This week on the Everybody Leads podcast, Tim Lupinacci welcomes Jon Olson, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, & Corporate Secretary at Blackbaud, a leading provider of software services for the social good sector. Jon oversees a diverse portfolio of legal matters, including litigation, intellectual property, and privacy, while managing a 40-person team and a $50M annual spend for Corporate Real Estate and Procurement. He is passionate about sustainability, employee engagement, and business technology innovation and has received many accolades. Jon is a member of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center Citizens Advisory Council and serves on the board of the Charleston Symphony and Charleston Jazz.

Jon discusses a hallmark of his leadership style, which involves empowering motivated individuals and letting them take the initiative on projects. He also shares insights on building a successful legal team at Blackbaud, the importance of communication, trusting your intuition, making decisions by balancing matters of the head and the heart, and building a learning organization by creating roles in which individuals can grow.

Other Topics Discussed Include:

• Jon’s Leadership Journey
• The Importance of Empowerment and Creating a Shared Vision as a Leader
• The Mission of Blackbaud
• Learning and Pivoting from Setbacks
• Adjusting to the Remote Work Dynamics
• Building a Learning Organization
• What Inspires Jon to Be the Best Version of Himself
• Advice for Young Leaders and Beneficial Resources
• Leaders in Jon’s Life Who Made an Impact Without a Big Title

Additional Resources:

Charity:

• This episode is in support of Jon Olson's designated charity, the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. We have made a donation to the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center as a thank you to Jon for joining Everybody Leads. To learn more about the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, please visit https://hollingscancercenter.musc.edu/.

Books:

• Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
• Grant by Ron Chernow

Blackbaud:

• Website: https://www.blackbaud.com/

Contact Jon Olson:

• Website: https://www.blackbaud.com/company/executive-leadership/jon-olson
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwolson/

Thank you for listening, and please join us again to hear from more exceptional leaders.

Click for more:

• https://everybodyleads.org
• https://www.bakerdonelson.com

Producer: Jason Plank
Intern: Claudia Bonney Amamoo