James Rhee | How to Lead with Kindness over Ego, Dominance and Control

SPARKED

Have you ever felt that the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs mentality celebrated in business today leaves you feeling empty instead of fulfilled?

In chasing status and wealth above all else, are we sacrificing our humanity along the way? How can we redefine success to prioritize significance over promotion and real human connection over control?

My guest today, James Rhee, proposes a radically more holistic vision of business and life in his new book Red Helicopter: Lead Change with Kindness. James argues that when leaders stay grounded in kindness and intrinsic motivation, they unlock the potential for companies to become true forces for good.

His story reveals how embracing empathy over ego and leading with compassion enabled him to turn around the fashion retailer Ashley Stewart. Now he's on a mission to inspire more leaders to follow his lead.

Together, James and I explore questions like: What will it take to integrate work and life instead of balancing them? How can we regain a sense of agency and demand accountability from those in power? And what will it take to prepare young people to bring their whole selves as they navigate the future of work?

We’re in conversation with:

SPARKED GUEST: James Rhee | Website | Book

James Rhee is a high school teacher turned private equity investor and CEO. James’ leadership story first grabbed global attention during his unlikely seven-year tenure as Chairman and first-time CEO at fashion retailer Ashley Stewart. After his radical approach fueled a transcendent comeback story for the company, James concretized his leadership philosophy—kindness plus a little math—in the form of red helicopter, his media-education platform. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is now a Senior Lecturer at Duke Law School and MIT Sloan School of Management and the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship at Howard University—the first joint appointment of its kind in history. His TED Talk and Dare to Lead interview with Brené Brown have captured the imagination of millions. He is the author of Red Helicopter (HarperOne; April 9, 2024).

YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields

Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 850,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

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