Laughing Matters

Episode 38: How many cows would your colleagues trade for you?: Sally Susman, Pfizer

Paul Episode 38

You’re a leader at a global pharmaceutical company and a once-in-a-lifetime worldwide pandemic hits. How do you manage that with bold leadership and resilience - all while maintaining a sense of humor? Sally Susman, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, shares how she navigated the unprecedented, along with some hilarious stories from her career:

  • The power of admitting you’re wrong and sharing your biggest mistakes
  • Her future boss’ witty answer when someone offered to trade her for a couple of cows 
  • An embarrassing interview about her footwear with one of the nation’s largest newspapers

We also encourage you to pick up a copy of Sally’s fantastic best-selling book, Breaking through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts and Change the World,” published by Harvard Business Review Press.