Ep 1 - Scott Jackson, CEO, Global Impact on the Power of Story

Leadership Insights Podcast

“If we’re not able to tell our story we’re not able to connect with other people who will truly benefit from it.” – Scott Jackson, CEO, Global Impact and the Leadership Insights Podcast first guest Imagine – you are 10 years old in the South during the Civil Rights Movement and your white mother leaves an abusive marriage and marries a black man. It’s illegal and your new family is shunned by both the white and the black communities. Compelled to save the family and make a better life, the three of you flee to Canada and then Washington State. Your biological father finds you and forces you to return, but at 12-years-of-age you escape, making a harrowing journey across the country, alone, back to your mother and step father… This is how our guest Scott Jackson’s journey begins and he shares his incredible story and extraordinary leadership insights in the very first episode of the Leadership Insights Podcast! What You’ll Learn

• Why it’s crucial for leaders to be vulnerable and both share their stories and know the stories of those they lead
• What kinds of strategies Scott uses at Global Impact to attain a 95% satisfaction rate on employee surveys, unheard of in his industry (or many others)
• How to create a culture where staff is empowered, supported and visible
• How to balance one’s ego with your mission to serve and develop others
• How to stay authentic, curious and humble
• The importance of continuous reflection and being a student of leadership
• And so much more!

Links & Resources

• Global Impact – Scott’s organization
• The Power of Story – my reflections inspired by Scott’s interview (to be posted)
• Bono’s ONE Campaign – Bono’s nonprofit Scott referenced in the interview
• Open Space Technology – powerful methodology that empowers the group to self-facilitate
• PEPFAR – George Bush’s AIDS initiative Scott referenced

About Scott Jackson Scott Jackson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Impact. A global development, fundraising and marketing veteran with more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Jackson provides leadership, direction and oversight for all aspects of the organization, which has raised $1.7 billion since inception to help the world’s most vulnerable people. Before joining Global Impact, Mr. Jackson served as Vice President for External Relations at PATH where he worked with a team to manage more than $300 million in donations. While there, his strategic responsibilities included developing and strengthening relationships with partners and donors, overseeing unrestricted funding and advocacy-related funding initiatives, and maximizing the visibility of PATH’s work. Previously, Mr. Jackson was Senior Vice President at World Vision US where he directed external relations, key partnerships, community relations and strategic initiatives. While there he worked with a team that managed a fundraising portfolio of more than $1 billion. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Jackson served as President and Managing Director of APCO Seattle, a worldwide public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm. In 1989, he founded TRADEC (Trade and Development Consortium), one of the first marketing and communications firms in North America to specialize in international trade promotion, technology transfer and market access. TRADEC was later acquired by APCO Worldwide. Mr. Jackson serves on several national boards and advisory councils including PATH MACEPA, Global Washington, the International Center for Research on Women, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. He was a founding nonprofit member of the management committee of the ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History. Mr. Jackson received an MBA from the University of Edinburgh School of International Business, where he attended as a Rotary International Ambassador Scholar. He also holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Puget Sound. Mr. Jackson received a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Puget Sound, and maintains his CFRE certification through the Association of Fundraising Professionals.