Focus on People for Human-Centered Conversations - Featuring Diane Lennard PITY PARTY OVER

In this episode, we'll discuss how leaders can communicate effectively by listening and paying attention to people.
We have an extraordinary guest, Diane Lennard. Diane is a performance coach and faculty member at NYU Stern School of Business. 
With her background in theater and coaching, Diane has honed her exceptional communication skills and has a unique perspective on effective leadership communication.
Diane believes that everybody wants to be seen and heard, and by establishing empathetic relationships based on respect and dignity, leaders can create more meaningful connections with any stakeholder.
Spotify
Apple Podcast
Google Podcasts
Podbean
Subscribe to Pity Party Over
Sign up for a complimentary Live Session
Managerial & Leadership Development
Contact Stephen
Connect with Stephen
#conversations #people #human-centered #leadership #dianelennard #coaching #podcast #pitypartyover #stephenmatini #alygn
TRANSCRIPT
Stephen Matini: Where did you grow up?
Diane Lennard: I grew up in the middle of Manhattan.
Stephen Matini: A New Yorker!
Diane Lennard: I am, born and raised!
Stephen Matini: How was to grow up in New York?
Diane Lennard: Well, I grew up in a an apartment complex that had, that was very large and had lots of playgrounds, lots of families, lots of children, and it was wonderful. And there was a really good public school with a lot of parent involvement. So it was a very, very nice place to grow up.
Stephen Matini: Do you think it's true when people say that anyone who moves to New York after six months becomes a New Yorker or to be a real ... ?
Diane Lennard: No. That’s a definitive no. , you can tell by the way people cross the street if they jaywalk, they're likely a native New Yorker when, you know they stand at the street corner for a really long time, that's not a typical New York activity .
Stephen Matini: What would it be other typical things that New Yorkers do that no one else would do?
Diane Lennard: I would say that we tend to be really good at shielding ourselves from difficult situations. It's a street savvy in a way, you know, how to manage just situations that you don't wanna get involved in. You know, whether it's on the subway or on the street, not making eye contact if it's gonna protect you, things like that. Just common sense safety.
Stephen Matini: Were there any people or events that somehow have impacted more than others the way that you are today?
Diane Lennard: Oh, many. I would say that two most prominent are my exposure to cultural events and my exposure to multicultural food. In growing up, every Sunday my family went to a different nationality restaurant. So from a very early age I was exposed to different cultures, not just the food, but the culture. 
We would talk to the waiters and I grew an interest in international cultures that definitely impacted my career. And I also was ex, went to lots of theater and museums, was very involved in the theater. So I know from my friends who were not native New Yorkers, when they came to visit me, they got exposed to things that they wouldn't have unless they had come to New York.
Stephen Matini: Theater plays a huge role in your life. When did you decide to actually get into theater?
Diane Lennard: I started taking ballet lessons when I was six years old. Actually five years old. I was actually part of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company and performed on the old Metropolitan opera stage. I got paid a dollar a minute for running across the stage, barefoot in an opera. But I had the experience of a huge audience and the backstage and it was very intriguing to me. 
I also took piano lessons and went to a special high school for music and I remember at about age 11, 12, 13, I really was wondering, what am I gonna be when I grow up? And I recall sitting down with my parents. I, I remember the actual dining table where we sat down and to discuss my, my future and I was barely a teenager. 
The suggestion