When Loren Mayor’s team reached out to me about Loren guesting on Shameless Leadership, it was a quick and easy YES! For decades, Loren’s work and legacy have been guided by her values of impact, strategic problem solving, and connection. Her secret leadership sauce will help you think more deeply and intentionally about what it means to show up in your gifts and in the service of meaningful work.

As Chief Operating Officer of World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US), Loren ensures the organization delivers on its strategy to create a world where people and nature live in harmony. She oversees strategic partnerships, operational functions, and resource mobilization teams while strengthening workplace culture and advancing WWF’s mission with external stakeholders. Prior to WWF, Loren was President of Operations at National Public Radio (NPR), where she oversaw the full suite of organizational operations and identified new business opportunities, developing NPR’s strategic plan, and building a strong, empowering culture. Before NPR, Loren held leadership roles at PBS and worked with clients in the non-profit and media sectors during her tenure at McKinsey & Company. Loren has an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in theater from Northwestern University, where she also served as a visiting assistant professor.

Listen in to hear Loren share:

How she is leaning into connection in this season of chaos and uncertainty
Her journey from a PhD in theater to becoming the COO of one of the largest environmental organizations globally
The value of building a non-linear career focused on impact, strategy, problem-solving, and connection
What it really means to be “smart” - that doesn’t necessarily relate to expertise
How strong leaders balance priorities in professional environments - and in the overlap of personal and professional realms
3 key steps to take when leading through a crisis
How to stay humble and open as you grow in leadership

Links Mentioned:

Connect with Loren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenmayor/
World Wildlife Fund website: https://www.worldwildlife.org/
Give an Hour for Earth: A WWF campaign to take action for nature at a time when it needs us most. (The campaign runs from March 23-April 30.): https://www.worldwildlife.org/support/campaigns/gah/give-an-hour-for-earth/
Poem: We Are Nature, Nature Is Us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qeEcxCUEAM

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988: Loren Mayor: How to Build a Non-Linear Career with Impact and Integrity | Leadership Stories