Leading with Love: A Hallmark of Excellence
May 14, 2025
Episode Summary
About the Guest:
It takes a lot to stand out among greatness, and Wonya Lucas’s family is home to some heavy hitters—from her dad, the first Black general manager in Major League Baseball, to her mom, whose bright idea in a Turner Broadcasting meeting turned into Cartoon Network, to her uncle, the late great Hank Aaron. But Wonya has made just as much a name for herself with her storied career.
Wonya graduated with an engineering degree from Georgia Tech before going to work for Westinghouse for many years. But engineering wasn’t enough. After a stint at Wharton to earn dual Finance and Marketing degrees, Wonya continued on her path of greatness, eventually earning positions such as EVP/GM at The Weather Channel, CMO of Discovery Communications, and president and CEO of Hallmark Media. Today, Wonya serves on the boards of many companies and organizations, always striving to bring her dual-brained personality to tackle any problem.
What You Will Learn:
- Strategies for staying grounded and accessible as a leader
- Insights into how the tiniest voice can have the biggest impact
- Lessons in how marketing is about showing different types of love
- Stories of how staying intellectually curious about people can lead to opportunity
Join Joe and Wonya as they discuss leadership, family, purpose, and the role we all play in developing the community around us. Wonya offers a very clear first and second step, both learned from her father, to being a great leader. And who wouldn’t want to follow in her amazing shoes? Tune in today so you don’t miss a single drop of wisdom.
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Joe Hart
Joe Hart is the President & CEO of Dale Carnegie and the co-author of Take Command, a Wall Street Journal bestselling book on leadership and intentional living. With a background as an attorney and entrepreneur, Joe brings real-world business acumen and personal insight to each episode. Through candid conversations with world-class leaders, he explores what it takes to lead with purpose, navigate challenges, and inspire greatness in others.
Wonya Lucas embodies all the best qualities of a leader, and, just like mom’s cookies, she does it all with a sprinkle of love. “Love is a commonality that we all have,” she says. “It is very much at the core of each person and the essence of people.” During her marketing and advising work, Wonya has kept her focus on those whom she is leading. “I want people to know that, as a leader, I'm here not just to help the company but to really help with their careers.” Tune in to hear more about how getting to know people feeds their success, why creating a safe space for vulnerability is critical, and why everything is about connecting with people to build relationships.
