"Lead with Grace and Patience" w/ Gia Vitali

Explicit content warning

04/27/20 • 51 min

Chris talks with the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Minneapolis, Gia Vitali. Gia has spent her career dedicated to public service and to making her communities better, fairer, and healthier.
We discuss the challenges of keeping a city of 425k people functioning during a crisis, what Gia's had to learn in short order to be an effective leader during this time, and her hopes for what we see on the other side of this surreal time.
Chris also tells you why you're terrible at assessing risk, and why you not wearing a mask doesn't mean what you think it means.
Read this stuff:
Book; "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind," Yuval Noah Harari
Book; "Thinking, Fast and Slow," Daniel Kahneman
Article; Humans are Too Optimistic to Comprehend the Coronavirus, Olga Khazan, The Atlantic
Article; The Psychology of Risk Perception, Harvard Mental Health Letter, HMS
About Gia Vitali:
Gia Vitali began her career on Capitol Hill in working for Congressman Bruce Vento and his successor Congresswoman Betty McCollum. In 2004 Gia returned to Minnesota and led the Get Out the Vote effort for the Kerry/Edwards Campaign. She went on to manage several campaigns, work for Senator Amy Klobuchar, and served as political director for a national organization focused on recruiting, training, and helping to elect candidates to state and local office.

Gia served as deputy campaign manager for Minnesotans United for All Families – the historic campaign that successfully defeated the constitutional amendment to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman.

In April of 2013, she joined the corporate communications team at Medica Health Plans where she supported the Medicare and Medicaid business segments. In November 2015, Gia joined the Department of Human Services as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

Writer, Host: Chris Thierfelder
Producers: Sarah and Max Warman
Art: Jennie Jacobs
Music: Kevin MacLeod
IG: @mondaypod
LinkedIn: A Case of the Mondays
Site: A Case of the Mondays
Copyright 2023 TWC Media Group All Rights Reserved

Previous Episode

"Give Yourself Permission to be Unproductive" w/ Sabina Nawaz

Today Chris sits down with former Microsoft HR exec and current Executive Coach, Sabina Nawaz. Sabina is a prolific business writer and leadership coach, helping to create a new paradigm of empathetic, thoughtful and highly effective leadership.
We discuss work anxiety, managing productivity (and your expectations of it) during quarantine, and how leaders and individuals can create a new framework for efficacy, empathy, and engagement.
Chris also talks about the stories we tell ourselves, and why those stories need to change.
Read this stuff:
Read more about Sabina and her coaching services. SabinaNawaz.co
Articles from Sabina:
"How Managers Can Support Remote Employees"
"To Achieve Big Goals, Start with Small Habits"
"How Anxiety Traps Us"
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, or you find yourself in a dangerous situation, please seek the help you need. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a list of resources ready to help you right now. Go here to check it out.
About Sabina Nawaz:
Sabina Nawaz is a global CEO coach, leadership keynote speaker, and writer working in over 26 countries. She advises C-level executives in Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, non-profits and academic institutions. Sabina started her career in software development at Microsoft and then led the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and 700 executives. In addition, Sabina has spoken at hundreds of seminars, events, and conferences including TEDx. Currently, she sits on the board of Power and Systems, a leadership development institute. Sabina believes the greatest privilege of working with executives is bearing witness to their acts of courage. Look for more of her stories, insights, and advice on thriving as a leader on Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Inc.
Sabina’s education includes a B.A. in Computer Science with a minor in Electronics from Smith College, an M.S. in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and several certifications and advanced training in leadership development.
To receive Sabina’s latest leadership articles, sign up on www.sabinanawaz.com and connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Next Episode

"May the Fourth Be With You. Always." w/ Sensei Gary Koan Janka

In a bit of a departure from the normal business programming, Chris sits down with Zen Priest Sensei Gary Koan Janka to talk about how our wants and fears of not getting what we want fuel our suffering and how to begin to alleviate that suffering.
From Chris: "I was thinking about all of the people who are afraid right now and what impact that fear is having on not only our economy, but our society writ large. I wanted to do something that went beyond the day to day micro-coping, or analysis of this or that aspect of business and offer a conversation that could literally appeal to every single person who listened to it, no matter their circumstance. I hope this helps."
Chris also offers a warning to folks looking to find enlightenment on a stationary bike or in a Lululemon, and explains how Jedi Masters walk among us.