Interview with Trudy Bourgeois

Trudy Bourgeois is one of the country’s preeminent experts on leadership and workforce issues. An acclaimed author, business coach, experiential learning facilitator and nationally recognized speaker, Trudy is a pioneer in the field of transformational leadership.

As the Founder and President of the Center for Workplace Excellence, Trudy blends a combination of real world experience with meticulously researched and tested principles. Before forming her own business, she had a successful eighteen-year career in corporate America and was one of the first female African American Presidents in the Consumer Goods Industry. Trudy has authored two books to date: Her Corner Office: A Guide to Help Women Find a Place and a Voice in Corporate America and The Hybrid Leader.

Recently, I had an opportunity to interview Trudy. She very graciously took time to share her thoughts on leadership, interviews, the modern workforce, and her new book, The Hybrid Leader.


In your new book, The Hybrid Leader, you present a plan for a new style of leadership called hybrid leadership. What is hybrid leadership?

Hybrid leadership is about a leadership styles that combines the strengths of both the female and male leadership styles. It is a cutting edge, innovative look at creating a leadership style that is needed to manage the 21st century workforce.

Is it accurate to say that you think some of today’s leaders are ineffective, off-target, and off-base?

Yes, it is accurate to say that some of today's leaders are ineffective. In fact, research supports these findings. When 80% of all employees who work in the US wake up on Monday morning not wanting to go to work and the primary reasons is their boss there is no doubt in my mind. Most leaders haven't embraced the new face of the 21st century. They don't know how to connect with people who don't look like them, think like them or act like them. The hundreds of interviews that I conducted while writing the book also validated this fact. One gentleman that I interviewed talked about experiencing deep depression as a result of a bad boss experience. In fact, he recanted how every morning that he would brush his teeth to the point of bleeding as he thought about his hatred for his boss. Stories like these were repeated time and time again.

In the book, you reference how the workforce has changed. What do you think are the most predominate changes?

There are so many significant changes that are occurring in the workforce. We have the most diverse workforce in history. Perhaps the most dominant change is the influx of women. Second to that is the growing presence of minorities. But there are other issues like multiple generations. All these changes mandate a new leadership style.

Do you think it is possible to have a satisfied workforce? Is work supposed to be fun?

Yes, absolutely I think that is possible to have a satisfied workforce. It might not be possible to have 100% satisfied-someone can always find something to complain about. But there are organizations where people are really happy and it shows in their performance and profits. Take Starbucks and SAS as examples. In developing the book I visited 10 different Starbucks throughout the country. I went it and observed and then I asked the employees about how they felt working for Starbucks-every person that I spoke with talked about how much fun and how happy they were. Why? Because they feel valued, connected, inspired, and challenged to continue to develop.

In your opinion, what do you think leaders need to do in order to effect positive change in their organizations?

In order to effective positive change, leaders must first be viewed as value added. The way to do that is to exceed performance expectations. When you are positioned as someone who contributes an enormous amount value you can challenge the status quo. In order to impact change, leaders have to be able to influence and persuade others. Influencing and persuading is all about building authentic relationships. Most organization changes either starts at the top or starts with a committed group of people who are able to gain momentum and create a grassroots effort. Leaders need to be confident and convicted in order to drive organizational change.

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