Kate Williams on How Purpose Powers Performance at 1% for the Planet

[00:00:00] Roy Notowitz: Hello and welcome to How I Hire, the podcast where today's top executives share stories of their leadership journey, including defining moments that tested their values, sharpened their judgment, and shaped how they build teams and lead with purpose. I'm Roy Notowitz, founder and CEO of Noto Group Executive Search. You can learn more about us at notogroup.com. As a trusted partner to mission and values-driven consumer brands, we've had the privilege of working alongside some of the world's most inspiring operators as they've tackled the challenge of building high performance leadership teams. In this podcast, we spark a conversation about how to achieve success in hiring and create purposeful leadership for the next generation of companies.

Kate Williams joins me on the podcast. Kate leads 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses like Noto Group that contribute at least 1% of their annual revenue to environmental initiatives. 1% for the Planet was started in 2002 by Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies.

As CEO of 1% for the Planet, Kate has helped build the movement into the force it is today, and to date, the network has allocated nearly one billion dollars to environmental solutions. Kate and I talk about her path to leadership and her role as a connector at the center of a community of thousands of purpose-driven leaders. We also get into what Kate looks for in talent, as well as the unique culture that she and her team have built, which allows for flexibility while prioritizing performance

Hey, Kate. Thanks so much for joining us. It's great to have you on the podcast.

[00:01:47] Kate Williams: Thank you. I am so psyched to be here.

[00:01:50] Roy Notowitz: It's been a conversation I've been looking forward to for many months. I know our schedules have been busy, and here we are. So let's dive right in. I was thinking it'd be great if we went back and asked the younger version of you what you'd be doing today. How close or wildly off would she be?

[00:02:08] Kate Williams: Yeah, that's such a fun question to think about. I think that there are parts of my life that would be spot on and other parts that are wildly off.

And what I mean by that is working in the environmental space, spot on, because I basically, as a child, before I would've even, you know, known what one could do when one was an adult, I was very much connected to nature. And then throughout my teenage years and high school and college and early career, always focused on the outdoors.

So that lines up. But I think sort of the more public CEO aspect of it, I didn't necessarily think about myself in that way. I thought I was more introverted. So it's interesting because it feels like such a great fit. I love what I'm doing, and it feels really solid, but it is interesting to think back, and I don't know that I would've named or known myself in this way.

And maybe that isn't who I was then, and I have become that, but I would not have said this is where I would've landed.

[00:03:08] Roy Notowitz: You said you're introverted. Do you feel like something in your past has lent itself to you being able to be out front like that and to be in front of such large audiences and to be the leader in a public way?

[00:03:22] Kate Williams: Yeah, I think so, because I have thought about that, because it really does feel like it isn't how I characterize myself. I think a couple things. One, my mom was a very, very social person in a positive way, not like a social butterfly flitting around way, but she was the person who loved nothing better than to have a dining room table full of people and be the one to ask interesting questions, not for show, but because she genuinely wanted to have a good conversation.

And so I just grew up steeped in that, and she very sadly had dementia and kind of a slow decline and passed away, and I had such a realization when she died of like, I valued that connector quality of her so much, and I kind of just very simply and clearly realized the only way that that continues is if I step into that.

And so I think I found that in myself in a lot of ways through the experience of losing my mom.

[00:04:21] Roy Notowitz: Yeah, carrying on her legacy.

[00:04:23] Kate Williams: Mm-hmm.

[00:04:25] Roy Notowitz: I think I remember hearing on a podcast somewhere that you were, like, a kayak or outdoor experiential leader, so you had some leadership as well maybe back in the day that prepared you for this?

[00:04:37] Kate Williams: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I mean, in a lot of ways there's, like, a lot of threads. It just-- I was slow to dawn on all of that. For the first, like, eight years of my career and during college summers, I led outdoor trips, and after college, I was at a school where I was running the outdoor program, and that was great experience and taught me a lot because I really did have to hold the leadership center in, you know, in life and death ways, like when you're an outdoor leader, and so that, you know, really built my confidence.

But again, in my head, I still didn't think of myself in the more public way. But I definitely draw on that a lot because I was like, "Well, if I could do that, if I could, like, handle that rock climb with middle schoolers when it started hailing on us, I can do this."

[00:05:22] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. So what was your first spark or interest in the social and environmental impact, and how did that evolve into the career that you've built?

[00:05:33] Kate Williams: I really came at it mostly from the environmental side. So when I was 18, I had the great gift of getting to go on this extended wilderness experience in Wyoming. I was with a group, and it was very new to me. I had spent a lot of time running around outside and, like, being outdoors, but not in a sort of big wilderness backpacking type of way.

And so this was new to me, and I had this massively heavy pack, and it's like, "Okay, that's what I'm supposed to do. I guess I'll just trudge along in this pack." And I loved it, and, like, everything went wrong. We missed a re-ration because we couldn't get there because we had a ton of snow. There was every reason why I should have felt like it was hard and horrible and a slog, but I really loved it and ended up, at the end of the trip, one of our instructors broke his leg, which was, like, the last of the horrible things happening, and he's fine. He's fine.

But in the context of that evacuation, I was tasked as an 18-year-old who was new at this to lead the part of the group that wasn't doing other aspects of the evacuation. The senior instructor on that course looked at me amongst the other participants and said, "Kate, you're going to lead the rest of the group and get all the gear up to the pass and stamp out the helicopter pad."

And so in some way, he was someone who saw something in me that I hadn't known that I had, and that was really, really powerful because that experience has, you know, clearly stayed with me and was quite a touchstone for me. It was such a confidence builder, and I had this very clear realization when we kind of all gathered at the pass and finally had completed the evacuation that I really loved it and that this was what I wanted to do with my life.

I didn't know what that meant exactly, but I knew it was something about big wild places and, you know, leading a group. I liked the people part of it, too.

[00:07:23] Roy Notowitz: Yeah, we work with a lot of outdoor industry companies, obviously, and it's amazing how many of the leaders of those companies had experiences like that, which is what sort of sparked their passion for the industry. It's really cool.

So for listeners who aren't maybe as familiar with 1% for the Planet, can you describe the organization's mission and help us understand the scope and scale and impact to date as well as the potential that you're envisioning as the movement grows?

[00:07:54] Kate Williams: Yes. So 1% for the Planet is a global movement, and we're animated by the purpose to inspire action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive.

And the way we do that is that we build an ecosystem that's focused on connecting businesses to impact. And the way we do that is that every business member is annually certified to give 1% of their revenues to environmental partners. And when I say certified, it means that the businesses are choosing who they give to in our network and giving directly, and then we certify that that has happened, so it's a really, you know, rigorous, credible commitment.

And then we also vet all of those environmental partners, which are primarily nonprofits. So the money is going to partners that we've made sure are doing what they say they're doing, are in good standing, are able to talk about their impact. So, you know, it's a really interesting ecosystem in that we're connecting corporate or business philanthropy with impact on the ground in ways that, you know, really elevate both the businesses and the nonprofits because through these really powerful partnerships.

And we have accomplished a lot to date. We're at about 900 million US dollars certified in our lifetime, and that puts us very close to hitting our first billion in lifetime impact, which we'll probably hit sometime next year in 2027. And then we'll kind of high-five on that because it's a great accomplishment, but then really quickly sort of turn our attention to how do we get to the next billion faster?

[00:09:36] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. That's amazing. It was started by Patagonia, right? Yvon Chouinard.

[00:09:41] Kate Williams: Correct. Yeah, we were founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard and his good friend Craig Matthews, and both our founders are just wonderful role models and have stayed close to the organization in the best of ways.

[00:09:55] Roy Notowitz: And I have to say, we've been a member for about three years, and just for anyone who's thinking about doing it, it is rigorous in the sense that you certify, but it's really easy to participate, and the community is fantastic, and there's so much added value in having vetted partners to donate to. And the people that we've met have been really great and aligned from a values perspective. There's a lot of value there, and it's easy to join and participate, so I would just encourage anyone who's been thinking about it to really go for it.

You've had this really unique opportunity to gain a bird's-eye view and insights of leadership and practice because you sit at the helm of a movement of thousands of other purpose-driven leaders. How has that perspective influenced or helped define your own leadership playbook?

[00:10:47] Kate Williams: It definitely has. I mean, it's such an incredible opportunity because I do feel like I have this more-than-a-front-row seat. Like, I'm in conversation with leaders who are, you know, in some cases getting it right, in other cases getting it right, but also, you know, addressing the challenges that we all encounter in, you know, running organizations.

And so I think it's influenced me in a number of ways. One, I would say it's helped me to see the challenges that I encounter in context. It's rare that I feel like, "Oh my gosh, I'm the only one who's ever encountered this," which is, you know, loneliness or sort of isolation is a, you know, condition of leadership a lot of times, and I feel like being in the context that I'm in has really been an awesome sort of buffer to that.

So there's, you know, there's that supportive context. And then I think I also just, like, learn a lot because I'll talk to someone, and I'll get an insight into how they engage their staff, or I'll get an insight into how they do their day. I'll get an insight into how they're thinking about the future, how they do their planning.

So it's anything from, like, really tactical little tidbits to more of the energetics and mindset that they bring to the work.

[00:12:01] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. I've even gotten good parenting tips from other leaders.

[00:12:06] Kate Williams: Totally.

[00:12:06] Roy Notowitz: They have kids a little bit older than mine. That's great. That's great.

So we're living in a time of significant social, economic, political turbulence and uncertainty. How does this define what effective leadership looks like in 2026 for you and for the movement?

[00:12:26] Kate Williams: Yeah, and I think that ties to what we were just talking about in terms of purpose, because I am also seeing and really valuing the way in which leaders who have the kind of through line of purpose or a commitment to something larger than just, you know, doing well or sort of winning at the game as it's currently played, have a lot more staying power and just a lot more depth to their ability to sort of look at the reality of like, all right, there are tariffs, they're different, they're gone.

Think of everything that has changed and been dynamic over the last year alone, much less the last 25 years since we were founded. And so I think, you know, what I see across our network is, you know, members who are, like, staying the course on commitments that they've made. There's a discipline that again comes from having a commitment to this larger purpose.

And I think there's also an openness to connecting with others, sort of that collaborative spirit. And you mentioned the 1% for the Planet community, and I think for us, one of the things we really seek to cultivate, and certainly that we see our members tapping into, is leaning into connecting with, you know, others, not just in our community, but with other purpose leaders.

And, you know, you and I have ended up at some of the same conferences at different times and, you know, there's a really, really strong energy there, which doesn't mean everyone's like doing well at all times. You know, it's not like a leader with purpose is exempt from the challenges of the world. But I really do believe that through line and kind of responsibility to something larger is immensely helpful and kind of serves as like a renewable energy source.

[00:14:13] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. Yeah. And from a perspective of when you have challenging times and keeping your team motivated, I think being part of something bigger or being connected to a greater good is powerful in terms of keeping people engaged.

[00:14:29] Kate Williams: Yeah, I definitely agree with that. And, you know, we are part of that work as well because, you know, the environment affects us also, and there's the reality of what's challenging, and there's the sort of durable belief in what we're aiming for.

And yeah, so one of the things we're really working on right now is how do you hold and invite staff into holding both and, like, use the reality as the context that we are in, and then use it also as the springboard to move toward what we continue to believe in and know we're capable of.

[00:15:01] Roy Notowitz: So that's a great segue to my next question, which is, when things get challenging, how do you support your team and maintain your own energy as a leader?

[00:15:11] Kate Williams: It's always a work in progress. One of my commitments as a leader, and, you know, I'm always, you know, working to get better at this in terms of the, like, “how” of it, but I think when the going gets tough, I've always found that the best thing is just being as transparent as possible. And, you know, it's been interesting because I'm a pretty, like, level person, so I don't usually have a sky-is-falling gear.

But that doesn't mean I don't face the serious facts or experience the highs or lows. I present as level, and so one of the things I've kind of had to work on is if it's a moment where it's like, "We need to be real about this. We need to face the facts," I sometimes need to figure out how to make sure it's clear that my levelness is not a diminishment of the seriousness that I bring to the topic at hand.

But I really do try to face those facts, like name that reality, and then my philosophy is develop the understanding of it, but that's not where we have to live forever. We get to just say, "Okay," like maybe these numbers are down or maybe this is tough or that didn't go the way we wanted it to or whatever the thing is.

Name it, know it, understand it, but don't make it our reality. Don't act like it's now our destiny. Go toward, like, "Okay, so, like, where do we need to reallocate our effort or double down or whatever may be required of us?" And creating time and space for both of those things, but definitely not dwelling too long in that sort of face-the-brutal-facts space.

[00:16:44] Roy Notowitz: You clearly have self-awareness around your own leadership as well, and we call that competency and leadership positive impact, when you look at something in a more positive way versus a negative way. And it's a high correlation to success in leadership when you look through that lens. So every interaction I've had with you and your team reflects a strong values-driven culture, and everyone I've met seems happy, engaged, content, and joyful in their work.

How would you describe the culture that you've built, and how did it become that way?

[00:17:19] Kate Williams: I love to hear that you've had those interactions, and I'm not surprised. We have such a fabulous team, so-

[00:17:24] Roy Notowitz: Truly.

[00:17:25] Kate Williams: --like in describing this, creating culture is not something I do. Like, we have a great team, and together we are building a culture.

And so some of the ways that we do that, I mean, one is, like, I do try to be self-aware and high integrity and fun when I can be, and, you know, just all of that, so I try to show up as a human in relationship to the other humans I get to work with. And then we've structured it in the context of four core values that we all know well.

They're very alive for us. So those are unleash passion every day, celebrate commitment, think big, act now, and stronger together.

[00:18:09] Roy Notowitz: Oh, that's great.

[00:18:10] Kate Williams: We've sort of worked through and identified, like, what does it look like to celebrate commitment, and we've, like, written out a few kind of, "Here's some behaviors."

And then we bring those to life in our assessments, and we do breakout groups and staff meetings to touch base with them. And it's pretty cool because I think, you know, you can get a little silly about core values if you kind of bring them to life in a way that isn't genuine, but it's, like, not at all uncommon for people to bring those up.

That's been a great framework for us. And then there's so many ways in which the great team that I'm so glad you've enjoyed interacting with kind of animates those and brings them to life. But those are the most, like, structural ways that we focus on culture.

[00:18:53] Roy Notowitz: That's great.

[MIDROLL]

A lot of people ask me, "What exactly do you do at Noto Group?" We partner with entrepreneurs, founders, executives, investors, and boards to help them build high-performance leadership teams that excel and endure. We've had the privilege of working with more than 250 leading brands, from early-stage innovators to global icons, and we've placed hundreds of executives along the way.

As a certified B Corp since 2013 and proud 1% for the Planet member, it always starts with your mission and values and finding leaders who can bring those to life. If you're curious, you can find out more by visiting our website, Notogroup.com. Thanks, and now let's get back to our episode.

##

Roy Notowitz: So is the culture and mission how you would describe how you've been able to get inspired performance? Or is it external, you know, working with the community-

[00:19:55] Kate Williams: Mm-hmm ...

[00:19:55] Roy Notowitz: --where people on your team get excited and want to serve? What are the things that really drive that sort of inspiration and performance within your team?

[00:20:05] Kate Williams: Yeah. It's a really great question, and I would say it's something we're still figuring out. And, you know, some of the ways we talk about it are like, you know, how do we create that like hustle, like culture that, you know, where we're playing to win, but one that also, you know, honors that people have lives outside of work.

And so like how do we strike the balance of, you know, both care and hustle. And, you know, I don't know that we've always gotten it right and like it's been interesting to transition from like the COVID years when we really had to tip care to, you know, challenging times when it's like, all right, like let's get after it.

You know, we show up as a high performance orientation. So describing the organization today, our leaders, our, you know, senior staff right down to our like most junior, our effort is to be really clear about what we're trying to accomplish. We have a great one-page strategic plan. Be really clear about how everyone's work is laddering up to that, and then, you know, keep iterating on how we do our assessments, our check-ins, our feedback to just keep incrementally kind of creating and adjusting and calibrating that culture to get to the right balance of performance and hustle focus, while also, you know, making sure that we're not losing track of, you know, some of the care aspects that are really valuable to, you know, how we roll.

[00:21:37] Roy Notowitz: So you talked about people have lives outside of work, and you have this hustle culture. Are there specific benefits or flexibility or, you know, how do you sort of operationalize that to provide that kind of ability? I don't like to use the term work-life balance. It's more like work-life integration or whatever, but-

[00:21:57] Kate Williams: Yeah. Yeah. I agree.

[00:21:58] Roy Notowitz: How do you do that?

[00:21:59] Kate Williams: Yeah, I love talking about that. And to your, like, work-life balance comment, I agree with you. My way of thinking about it is that if we use that in just a, like, code sort of way, it implies that every day or every week is going to have some balance, but none of us know exactly what that balance is.

And in my view, you know, the point is that both are whole and that they allow for each other. So the way we do it, and I think it's pretty darn good, I'm pretty proud of what we've created, we have flex Fridays, we call it. So we don't schedule, you know, regular check-ins, regular staff meetings. It's not a four-day workweek per se.

Everyone's not just immediately off on Fridays. But if you've done everything you need to do, if you've tended to all your stakeholders, if you're not leaving anyone else in the lurch, it is totally fine and you don't have to, you know, ask or communicate anything. You can do what you want to do on Friday.

You can start a little later, whatever. You know, it's been a little bit of work because that's not a crystal clear, like on/off.

[00:23:04] Roy Notowitz: Right.

[00:23:05] Kate Williams: And, you know, some people have asked, "Could we just do a four-day workweek or could we just track our hours on Fridays?" And I'm very strong, like we've got great smart, complex thinkers, and we can handle it, and I see staff handling it really well and using it in great ways, and we've, you know, had to calibrate it sometimes.

So that's one benefit that we have. We also couple that with a strong belief in just flex time, especially in a remote culture. Like, we don't track people's hours. You know, we don't have any device on their computers or anything like that. We have jobs that need to get done, and it's as, you know, leaders and managers and colleagues, it's our job to make sure everyone, you know, has a job that fits a full-time role.

We don't have any part-time people at this time. And that we make adjustments where needed, and if someone needs to go pick up a kid or take care of a sick relative, and that means a day starts early, you know, starts late, ends early, ends late, whatever, that's fine. We're trying to balance community and autonomy and, you know, for the most part, everyone's available during a core of working hours.

And then if I send an email early on a Saturday morning, because sometimes for me, like waking up early on a Saturday morning, I can get a lot of work done. No one needs to respond. I'm not going to schedule it. So we really lean into flex time, and that's also taken some work, but we lean into that. And then the last thing I'll mention is that we have, you know, pretty good PTO policy, like nothing, you know, out of sight, but, you know, generous PTO for sure.

And then we have a six-month parental leave, which is something we're really proud of and is definitely utilized, and that has, you know, been something we've implemented over the last few years. My belief is that it's a commitment to, you know, the longevity of staff, because if they can make that major life transition and have the space to assimilate it and then come back ready to go, and it's proven to work really well for families, and then it also serves us well.

So it's like a win-win.

[00:25:11] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. That's fantastic. And what percentage of your team is in the office in Burlington versus remote?

[00:25:18] Kate Williams: We're mostly remote. I think we're probably 75% remote, 25% in Burlington, and that's been just a gradual shift as we've had, you know, just some people moving, some people leaving, some people, you know, hires that either are in Vermont or are not.

So we're effectively a fully remote organization.

[00:25:35] Roy Notowitz: Yes, I'm sure being a global organization, like we have that same challenge. We have calls with Asia at night and calls with Europe in the morning. That's another reason to have some flexibility, because at times you need to show up at unique times to make it all work.

When you're hiring leaders, what's something that you look for that doesn't show up on a resume or that you've learned is absolutely critical?

[00:26:01] Kate Williams: I think that hiring is one of the hardest things to do and incredibly fun and rewarding. I look for curious, complex thinkers. You know, assuming that they check the box in all the, like, skills that they need to have, because they're not going to, you know, make it to the, you know, end game of a process.

And so really then it's about the energy they bring, which I think I would break down into that, like, complexity and curiosity. Because if they bring both of those, you know, in a kind of balls of their feet stance, then I feel like, you know, we can sort of point them towards whatever variations. Because, you know, what job stays exactly the same as it was at the outset?

And so we're looking for people who are able to adapt and recalibrate and sort of keep adding value.

[00:26:52] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. And so do you do some sort of project or ways of assessing that? How do you sort of get at that curiosity and that complexity of thinking?

[00:27:03] Kate Williams: We have a sort of three-part process, and the third part for the finalists involves a hiring committee, and the candidates do present a project which varies from role to role.

But that really is, you know, it's structured but not overly structured, so it gives us a chance to really see, you know, how they think. And then we pay attention to the questions they ask. How do they answer questions? How do they handle if they have one of those moments where they lose the word? Which, you know, we all have.

How do they handle that? And it's, like, it's all data, and so we just kind of try to absorb that and, you know, as much as we can, you know, have them speaking about examples of things they've handled in the past. I often find that if people are telling a story about something that they have done, it both tells us how do they do stuff, and that is a comfortable place to be usually.

So it gives a little bit of a clear insight into their energy.

[00:27:57] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. I like to look at learning agility with candidates. So like sort of similar to that, likem what podcasts are they listening to? What books are they reading?

[00:28:06] Kate Williams: Mm-hmm.

[00:28:07] Roy Notowitz: You know, what leadership philosophies do they subscribe to? Like, those types of things where they're working in environments where it's very fluid, things are changing, versus sort of a steady, like we make the strategy, we implement the strategy, and stay the course.

[00:28:23] Kate Williams: Right.

[00:28:24] Roy Notowitz: Especially I think for the smaller, more entrepreneurial or dynamic environments.

[00:28:29] Kate Williams: Yeah. I think that's a really good point, like getting a feel for how active are they in terms of engaging their mind.

[00:28:35] Roy Notowitz: You know, where do they get their information?

[00:28:37] Kate Williams: Mm-hmm.

[00:28:38] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. So what learnings or insights have you gained from hiring successes or failures? Do you have any examples like what factors might have contributed most to success, or what factors contributed to mistakes?

[00:28:53] Kate Williams: I've definitely had successes and failures, but I actually don't really see the ones that didn't end up working out as failures necessarily. A lot of times when, you know, I look back and dissect the process or dissect the, like, arc of a relationship, we've always learned something, and we always kind of moved forward with good intention, and we get better and better.

And so yes, like maybe it ended up not being ultimately exactly right, but the approach wasn't a failure per se. It just was like the stepping stone to figuring something out. So two factors that have been present in the cases where we haven't gotten it right, one is probably more urgency than served us, like not having the wherewithal to say, "We don't have the right candidate. We're going to slow down and we're not going to make this hire right now."

And then the other is not having conceived of the role in the right way. So maybe hired the right person for the role, but then really realized that we didn't have the role scoped to be what we needed. And that's part of why I'm like, we didn't get it right, but where we didn't get it right is maybe just in a, like, process that was more than just the hire, and all of that is great learning because I do think the learnings that have come out of that are to really, really pressure test particularly new roles.

But even if you're rehiring to fill a role, really, really pressure test how have things changed. Like, what was that person actually doing?

[00:30:27] Roy Notowitz: Right. And what do you actually need them to do-

[00:30:30] Kate Williams: Yes ...

[00:30:30] Roy Notowitz: --moving forward that might be different or the same?

[00:30:33] Kate Williams: Exactly. And do we need different capacity elsewhere? What opportunity does this open up for us? And usually my gut had some sense of that.

[00:30:42] Roy Notowitz: Yeah.

[00:30:43] Kate Williams: And I didn't totally listen to it, so I do think ideally creating enough space that I can, like, step back from all the, like, hiring scorecards and all that stuff and just be like, if all the data says this but my gut feels this, what's going on? It doesn't mean my gut is right, but what is going on that I need to, like, just make sure I listen to?

[00:31:02] Roy Notowitz: My philosophy is that the more energy, thoughtfulness, consideration, effort you put into that process, the better the outcome, and it's those nuances. That's kinda where it gets complicated when you're dealing with humans, right? So-

[00:31:14] Kate Williams: Yeah ...

[00:31:14] Roy Notowitz: --they might be successful in one place and maybe not set up for success somewhere else for different reasons.

[00:31:20] Kate Williams: Right. One of the other things that I've learned that I'm trying to, like, stay attuned to is, I think, the hiring process, I feel like I also often learn through the arc of, like, posting to final interviews. I get clearer.

[00:31:35] Roy Notowitz: Yeah.

[00:31:36] Kate Williams: We collectively as a hiring committee get clearer on what we need. If it's a hire that's, like, someone reporting into me, so I've been really close to the job description, when I bring a hiring committee in, needing to articulate for them what are we really looking for.

Like, how would I break it down? Like, I learn as I hear myself saying things. You know, so I do think then staying open to that, so then maybe the candidate who was in the lead coming out around one-

[00:32:02] Roy Notowitz: Right ...

[00:32:02] Kate Williams: --maybe that shifts based on, like, further learning and information and just, like, settling with it all and the nuances, to your point. So it's like staying open the whole time.

[00:32:13] Roy Notowitz: Yeah. For sure. So let's shift gears a little bit. I'm interested in what advice you have for the up-and-coming leaders on how to find meaningful work or how to make career decisions with values and purpose in mind.

[00:32:29] Kate Williams: Well, one thing I would say is I think the world needs more leaders, and so I think for those emerging leaders, create space to frame it as just that “the world needs me,” not just, “I hope the world will take me.”

Because I think when you're in that stage in your career, there's such a like, "Please pick me," which I get. I'm not saying that critically at all. I was there. So I really think now that I'm in the position of hiring more and, like, seeing emerging leaders, it's like, "Oh, no, we need you." Like-

[00:33:02] Roy Notowitz: Yeah ...

[00:33:03] Kate Williams: --step in there with, like, confidence and power and the humility of, like, knowing that you are trying to figure out, like, where you sit, but I really do think that reframing is important.

And then I think also back to self-awareness, you know, doing the work to understand yourself and what do you want to do all day? Because, you know, we started this conversation with you asking me, like, what would be a surprise about where I am now if I were, you know, talking to my younger self and, you know, I could have said early on, like, I want to go be in a cabin and write about, you know, purpose, you know, topics that I believe in, and I think if I had just stuck with that, maybe that would've been really fun, but maybe I would've missed out on evolving into skills that really are fulfilling for me and that I, you know, have some capability at.

So take the time to keep checking in on what are you good at, what do you like doing, what are the skills that you can bring, and where do those point you? Because you may be saying, "Cabin in the woods," whereas everything you're doing all day may be saying, "Lead a global movement." And allowing yourself to become what you, you know, are good at and what you enjoy doing, and allow yourself and be disciplined with yourself to let go of, like say someone's like, "I want to be CEO, I want to be a CEO, I want to be a CEO," but maybe in fact they much prefer and find much more flow state and add much more value if they can go deep on, you know, a certain project and add value there. So then they lead as more of a like professional individual contributor, and that's invaluable. It's so valuable.

But having the understanding, because if you get locked in on a, you know, "I must be the CEO or a certain type of leader," maybe that's not going to be a place of fulfillment for you. Maybe it is, and again, the world needs more leaders, so like I, you know, encourage stepping up, but the world needs a lot of different types of leaders who are leading from different places.

[00:35:12] Roy Notowitz: And good followers as well to support.

[00:35:15] Kate Williams: Exactly, yeah.

[00:35:17] Roy Notowitz: When you use the word leadership, you can use that term lightly, but it's actually, there's a lot to it, right? So emerging leaders or younger professionals in the workforce, they've had maybe some sort of little seed of leadership where they were leading a kayaking trip or, you know, or whatever the case might be.

Building off of that, you talked about self-awareness, which I thought was great, and really being a student of leadership, because I think it takes a really special kind of person to invest in the success of others and to be authentic as a leader. One of the things that defines companies that have purpose and values in mind is that there's a lot of authentic leaders.

[00:35:58] Kate Williams: Mm-hmm.

[00:35:59] Roy Notowitz: And that it comes from a very authentic place. And so trying to interact and engage in those ecosystems will get you there.

[00:36:08] Kate Williams: Yeah, I think that's really good. And two other things that came to mind when you were talking, one is being clear on your motivations, because I do think that like- you know, authenticity and self-awareness come with and bring with them an ability to see that, like, leadership is not about you.

It's really about actually using yourself as a way to elevate everyone else. So to the extent that it's possible, it's about really seeing your success as the success of other people. And so you have to be able to sort of get into that balance. So that's one thing to think about. And then the other thing too is some of that you really can't learn until you're kind of doing some of it.

And so to your point around having a lot of experience, I would also just add, jump before you're ready. I've done that and felt like, "Oh my gosh, is this a really bad choice?" But every single time I've found that mentors, supporters, people who want you to succeed appear when you've taken the leap, and there's so many ways in which you learn once you're in it.

For emerging leaders, I think there can be a tendency of like, "Well, I need this experience and I need to take that step and that follow. Like, this is the path." And every single meaningful experience that I have taken or done that has, you know, moved me along on my path has been before I thought I was ready, not at a convenient time, and not what I expected.

And every single time, you know, kind of saying, "Okay, yes," was hard, but the right choice because it really helped me to grow so much.

[00:37:51] Roy Notowitz: So as you reflect on your career and think ahead, what kind of challenge feels most energizing right now, and what kind of exciting things can we expect to see from 1% for the Planet in the future?

[00:38:04] Kate Williams: In a lot of ways, it's the same stuff as when I started. It's like I want to be the best version of myself as a leader, such that 1% as an organization and the amazing staff we have in it all feel like they have the conditions to be wildly successful. So that's been energizing for me every single day of doing this work, and it continues to be.

So in terms of what exciting things we can expect to see from 1% for the Planet, as everyone is being wildly successful, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary next year, and serendipitously, we'll probably hit our one billion in lifetime impact during that 25th anniversary. So we're pretty stoked to celebrate that.

And all the while, as we're like, you know, heading towards those milestones and then, like, springboarding from them, I think just continuing to grow our global network and grow our impact and improve the ways that we get to talk about our impact, continue to elevate the ways that we bring our community together.

So just continuing to, you know, learn and grow and amplify what we're doing and being able to, you know, just keep touching and seeing the ways in which that's putting real dollars into real solutions on the ground and making the world a better place.

[00:39:23] Roy Notowitz: What do you think is really going to drive the next billion? Like, what are the big unlocks in your mind?

[00:39:31] Kate Williams: I think there's kind of a cultural unlock, and then there's, like, a more technical or tactical unlock and lots of other factors. But I think on the kind of cultural side, I think there's a real opportunity for businesses to have the courage to take the step to commit to driving impact.

And a lot have. You know, we have a growing network. There's a lot of other, you know, certifications and communities that businesses can join, but I really do think we've been, you know, seeing with some really amazing members this year their courage to make the commitment, deliver on the commitment, talk about it, and really be movement builders with us.

I think that's just a huge unlock when we start to see that true network effect.

[00:40:13] Roy Notowitz: Yeah.

[00:40:13] Kate Williams: And then I think, kind of more, like, tactically, it's really exciting for us to talk about that billion dollars of certified impact, and we know that it's going into our four impact areas. But one of the things we're building out is an even stronger ability to tie those dollars to, you know, direct indicators on the ground of acres, of, you know, people engaged, of greenhouse gas emissions reduced.

You know, really tangible impact. That's a really, really, really big project.

[00:40:47] Roy Notowitz: Yeah.

[00:40:47] Kate Williams: But we're working on that. We know that that's the “so what,” and we've never doubted that that's happening on the ground. We just are now building out the ability and the tools-

[00:40:57] Roy Notowitz: To measure all the downstream impact. Yeah.

[00:40:59] Kate Williams: Exactly. Yep.

[00:41:00] Roy Notowitz: Wow, that is so cool. So how can someone listening to the podcast learn more about 1% for the Planet or start the process of becoming a member of 1% for the Planet?

[00:41:12] Kate Williams: As you were saying at the start, it's simple. You can go to onepercentfortheplanet.org, all spelled out in letters, and you can click on membership and learn more.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn. I do respond to questions there. But really going to our website, learning about it, and then if you are like, "Oh, I actually do want to take the next step," there's a simple form that you can fill out that doesn't commit you to anything, but it gets you in touch with one of our amazing team members to talk through taking next steps.

[00:41:41] Roy Notowitz: Right. Thank you.

[00:41:42] Kate Williams: Mm-hmm.

[00:41:43] Roy Notowitz: Kate, thanks so much for being on the podcast. I've really enjoyed this conversation, and I'm just looking forward to being part of the next billion journey that we're all going to be on together.

[00:41:54] Kate Williams: Yes, absolutely. Thank you.

[00:41:58] Roy Notowitz: Thanks for tuning in to How I Hire. Visit howihire.com for details about the show. How I Hire is created by Noto Group Executive Search. To find out more about us, visit notogroup.com. You can also sign up for our monthly email job alert newsletter there, and find additional job search strategy resources, as well as more content on hiring. This podcast was produced by Anna McClain. To learn more about her and her team's work, visit aomcclain.com.