Real Leadership

What does it look like to run philanthropy with the discipline of a business and the empathy of a social worker? Tiffany Benjamin is the CEO of the Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of one of the largest healthcare companies in the country. A Harvard-trained lawyer, she started at a major firm, spent several years as senior investigative counsel for Congress, and rose through Eli Lilly’s legal ranks before an unexpected turn — a corporate secretary assignment she never asked for — pulled her into social impact work for good. But her preparation started much earlier: as an elementary schooler tagging along while her mother, a single mom who left a switchboard operator job to become a social worker, sat with HIV/AIDS patients in the 1980s and showed her what true empathy looks like. Since becoming CEO in 2022, Tiffany has narrowed the foundation’s focus to mental health and food security for three populations — seniors, school-aged children, and veterans — and built an accountability engine most nonprofits never attempt: a chief impact officer, standardized outcome metrics, 3–5 year grants, and a willingness to name what didn’t work. She was recognized on the TIME100 Philanthropy list of the world’s most influential philanthropists. In this episode, we cover: The childhood moments that built her leadership philosophy — her mother’s social work during the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the hospice workers who cared for her father How social drivers of health determine who shows up in the workforce, and what employers can do The Equal Justice Initiative internship where listening to one woman’s story helped overturn her conviction Why saying no is a form of respect How the 2x3 strategy grid came together, and why the foundation concentrates on Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Kentucky What health equity means in practical terms: rural health access, and a veteran suicide rate 60% higher than the civilian population How the foundation measures impact: standardized metrics like the UCLA Loneliness index and grants built to prove health outcomes Why philanthropy needs to take risks and talk about failure the way business does From a courthouse basement in Montgomery to the boardroom of a $400 million foundation, Tiffany’s story is proof that listening is a leadership strategy. Key Moments 2:54 - A social worker’s daughter: where empathy began 7:55 - The internship that helped free a wrongly imprisoned woman 11:03 - “That’s so sad, Rob. I’d like your job”: the pivot from law to philanthropy 13:16 - Hard choices: running philanthropy like a business 16:10 - The 2x3 grid: two focus areas, three populations, four states 21:44 - Measuring impact: a chief impact officer, the UCLA Loneliness index, and 3–5 year grants 31:52 - Why philanthropy must be transparent about failure 36:31 - Rabid dogs and maternity care: the power of proximity 38:06 - Social drivers of health and the workforce participation crisis 44:44 - What employers can do: volunteerism, belonging, and Face the Fight Show Notes Tiffany Benjamin — LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-benjamin-0127893/  The Humana Foundation: humanafoundation.org  The Humana Foundation — LinkedIn:                                                                     https://www.linkedin.com/company/humana-foundation  Equal Justice Initiative: eji.org  Face the Fight (veteran suicide prevention initiative): https://wefacethefight.org/  Emeril Lagasse Foundation: https://emeril.org/  Older Adults Technology Services (OATS): https://oats.org/  Ready to Work, powered by Ōnin: readytowork.org  Jim Weaver — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jim-weaver-36457418  Real Leadership Podcast: realleadership.oningroup.com  Real Leadership — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104897916/  The Ōnin Group: oningroup.com/clients

What happens when an open mic poet, a foster mom to more than 14 kids, and the daughter of Muhammad Ali's bodyguard becomes a top executive in the global heavy industrial sector? You get Erica Baird — Executive Director of Global Sales and Service at Cummins, the Fortune 150 power solutions leader. Erica oversees more than 1,200 employees worldwide across sales, service, customer experience, data center installation and commissioning, aftermarket parts, field service, design engineering, and compliance.  Before Cummins, she spent 15 years at Caterpillar leading initiatives that quadrupled sales and building the business risk and governance framework used by the executive team and board of directors. She holds a degree in mining and mineral engineering from the University of Arizona, sits on the board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers as chair of the construction sector, and is a member of C200. But Erica's leadership philosophy didn't come from a boardroom. It came from being a biracial kid bullied for being different, from a mother who was disowned for having her, from blue-collar people who raised her, and from a teacher who discovered she could write poetry. It came from being the first Black woman in nearly every role she took, navigating an industry that wasn't built for her, and refusing to leave when it would have been easier to. In this episode of Real Leadership, Erica gets honest about the sponsor who fought for her behind closed doors, the "sidestep" role meant to slow her down that became her global breakout, and the boss who once told her she was "too direct" — and the conversation that changed his mind. She also shares how her engineer's love of structure became the foundation for fostering 14 children, and why she believes the industrial talent of tomorrow has to come from high school trade programs we've spent decades dismantling. In this episode, we cover: How growing up among blue-collar people shaped the way she leads on the factory floor and in the boardroom The white male sponsor who told her, "If you keep delivering, I'll keep sponsoring," and how it changed her career Why she learned to take her power back in meetings — and the line she uses when men repeat her ideas How a role she thought was a setback became the strategic, global breakthrough of her career The story of being called "too direct" — and the conversation that flipped the script How she connects foster parenting and corporate leadership through one shared engine: structure Why "busy doesn't equal impact" — and the goal-tree discipline she uses with her team Her honest take on AI in industrial work: "AI doesn't turn a wrench" Why the skilled-trades pipeline starts in high school — and what industry has to do about it This conversation isn't about engines or equipment. It's about what real leadership looks like when you've had to fight to exist in the room — and you build everyone else a seat once you're inside. Key Moments 02:37 – Living her mother's dream: how engineering chose Erica 03:34 – The Muhammad Ali bodyguard story 05:20 – Why a blue-collar upbringing shaped how she leads 08:47 – The white male sponsor who said "if you keep delivering, I'll keep sponsoring." 10:26 – "Thank you, John, for validating what I just said" — taking her power back 19:47 – The role meant to set her back that became her career breakthrough 24:49 – Connecting foster parenting and corporate leadership 29:52 – Called "too direct" — and the conversation that changed everything 36:52 – The goal-tree discipline: why busy doesn't equal impact 41:03 – AI, skilled trades, and the future of industrial talent 46:16 – The high school trade programs we have to bring back 50:06 – Poetry as healing: the open mic story Show Notes Erica Baird — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-k-baird/  Cummins: cummins.com  Cummins — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cummins-inc/  Jim Weaver — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jim-weaver-36457418  Real Leadership Podcast: realleadership.oningroup.com  Real Leadership — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104897916/  The Ōnin Group: oningroup.com/clients 

What does it take to run a supply chain where every input is perishable, every customer is different, and every week the entire operation resets? Meet Dan Seidel, Global Chief Operating Officer at HelloFresh, and one of the sharpest operational minds in the food industry. Dan oversees 36 industrial kitchens and distribution centers across 18 countries, a portfolio of brands that includes HelloFresh, Green Chef, EveryPlate, Factor, Chef’s Plate, and You Foods, and a business that has delivered well over a billion meals.  But his path didn’t start in food. Dan spent more than 15 years at Thomas and Betts, an ABB Group company, as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and VP of Operations, building the manufacturing discipline that would later carry him through Amazon, Target, and now HelloFresh. When Dan joined HelloFresh in 2024, he bypassed the typical executive onboarding. Instead of boardrooms and investor tours, he spent his first two months on the floor of HelloFresh’s most complex production facility in Illinois, working alongside team members, learning the barriers to their success, and building the trust that would allow him to rebuild the operation from the inside out. In this episode, Dan shares what he’s learned about leading at scale through real transformation — from reducing inventory and going farm-to-box, to cutting first-box delivery time from three weeks to three days, to launching AI-driven personalization that expands customer choice from 35 meals toward hundreds. He also gets candid about what has to change in manufacturing leadership over the next five years. In this episode, we cover: How a 15-year manufacturing foundation prepared Dan for the unpredictability of fresh produce Why inventory is the “number-one evil” in lean — and why most operators protect it anyway How Dan pulled an “undercover boss” on HelloFresh to understand the real barriers on the floor Why going to the gemba matters more than any KPI dashboard How HelloFresh is using AI and automation to personalize menus, optimize delivery, and outpace weather disruptions The “renters vs. owners” framework Dan uses to shape high-performing teams Why the clearest problem statement is a leader’s most underrated skill What Dan has changed his mind on recently and what it means for how he leads now This conversation is a masterclass in operational leadership — the kind that makes sense of chaos, respects the people doing the work, and never forgets that the customer is waiting. Key Moments 02:23 – The Scale of HelloFresh: Four US Brands, 18 Countries, a Billion Meals 06:27 – Why Dan Left a “Humming” Target for HelloFresh 12:12 – Bypassing Executive Onboarding to Work the Factory Floor 15:21 – The “Undercover Boss” Moment in Phoenix 17:55 – Inventory Is the Number-One Evil (and the Days of Thunder Analogy) 23:27 – From Steel to Cucumbers: Managing Variability in Fresh Produce 26:28 – How Data Cut First-Box Delivery from Three Weeks to Three Days 31:05 – The AI-Powered Cookbook and the Future of Personalized Meals 38:00 – Why Robotics Should Never Eliminate the Workforce 39:40 – Owners vs. Renters: Rebuilding the Production Workforce 45:06 – Advice for Plant Managers Ready for Their Next Leap 48:42 – What Dan Has Changed His Mind On Recently Show Notes Dan Seidel — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-seidel-6389903a8/  HelloFresh — Website: hellofresh.com  HelloFresh — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hellofresh/  Factor (HelloFresh brand) — Website: factor75.com  Jim Weaver — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jim-weaver-36457418  Real Leadership Podcast: realleadership.oningroup.com  Real Leadership — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/104897916/  The Ōnin Group: oningroup.com/clients