The Leadership Chronicles cover art

The Leadership Chronicles

The Leadership Chronicles

Written by: HBS Women's Association
Listen for free

About this listen

 We came to HBS to make a difference as leaders and great citizens of the world. And many times we ask ourselves, how can we achieve personal fulfillment while satisfying our desire to make a difference for others in this world? What is our ripple effect on ourselves, our families, our communities, our professional endeavors, and others? Supporting that aspiration, our Podcast will provide those pathways, connections, thought leadership and resources enabling us to be the best person and leader we can be.HBS Women's Association Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Leslie Zane: A Pioneer in Behavioral Science

    Leslie Zane: A Pioneer in Behavioral Science
    Dec 11 2025

    In this episode of Leadership Chronicles, Leslie Zane (MBA'86) shares her journey as a pioneer in marketing and behavioral science. From her early career at Bain & Company to founding her own consulting firm, Triggers®.

    Leslie shares with us that traditional marketing is dead—breakout growth requires a new playbook. For decades, marketing has wasted billions assuming the conscious mind makes decisions. It doesn’t. People choose brands, leaders, even ideas—because of unconscious associations built deep in memory. Leslie helps brands and people bypass the conscious mind and unlock the instinctive brain—the hidden engine of choice, brand preference, and growth. When you do, brands grow faster and farther—often with less spend, less time, and less risk.

    She reflects on the influence of her parents, her experiences at Harvard Business School, and the challenges she faced in advocating for innovative ideas in a traditional industry. Leslie also offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and emphasizes the significance of courage and expertise in forging one's own path.

    Hosted by ⁠Sherri Sklar⁠, MBA’89 and ⁠Sarah Alter⁠, MBA’95.Highlights

    • The unconscious mind drives most of our decisions, not the conscious mind.
    • Family influence plays a crucial role in shaping leadership qualities.
    • Breaking barriers in marketing requires courage and perseverance.
    • Accumulating expertise is vital before starting your own business.
    • Leadership is about asking the right questions and being vulnerable.
    • Courage earns trust much faster than flattery.

    ABOUT LESLIE ZANE, MBA'86
    Leslie Zane is an award-winning marketer, TEDx speaker and the foremost authority in harnessing the instinctive mind to accelerate brand and business growth. Like many pioneers, Zane’s ideas were dismissed early on. In 1995, she founded Triggers®, the first brand consulting firm rooted in behavioral science and, together with her team, cracked the code on accelerating brand growth. Over the past 25 years, her company has delivered over $25bb in incremental revenue growth for Fortune 100 clients.
    An alumna of Yale, Harvard Business School, Bain & Company and P&G. Leslie is a recipient of the Congressional Women of Distinction and the Ogilvy Award.
    Her work has been featured in over 25 prestigious publications including Harvard Business Review, Knowledge@Wharton, and World Economic Forum, Newsweek, and more. Her book, The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion In Business And Life has been hailed as "the biggest gamechanger since Malcolm Gladwell's Blink."
    Leslie serves on the board of El Centro Hispano which empowers Hispanic immigrants with skills to thrive in the United States.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • A Legacy of Service and Leadership with Secretary Elaine Chao, MBA

    A Legacy of Service and Leadership with Secretary Elaine Chao, MBA
    Oct 27 2025
    In this episode of The Leadership Chronicles, SecretaryElaine Chao shares her inspiring journey from immigrant roots to becoming the first Asian Pacific American woman to serve in the U.S. President's cabinet. This inspiring conversation is filled with wisdom, resilience, and forward-looking advice for today’s leaders as we explore:Secretary Chao’s career in public serviceThe influence of familyViews on leadership - “Leadership is aboutserving others”Importance of diversityand the future of AI Curiosity leads to opportunities. “Never give up. Thereare so many exciting things happening in this world – just never give up”. Please visit her website and her family’s story at Harvard Business School. Hosted by: Sherri Sklar, MBA’89 and Sarah Alter, MBA’95ABOUTSecretary Chao is the first Asian-Pacific American woman to serve in the President's cabinet in American history. She has been confirmed to two cabinet positions by the United States Senate on a strong bipartisan basis: U. S. Secretary of Labor and U. S. Secretary of Transportation. She is also the longest serving Cabinet Secretary since World War II. At the U. S. Department of Transportation, Secretary Chaofocused on keeping America’s transportation system safe and efficient; invested over $300 billion in infrastructure over three and a half years; and, engaged with new technologies including autonomous vehicles, drones, and commercial space launches to build the transportation system of the future. During the COVID-19 health crisis, Secretary Chao’s decisive actions kept America’s transportation networks safe and moving. As U.S. Secretary of Labor, Secretary Chao focused onincreasing the competitiveness of the American workforce in a global economy. She set new records for workplace safety and health and ensured the retirement security of 44 millionretirees by spearheading the passage of the most significant pension legislation in 30 years, the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Prior to becoming U. S. Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao wasPresident and CEO of United Way, where she restored public trust by reforming the governance structure and instilling a new culture of accountability and transparency after the organization had been tarnished by previous financialmismanagement and abuse. Elaine Chao also served as head of the Peace Corps, whereshe launched programs in the newly liberated Baltic nations and former Soviet Union, including Ukraine. She began herpublic service working on transportation and trade issues at the White House. She was promoted in rapid succession to Deputy Maritime Administrator, U. S. Department of Transportation; Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission; and Deputy Secretary,U.S. Department of Transportation. In the private sector, Elaine worked as Vice President of Syndications at Bank of America and Citicorp. Elaine has been a director on numerous public boards whileout of government including News Corp, HCA Healthcare, Ingersoll Rand, Wells Fargo, Protective Life, Dole Food Company and NASD. She currently serves on the boards of Krogerand technology companies in the mobility space. She has also been a director and trustee on many nonprofit boards including Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors, Harvard Business School Global Advisory Board, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, United Way Worldwide, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee of Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28), and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Advisory Board. Born in Taiwan, she immigrated to America at the age of 8not speaking English and received her citizenship at age 19. Elaine earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College, and her MBA from Harvard BusinessSchool. She is the recipient of 38 honorary degrees.
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • Empowering Women in Business: Insights from Deborah Farrington, MBA'76

    Empowering Women in Business: Insights from Deborah Farrington, MBA'76
    Sep 12 2025

    In this episode of The Leadership Chronicles, Deborah Farrington shares her inspiring journey from a close-knit family background to becoming a leading venture capitalist. She discusses her experiences at Harvard Business School, the influence of her parents, and the importance of building relationships in her career.


    Deborah reflects on overcoming setbacks, particularly her experience of being fired, and emphasizes the need for resilience and self-confidence. She also addresses the challenges women face in venture capital and shares her vision for mentoring future leaders.


    ABOUT OUR GUEST

    Debby is co-founder and managing partner of New York City based StarVest Partners, founded in 1998 to invest in technology-enabled business services and one of the largest women majority-owned venture capital firms. It was an early investor in Software-as-a-Service. Notable investments include NetSuite, the first SaaS ERP company (sold to ORCL for $9.2 billion in 2016); the first internet insurance company; the first digital ad agency; and the first digital contingent workforce company. Debby is a director of Dayforce, Inc. (NYSE: DAY), Cumulus Media, and Planful Inc.


    She graduated from HBS in 1976, where she served on the Visiting Committee, as Vice-President of the Alumni Association and chair of the HBS Club of New York. She is a graduate of Smith College and served on its Board of Trustees.


    She has been named to the Forbes Midas List of Top 100 Venture Capitalists; received the Foreign Policy Association Medal for Achievement in Financial Services; and, in 2025, received the Smith College Medal and HBS Alumni Achievement Award.
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
No reviews yet