Joe Gerstandt | keynote speaker, freedom fighter, freak-flag flier

I believe that events and places could do a better job of making changing stations readily available to both men and women that are with small children. I believe it now and I believed it ten years ago…but it was only a REALLY big deal to me for a few years. The years when I   [Read More…]

In my last post, I talked a bit about diversity being misunderstood. Organizations often lack clear, concise definitions and the word diversity is often used as code for race, African American, minority, gender, affirmative action, etc. While these are all important parts of the diversity and inclusion conversation, I continue to argue that the word   [Read More…]

I wrote a blog post recently about some of the underlying beliefs that inform my approach to my work. One of the things that I said in that post was this: “I believe that difference is one of the most fundamental and powerful dynamics of the human experience.” I knew there were a few things   [Read More…]

A couple of interesting conversations recently served as catalyst for this blog post. I am reminded that underneath and behind different approaches, there are often different beliefs. We advocate different approaches to human resources and management, governance, law enforcement, guns, education, etc., because we (sometimes) hold very different beliefs about human beings. While those underlying   [Read More…]

Ug. I am not a patient person, and that is why I often have a love / hate relationship with the body(s) of work that I am connected to. Most of what I do lands somewhere in the Diversity & Inclusion / Human Resources / Management / Learning & Development / Leadership & Organizational Development   [Read More…]

“Words do matter.  Language is messy by nature, which is why we must be careful in how we use it.  As leaders, after all, we have little else to work with.  We typically don’t use hammers and saws, heavy equipment, or even computers to do our real work.  The essence of leadership — what we   [Read More…]

I think that we have done ourselves a great disservice with this idea of authenticity. We have turned it into a buzzword and we throw it around very casually as if it were a safe, simple and common thing. I do not think that authenticity is safe and simple, I think that it is actually   [Read More…]

My second podcast, in which I discuss Just Kids, by Patti Smith, the story of my life, my work, Talent Anarchy, The Frontier Project, the Diversity Summit this Friday and my next Skype Day. Enjoy. Be good to each other.

My very first podcast!! Let me know if this works! Freak Flag Flying w/ joe gerstandt:

There is a company that invites me in for a song and dance every year or two. Same story every time… they have grown tired or bored or disappointed with their current diversity efforts and are ready to take things to the next level. They keep getting referred to me, and I keep going in   [Read More…]