“Expanding the Conversation” by Jaime B. Hansen

Mary Olson-Menzel: What inspired you to write this book?

Jaime B. Hansen: In my corporate life, my role was primarily to work on new initiatives with strategic partners.  In addition to getting a purview into how other companies operated, this also afforded me the opportunity to so many different leadership styles.

The differences between successful male and female leadership consistently stood out.  Meanwhile, the conversations around women and business continued to heat up, and I couldn’t help but recognize we were missing a big part of the discussion.  So much of the mainstream rhetoric on these topics centered around equality and sameness – and while I absolutely believe that men and women are equal, I don’t think for a minute that we are the same.  Frankly, I think ignoring that fact is a big part of why so little has actually changed.  Ultimately, I wanted to “expand” the conversation and address some of that.

Mary Olson-Menzel: We at MVP work to inspire people on a daily basis and provide counsel to our clients on many levels. How do you think we can take this into our client organizations and expand the conversation?

Jaime B. Hansen: Part of the problem is that we live in such a litigious, hyper-sensitive, overly cautious world these days, and people have become afraid to have difficult conversations. MVP is in such a unique position because you can really dig into some of these challenges. With thoughtful and objective guidance, you can facilitate open discussions that keep things productive, yet enables different viewpoints to be heard.

Mary Olson-Menzel: What is your advice for people in developing their teams and honoring the differences in us all?Mary Olson-Menzel: What is your advice for people in developing their teams and honoring the differences in us all?

Jaime B. Hansen: Everyone has sub-conscious biases – literally, we all have them. The key is in acknowledging this and taking the time to educate yourself on how they come into play. Understanding biases – our own and others’ – will allow good leaders to proactively “reframe the conversation” and intentionally seek out individuals with complementary differences. In this way, they can create teams who learn from (and leverage) the strengths of others rather than sidestep them because of frustration or misperceptions.

Mary Olson-Menzel: How is this advice for young leaders navigating in this new workplace?

Jaime B. Hansen: Be yourself. I don’t mean that in a cheesy, “rah-rah” kind of way; in this case, I mean it simply because it’s more beneficial for your career. It takes a lot of energy to try and be someone you’re not, and aside from being exhausting, insincerity is a big part of why many people don’t reach their potential success. Why? First, because most can tell when you’re not being authentic (which tends to decrease the respect level immediately) and second, because it’s harder to be great when you’re focusing on how you’re perceived rather than what you’re doing. Being yourself – recognizing and leveraging your unique strengths – will always pay off in the long run.

Mary Olson-Menzel: How is this advice different than the norm?

Jaime B. Hansen: I think people spend a lot of time telling others the “best way” to get to the top. More often than not, that includes emulating more traditional leaders – be that in the way they look, the way they act, their interests, etc. But leadership is not a one-size-fits-all model. The biggest differentiator for those most successful is usually a specific skill and/or personality. With this, there is room for a lot of variation . . . as long as it’s genuine, and that’s the key. From my experience, the more authentic the leader, the bigger the impact.

Mary Olson-Menzel: How can an executive use this book to help build better teams and open up the lines of communication between genders?

Jaime B. Hansen: Again, it goes back to facilitating honest, open, and productive conversation. Not everyone will agree on everything – (and if they do, you have another problem). But executives who take the time to truly engage their teams in thoughtful conversation will end up with more than just lively debates. They’ll showcase their interest and willingness in fostering diverse thinking. And that’s way more important than any optics as it leads to more challenging brainstorming and, ultimately, greater innovation.Your Content Goes Here

Mary Olson-Menzel: What inspires and lights you up outside of work?

Jaime B. Hansen: Interesting people trying new things and taking chances. Also – my kids and college basketball?

Mary Olson-Menzel: What is something unique about you that you would like to share with us?

Jaime B. Hansen: The lullaby I sing to my son every night is “One Shining Moment” from the Final Four. I’m a big college basketball fan and I genuinely get excited every time I hear this song (I also cry every year when they cut the nets and the most recent video of highlights is aired). But I also think it is such an inspirational song outside of athletics. It’s about working hard, going after something with all that you have, reaching for your moment, and finding pride and strengths regardless of the outcome – as long as you put everything out there in the attempt. Check it out, it’s pretty amazing.

Mary Olson-Menzel: What’s next for you?

Jaime B. Hansen: Ah, that’s the million-dollar question. Right now, I am pretty busy doing the promotion / speaking engagement / consulting gigs around my book. But when I think about ‘what’s next’, rather than going back to corporate, I think I’d like to try my hand at something more entrepreneurial. The time feels right and I can no longer ignore the itch – so I guess we’ll just leave it at – TBD!