IDL101 Season 3: Become A Changemaker with Alex Budak
What influenced the way you developed your leadership style? What is the changemaker mindset? How do you influence people positively and sustainably for the long term?
Happy New Year and welcome back to season 3 of the Impact Driven Leader podcast! We’re kicking off the new year by reflecting on change with this interview with author and social entrepreneur, Alex Budak. Together, we reflect on some of the lessons from his book, Becoming a Changemaker. We look into what it means to make lasting, necessary change, and what role other people should play in that process, as well as how to develop a changemaker mindset.
Meet Alex Budak
Alex Budak is a social entrepreneur, faculty member at Berkeley Haas, and the author of Becoming a Changemaker. He teaches, speaks, and writes to help people make a positive impact in their lives, career, communities, and society.
At UC Berkeley, Alex created and teaches the transformative course, “Becoming a Changemaker,” and is a Lecturer and Faculty Director for Berkeley Executive Education programs.
As a social entrepreneur, he co‐founded StartSomeGood.com, ran Sweden’s most prominent social innovation incubator, Reach for Change and helped Change.org scale globally.
He has given talks on leadership, entrepreneurship, and changemaking around the world from Cambodia to Ukraine to the Arctic Circle, and at the White House, UN Agencies, and leading companies.
A graduate of UCLA and Georgetown University, Alex loves travel adventures (39 countries and counting), rooting for the underdog, and spending time with his two favorite changemakers: his wife, Rebecca, and their toddler son.
Visit Alex Budak’s website and connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
Make real change - 02:28
Mindset is the powerful start - 03:40
Develop your leadership style - 05:35
Balancing change - 18:54
Disengage your ego to engage solutions - 23:45
Alex’s influence superpowers - 26:58
Make real change
Most businesses that dream of making an impact are dedicated to bringing about positive and necessary change.
However, if you want to make real change, you need to include others into the process.
You need to include your team, your employees, and your community because you then shift from being a sole entrepreneur to a true leader.
Mindset is the powerful start
Unlock and gain full access to your potential to lead change by getting your mindset right.
When you change the way that you see the world, you more clearly define your role within it and understand the scope of your ability to make a positive change and shape it.
Develop your leadership style
Even though you can define yourself in opposition to things, you sometimes have a lot more influence and power, and self-assurance when you define yourself by what you want to be associated with.
If you had a poor leader and committed to being different from them, and it makes you a better leader, then great.
But, consider thinking a little more deeply and try to figure out who you would want to be – how you want your employees to feel around you – and commit to embodying that.
Balancing change
Of course, you should question things and make your voice and cause heard when you sense an injustice, but you also need to pick your battles.
Do good work first, because that will motivate people to respond and listen to you when it’s needed.
Secondly, go with the social norms on some things, especially those that align with your core values.
Focus on what you care about. Let some changes go so that you can take action where it is truly necessary.
Disengage your ego to engage solutions
As a leader, you want to do good work and make good impressions and positive impacts. This is a worthy cause, however, be careful with your ego because it loves being right and loves being the best.
Keep your attention focused on improving what you are inspired and motivated to improve, instead of using it as a chance to shine a light on yourself.
If you truly want to create solutions for those around you, you will need to take a step back from being the center of attention and put them there instead.
Alex’s influence superpowers
1 – Empathy: the ability to understand and see another’s perspective.
2 – Relationships: the epitome of long-term play because you don’t create them overnight.
3 – Vision: paint a picture of a future that’s so compelling that people cannot help but want to be a part of it with you.
4 – Passion: this is where authenticity matters.
5 – Safety: some people will be nervous about change so create safe spaces around the edge of the change. This is where empathy matters.
Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:
BOOK | Alex Budak – Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at Any Level
BOOK | Simon Sinek – The Infinite Game
Visit Alex Budak’s website and connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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About the Impact Driven Leader Podcast
The Impact Driven Leader Podcast, hosted by Tyler Dickerhoof, is for Xillennial leaders who have felt alone and ill-equipped to lead in today's world. Through inspiring interviews with authors from around the world, Tyler uncovers how unique leadership strengths can empower others to achieve so much more, with real impact.
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