Intersections Podcast Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa

What are climate issues actually trying to teach us? Are these purely external changes in weather patterns, or are they more deeply connected with our values and lifestyles? How can one frame this in a way that is highly meaningful to every individual’s life choices? Find out from one of the environmental movement’s leading voices, Paul Hawken, in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast. Paul discusses the mindset that is critical to transforming how we live and work today to ensure that our planet’s ecosystem thrives tomorrow – and the mindset that is at the root of all strife, division and polarization in the world.
Paul Hawken is a renowned environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, speaker and activist who has dedicated his life to environmental sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. He is one of the environmental movement’s leading voices, and a pioneering architect of corporate reform with respect to ecological practices. His work includes founding successful, ecologically conscious businesses, writing about the impacts of commerce on living systems, and consulting with heads of state and CEOs on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy. Paul is the founder of Project Drawdown, a non-profit dedicated to researching when and how global warming can be reversed. The organization maps and models the scaling of one hundred substantive technological, social, and ecological solutions to global warming. He authors articles, op-eds, and peer-reviewed papers, and has written eight books including five national bestsellers. His most recent book, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, was a New York Times and Washington Post bestseller. Paul has appeared in leading media including the Today Show, Bill Maher, Larry King, and has been profiled or featured in hundreds of articles including Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Business Week.
In this episode, Paul reveals:
- The source of all strife, division, and polarization in the world
- What the climate emergency is actually trying to teach us, and its intricate connection with our our values, feelings, thoughts, beliefs and intentions
- The wisdom in moving from an extraction mindset to a regenerative mindset, and how to place life at the center of our every action and decision
- How the business ecosystem today needs to be reformed for the planet’s ecosystem to thrive tomorrow

What is the source of Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring appeal? What kind of inner and outer practices did he cultivate that have made him such a revered figure in history? How can we, like Gandhi, successfully create a daily pathway to our Inner Core? And how can we, in our own spheres of influence, learn to quell people’s passions, bring them together, and move humanity forward in a unified way even in the divisive social conditions we are confronted with today?Find out from Gandhi’s own grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi, in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.Following in the footsteps of his illustrious paternal grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, and maternal grandfather, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (the last Governor-General of India), Rajmohan Gandhi is an internationally renowned peace activist, acclaimed historian, biographer, journalist and educator. He currently serves as Research Professor at the College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Through writing, speaking, public interventions and dialogues, Gandhi has been engaged for sixty years in efforts for peace-building, reconciliation and democratic rights across the world. He founded the Indian branch of Initiatives of Change (formerly known as Moral Re-Armament) and is the former president of Initiatives of Change International. A distinguished journalist, Gandhi also founded the weekly journal, Himmat, through which he fought for democratic rights during the 1975-77 Emergency in India. A former politician, Gandhi has also served in the upper house of the Indian Parliament. An award-winning author, Gandhi has written more than a dozen books, including Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire, and Rajaji: A Life.In this episode, Rajmohan Gandhi reveals:- The source of Mahatma Gandhi’s mystique, and what made an entire nation listen to him and ultimately follow him- How to create a pathway to our inner core and cultivate a practice of both inner and outer listening- Three effective practices to quell people’s passions, bring people together and move humanity forward

At a time when the power to dictate the rules at work is no longer retained by the C-suite or boardroom, what metrics can leaders bank on to build trust with their people, inspire well-being and retain talent? How can we get key stakeholders to commit to our cause and co-lead systemic changes in our organizations and in our communities? And what can business leaders do to set the stage for ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ training to actually work, and bring real, measurable impact?Find out from Erika Irish Brown, Global Head of Talent and Chief DEI Officer at Citi, in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.Erika Irish Brown is Citi’s Global Head of Talent and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, responsible for driving Citi’s agenda on talent planning, succession planning and leadership development and developing its global DEI strategy. Prior to joining Citi, Erika served as Chief Diversity Officer at Goldman Sachs; Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Bloomberg; and led executive and diversity hiring efforts at Bank of America and Lehman Brothers. Erika's background also includes a range of banking and finance roles, including Head of Business Development for Black Entertainment Television, Senior Associate in High Yield Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley, and Senior Policy Analyst for Domestic Finance for the United States Department of the Treasury. Erika is Vice Chair of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, a community development corporation based in Brooklyn, New York; and serves on the Boards of Columbia Business School and Riverside Hawks, a youth basketball program in Harlem, New York City.In this episode, Erika reveals:- Five key metrics for selecting, developing, supporting and growing talent to enable the employer-employee relationship to thrive in these fast-changing times- Powerful techniques for influencing key stakeholders and getting their buy-in for leading systemic, scalable change across organizations and communities- What leaders need to do to make ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ training to actually work, and bring real, measurable impact

How can leaders in today's environment pioneer new forms of workplace interaction, mentoring, performance management, and role-modeling in order to create inspired, high-performing, connected teams across the organization? What lessons can we draw from nature and apply it to the way we deal with human nature? What kind of organization might we create if we integrate work, life and play, to both live happier lives and get closer to our peak potential?
Find out from industry-recognized leader of People and Culture, Dean Carter, ex-CHRO Patagonia, in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.
Dean Carter has been an innovative and industry-recognized leader of People and Culture for over two decades across Fortune 50, hot growth, and culture-driven organizations. He currently serves as the Chief People and Purpose Officer at GUILD Education, a career opportunity platform that enables forward-thinking employers to invest in their employees, unlocking life-changing opportunities for personal and professional growth through learning programs, career development, and one-on-one coaching; and also serves as an Independent Director for Griffith Foods, a high-growth sustainable food company. A former CHRO of Patagonia, Sears Holdings and Fossil Inc., Dean has also previously served in HR and management roles at Pier 1 Imports, Pearle Vision and Procter & Gamble. Dean's innovative perspectives on HR, go-big cultures, and employee experiences have been featured in leading media including The Economist, Harvard Business Review, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and various other books and national publications.
In this episode, Dean reveals:
- A seminal lesson we can draw from nature and apply it to the way we treat people to create inspired, high-performing, connected teams across the organization
- How to create experiences at work and in life that leads to joy and fulfillment instead of stress and exhaustion
- A proven approach to get everyone to show up as their authentic selves at work, and bring out their best selves in both epic and everyday situations

How do we build bridges with our fiercest adversaries—those that it would seem impossible for us to sit down and have a conversation with—change their hearts and minds, and turn them into lifelong friends? What causes some people to develop radically racist beliefs, behaviors and attitudes, and how can we, in our current capacities, seek to inspire and transform them? What kind of discipline do we need to build to successfully lead sustained, positive reform in our communities? Find out from renowned activist and race relations expert, Daryl Davis, in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.
Daryl Davis is an award-winning musician, a renowned activist and race relations expert, actor, lecturer and author. He is the leader of The Daryl Davis Band and has played with many acclaimed musicians including Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and B. B. King. Often called The Rock'n'Roll Race Reconciliator, for the past 40 years, Daryl has spent time befriending members of the Ku Klux Klan, has convinced many of them to deradicalize, and have been directly or indirectly responsible for over 200 members leaving the Klan. He is the first Black author to write a book on the Ku Klux Klan, Klan-Destine Relationships, by conducting in-person interviews with them. Daryl has received numerous awards including the Elliott-Black Award, the Bridge Builder Award and the MLK Award; has acted on stage, film and television, including HBO's television series The Wire, and is the subject of the award-winning documentary Accidental Courtesy detailing his real life encounters with the Ku Klux Klan.
In this episode, Daryl reveals:
- Five core human values that can help us foster harmony in all situations
- What causes some people to develop radically racist beliefs, behaviors and attitudes, and how to inspire and transform them
- The art and science of building bridges, even with our strongest adversaries, and how to turn them into lifelong friends

What are we far more likely to regret over the course of our lives? How can we face and evaluate our regrets, and use them to transform ourselves into better workers, problem-solvers and decision-makers? What motivations drive people’s behaviors and how can we learn to perceive them with more accuracy?
Daniel Pink is an award-winning author and has written 5 New York Times bestselling books on business, work, creativity, and behavior, including Drive, When, To Sell is Human, A Whole New Mind, and his most recent, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. He was the host and co-executive producer of “Crowd Control,” a television series about human behavior on National Geographic that aired in more than 100 countries. Before venturing out on his own 20 years ago, Daniel worked in several positions in politics and government, including serving as chief speechwriter to former US Vice President Al Gore.
In this episode, Daniel reveals:
How to face and evaluate our regrets, and use them to transform ourselves into better workers, problem-solvers and decision-makers
What we are far more likely to regret over the course of our lives
A powerful method for perceiving human behavior more accurately