Episode 13: Navigating Disagreements and Risks with Beverly Johnson of Easterseals Northeast Central Florida

On Board with Transparent Leadership Podcast

July 18, 2024 

Episode 13 Show Notes

In today's episode, Easterseals President and CEO Kendra Davenport interviews Beverly Johnson, President and CEO of Easterseals Northeast Central Florida. They discuss the value of in-person interactions in managing a hybrid workforce and the impact of social media on workplace dynamics. Beverly highlights her vision of farm property for children with disabilities and shares a tense meeting experience to underscore the need for clear communication. The episode concludes with insights on balancing professional and personal life, the role of mentors, and the continuous pursuit of growth in leadership.

Links:

• Learn more about Beverly Johnson
• Connect with Kendra Davenport.

Transcript

Beverly Johnson:

You know, I kind of live by this motto that it's never wrong to do the right thing. As silly as that sounds, it's never wrong to do the right thing. And if I have to have a hard conversation and it's the right thing, then I need to kinda straighten up and have the conversation. Right? So they're never easy. If you come to me when you're 3 and we provide you with a diagnosis of autism, we are going to make sure before you leave our care, you have everything you need for when you're 19 for your future. Right? We're looking at what do you need in order to qualify for the med waiver? What do you need to be an adult that can be as independent as possible when you're 3? It's we wrap ourselves around the entire family and we look to the future. And I pride myself on that as do all 215 of our employees. We aren't going to hand somebody a diagnosis and then say good luck.

Right? Unfortunately, some players in the system, that's that's what their role is, to hand a diagnosis, but then they don't do the follow-up and and it's not in their wheelhouse. And that may be okay, but I don't agree with it.

Kendra Davenport:

Welcome to On Board with Transparent Leadership. I'm Kendra Davenport, and, this is an Easterseals podcast. I'm the president and CEO of Easterseals National, and I am so excited today to be joined by Beverly Johnson, Bev, as I know her, who is a health strategist and president and CEO of Easterseals Northeast Central Florida. Bev has extensive experience in community health care and acute health care with nonprofits, and she's been with us for quite some time. She's 1 of 70 of our CEOs across the country, hailing from Northeast, Florida. And I'm so, so happy to have you with us today, Bev. Thank you.

Beverly Johnson:

Thank you. Thank you. I'm thrilled to be here today. I appreciate the opportunity.

Kendra Davenport:

I got to know you really only this year. I mean, we you and I have talked since I started my role 2 years ago many times, but it was really, I think, in planning my visit to see you and your affiliate. And then in the aftermath of that that you and I have had a chance to talk. And 1 of the reasons, well, several reasons I was so eager to speak with you today is I think we have a lot in common. First of all, we're redheads, so go redheads. But also, we're we are, girl moms, and we're both CEOs. And I just have to admit, I just really like your style. I think your style mirrors mine and I wanna talk a lot about that, so just jump in.

One of the things as you know, because I've talked about it publicly many times, that I think distinguishes a good leader from a great leader is their commitment to transparency. So can you talk about how you feel about transparency and how you imbue transparency? Because I know you do in in your leadership style.

Beverly Johnson:

Yes. Absolutely. I agree with you. And I think, you know, the the biggest thing that that comes to mind when we when we say transparency is 2 things, really. 1, I don't wanna be the only person at night laying my head on my pillow worried about the people we serve or the work that we do because it's not just me. It's an entire team of people. So if everyone's not on the same page and really rowing in the same direction, right, then then we're not really getting where we wanna be. So I believe that people need to be informed, and I believe that if you don't keep people informed, our brain tends to make things up and fill in the gaps.

And I don't want anybody to ever feel, something they shouldn't just because they don't have the right information. So I, I think the more honest you can be, the more transparent you are, the the bigger team you build, the stronger team you build, and it it leaves less room for kind of the the noise, if you will.

Kendra Davenport:

I think that's so true. And I think today, I think management, and I've talked about this with other podcast guests, I'm eager to get into it with you. I think management today is harder than ever. While I think the pandemic brought about a lot of good, frankly, and really caused us to take a hard look at our quality of life and how working as hard as we do, impacts that quality of life. At the same time, I think a hybrid workforce is a tricky, tricky workforce to manage. Maybe you disagree with me, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on that because I think that's another area where transparency is so important. If you have a percentage of your employees who are fully remote versus employees who are in the office, you know, 3 to 5 days a week. It's tricky.

Can you talk about just give me your thoughts on it and how you're managing.

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. That's a great question, and I think I'm managing it a little bit differently than a lot of people. I found that working remotely for us did not work well. It just didn't work well. It didn't work well for me. I feel I'm very relational, and I need to be connected to people. And I think being in social service, a lot of us feel that way. And I could see and and feel the communication starting to slide after a couple of weeks away.

So we almost immediately, still in the midst of the pandemic, figured out a very intentional strategic way to get people into the offices, into the buildings where they still felt safe. They could still voice what they needed, but but to be face to face or at least to be in proximity of each other. Right? Not to be kind of just in these boxes that we were getting used to. And so we were pretty aggressive in coming back in person, if you will, pretty fast. And to this day, I don't have anybody working remote. Wow.

Kendra Davenport:

Well, as far as providers, it's a little different. It's a little different. Yeah. I don't disagree with you, though. I think communication is I think communication is evolving, and I struggle with feeling maybe I'm just part of an a generation that really values that face to face much more than than younger, you know, gen Xers or or gen z or or millennials. But I do. I have to admit, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. I feel I feel for younger, more junior employees just entering the workforce because I think a lot of what we learn about how to matriculate, how to engage, how to strategize, how to play the odds, how to deal with difficult people is learned by experiencing work with them.

And I wonder I'm I'm actually fascinated by it, how more junior employees are gonna feel 5 years from now. And if they're going to have the same interpersonal skill sets that maybe you and I have, and you're younger than me, but I just think I just think that face to face is so important. Mhmm.

Beverly Johnson:

It is. And and I see it I see it right now even though we are face to face, there's a struggle. There's a struggle in our community. There's a struggle in our workforce. There's a struggle within my own organization. People are afraid to have any kind of confrontation, and confrontation is not necessarily a bad thing. Any kind of disagreement. Again, not necessarily a bad thing.

These aren't bad words. These are these are healthy words to an extent. Right? But we're not having them, and when you don't address the elephant in the room, when you're not honest and open, then the noise starts. Right? And chatter starts, and then morale tanks, and, you know, I I think that I can if if every time I've had a problem with personnel personally or peripherally, I can look back to did we did we have the gumption to have a conversation? And the answer is usually no.

Kendra Davenport:

Right? And I think, you know, as you were talking, I kept thinking I have got to a 100% agreement. And that's another of the skill sets that I worry is not being developed in more younger, more junior employees, and that is the ability to have a disagreement and not take it personally, or the ability to give someone the benefit of the doubt if they don't acknowledge you when you walk in a room or they don't say hi back. I she'll kill me for doing this, but 1 of my children reached out to me and said, I'm having a terrible day. And I said, oh my gosh, Talk to me about it. You know, trying to put my empathy hat on in the midst of, you know, what we what we juggle in our own jobs. And what it boiled down to was that someone had multiple times, you know, in the span of a few days not acknowledged her greeting. You know? Hi. How are you? Good morning.

Nothing back. And she's taking it really personally. And I said, you gotta think about what that person's carrying. You know? They they might have a workload that far exceeds yours or they might be under pressure and you just can't take it personally. And, you know, I could see the wheels turning. It wasn't I wasn't getting there with her. So I do think Yeah. I do think all of those things are are tricky.

And I wonder as you were talking, I kept thinking social media, social media, social media. I think the the propensity and the fear is that if I disagree too fervently with someone, they're gonna take to social media. And, you know, and if not, go public, then at least talk to my colleagues about what I've said or did. And and I wonder if you thought the same. I think that's another thing that makes just working in today's environment more challenging.

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. Yeah. I I think it does actually, and it's, you know, I hate to use the word gossip, but that's what happens. Right? Then when when we don't really lay everything on the table, we make assumptions, and then we fill in the gaps, and then we start talking to other people because no matter what, we're still relational in human beings. Right? So somehow we seek the relationship, whether it's difficult or easy, somehow we seek it out. We, we've been doing this book study with a consultant in our area who's working actually with most of our county most of the not for profits and the county government. And, it's all about contextual leadership, and she's she's really funny. She's really funny.

So she has a way about her for sure that helps us all kind of remove the angst a little bit. So what you were just saying, so your daughter has this context in her head that somebody didn't say hi to me. So somewhere along the line, she learned that if you didn't say hi to me, you must be mad at me. Right? And that's her context. So our consultant says that's the committee in your head, right, that's leading to that conclusion. Is it fact or is it conclusion? So we ask ourselves all the time now, is it fact? Are they mad at you? Or did you make that conclusion? And what's the committee in your head saying? So we've gotten to a place in our organization where we can, not all the time, we're not perfect yet, right, but we can walk down the hall and go, okay, my committee just kicked off a meeting, and I was invited front and center. Right? So is it fact or is it conclusion? And and it's kind of a stop gap to say, don't overreact. Check yourself.

Kendra Davenport:

That's good. Good. Good food for thought. Thank you. I think of you as being a very progressive leader and a risk taker. And I I'm thinking in my head of several instances where I would say that was a risk. I think about the farm, for example. That was a risk.

You don't shy away from risk. Can you talk a little bit about what gives you the confidence to plow forward, to do things that maybe another CEO would be reticent about doing? And and I don't please don't don't misunderstand. I'm not implying that you don't think things through. I am. I I'm actually acknowledging that you are a decisive leader who is a risk taker and very confident. Can you speak a little bit about what gives you the confidence to move boldly forward when you do and maybe share an example of of your boldness and confidence in action?

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. Yeah. I can. I I do consider myself a risk taker, but I like to throw in calculated risk taker. I've got to put into it. Get really scared. So I think sometimes it appears on the outside that maybe, I might jump in with 2 feet, and and it may not be as calculated. But I'm constantly thinking of what's plan b? What's plan w? What's plan z? Right? I I always have a backup plan.

And, so I have some confidence because I've worked through in my mind, it never stops. It's on overload. I've worked through, if this doesn't go this way, how can we salvage it? How can we go that way? You know, I had somebody ask me what time to, to describe a time when I had failed. And and my answer, I didn't wanna I didn't wanna say it because it sounds so, I can't even think of the word, bad. But I said I don't fail. And the reason I don't fail is because I learn from the things that don't go right. Plenty has not gone right. But if I don't correct and I let it go and and I don't do anything about it, then I've failed.

Right? So there have plenty of things that have not gone exactly as I've wanted to.

Kendra Davenport:

Right? It's in your mindset is what you're saying, I think.

Beverly Johnson:

So then I better correct it immediately. So if I learn and I don't do it again Yeah. Then I think it's a success. Right? It was a life lesson. So I think that gives me some confidence, but what really gives me confidence is I don't walk alone. I build relationships everywhere I go. And so I wouldn't, for example, have bought the farm had I not known that I had people walking alongside me that could dream the dream with me, and that would help me actually realize that dream, not just purchase a 16 acre rural piece of property that sits in what will eventually be the middle of our county. Right? It was all very calculated, but I had so many conversations and so many supporters in those actions that it made sense.

I think the biggest kind of barrier to moving forward for people is the what if we don't succeed?

Kendra Davenport:

It's the fear. The fear of the unknown or the fear of being judged. No. I I completely agree. Can you just give our listeners a little context of what the farm is? And and I I don't doubt for a second that you've had a lot of people walking beside you. You're that kinda leader. You don't do things in a vacuum. But I do think, you know, it was your vision.

Right? Once you decided to that you were gonna proceed, it was your vision. Can you just give listeners who maybe don't know Easterseals well what that farm in your mind is doing and can do in the future and why you bought it?

Beverly Johnson:

Absolutely. So the farm is 16 acres in our community in a fair a fairly rural area of our community, and it was a for profit horse boarding stable and a riding academy, prior to us purchasing it. There was a very small not for profit on it that served individuals of all ages and veterans with disabilities. And we partnered with that not for profit, and we supported them. I had been involved with that property for 15 years, and the the various services that went on there. So I knew the property very well and, and a lot of people that supported it. And when the opportunity came up to purchase it, I to be honest with you, I said no about 15 times before I decided to say yes because it wasn't right. I hadn't my vision hadn't become clear enough yet for me to take the risk, if you will.

But what happened that led me to kind of pull the trigger, if you will, we had an opportunity in front of us because we listened very carefully. Right? Like, I think all leaders should and do, all all great leaders within our organization. We listened to our constituents and we'd heard time and again, our kids don't have a place to go, our kids don't have a school that supports them well, our kids miss out on recreation activities, or there's just so many barriers. So when I look at the property, I look at it for what was there and what we could continue, which was therapeutic riding and some very traditional services, but I looked at the property as a place for our kids to own. So, I kind of flip the the narrative, if you will. Our children oftentimes have to fit into the community, society. There's so many barriers for them, and nobody gets it unless you walk in those shoes. Right? Nobody gets it.

So I wanted to create and develop a place where our kids could invite the community in, and there would be no barriers for anybody. And so it was this vision of a beautiful place where our children could thrive and they could grow and they could show the world that it doesn't take that much. You really just need to be aware, empathetic, forward thinking. Come join us on our property. Don't force me into somebody else's world. So that's kinda was the driver for for the property.

Kendra Davenport:

Having been there, I can attest. It is a special place where you can feel the energy and and and the positivity. So kudos and congratulations. I can't wait to follow it and see what you do with it to to build it. Can you talk a little bit because I you and I had the pleasure of being on another call today, talking about things down the line and what what you have planned. And I think as women and as female leaders, in the NGO world, it's very much a part of our ethos to be working all the time, to be thinking constantly. You talk a little bit about how you balance that, how you balance life at home with your personal life, with your personal aspirations, and yet manage the pressure that I know is inherent in your day to day job, and all that that entails.

Beverly Johnson:

Can you talk about that for us? Yeah. So I think, probably like most women in leadership, I get my energy and my passion and my desire to really be the best from fighting the good fight, whether it's mama bear mode when you're talking about your kids or, that being that advocate when you're talking about the people that we serve or, you know, I've always been that person that anybody I've seen struggle or wronged, oh, I'm right there. Like, I I wanna fight the good fight with somebody. Right? I wanna walk side by side of you. I I think I'm energized by, the small wins. I'm energized by just connecting people because I think together you know, I don't have all the answers by any means. I talk a lot, and so I know a lot of people, and I can connect people, and that's that's no skin off my back. Right? It's it's phenomenal.

It's easy. I enjoy doing it. And the amount of people that come back and say, oh, my gosh, you, x, y, or z. I didn't do that. I introduced you to somebody that did that. Right? I'm I'm kind of a convener. So I think I draw energy from that. How do I balance things? I'm I'm I work at that every day.

I will tell you I'm not, I'm not great at it. I'm not a, that self centering person. Right? You can't get me to a yoga class, but I run. I exercise. Shocking. It's those high energy things. Right? But that's how I really kinda keep my sanity, if you will, is, I spend a lot of time being active. My, I've always lived on the coast, if it's not been in Florida, which has been most of my life, but I get kind of my peace, if you will, from, from the water.

So, being out on a boat or paddle boarding or in the ocean, scuba diving, whatever. If as long as I'm near water, I kind of have that sense of grounding, and it's remembering to do all of those things. Certainly, there's weeks where I don't do any of it. And then there's weeks when I'm pretty impressed because I got up an extra hour early, and I actually went out and went for a run, and it felt great. You know? So it's a constant juggle, and it's it's a constant that I work at.

Kendra Davenport:

I get it more than you know. And I totally I couldn't agree. I love the descriptor you used for yourself as a connector because you are a connector. And and you're clearly I've watched you in action. You're clearly someone who draws that energy from other people. Is there somebody in your network, in your day to day that you have learned from recently and whom you have actively sought out maybe because you do learn from them or you do get something from their energy or what they're bringing to the table that motivates you?

Beverly Johnson:

Absolutely. And, you know, it's funny kind of like you talking about your daughter. She'd probably be mortified if I told this story, but, 1 of my colleagues, we, in my in my office, there's kind of 3 offices in the back, and we we jokingly call it the cul de sac because it's the turnaround in the office. It's a dead end. Right? And, 1 of my colleagues, she's our our vice president of philanthropy, and, she's a 25 year employee at Easterseals, and she's grace on earth in my opinion. But when I interviewed, I, 1 of the kind of segments that I had to to do was, go for, you know, an appetizer and a tea with her, and she was so intimidating, and I was so afraid of her.

Kendra Davenport:

What made her intimidating?

Beverly Johnson:

She is so polished and thoughtful, and her words are so intentional, and she's so slow in in a good way in how she approaches things. And I was just in awe, but it was intimidating and I kept thinking this woman hates me. This, how would we ever work together? She doesn't like me. I'm a lot sometimes. Right? I know that. And I kept thinking, wow, she really doesn't like me. She also maintains her professionalism at all times. I mean, she's grace on earth, and so I was unbelievably intimidated by her.

And when I got the job, I thought, oh, boy. That one's gonna be a hard nut to crack. I will tell you, she is she's in the cul de sac with me. She has the office to the left of me. There is not a day that I don't go into her office seeking guidance, advice, leadership. She is a calm in my storm. She is she's grace on earth, and I tell you, she's she's my person. You know, everybody has somebody they can go to to bounce things off of.

We can be the in the midst of chaos. You know what it's like running a not for profit rate. Sometimes things are up, sometimes things are down, sometimes everything's coming at you. And she's just that breath of fresh air that says, have you taken care of yourself today? And at the time, it makes me wanna laugh, and sometimes I do, but that's just what I need. Right? She never gets ruffled, and she is she is I aspire to take on so many of her characteristics. That's a great.

Kendra Davenport:

Yeah. That's a great story. Flip that, let's talk about what we talked about at the very top of this conversation and that is the fact that people shy away from difficult conversations because I think you and I share some of the same genes. We don't shy away from difficult conversations. Can you talk about it or give an example of, disagreement you had that you found particularly challenging and how you mitigated that, how you got through, and did you land where you wanted to, or did you have to, you know, regroup?

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. That's a great question. Yeah. You know, I think the hard conversations, I don't shy away from them, but I still don't think they're easy. And I I hear people say a lot, how come they're so easy for you? Oh, they're they're difficult. I still get it not in my stomach. I still have to take a deep breath, but, you know, I kind of live by this motto that it's never wrong to do the right thing. As silly as that sounds, it's never wrong to do the right thing.

And if I have to have a hard conversation and it's the right thing, then I need to kinda straighten up and have the conversation. Right? So, so they're never easy. The 1 that haunts me I'll give you my big 1. The 1 that haunts me, we had a meeting 1 time. So we we do virtually all of the autism diagnostics in our area. We do all of the evidence based diagnostics. We we kind of describe ourselves as a disability services organization. So if you come to me when you're 3 and we provide you with a diagnosis of autism, we are going to make sure before you leave our care, you have everything you need for when you're 19, for your future.

Right? We're looking at what do you need in order to qualify for the med waiver? What do you need to be an adult that can be as independent as possible when you're 3? So it's we wrap ourselves around the entire family and we look to the future. And I pride myself on that as do all 215 of our employees. We aren't going to hand somebody a diagnosis and then say, good luck. Right? Unfortunately, some players in the system, that's that's what their role is, to hand a diagnosis, but then they don't do the follow-up, and and it's not in their wheelhouse. And that may be okay, but I don't agree with it. I I feel like if you're going to take on the responsibility of providing a diagnosis, please set the self set the family up for what's to come. So I was in, our boardroom with, with the executives from a health system that we work very closely with, And unbeknownst to me, they had decided that they were going to go into autism diagnostic services. And we literally are about a 1000 yards away from each other, and and and it was just kinda dumped on me, first of all, in the meeting, and that took me by surprise because we're partners, and and we have a great relationship.

We're good partners. But there was an individual in the room that didn't see value in that, that that was fairly new to the table, if you will. And I I was taken back, and I I kind of reacted. And that was my my first mistake. I reacted, and then she pushed back on me hard. And then I got a little bit passionate. She pushed back even harder. And then I had to define why we were different and that I I believed wholeheartedly in the way we did things and that we did it correctly and that just giving a diagnosis was not appropriate.

And I offered and volunteered to partner if they wanted to provide diagnoses, to provide case management, but I didn't want those clients to to leave that facility with questions. Right? And it didn't go well at all. Did not go well at all. And, and I I lost my temper a little bit. It wasn't it wasn't bad. I've been in places where people have lost their temper far worse. But for me, I felt like I was completely out of line. And the meeting ended ended somewhat abruptly.

The individual that I was kind of in confrontation with walked out. But the the leadership of the health care system stayed in the room. They know me very well. But there was a meeting after the meeting, and and what it came down to was they realized I was coming from a place of passion and in caring about our clients and worried about their future. The individual that walked out thought I was basically saying, you can't diagnose, we diagnose. And she made the comment, there's enough people in this community that need diagnoses. I don't know what your problem is. That's why I kind of lost my temper, because it just give our community what they need, not what's convenient for you.

Right? And it I just thought it was a bad business decision on their part. So that still haunts me because I don't feel like I put my best foot forward. We came to terms I came to terms with the leadership team, and, you know, they they kind of understood where I was coming from, worked for they ended up never going into diagnostic work. It's not easy work. It's not reimbursed on a level that will break even. I warned them against it. I said, really? If you don't have to do this, you know, I wouldn't go halfway in because halfway in isn't even gonna cover your costs. You know, let us partner.

And it was really more about don't come in and spring this on me, partner with me. We're here to be a resource. Right? And so it took, that was probably, that was probably 5 years ago, Kendra. And I still think

Kendra Davenport:

You still think about it.

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. Yeah.

Kendra Davenport:

Thank you for first of all, for sharing. Honestly, I didn't think you'd you'd give us an example that was that contextualized, so thank you. Very recently, I sent my entire team, and I think you and I have talked about this. I send a daily message out. Usually, I get it done 3 to 4 days a week, not not usually 5. And it it covers all matter of things. And then this daily message I sent out earlier this week, I think it was, I talked about a study that I that I read about, that I learned about that Cornell University did about worry. And their study, you might be familiar with it, found that 85% of the things we stress and worry about never come to pass.

And that the other 15% of the things we are so consumed worrying about, we admit, at least the people in their study admit to handling better than they thought they would. So, I think it goes part and parcel with what you said. You know, anyone who I think is, is in is intent on leading or is in a leadership position and cares as much as you clearly do about the work you're doing, the mission, the people you're serving, you tend to beat yourself up when things don't go right. And we worry. So managing that worry, I think we covered. But what I wanna get at a little bit is where you go for advice. Is there a mentor in your life you go to for guidance when things don't go right or when you can't manage that worry or when the stress or something that you're preoccupied with is threatening to consume you. Or, You know, maybe maybe things aren't going.

Badly or there isn't something you're stressed about, but you go to them for advice on your next steps or. Anybody come to mind?

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. Actually, yes. 2 people come to mind. I actually, I have a former colleague who ended up becoming a very, very, very dear friend of mine who, in a in a prior organization, who went on to become a consultant. And, she works internationally, and she's always been somebody that I admire. She came kind of from a fundraising role and world when I met her and has morphed into, certainly an advancement expert, but also a really strong leader, and with a really strong moral compass, and, she's she's my go to, in terms of, you know, hey. I have a question about this. Can I run this up the flagpole? What would you do in this situation? And, you know, I don't always take her advice as gospel, but we talk it out.

And I think that's the that's the piece that really helps me is that it we can have intelligent conversations about what's going on, whether it's in my organization. She's seeing something in the consulting world that may help me. So she maybe she doesn't have the direct experience, but she's helping an organization through something. So so I'm able to kind of garner those insights that she has from a broad base, and, and we can talk out what's going on. And and she's the person I go to when I have something to celebrate. I have something to celebrate today, you know, when I'm done working, the first phone call is going to be to, to my friend and colleague and say, guess what amazing thing happened at work. Right? So she's there, and and she's a constant for me. And then believe it or not, I have, you would believe it.

I have a a CEO friend that leads a a partner agency, here in our community, and we schedule a monthly lunch. We work together. We see each other at a a million meetings. We work together on a lot of projects, but we schedule a monthly lunch to just download, and it can be personal, it can be professional, it's, you know, it, she's a mom of girls also. She's a girl mom and she's, she's in that leadership role as well. And, you know, she, she gets it. And so we can just, just hash it out over lunch and then close-up lunch and go back to our jobs. And so those 2 people, are the ones that really drive me and kind of help help me think about things a little differently sometimes.

Kendra Davenport:

I love that. And I and I knew you would have have mentors. I find that where I go for assistance or guidance or where I derive ideas is evolving all the time. You know? And it might have I think at 1 time, it was, I would look to other leaders. I would look to other women primarily in in the corporate sector or in the nonprofit who I thought were doing a great job, who I wanted to emulate. And then gradually, over time, I think that that evolved into reading. You know, I I read an awful lot. And then it evolved into podcasts.

And then it evolved into just looking at some of my friends who do very, very different things. Lately, 1 of the things I've been paying an awful lot of attention to is how leaders are responding to political climate. And I don't wanna get into politics, don't worry. But, you know, I think politics in the United States, have put nonprofits in a precarious position. And I mean that because I think the landscape is constantly changing, and 1 thing that doesn't change is need. The need Easterseals, for example, fulfills the need many of our counterpart organizations that operate in the nonprofit world fulfill. And if I take that 1 step further, I think we have to plan a little bit more carefully and pivot. And I talking to other CEOs outside the network of Easterseals who say frequently, oh, I'm I'm working on on contingency plans for what happens with the presidential election.

And I think to myself, and I did just think this yesterday, I'm trying to get through the week. What's happening in November? What are your feelings, if any, about that? And does anything I'm saying resonate with you, or do you think and you're all wet, like, you know, stop worrying?

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. No. What you're saying resonates with me. Again, I think I think we have some similarities there. Right? And and I I know when I put on my my thinking cap, right, I know that the the political waves can significantly challenge us or support us, but I I don't see it like that. Every day, we wake up and there's a new challenge coming at us no matter who's in office or what's happening in the world. If we think that this is going to be our problem and our challenge, we're going to be blindsided by something else. So to be completely open to just realizing that you've got to manage everything every day.

And that's how, that sounds very willy nilly. Right? But it's not, I I've gotta be open to what's going to come our way. And, and the bottom line is it doesn't matter what comes our way. We have to respond. And so we can put together plans and, you know, I always have an a through z. Right? As as you do too. You you know you do. So if this happens, then we're gonna try this.

And if that doesn't work, well then we're gonna pivot, and we're gonna do this. I can't hang my hat on something hasn't happened yet, because I also don't know how people will respond to our cause. I've been very pleasantly surprised that I have bipartisan support that is so strong and, and, you know, even if Easterseals or disability services or anything in that realm is not somebody's primary cause, nobody can argue that it's not great necessary work. Right? And so I think, you know, I've never met somebody I can't get along with. Honestly, somebody out there, everybody has something in common with me. I have something in common with everybody, even if it's just that we're human beings. So surely we can come to common ground somewhere, and I can find people that can help me navigate and maneuver whatever comes our way. But I feel like if we take the what if and we program our entire world around the what if, what happens if it never comes to fruition?

Kendra Davenport:

Back to the worry study. Right? I mean, all the things that are in our heads are 85% of them, according to Cornell, are not going to come to fruition. So I think that's that's so true. In we're all efficient in different ways. And I wonder if there is a tool that you use day to day. And it I I don't necessarily mean it has to be in the true form of a tool. I'm not talking about software specific. But is there something you do that helps you be efficient at work and that you'd love to share or a trick you use or something, a habit? You know, everyone who knows me knows I am a huge proponent of James Clear's book, Atomic Habits, and how the aggregation of marginal gains, just little baby steps over time turns into great achievements.

Can you talk a little bit? Is there something and it's okay if there's not, but I'm guessing there are a few things you do that help you be efficient, that help you manage, and help you juggle.

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. So, the the number 1 thing I think people know about me, would say about me if if you asked other people, how does Bev keep things straight? Sticky notes? And as tangible as been answered, it's like, I am the sticky note queen, and, and it's funny because I did a lot of work in my prior organization, which is the YMCA, on, on human centered design and development, and we we kind of cluster things through the use of sticky notes. Right? And I felt like, oh my gosh. This is I was born to do this. Right? Because sticky notes are my best friend. I love that I can write some 1 small thought on it, rip it up, and throw it away. Right? So that's kind of my my tangible process. And then otherwise, you know, I I prioritize things in categories in my my mind, if you will.

And and work and home may be all morphed together. Right? Like, most important thing that I have to do.

Kendra Davenport:

That sounds familiar.

Beverly Johnson:

Is x, y, and z, but then, oh, don't forget your daughter needs this. Right? So there there's not a rhyme or reason to the outside eye, but in my mind, if it's that important, these are the things that I'm gonna work on. And and I'm a I'm a huge list person, and, and III share my lists. I rewrite lists. I don't ever check things off my list because they're never done.

Kendra Davenport:

They're never done.

Beverly Johnson:

And I I just I just, you know, I and I try. I I read a lot, and I, I try to pick up habits from other people, and some of them stick. And, some of them I take 1 or 2 pieces of, and I log it into whatever is going to work for me. And and to be honest with you, depending on how stressful the time is, I might have different processes that that really work for me.

Kendra Davenport:

Mhmm. You've had a great career so far. You've done an awful lot. You've worked with terrific organizations. You mentioned the why, very similar in many ways to Easterseals. Is there something that still stands out there or that in your mind that you can share, you know, that you haven't achieved yet professionally, but want to achieve, or are you good?

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. I wanna see the farm come to fruition. I have, I have a big dream to have a private school for our kids on this property with wraparound services that are inclusive, that that, like I said before, give our kids the opportunity to own that space. And I am I am great on the path that I'm on. As long as that road goes and it's and it can get wider. Right? I it's it's not a narrow path by any means. I love the path that I'm on. I I really wanna see that property come to fruition.

I will be so excited when it does, but that's just gonna lead me to the next thing that we can do. Right? So I'm, I'm really driven by the possibilities. And, I think when when my brain starts saying, I don't know what else is possible, then I might be done, but I'm pretty creative. So I think I got a long a long way. There's a lot left in me.

Kendra Davenport:

Think about, younger version, much younger version of yourself. If you were going to give yourself or anyone, let's say, brand new in their career who wanted to get to where you are now, 1 piece of advice, what would that be?

Beverly Johnson:

I think it would be 2 things. 1, don't be afraid to ask for conversations with people that you admire. You know, when I first started my career, when I was very young, I was, believe it or not, I was very shy. And I would rise to the occasion. I would answer the call if you asked me to, but I was very hesitant to put myself out there and and really approach somebody that, you know, in the hierarchy of things. Right? And the the time that I grew up professionally, right, when I was very young starting out, I was intimidated by the the leaders in our organization. They weren't very approachable, and I I also worked in academia and I worked in for profit health care, and it's it's still a little, you know, it's a little intimidating sometimes. So I would say to myself, muster up the courage and and ask for the conversation.

And because I know now people want to help shape and mold young people. Right? I didn't know that then. So I would say that, and then I would also say, you gotta hustle, and don't be afraid to hustle. And the more you hustle, the more people might actually wanna talk to you. Right? So

Kendra Davenport:

Great advice.

Beverly Johnson:

My advice.

Kendra Davenport:

Great advice. Is there anything else you wanna share with our listeners? I've got 1 more question for you.

Beverly Johnson:

I just I I think, you know, I think this this network of Easterseals, this this federated organization, which, you know, I've, I've been part of for profit health care, kind of corporate settings. I've worked in academia and in health care and in teaching. But to be part of a a nonprofit, it's a federated organization, which I've spent most of my career, the YMCA and Easterseals, there's so much opportunity and so many, just amazing people to partner with and learn from and and share successes and sorrows with. And, and and I think just the opportunity to build the relationships that I've built and even just the 7 and a half years that I've been here, Yes. Amazing.

Kendra Davenport:

It's so much time, though.

Beverly Johnson:

Sometimes it seems like yesterday, Kendra. Sometimes it seems like it's been forever. But it really, truly, I mean, from the national staff to, you know, people in Pennsylvania and California, and it's it's just phenomenal to to have this network, and, you know, I don't take that for granted. I I think it's amazing. Thank you.

Kendra Davenport:

Thank you. I knew I would enjoy this conversation. Thank you so much. We, we like to end our episodes with an ask me anything segment, so stick around for that. But before we do, I wanna ask the just 1 more question. And, anyone who knows me knows I'm an insomniac and I read a lot, and I'm always looking for the next best book to read, in a leadership context, though it doesn't have to be if it's something that's that you're just enjoying for pleasure. Can you share with us anything you're reading or you've read recently that you think is a great read

Beverly Johnson:

Yeah. Yeah. So I mentioned earlier this contextual leadership work that we've been doing across our county, and, and the book is called Trade Up. And, Rayona Sharpnack is the author, and it's a quick easy read. It really is a quick easy read. There's times when I kinda get jumbled in in how it's presented because it's a little, doctor Seuss language as I call it, because it's all about how we want to be. Right. But it really is.

It's an easy read and it's, it's great. And it talks about, you know, who are you and why are you that way? And do you have to stay that way? Your experiences have developed who you are, right, or have helped you develop who you are, but that doesn't mean you're locked there. Right? So you can be whoever you wanna be. So Trade Up is the the book that I've spent a lot of time in lately, but I just ordered 1. And I knew you were gonna ask me this question. I haven't read it yet, but it comes highly recommended. It's called the leadership challenge. Just ordered it.

It's sitting on my desk. It's comes highly, highly recommended, by my mentor. So, that's next on my list is leadership challenge.

Kendra Davenport:

Thank you. I'm putting it on my list. I just wrote it down. Appreciate so much your time today, Bev, and your candor. This has been a pleasure. Thank you.

Beverly Johnson:

It's been fun. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Kendra Davenport:

Here's a question from a listener. They say, Kendra, there's a common saying, the only thing that's constant is change. And even though that's a constant, it can feel like a challenge for the majority of teams in my company. There's a constant start and stall. How do you nurture resilience in your teams among amid what I describe as utterly calamitous? Laugh out loud. I think sometimes we get in our heads and we think things are worse than they actually are. And when nurturing resilience in a team, you've got to constantly tell them, you know, nothing's as bad as it seems. Failure is never final, success is never constant.

I think that's the wrong analogy. I've got the words wrong there, but you get what I'm saying. You gotta work every day, and there are good days and there are bad days. 1 thing I do know I say all the time is every day is not a good day, but there is good in every day. And I think inculcating, you know, imbuing that in your team takes mentioning it constantly and demonstrating it, that that the sky isn't falling. You know, 1 of the things that I am very cognizant of as a leader is my temper, my, my demeanor impacts to a large degree the way my team perceives how things are going. And so if I look and see them and act panicked, the team is gonna think that I am panicked, and then that calamitous is going to become larger than it actually is. Taking bite sized pieces, you know, taking the good with the bad, recognizing that everything is gonna go right all the time and sharing that.

You know, saying, we're not where we need to be, but here's the progress I regard us as making. This is what I'm seeing. And recognizing the small wins, I think, is absolutely essential to developing resilience in your team. Also, learning from your mistakes, sharing your mistakes, sharing in a in a vulnerable way that that you don't always get it right. You've come back from mistakes that things haven't always gone the way you wanted, and yet you bounce back and you go forward. Just yesterday, I had a 1 on 1 meeting. I do those with my team once a year, every 1 of my team has the pleasure of spending 30 or 45 minutes with me and just talking about them, talking about their goals, and the individual said, can you talk to me? 1 of the questions he had was, can you talk to me, Kendra, and tell me how you became a CEO? What do I have to do to get to that? And I think 1 of the 1 of the big things is you can't let the small stuff weigh you down. You have to keep pushing.

You have to, you know, take the good with the bad, but not let 1 failure or 1 goal not realized impede you from trying to go after other things that you know are going to be trying to go after other things that you know are going to be difficult to reach. I think that's it. I think it's just taking the good with the bad and sharing with your team when you're happy with them and recognizing and calling out the things they are doing that are that are working really well and lifting them up when they're disappointed or when they, you know, encounter a setback, and ensuring as a leader that you are always glasses half full. Right? You are looking for the good and the positive. That helps breed resilience, I think. Easterseals empowers people with disabilities and their families to be full and equal participants in their communities and within society. Easterseals is where everyone can feel welcomed and people know that they aren't judged, but treated with the dignity that they deserve. Each day, we provide life changing services nationwide and advocate for policies that improve quality of life.

From employment to housing services, to job training, childcare, and respite care, adult day programs, and so much more. Easterseals is making a profound impact in thousands of communities every day. You can learn more by visiting easterseals.com. That concludes our episode. Thank you so much for listening. If you like what you heard, be sure to write a review. Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and be sure to join us in the next episode as we discuss how we can all get on board with Transparent Leadership.