Learning While Sprinting With Teresa Woodland (Episode 101) -

Teresa Woodland spent three decades working and living in China during its extraordinary economic and cultural transformation.

Now back in the United States, she joins me to discuss what the West can learn from China. We discuss the Chinese ability to learn while sprinting, the virtues of systems thinking and embrace of paradox, how to have a light touch with “back-of-mind” stakeholders, conversations for exploring disappointments, why it’s unwise to “wait until things so down”, and how she wins the right to be on a journey with companies.

Highlights

8:30 Why the Chinese chew on western models of adult development, but don’t swallow them whole
18:00 The talent story in China beneath the economic and policy headlines
26:00 Western action learning works—but is there an even more pragmatic way to learn?
31:00 Lessons from adopting a child and working with an orphanage
37:00 Creating light touches sooner with “back-of-mind” stakeholders
46:00 A Chinese company that looks ahead even while it’s sprinting
52:00 Teresa always starts with the business issues and intersperses the learning in between
57:00 Getting grounded by cuddling with your kids