There is something only a CEO uniquely can do, which is set that tone, which can then capture the soul of the collective. And its culture.’ - Satya Nadella

What does a CEO get to do?’ he [Nadella] asked in 2016. ‘You’ve got to pass judgment on an uncertain future and curate culture. For both, I feel, I learn a lot from these trips.

In a complex situation, when you want to empower the entire organization to be able to act without direction from the top, having a shared view of what the purpose is and how each participant fits into it is absolutely critical. It is only with a basis of a shared understanding of what we’re all trying to achieve here that distributed action is possible.

The African American parents face a different world outside of the parent-teacher conference. They, too, are racialized by diversity. But for them it is a more common experience. To work, be educated, get healthcare, buy food and clothes, they must regularly transact with people of different identities— often of greater social power and status— who may see and treat them stereotypically. Their day involves more diversity than does the teacher’s day. And that diversity can blanket their lives with the threat of stereotype-based devaluation, keeping them in churn much of the time.

Travis found a number of additional ways to regularly tap into the perspective of those outside the firm. He would appear at Q&A sessions with MBA students, which gave him access to the views and attitudes of younger people. In addition, twice a year he attended CEO Summits held by Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. These are vigorous debate events in which leaders across industries and from around the globe, as well as government figures, research analysts, and journalists, are challenged to engage in wide-ranging discussions of topics, from global political issues, such as competition with China, to leadership style. Attendees are often put on the hot seat, for example, to defend a statement they made in the press. Travis recalled that one summit he was pitted against an investor who had very publicly shorted Dunkin’ stock and whom Travis had strongly rebuked in a press interview. As he wryly commented about the encounter, the sessions ensure that “you can't fall asleep.”

The single most helpful source of outside perspective Travis found was gained by joining the boards of other companies. “If you asked me about the one thing I’ve done in my career that really helped my development as a CEO,” he told us, “it was sitting on another board. Every time I got to a board meeting, I write down more about the company I’m running than I do about that company.” Acknowledging that many CEOs say they don’t have time to serve on another board, he stresses that not only does it help to see how other companies operate but also the other company has “got a plethora of experiments going on that you can utilize for your company.