As an author and speaker, I want to add to the growing number of voices that are calling for change. Today’s leaders must think through their role in addressing broader worldly issues and the challenges we face as societies and humanity. My hope is that readers come away motivated to add their energy to solving humanity’s hardest problems.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Deborah Westphal.
Deborah Westphal’s career spans more than 30 years, and virtually every continent. In 1999, Alvin Toffler tapped her as one of the founding members of his eponymous consulting firm. A passionate humanist and life-long learner, she has guided government and corporate leaders to challenge biases, ignite ideas, and build resilience for a secure future.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
My family moved around a lot. My Dad was a master electrician so we followed the jobs and projects he worked on. By the time I graduated from High School, we had moved a total of 12 times. Along the way, my parents also built houses. My sister and I were expected to help. I learned to plumb, pull electrical wires, roof, and set a foundation. I learned that a great house is about the right structures and fitting pieces together. Dad always had me work with him to fix things around the house and on our automobiles. His influence is why I became an engineer. The exposure of working on so many different things as a kid and moving around gave me my curiosity about the world. Every time we moved, there were new people to meet, new cultures to learn, new situations to adjust to, and new things to consider.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
I love to read. My mom passed this passion to me. As a young child, I tended to lose myself in fantasy or young mystery novels. As I got older, I expanded my interest into non-fiction. One of the earliest non-fiction books that influenced my thinking in a significant way is by Carl Builder called the Icarus Syndrome. It was first published in 1994 during the Reagan Administration. I was a young engineer working in the Air Force civilian workforce. The book discusses the journey of the Air Force, a relatively young organization compared to the US Navy or US Army, and the growing concern about the health and direction of the institution. Many Air Force leaders began to question whether the organization was losing its sense of direction, its confidence, its values, and its future. Builder’s thesis is the Air Force lost its true purpose — that being airpower — and as such lost focus and direction. I believe this book laid the foundation for my consulting career and helped me challenge organizations about where they were against where they truly needed to be.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
The mistake was believing that all business leaders prioritized financial performance above all other aspects of a business. In 2007, I became Toffler Associates’ CEO, which meant frequent meetings with Alvin and Heidi Toffler at their home in Belair, California. During these sessions, I provided updates about the firm and reported about a dynamic and growing client base. Inevitably, Al and Heidi would expand the focus of our conversations to ask how our people were doing. They wanted to know what they were working on and what they were learning. They also wanted to know how their firm was helping clients create the future.
During these sessions, we would talk a while about the firm’s numbers and stats. After a brief period of listening, Al would gently suggest we go to lunch. We would most likely go to Cravings, a favorite restaurant of Al’s. As soon as we settled in and ordered, he would invariably pose the question that mattered most to him. “Tell me about the work. What hard problems are you solving?”
The Tofflers were interested in the financial health of the firm, of course, but their essential focus was on the impact we were having on the future and the people working hard within the organization to make this impact. Discussions about our progress on this front always took significantly more time and attention.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
As an author and speaker, I want to add to the growing number of voices that are calling for change. Today’s leaders must think through their role in addressing broader worldly issues and the challenges we face as societies and humanity. My hope is that readers come away motivated to add their energy to solving humanity’s hardest problems.
The forces of technology, people, and business purpose are imbalanced and diverging. It is happening all around us so we have to make a choice. Either we recognize what is happening and join in to rebalance these forces or we ignore them, with peril.
John Kotter at Harvard Business School describes the process of see, feel, and change. Leaders must see our current organizational structures and systems are outdated and incapable of sustaining future success. They must feel the power of all the competing forces creating an imbalance in the environments in which they operate and realize that now is the time to transition to a human-centric perspective. And they must have the courage to speak up, understanding that they have the resources and capacity to make the necessary pivot and that doing so will increase the probability of a successful future.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
A business can have the best of intentions but if they aren’t thinking about the larger perspective of the people in that market, they may not be successful or, worse yet, may leave a negative impact. The challenge is even if we are taking a stakeholder perspective, some hard problems such as access to clean water don’t fit nicely in that definition of people to worry about. Our business will most likely not be able to solve the issues alone but taking a broader perspective of stakeholders we can come up with strategic partnerships and agreements to do so.
I’ve worked in the space industry for a long time. I know there is an enormous amount of effort from satellite communication companies to connect the other three billion people on the planet that don’t have access to the internet. It is an incredible goal!
On a trip to Uganda, it became clear that putting up the space infrastructure would not be enough to achieve the goal of getting these people on the internet. Uganda is a developing country. They are trying to build out those things that are important to their people, but things such as access to consistent electricity, good roads and rail for transporting goods, opportunities for wages, and even water are still major issues. It is a matter of priorities.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
It was the realization that more than 80% of today’s workforce isn’t fully engaged in an organization’s success. The reality of that risk looms urgently. Extensive Gallup research on global employee engagement between 2010 and 2020 consistently shows that more than 80 percent of employees worldwide are moderate to actively disengaged in their job. While the data varies across aspects such as region, position, and education, the point is that most companies have yet to realize the potential of those who work for them. The statistics tell us that more than half the workforce is psychologically unattached to their work and company, even to the point of being resentful. In a true Pareto principle (80/20) situation, it leaves the enthusiasm, ownership, performance, and innovation necessary for progress to a small segment of the organizational population. This is not a problem with the workforce, it is an issue that must be addressed by leaders reimagining their organizations.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
About 10 years ago, I was sitting with an executive of a large aerospace company. She observed that the organization was having performance problems. Her conclusion was that it was because of its people.
I knew they weren’t the issue. The problem was the onerous processes and layers of bureaucracy within her organization keeping people from doing the meaningful work to help the organization innovate and grow. Helping her clean out some of the weight that kept the organization from harnessing the human energy for success was gratifying.
Throughout the 30 years of my career, I’ve supported hundreds of organizations and the leaders responsible for their success. I also have unlearned much of what I thought I knew about business success. I’ve learned that it’s not the best organizational design or operation management capability that makes a successful business; it is the people.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
First of all, realize there is no crystal ball. Leaders, just like the rest of us, must be able to operate in uncertainty. What you can do is become more aware of why and how the world is changing and understand the likely consequences of these changes. Set aside time to peer into the future and consider the risks of changes. Many of us feel the constant pull between today’s issues, which are urgent, and tomorrow’s more distant variabilities, which often are strategically more critical and important to our organization’s survival.
We must use future-focused thinking to sense and assess the landscape all the time. It is the practice of continually challenging what we believe is happening, why it’s happening, and what could happen next. This behavior needs to be practiced continuously. Peering into the future using a human-centric perspective can give clarity and confidence needed to challenge long-held and obsolete assumptions, biases, and beliefs. Once we do, we can identify what we need to shed to build resilience and move forward into the future. A future that is rebalanced to better meet the needs of humanity.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Effective leadership cultivates a deep understanding of who we are as individuals. Knowing how we make decisions and why we make them the way we do is critical. Recognizing our individual biases and belief systems is foundational. Nurturing the ability to determine when these parts of ourselves get in the way of our capacity to lead from a place of transparency is required. Effective leadership leads with authenticity, vulnerability, and courage.
In Convergence, I talk about my guide Dismass Mariki, a local Tanzanian who led me to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Dismass hasn’t gone to business school. He hasn’t been to formal business leadership training. Yet there is no question that Dismass is a leader. He showed courage and determination in his responsibility to get our group to the summit and back safely. In only a matter of days, his actions inspired deep trust, followership, and respect. He made himself available to get the best out of us. This humble gesture was a living reminder of real leadership.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Understand the human system and how it takes precedence over all other systems, including your business. Technology may be pervasive and powerful, but it’s people and social revolution that ultimately will have the greatest, most formative impact on business.
Recognize there is a growing gap happening from what was expected from a business to what is expected. There is a robust group of stakeholders to consider vs the smaller group of shareholders driving your decisions. Because we are so hyperconnected, the potential for sweeping consequences and disruptive impacts grows exponentially. Taking action for the broader spectrum of stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, and communities we operate in) will manage risks and position for a successful future.
You are going to have to disrupt how and why decisions are made in and for your business. You’ll have to root our obsolete knowledge about why you are doing what you do and how you do it within your organization. To remain resilient over the long term, leaders must embrace new models for how our companies define a successful business. And it won’t be easy.
Practice being future-focused by keeping your eyes on the horizon so you meet the future where it will be vs letting it sneak up on you. And don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and lead with your heart.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Well it’s not a quote, but I keep a special song close to my heart — I Lived by OneRepublic. The chorus goes — “I did it all, I owned every second that this world could give, I saw so many places, The things that I did…with every broken bone, I swear I lived.” It reminds me that life is such an amazing gift at the same time very fragile. None of us know how long we have so we must be diligent in living every day to the fullest.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
At this time in history, I would love to have a discussion with Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock. I respect his passion for reprioritizing stakeholders and focusing on environmental and social issues. But there is so much to be done to make the type of impact he calls for. I would like to pick his brain about how he sees this happening when there is so much momentum in competing directions.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can buy Convergence on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or local booksellers. You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. My personal website is https://deborahwestphal.com/, where you can find new content weekly, and sign up for my newsletter to receive updates.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
Also in 2020, Sylvan launched SEGI TV, a free OTT streaming network built on the pillars of equality, sustainability and community which is scheduled to reach 100 million U.S household televisions and 200 million mobile devices across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV and others.
As Executive Producer he currently has several projects in production including The Trials of Eroy Brown, a story about the prison system and how it operated in Texas, based on the best-selling book, as well as a documentary called The Making of Roll Bounce, about the 2005 coming of age film which starred rapper Bow Wow and portrays roller skating culture in 1970’s Chicago.
He sits on the Board of Directors of Uplay Canada, (United Public Leadership Academy for Youth), which prepares youth to be citizen leaders and provides opportunities for Canadian high school basketball players to advance to Division 1 schools as well as the NBA.
A former competitive go kart racer with Checkered Flag Racing Ltd, he also enjoys traveling to exotic locales. Sylvan resides in Vancouver and has two adult daughters.
Sylvan has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and has been seen on Fox Business News, CBS and NBC. Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc is headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Author Deborah Westphal Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.