Amy Wilson is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Dow Corporate, which aims to become the most innovative, inclusive, customer-centric, and sustainable materials science company. They provide science-based products and solutions to their customers in spheres as diverse as packaging, consumer care, mobility, and infrastructure. Amy’s responsibilities with Dow include leading and providing counsel in corporate governance, as well as managing compliance matters. She is also the executive sponsor for Dow’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and allies’ employee resource group, GLAD.
Amy joins me today to discuss some of the silver linings she saw amidst the pandemic and what the last year has taught her about people. She describes her experience as a lifeguard and how it made her want to double her efforts to pursue her education. She explains why some questions are too personal for employees, especially with so many of them working from home. She also shares the traits she looks for in a potential leader and why you can learn a lot about a person when you play golf with them.
“The world you’re in is always changing, so it’s your obligation and responsibility to keep up with that.” – Amy Wilson
This week on Executive Decisions:
- What Amy has learned from her first job as a lifeguard
- The real value of continuous learning
- Amy’s advice to young professionals in any industry
- The advice Amy learned from mentors on what not to do as a professional
- What the pandemic made Amy realize about people
- Why you shouldn’t ask people about their families
- Amy’s thoughts on the significant events that transpired in 2020
- What Amy would tell a leader about making impactful decisions
- The biggest risks Amy took in the past (and what happened next)
- The traits Amy looks for in a potential leader
- Debunking myths within the legal industry
- What golf can teach you about people and life
- Looking for the “culture carriers” on your team
Our Favorite Quotes:
- “You can take away something from every style. There are times where one style may even work better than the other, depending on the situation.” – Sarah Delahanty
- “As you lead people, they may need different things from you. People may need the carrot or the stick depending on their work styles.” – Sarah Delahanty
- “The more you can paint a story for people to know how they can contribute to the situation, the better it is.” – Amy Wilson
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Amy Wilson:
About SYM Financial and Executive Decisions Podcast
Executive Decisions is a show for business leaders. In each episode, host and financial advisor Sarah Delahanty sits down with executives and local experts who serve them. Together, they tackle some of the harder questions that business leaders face today. From inspiring creativity in the workplace, to managing company politics, to making the best choices with executive compensation, taxes, and lifestyle — our show delivers stories and lessons learned across many industries and lifetimes.
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