This episode features Marqeta CMO Vidya Peters. Vidya Peters joins Chris Cochran and Ron Eddings on the mics all the way from the Netherlands. Listen as they dive into a deep discussion of Leadership, Marketing and Communication.

1:05  - The discussion opens with host Ron asking Vidya about her background and what her current focus is. 

Vidya comes from an Industrial Engineering background and Strategy Consulting background, listen to her share her professional path leading to Marqeta.

1:45 - Chris asks Vidya about her awe inspiring presentation and presenting skills and if there is overlap.

Vidya shares that Presentation skills differ from leadership skills and shares some misnomers about perceptions of leadership.

2:35 - Hear Vidya share about learning leadership the hard way, and the misnomers she previously held about leadership.  

Chris and Vidya have an exchange about leadership based on authority.

3:47 - Vidya shares a second misnomer about leadership; and why it is deeper than just managing people. Hear how management, or managing people, isn’t precisely leadership.

4:43 - Vidya shares a third misnomer about leadership; leadership as a popularity contest.

Listen further to hear Vidya’s insights about efficacy of leadership and respecting unpopular leaders that are doing the right thing.

6:00 - For a leader what are mission and organizational needs relative to your own leadership style?

Hear about some common ground between Marketing communications and Leadership communications as well as how they’re different.

7:08 - Vidya speaks about Marketing communications and how it has a complex set of expectations with certain constraints.

7:30 - Ron asks Vidya about her team building superpower.

8:30 - Listen to Ron Eddings and Vidya share an exchange about what type of talent or qualities she looks for in her own team and why she thinks certain traits are crucial.

Listen to learn more about team building strategies and why finding the right people should be a priority for any leader.

9:10 - Vidya Peters speaks about finding new team members based on their talents and mindset. She shares her three most valued qualities and discusses the difference between skills, talents, mindsets and perspectives.

10:00 - Curiouser and curiouser, what is important about intellectual curiosity?

Listen to what Vidya and Chris have to say about finding the right people for the right roles.

12:40 - Ron and Vidya have an exchange about the “Tech” workspace and COVID-19, how distanced working and marketing have experienced a digital transformation.

Vidya speaks about the great myth-debunking that has occurred in 2020 with regard to proximate work environments and a couple of challenging factors she’s encountered.

13:45 - New truths Vidya has realized about ‘bringing your whole selves to work.’

Vidya shares her awareness of how human empathy and connection with your coworkers can end up being deprioritized with all the uncertainty that the rapid adjustment to remote work has caused for many people.

15:25 - A robust blended workplace model is briefly touched on by Vidya

Chris asks how can Leaders can cultivate this environment of empathy and what Vidya is doing to continue team building.

16:00 - Ron, Chris and Vidya speak about the importance of informal connection with your coworkers, knowing what’s going on in their lives. Vidya tries to bring her whole self to work and make space for her team to do the same. She shares a couple things that have worked for her team.

17:23 - Ron Eddings asks Vidya how she leads by example, and how she’s fighting Zoom fatigue.

Hear Vidya speak about her family, puppy and being together at home.

She explains how encouraging people to honor

19:30 - Vidya speaks about her own style of leadership, and how she approaches leading her team. Listen to hear what the bridge is that she tries to build as a leader.She speaks in detail about finding motivations and generating excitement. 

Hear how she breaks down her own priorities as a leader and honoring her team members.

21:40 - Building a great Marqeta and marketing as a service. 

22:00 - Fairness v. Kindness — Walking the line

Chris and Vidya have an exchange about leadership when it comes from a place of authority compared to when it comes from a place of kindness. 

23:00 - Converting leadership challenges to opportunities

They dive a bit deeper and Vidya shares how a problem became a leadership opportunity for not just herself but others where she worked.

24:30 - Vidya shares about how opening up to mistakes can become a catalyst for leadership learning moments.

27:00 - Creating a space for truth

Chris and Vidya speak more about examples of leadership and cultivating an environment conducive to learning.

28:00 - To anyone thinking about going into leadership; hear about how to have the right mindset. 

Vidya cautions us that as a leader you have to be prepared for people to not like you, hear why this is crucial to effective leadership.

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