{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Best Ever Podcast","title":"Open Heart, Strong Core: Lara Lee’s Mantra for Purposeful Leadership","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3921,"description":"What if leading through uncertainty starts not with control, but with connection? In this episode of Best Ever, Scott sits down with Lara Lee—Fortune 50 executive, former Harley-Davidson and Lowe’s leader, and now an award-winning board director—to explore how culture, strategy, and execution come together to drive transformation. From revitalizing Orchard Supply Hardware to helping shape Harley-Davidson’s legendary customer community, Lara shares how focusing on people and purpose creates lasting results. She also unpacks the personal mantra that guides her leadership and how it can serve as a framework for any leader navigating today’s brittle, anxious, and nonlinear world.\n\n(02:14) Early sparks: Growing up a “citizen of the world”\n(07:11) What inner work really means for leaders\n(09:20) Cultivating equanimity and “imperturbability”\n(12:46) Journaling, reflection, and learning patterns over time\n(20:39) Why she studied Chinese before it was “cool”\n(22:40) Lessons from Harley-Davidson’s customer culture\n(29:16) Designing growth with psychology and purpose in mind\n(36:08) Walking into a turnaround at Orchard Supply Hardware\n(41:31) Why culture was the lever that moved everything\n(46:57) Moving from execution to creating conditions as a board leader\n(47:47) The Blue Angels lesson: Why boards should “fly loose”\n(52:17) Advice for navigating your own next big career transition\n(54:16) Lara’s personal mantra for leadership and life\n(58:42) What Lara’s reading: governance, history, and big ideas\n\nExplore Lara’s consulting work: creative-renewal.com\nConnect with Lara on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laralivingstonelee/","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/eOcIUxx1FFAUgi-AY0wb50tueWJJvT7YqtAqc30zSLs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82YzM0/ZDkxYjdjNGEwNDkz/ODE2NTc1YjMzYzc3/NjVlMC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}