Mover and shaker Margaret Mead changed my life. I was 27 and the renowned anthropologist spoke at my university. I was riveted by her insatiable curiosity for how the world works. And on the spot, I made up my mind I wanted to be an anthropologist.

And that’s what I did. I went on to pursue a doctorate in anthropology. There are two big lessons I’ve taken from anthropology that have informed my work and life. First, I have learned the art of being a “professional stranger” or what is also called a “naïve participant-observer” of life. I learned how essential it is to deliberately let go of preconceived notions, challenge personal assumptions, and seek to understand from the insider’s point of view what is actually going on. 

And second, that patterns are powerful. I learned to pay attention to patterns in speech and action of both individuals and groups over time. As an ethnographer, I can use these patterns to make informed guesses about why people do what they do when immersed in a particular culture. And that is gold when it comes to leading change.

These two lessons became core to the career and body of work I’ve built.

Barbara Walker was another mover and shaker whose ideas influenced my own outlook early on. Barbara is a pioneer in the diversity work of the 1980s and, in fact, coined the term “diversity” for these efforts in organizations.

A Powerful Foundation

In my business, Bridges in Organizations, I brought this early diversity work combined with my anthropology expertise to organizations. We address everything from culturally-sensitive customer service to navigating “cultural collisions” – conflict that can arise when operating from inaccurate assumptions or unconscious bias.

I went on to study organizational development at Case Western bringing yet another perspective to understand organizational dynamics and power. After years of working as a mentor coach to other coaches, I was also grandfathered in as a Master Certified Coach (MCC) with the international Coaching Federation.

I’ve drawn on these disciplines of anthropology, diversity and inclusion, and organizational development to help people become movers and shakers in their right and their own worlds.

My work includes the first national diversity program for the American Red Cross and the award-winning Leadership Alchemy program at NASA, and leadership coaching of executives at the World Bank and other institutions and businesses globally.

Another area of learning that has deeply influenced my work and life is a long-term practice of meditation and yoga. These practices acknowledge the pivotal presence of energy in life. By becoming more aware of how energy manifests – one’s own and others – you become more masterful at facilitating, creating, communicating, collaborating, and leading change.