Neri Karra Sillaman is a refugee-turned-entrepreneur, academic, and author whose work focuses on the importance of resilience, purpose, and vision in business and in life. She is the recipient of the Thinkers50 Radar Award, an entrepreneurship expert at the University of Oxford, and the founder of Neri Karra, a global luxury leather goods brand. She is the author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

We all know that the right connections can help in our careers, but how do we actually get more intentional about forging the connections that will be most meaningful and sustainable? In this conversation, Neri and I explore the key lessons from immigrant entrepreneurs and how their successes can help us all thrive.

• Robins and titmice have vastly different outcomes because of their divergent abilities for flocking. Social capital is critical for success.
• Diversity brings many strengths – and it also introduces new challenges for connection. We can’t as easily rely on connections through traditional cultures or experiences.
• All of us have the ability to forge connections based on value. This is perhaps the most powerful homophily tie and accessible to everyone.
• The most successful immigrant entrepreneurs don’t rely on connections happening automatically and also don’t assume that relationships will be static.
• Focus on what unites you with others. Strengthen ties with other networks to avoid the risk of communities that are too insular.
• Be proactive and generous in sharing information and ideas to support others.

• Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs by Neri Karra Sillaman (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

• Three People Who Will Help You Grow, with Andrew C.M. Cooper (episode 700)
• The Way to Build Collective Power, with Ruchika T. Malhotra (episode 759)
• Using AI to Make Networking Easier, with Ruth Gotian (episode 766)

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David Yeager is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and the cofounder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research conducted with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, and Greg Walton on short but powerful interventions that influence adolescent behaviors such as motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, mental health, and more. He is the author of 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Older generations have been complaining about younger generations for all of recorded history. Today is no different, and I often hear how leaders are struggling with motivating their younger employees. In this conversation, David and I explore the most recent research and practice for what actually works.

• Older generations have been complaining about younger generations for all of recorded history. Often, our complaints are the result of our own past experiences.
• Many leaders experience the mentor’s dilemma: being nice and putting up with poor performance, or being critical and demanding higher performance.
• Status and respect for a young person are as critical as food and sleep to a baby. When satisfied, they can open up much better motivation and behavior.
• The mentor mindset embraces both high standards and high support for the young person you wish to motivate. Because this is a mindset, you can absolutely get better at it.
• When giving feedback to a young person, acknowledge the high standard you are setting and also tell the young person that you believe they can meet that standard.
• Young people have often experienced a lot of “enforcing” behavior from parents, teachers, and coaches. They assume this in the workplace if you don’t make a point to say otherwise.

• 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

• How to Challenge Directly and Care Personally, with Kim Scott (episode 302)
• How to Reduce Drama With Kids, with Tina Payne Bryson (episode 310)
• How to Solve the Toughest Problems, with Wendy Smith (episode 612)

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Today (Friday, March 20th) is the FINAL DAY to apply to the Coaching for Leaders Academy. If you are at an inflection point and ready to thrive, apply before the end of the day at coachingforleaders.com/academy.