Find Your Personal Power with the Success Doctor, Shirley Davis

06/12/24 • 30 min

Dr. Shirley Davis is the President and CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc., and will be the closing keynote speaker at the In2Risk Conference this fall. Dr. Davis brings a unique background as a seasoned HR and Diversity & Inclusion global thought leader, a senior executive, a certified leadership coach, and a former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for several major Fortune 100 companies. She has worked in more than 30 countries on five continents and delivers more than 80 speeches a year. She is the former Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Workplace Strategies for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and earned the highest designation in the speaking industry as a Certified Speaking Professional, bestowed by the National Speakers Association. She holds a Bachelor’s in Pre-Law, a Master’s in HR Management, a Ph.D. in Business and Organization Management, and is a former Ms. America United States. She is also a featured author for LinkedIn Learning’s online course, entitled “Inclusive Leadership.”

In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Dr. Davis explore innovative strategies for attracting the best talent, developing future leaders, and enhancing inclusiveness and involvement in the insurance industry.

Key Takeaways

A lifelong learner, Dr. Davis started in banking and has worked in a wide variety of industries.
As a woman of color, Dr. Davis has earned her place at the table as a credible voice and now shares her empowering strategies with others.
Bringing your best self to work starts with working at an organization that values great talent.
Developing a meaningful life starts with the internal work of finding your personal power.
The power of analyzing the “what if” questions that plague all of us.
Dr. Davis’s advice on the best way to attract new talent to the insurance industry.
Developing talent and clearly defining the career path starts with closing the leadership gap.
Best practices to enhance inclusiveness and encourage involvement in insurance.
Tactics for effectively messaging the value of the insurance industry from a humanitarian perspective.
Dr. Davis shares her journey from the corporate sector into her own independent consulting business.
The importance of surrounding yourself with people who are going to push you into your destiny.
The writing process for Dr. Davis started with her successful speaking endeavors.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry and the demand for entrepreneurship.
Dr. Davis reflects on the risk-taking approach she wishes she would have taken in her career.

Quotes

“It has certainly been a journey to get a seat at the table, becoming that person that is heard, seen, and perceived as credible.”
“[Bringing your best self to work] starts with working at an organization that really does value great talent.”
“In order to get a seat at the table, I’ve got to do some things for myself first.”
“Every one of us wants meaning and significance. Every one of us wants to feel like we are being fulfilled and living our best life.”
“Understanding what this next generation of talent needs and what their expectations are and understanding what they are asking for is very, very important.”
“Relationships are the new currency. You’ve got to get around people who are not afraid of your BHAG.”
“We want to hear from people who are going to push us into our destiny.”

Key Takeaways

A lifelong learner, Dr. Davis started in banking and has worked in a wide variety of industries.
As a woman of color, Dr. Davis has earned her place at the table as a credible voice and now shares her empowering strategies with others.
Bringing your best self to work starts with working at an organization that values great talent.
Developing a meaningful life starts with the internal work of finding your personal power.
The power of analyzing the “what if” questions that plague all of us.
Dr. Davis’s advice on the best way to attract new talent to the insurance industry.
Developing talent and clearly defining the career path starts with closing the leadership gap.
Best practices to enhance inclusiveness and encourage involvement in insurance.
Tactics for effectively messaging the value of the insurance industry from a humanitarian perspective.
Dr. Davis shares her journey from the corporate sector into her own independent consulting business.
The importance of surrounding yourself with people who are going to push you into your destiny.
The writing process for Dr. Davis started with her successful speaking endeavors.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry and the demand for entrepreneurship.
Dr. Davis reflects on the risk-taking approach she wishes she would have taken in her career.

Quotes

“It has certainly been a journey to get a seat at the table, becoming that person that is heard, seen, and perceived as credible.”
“[Bringing your best self to work] starts with working at an organization that really does value great talent.”
“In order to get a seat at the table, I’ve got to do some things for myself first.”
“Every one of us wants meaning and significance. Every one of us wants to feel like we are being fulfilled and living our best life.”
“Understanding what this next generation of talent needs and what their expectations are and understanding what they are asking for is very, very important.”
“Relationships are the new currency. You’ve got to get around people who are not afraid of your BHAG.”
“We want to hear from people who are going to push us into our destiny.”

Previous Episode

Claiming Resilience in the Insurance Industry with Kristi Fox

Kristine A. Fox, CPCU, AIC-M, ARM, AIC, API, AINS, SCLA-Gold, is the Midwest regional claims manager for the Property Americas Division of Sedgwick, where she organizes deployment of field resources and oversees client accounts. Fox has over 20 years of experience in property-casualty claims, ranging from homeowners and auto losses to general liability, and has also supervised commercial trucking liability claims. She is a past president of the Omaha CPCU Society Chapter. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Kristi discuss all things claims, from the onset of Kristi’s career to the future of claims, how she has pivoted to become an engaging resilience speaker in the industry, and how to more effectively attract talent to the claims space.

Key Takeaways

A help-wanted ad evolved into Kristi’s 20-plus-year career in insurance.
The helpful aspects of the insurance industry that first appealed to Kristi.
Kristi’s message of caution and encouragement for anyone who is considering a career in claims.
The evolution of training tactics in the industry.
Offerings that currently have the biggest impact in the claims space.
Major technology initiatives that are enhancing the claims experience.
Defining resilience as a critical component of the insurance industry.
Claims handling and adjuster expectations as they have evolved over the years.
The impact of involvement in the CPCU Society on Kristi’s career.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
Kristi’s long-view advice to her early career self.

Quotes

“What a lot of people don’t think about with insurance is that we are in a helping world.”
“I know that I’m having a positive impact on people and helping them through something really difficult.”
“There is a place for technology, and the more we can utilize it in the right ways, we’ll become more efficient, but there is still the human component that is going to be needed.”
“I’ve really appreciated the consistent focus on growing, developing, and learning as our careers progressed.”
“The human component is still going to be essential in the future of the industry.”

Next Episode

Digital Transformation in the Insurance Industry with Paul Roderick

Paul Roderick is a digital product owner and operations manager at Midwest Employers Casualty (a WRB company), where he’s deeply involved in digital transformation and process improvement initiatives, as well as bringing technical and business colleagues together. Previously, he led a public entity risk management and insurance program, using a technology-forward approach to streamline operations. He is a current member of the CPCU Society’s Technology and Innovation Committee. In this episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Paul discuss the current state of the carrier side of the insurance industry, Paul’s experience with working for a public entity, and what he sees happening in the future of risk management.

Key Takeaways

Working in a family business gave Paul early exposure to a wide variety of aspects of business.
Key differences in Paul’s transition from the public entity sector to the carrier sector.
The wide variety of skill sets required in insurance is what keeps him engaged in the industry.
Paul’s approach to the need for digital transformation systems in the insurance sector.
Tactics for recruiting new talent to the technology facet of the industry.
Overcoming common stumbling blocks when leading a digital transformation project in insurance.
The benefits of increasing involvement in the insurance community beyond just in your workplace.
Paul’s experience expanding his knowledge and helping others in the CPCU society.
The potential future impact of the digital side of the carrier transformation.
Paul’s time with a public entity helped to prepare him for his role at a carrier.
A look at changes in the future of the insurance industry as a result of AI, coverage and claims, and blockchain offerings.
Paul’s encouraging advice for his early career self.

Quotes

“In the carrier space, we like processes, we have procedures, but it’s another level in the public entity. You have to satisfy the process before you can do anything else.”
“I don’t think there are many industries that offer such an opportunity to exercise such a variety of skills on a day-to-day basis.”
“When you work in the insurance industry, you’re enabling daily life.”
“Change management is a huge stumbling block that we as an industry don’t pay enough attention to.”
“I don’t think it’s possible to remain competitive in a lot of areas of this industry if you don’t successfully adopt technology into all aspects of your operating model.”
“It was absolutely critical to my success to make relationships with other individuals and not just make it about an analytical or numbers approach.”
“Anytime you can bring in trust and efficiency, everybody’s happier.”