/

Insta @nelldd

Twitter @nelldd