Aug 9, 2021
FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams first heard Stephen Young speak at a U.S. Marine Corps leadership course for battalion and regimental-level commanders this past April. After listening to him give an incredibly insightful and engaging lecture on micromessaging and how leaders can become better communicators and build more inclusive cultures, Mike reached out to see if Stephen would be open to engaging with our FourBlock community.
On Wednesday, July 21, we were honored to sponsor a seminar on MicroInequities: Managing Unconscious Bias™ with Stephen Young for members of the FourBlock community. We were joined by board members, staff, National Leadership Council members, instructors, and students from across the country for this powerful two-hour presentation. In this week’s episode, Mike recaps a few key points and shares impactful insights from the presentation.
Stephen Young is the Senior Partner of Insight Education Systems, a management consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational development services. As a recognized leader and foremost expert in this field, Stephen frequently consults with senior executives and management teams of Fortune 500 companies.
For more than a decade, Dr. Young has been a featured speaker at business conferences worldwide. He is much sought after for his powerful and engaging presentation style. His widely acclaimed seminar MicroInequities: The Power of Small™ has been embraced by over 20% of Fortune 500 corporations in 35 countries, in every region of the world and is being touted by corporate America as the new paradigm for diversity and leadership.
His work has been published in numerous business articles and recognized in a wide range of business publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine and Harvard Business Review’s Management Newsletter. His program was also featured by Oprah Winfrey in two issues of her “O” Magazine. McGraw-Hill published his top-selling book, Micromessaging: Why Great Leadership is Beyond Words.
As former Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at JPMorgan Chase, Mr. Young managed the firm’s diversity strategy worldwide. Under his leadership, the company garnered numerous awards for its diversity initiatives, including the Catalyst Award, Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 Companies for Minorities Award, the Best Companies Award from Working Mother Magazine, and DiversityInc Magazine’s designation as the #1 company for diversity.
Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Stephen was Vice President for Diversity with Merrill Lynch. He is a former staff member of the Rutgers University Graduate School of Management, has served on the Diversity Committee for the United Way of America and as an Advisory Board member to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Wall Street Project. He is the former Chairman of the Securities Industry Association’s Diversity Committee, and Board member of Scholastic’s Alliance for Young Writers and Artists. Additionally, he served on his local Board of Education.
His book, Micromessaging: Why Great Leadership is Beyond Words, is available on Amazon here.
ABOUT US
Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.
General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.
But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.
FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.
Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, founder of FourBlock, and author of two military transition books. He represents the military transition perspective.
Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey represents the civilian perspective of this issue.
Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/
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Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.