About | The Unlock
Guest Segments
Dear Leader Segments
Dear Leader Segments
The Unlock guest episodes amplify the voices of leaders who keep a relentless focus on the human center in all that they do. Guests will share how leading with humanity at work has unlocked something powerful within themselves, and has had radiating impact on human lives, companies, and society. Hearing their stories may unlock something in you, too.
Dear Leader Segments
Dear Leader Segments
Dear Leader Segments
Dear Leader episodes center on questions from leaders facing both everyday and unique workplace challenges. Joined each episode by guest "sidekicks" who ask the question, challenge Sumona on her point of view, and offer their own perspective on the topics, Dear Leader segments aim to inspire and equip our audience of everyday leaders to navigate the complexities of leading in context.
Season 3 | Episodes
Episode 8: Leading at Scale and with Impact, with David Landman
Release Date: 11 November 2024
David Landman and Sumona explore what it’s like to leave what you know behind for something unknown - and the courage it takes to take the leap. After two decades at the coveted financial firm, Goldman Sachs, David talks about “Life after Goldman” - the lessons he learned, the learnings he applies in his work as a Board member and advisor, and his newfound passion to unlock the fullest potential of humanity at work through human to human connection.
David Landman is a former Human Resources executive with a passion for making work more sustainable, fulfilling and inclusive. He recently concluded a distinguished 20-year career at Goldman Sachs where he played a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s talent strategy. Presently, David dedicates his time to supporting the innovators and investors who are redefining what it means to thrive in the workplace. He serves as community lead at PeopleTech Enterprise and as an advisor to a diverse range of HR technology companies and venture funds.
Episode 7: Learning to Lead Never Ends, with Diane Neal
Release Date: 28 October 2024
Join Sumona and Diane Neal, Board Member of General Mills and LL Bean and former CEO of Sur La Table and Bath and Body Works, as they discuss the leadership lessons we learn over the course of a career. Having worked in consumer focused retail brands, Diane and Sumona connect the dots between the customer and employee experience, exploring how culture is what ties the two together. Diane shares advice on staying empathetic, relevant and effective in our roles as leaders today.
Diane Neal served as CEO of Sur La Table, Inc., a consumer-facing retail company, from October 2014 to her retirement in February of 2017. From 2012 to 2014, Ms. Neal served as an advisor to select retail companies including LBrands, Inc., the parent company of Bath and Body Works where she served as CEO from 2007-2011. Ms. Neal joined Bath and Body Works as President and COO in 2006. From 2004-2006, Ms. Neal worked for Gap Inc., as SVP Merchandising and President of the outlet division. Prior to that, she served at Target Corporation for more than 20 years in various executive and leadership positions, including President of Mervyn’s from 2001-2004.
Episode 6: Dear Leader, with Allison Williams
Release Date: 14 October 2024
Dear Leader: How to navigate change (without falling over)
In this episode of Dear Leader, idealis’ Chief Learning Officer, Allison Williams, joins Sumona to answer a question from a leader who is feeling exhausted and overwhelmed from all the change they’ve faced over the past few years. They’ll address the question with some ideas about how we navigate change as individuals and as leaders, and they’ll remind us of how we have what it takes to withstand more than we might think. We just need to stay centered, keep perspective, and lean on what we know and who we know.
Episode 5: A New Way of Working - Full-Time, Part-Time and My-Time, with Tony Buffum
Release Date: 30 September 2024
Join Sumona and Tony Buffum from Upwork on The Unlock, as they talk about how the way we work has changed over time. As two former HR executives, they’ll reflect on what they are hearing from leaders and companies today – a timeless need to hire great people and unlock the potential of the best talent available in the market. They will discuss how accessibility to that talent requires new, innovative solutions and a new mindset as we think about work, workers and the workplace.
Tony Buffum is VP of HR Client Strategy at Upwork. As a key member of the senior-level executive client strategy team, Tony is responsible for accelerating growth of current and prospective Upwork enterprise clients, helping them solve HR challenges related to finance, procurement and talent transformation.
Tony is an accomplished HR professional with more than two decades of experience leading global HR teams as well as driving transformational change in company culture, organizational design, performance management, and employee integration and engagement. He joins Upwork following a series of noteworthy leadership positions including CHRO at FLIR Systems, VP of global human resources at STANLEY Security, VP of human resources at Stanley Black & Decker and others.
Episode 4: Dear Leader, with Anne Newton
Release Date: 16 September 2024
Dear Leader: How to work in a way that works for you
In this Dear Leader episode of The Unlock, join Sumona De Graaf and Anne Newton as they answer a question from a leader who is trying to navigate their career growth as a remote worker in a company that is setting new standards on where and how people work. You’ll hear advice on how to have a human-centered conversation about this tricky topic that so many leaders and their teams are facing today.
Anne Newton is a consumer-centric, action-oriented leader with 20 years of experience at Nike, WarnerMedia, and JPMorgan Chase. She has deep expertise in merchandising, insights & analytics, strategy, and finance. Anne loves driving change and thrives on shifts in consumer habits, competition, and retail digitalization. Anne has worked internationally across the U.S. and Europe. With her husband and two kids, she has traveled to all but one of the seven continents.
Episode 3: The Nuance of Human Decisions, with John Dick
Release Date: 2 September 2024
Imagine if we entered the world seeking out more data - not because we are open to changing our mind, but because we are entering the world with an open mind.
In this episode of The Unlock, join Sumona as she and John Dick - Founder and CEO of CivicScience - discuss the importance of data in understanding human behavior, decision-making, and leadership. Sumona and John talk about protecting our ability to make good decisions in the age of misinformation and too much information, and how empathy and intuition bring balance to data interpretation and improve decision making.
You'll also learn more about the partnership between idealis and CivicScience on Pulse of the U.S. Workforce - a new data-driven insights report that is launching this Fall and providing the most influential leaders with greater insight on humans at work.
John Dick is the Founder and CEO of CivicScience, a consumer analytics and advertising platform serving the largest brands and media companies in the world. He’s the host of the podcast, The Dumbest Guy in the Room and author of What We’re Seeing, the weekly newsletter read by a who’s-who of business and tech leaders. John is a contributor to AdAge and Forbes and has appeared on Good Morning America, Yahoo! Finance, and NewsNation, and as a speaker at numerous business and media conferences.
Episode 2: Dear Leader, with Justin De Graaf
Release Date: 19 August 2024
Dear Leader: How to decide on a new career opportunity
Join us for our very first Dear Leader segment of The Unlock, where Sumona addresses an anonymous leader's very real - very human - story, dilemma, challenge, or success in the workplace.
Sumona is joined by her first guest "sidekick", Justin De Graaf, as they tackle a leadership question on whether to pursue a new opportunity. This episode is for anyone who has experienced or is considering a career change - whether it is changing companies, functional roles, teams, or locations.
Justin de Graaf is a marketing and user experience expert with extensive experience at Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, Google, and Booking.com, where he currently leads all research functions. He has focused on bringing user needs into business decisions for brand performance, global marketing strategy, and improving user experiences. He lives in Amsterdam with his wife, two boys, and two gigantic Old English Sheepdogs. Starting with his family, he also loves coffee, Indian food, and sunshine.
Episode 1: The Context In Which We Are Leading
Release Date: 5 August 2024
Join us as we launch Season 3 of The Unlock: Humanity at Work with Dr. Sumona De Graaf, Founder of idealis. In this season opener, Sumona shares what she has learned about what makes it hard to lead ourselves and others with humanity at work, in the workplace, and in the world.
"Leading people is hard, but the topics that are coming up now span outwards - to not just be about the individuals who we lead - but the context in which we are leading them." - Sumona
Submit a question for Dear Leader
You are not alone, dear leader.
Please submit your leadership questions here - or directly to dearleader@idealisadvisory.com - and we will do our best to respond in one of our future Dear Leader segments of the podcast. All questions are treated as anonymous submissions.
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