Change Starts with Listening First And Speaking Second: Boardroom Strategies for Leaders | feat. Christa Brown Sanford

Lisa Gardner is joined by Christa Brown Sanford, Chair of the Intellectual Property Department and key member of the Executive and Diversity & Inclusion Committees at her firm. Together they discuss boardroom dynamics and the balance between listening and speaking. 

Christa shares insights on balancing faith and professional life, highlighting daily prayer and reliance on God. She discusses career milestones, the importance of sponsorship, and the challenges of being a trailblazer as an African American woman. She emphasizes authenticity, recounting her decision to wear braids to work, and her goal to foster diversity in the legal industry. Finally, she shares the top character traits she instills in her children: God-dependence, empathy, and resilience. 
Also in this episode:  
 

• Role of Faith: daily prayer and reliance on God rather than self-reliance, citing the scripture "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." 

• Importance of Sponsorship: the critical role of sponsorship in career advancement and the commitment to mentoring and sponsoring others to help them achieve success. 

• Work-Life Integration: Rejecting the notion of balance, Krysta embraces the chaos and flexibility required to manage her professional, personal, and community responsibilities. She stresses the importance of planning and self-care, taking 30 minutes daily for herself. 

• Boardroom Dynamics: strategies for being effective in environments where you may be the only person of your background. She focuses on understanding dynamics, listening, and making impactful contributions, including adapting to virtual board dynamics during COVID-19. 

• Authenticity in Professional Settings: Krysta recounts her decision to wear braids again, challenging old norms and setting an example of authenticity and empowerment for others in the legal profession. 

• Promoting Diversity in Law: particularly striving to increase the representation of Black women in leadership positions. 

• Character Traits for Children: Krysta outlines the top three character traits she wants to instill in her children: God-dependence, empathy, and resilience. 

 
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About Christa Brown Sanford 
Registered patent lawyer with experience in patent procurement, patent portfolio development, patent litigation, intellectual property licensing, and patent licensing in a variety of technical areas, including telecommunications, semiconductor fabrication, analog and digital circuits, electronics, software, application, financial services, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and mechanical devices. 
 
Specialties: Intellectual property licensing, patent procurement, patent portfolio development, patent litigation 
 
About Lisa Gardner 
Lisa Gardner is a corporate real estate thought leader and co-founder of OMS Strategic Advisors, LLC, focusing on real estate, strategy, and workforce development. With over 25 years of experience, she drives profitability by optimizing human capital, leading diversity initiatives, and crafting corporate strategies. She has managed national accounts for Fortune 500 companies like Wal-Mart and AT&T, and revitalized multicultural marketing for JCPenney. Lisa serves on the Executive Board of SMU's Cox School of Business and contributes to DCEO Magazine. She is active in her community at Gateway Church and lives in Plano, Texas, with her husband and two children.