Prioritize principles in crisis, w/Upwork’s Hayden Brown and Merck’s Ken Frazier
Masters of Scale
WaitWhat
4.6 • 4.4K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2023
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Navigate today’s uncertain climate with a steadfast resolve. Recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and Upwork CEO Hayden Brown talk with host Bob Safian about how leaders should trust their values when faced with social, political, and economic challenges. Brown shares how leading through the chaos of the pandemic brought new opportunities to increase diversity and productivity. Frazier details Merck’s reactionary strategy to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and offers clear advice to socially conscious leaders.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi there, it's Anya Prifumo, a producer at Masters of Scale. |
| 0:04.0 | On Masters of Scale, we chat with some of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time |
| 0:08.2 | to answer the big questions surrounding scale and innovation. |
| 0:12.8 | NPR's TED Radio Hour takes these same ideals and discusses them with some of the world's greatest |
| 0:18.2 | thinkers to answer questions like how does AI work and how do we reimagine a sustainable future? |
| 0:25.3 | TED Radio Hour explores these challenging questions and the answers might surprise or even |
| 0:31.2 | change you. Find TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:38.9 | We can't see around all of the corners ahead but we have to make decisions that may not be |
| 0:43.3 | popular in the moment with everyone. We have to make decisions that stand the test of time. |
| 0:48.9 | For Business to succeed, we need a climate and that climate can't just be one that's conducive |
| 0:55.9 | to commerce. It has to be conducive to people. It's important to have things that we care about, |
| 1:05.0 | you know, fairness, decency, morality, civility. My view of it is that we citizens, |
| 1:12.0 | including business leaders, have an obligation to do something about it. |
| 1:21.3 | That's Ken Frazier, Chairman and former CEO of Farma Giant Merck and Chair of Health Assurances |
| 1:27.9 | at VC Firm General Catalyst, and Hayden Brown, CEO of the Pioneering Job Platform Upwork, |
| 1:34.8 | both live from the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. |
| 1:38.9 | I'm Bob Sathion, former editor of Fast Company Founder of the Flux Group and Host of Masters |
| 1:44.1 | of Scale Rapid Response. I wanted to talk to Ken and Hayden because the pair share compelling |
| 1:50.0 | insights about the responsibility of business leaders today and how to prioritize principles |
| 1:55.6 | during moments of business pressure. From Russia boycotts to economic dislocation, |
| 2:00.9 | they talk about making sacrifices to stay true to your company's values. Plus, we hear from |
| 2:06.8 | two special guests, a board member from Peloton and an entrepreneur from Keyview Crane, |
... |
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