What does it really mean to lead ethically when the rules keep changing, and the public is watching every move? In this special live edition of Chief Influencer, recorded before a live audience at The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) as part of the Paul O'Dwyer Forum for Political Ethics at GSPM, an annual endowed lecture series dedicated to advancing the study of ethics in political life, host Nneka Chiazor (President & CEO, Public Affairs Council) moderates a candid, high-stakes conversation about ethics, influence, and power in today's polarized world. It's exactly the kind of conversation GW was built for, where the next generation of leaders sits in the same room as the people who have already been tested.Joined by former Congressman Michael Capuano (MA), former Congresswoman Mimi Walters (CA), and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Brody Mullins, author of The Wolves of K Street, the panel pulls no punches. Both Michael and Mimi served on the House Ethics Committee, and Brody has spent decades exposing the hidden mechanics of Washington influence. Together, they explore where ethical lines are drawn, who draws them, and what happens when no one does.This episode is produced in partnership with GW's Graduate School of Political Management and Federated Management Consulting (FMC). This is a rare, unfiltered conversation from people who have lived it, and it's essential listening for anyone who wants to lead with integrity in a world where influence and accountability are constantly in tension.Takeaways: Ethics Evolves with Society: Ethical standards are not static. The panel explored how cultural expectations shift over time and how leaders must continuously reassess where the lines are drawn.Transparency Builds Accountability: Modern ethics systems increasingly rely on disclosure and public visibility, placing greater responsibility on both leaders and the public to evaluate behavior.Influence Requires Internal Integrity: Both former members of Congress emphasized that ethical leadership begins with personal accountability—making decisions you can defend to your family, your constituents, and yourself.Social Media Has Changed the Ethics Landscape: The panel discussed how platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok have accelerated exposure, shifted power dynamics, and transformed how scandals emerge and spread.Most Leaders Are Trying to Do the Right Thing: Despite the focus on scandal in media coverage, Brody Mullins argued that the overwhelming majority of public servants and professionals operate ethically and responsibly.Courage Is a Leadership Skill: Whether reporting misconduct, standing up to donors, or challenging colleagues, ethical leadership often requires the willingness to be unpopular in the short term.The Next Generation Needs Ethical Preparedness: The conversation closed with a powerful discussion about whether institutions should proactively teach students how to navigate abuses of power, much like workplace safety or crisis preparedness training.Quote of the Show:"The rule in DC, I felt, always was, if you don't wanna see it above the fold on the front page of The Washington Post, then don't do it. Well, there is no above the fold anymore. There's no Washington Post anymore. So what is the rule now?" - Brody MullinsLinks:Mimi WaltersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mimi-walters-8434179/ Brody MullinsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brody-mullins/ Website: https://www.brodymullins.co/ Michael E. CapuanoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-e-capuano-54013915b/ Nneka ChiazorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nneka-chiazor/ Website: https://linktr.ee/pacouncil Sponsors:GSPM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gspmgwu-/ GSPM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gspmgwu/FMC Website: https://www.usafmc.org/ 

In this episode of Chief Influencer, guest host Lesley Lopez sits down with Francesca Ioffreda, Maryland’s first-ever Chief Innovation Officer. With a career spanning roles at Harvard University, Brookings Institution, and the Greater Washington Partnership, Francesca shares how her mission to expand economic opportunity led her to this groundbreaking role. She discusses how Maryland is tackling complex challenges like childhood poverty and economic mobility through human-centered design, data, and cross-sector collaboration.A key driver behind this work is the state’s partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, which helped stand up Maryland’s innovation team and enable a new model for how government can operate. This conversation highlights a broader lesson about influence: the most effective leaders don’t just introduce bold ideas—they build trust, convene stakeholders, and co-create solutions with the people they serve. From launching tools like the Maryland Community Business Compass to working across government and applying AI to help agencies improve public-facing resources and work more efficiently, this episode offers a blueprint for leaders looking to turn vision into practical, measurable impact. Takeaways:Innovation Is About Solving Problems, Not Just Building Technology: Technology matters, but it is only part of the answer. The strongest innovation begins with understanding people’s needs and building solutions that respond to real challenges.Put People at the Center: Human-centered design and community engagement help leaders create solutions shaped by lived experience.Data-Driven and Heart-Led Wins: Great leaders combine rigorous analysis with empathy and lived experience.Influence Means Innovating With Community: The strongest leaders do not innovate in isolation. They build trust, stay close to communities, and shape solutions with the people they are meant to serve.Trust Is Built Through Showing Up: Relationships are built in community meetings and gatherings, over coffee, and through consistent engagement—not just in launch announcements.AI Should Free Humans to Be More Human: Used thoughtfully, AI can remove friction, save time, and allow public servants to focus on serving people.Results Build Momentum: Early wins and visible progress help build trust, strengthen confidence, and bring more people along.Quote of the Show:“A core part of our theory of influencing is also allowing ourselves to be influenced by Marylanders. It's not just us innovating for others; it's that we are innovating together.”Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/francescaioffreda Maryland State Innovation Team Website: https://innovation.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx Maryland Community Business Compass: https://compass.maryland.gov/ 

In this special in-person episode recorded at The George Washington University, Anthony Shop sits down with Dan Simons, co-founder of Farmers Restaurant Group, to explore what it truly means to lead with influence in today’s complex and fast-moving world. Known for building a mission-driven hospitality brand that connects American family farmers to the urban table, Dan shares how success is not built on polished narratives—but on embracing the full picture, including failure, struggle, and growth.Throughout the conversation, Dan challenges traditional notions of leadership, advocating for radical transparency, operational excellence, and a deeply human approach to business. From navigating criticism and scaling culture, to prioritizing mental health and aligning purpose with performance, Dan offers a candid and practical blueprint for leaders who want to build organizations that are both high-performing and deeply meaningful.Takeaways:Don’t lead from the highlight reel—lead from the full story: Influence comes from authenticity. Sharing struggles and failures builds trust and creates a deeper connection with your team and audience.Operational excellence is the ultimate marketing strategy: Before investing in messaging, fix the fundamentals. If the product or experience fails, no amount of marketing can compensate.Start with internal influence before external impact: You cannot build brand advocates externally without first creating alignment, trust, and belief inside your organization.Treat criticism as data—not a personal attack: Filter feedback to identify the root issue. Remove emotion, find the signal, and use it to improve systems and performance.Humanize your business to stay relevant: Today’s audiences connect with people, not logos. Leaders must step forward and give their organizations a voice.Align mission with reality: Purpose matters—but it cannot come at the expense of sustainability. Strong businesses balance values with operational discipline.Coaching in the moment builds culture faster than policies: Real-time feedback, grounded in trust and relationships, drives performance and reinforces shared standards.Quote of the Show:“If your business doesn’t have a voice, then by definition it can’t be in a conversation.”Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dansimonssays/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansimonssays/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dsimonssays YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe9opWoLOjjTr7MlXOrooSAFounding DC Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/founding-dc/id1800509479  Website: https://www.farmersrestaurantgroup.com/ 

What does it take to build influence when the stakes are deeply personal—and the audience is scattered across the globe? In this episode, Anthony Shop sits down with Mike Graglia, Founder and CEO of Cure SYNGAP1, to explore how one father turned a devastating diagnosis into a global movement accelerating research, building community, and driving toward a cure.Mike shares how he leveraged authenticity, relentless communication, and a willingness to experiment to create a powerful platform that connects families, researchers, and industry leaders. From launching a low-production video podcast to becoming a trusted voice for a rare disease community, Mike demonstrates how leaders can “punch above their weight” by showing up consistently, building trust, and turning their personal story into collective action. This conversation is a masterclass in influence for anyone looking to mobilize stakeholders, build credibility, and lead with purpose.Takeaways:Use your authentic voice—even if it’s not polished: Mike’s “low to no production value” podcast works because it’s real. Leaders don’t need perfection—they need trust.Communicate relentlessly (and repeat yourself): Influence isn’t about saying something once. It’s about reinforcing key messages in different ways until they stick.Turn one-to-one conversations into one-to-many platforms: Instead of repeating himself to hundreds of families, Mike scaled his impact through a video podcast—saving time while expanding reach.Build trust before asking for action: Whether it’s participating in research or supporting a cause, people act when they feel connected and informed.Be willing to experiment—and iterate quickly: Mike didn’t overthink launching his podcast. He tested, learned, and refined—embracing progress over perfection.Become a magnet by consistently showing up: By flooding the space with valuable, relevant content, Mike ensured families and stakeholders could find him when they needed help most.Leverage community to punch above your weight: With a small team, Mike mobilized volunteers, families, and partners—proving influence is about activation, not headcount.Quote of the Show:“When you’re a small army trying to influence a huge and disparate population, I always tell people: start a podcast. It’s such a potent tool for amplifying your voice right now. And even though there’s so much noise out there, we all have our own niches—and rare disease is about as niche as it gets.”Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graglia/ Podcast: https://curesyngap1.org/podcasts/syngap10/ Website: https://curesyngap1.org/ 

In today’s fragmented and fast-moving influence landscape, what does it mean to lead with principle—and still drive real impact?In this episode of Chief Influencer, host Anthony Shop sits down with Peter Goettler, President and CEO of the Cato Institute, to explore how principled leadership can be a powerful force for influence in Washington and beyond.Peter shares how he has guided one of the nation’s most influential think tanks by staying grounded in core values—while evolving its strategy to meet the demands of a digital, decentralized world.From expanding Cato’s reach beyond the Beltway to building a national network of over 20,000 educators, Peter offers a compelling look at how influence is earned through credibility, consistency, and connection.Takeaways:Principle as a Competitive Advantage: In a world where positions shift quickly, Peter makes the case that consistency builds trust. Influence isn’t just about persuasion—it’s about credibility. When audiences know where you stand, they’re more likely to listen.Influence Through Common Ground: Rather than avoiding disagreement, Peter embraces it. By focusing on areas of alignment across political divides, leaders can move ideas forward without compromising core beliefs.Incremental Change, Strategic Direction: Big change rarely happens overnight. Peter shares how effective leaders pursue incremental progress—while staying aligned with a clear “north star.”Expanding Influence Beyond Traditional Channels: The think tank model has evolved. Instead of relying solely on white papers and policy elites, Cato now prioritizes distribution—leveraging digital platforms, real-time engagement, and viral moments to reach broader audiences.Investing in the Next Generation of Influence: Through its nationwide educator initiative, Cato is helping rebuild civic culture—equipping teachers and students with tools for civil discourse, critical thinking, and respectful disagreement.Leadership Without Imitation: Peter challenges the idea that leaders must follow the same playbook. Whether it’s skipping social media or redefining outreach strategies, authentic leadership means focusing on what drives the greatest impact—not what others are doing.Preparation Creates Breakthrough Moments: A viral exchange featuring a Cato expert wasn’t planned—but it was possible because of deep preparation, expertise, and clarity of conviction. Influence favors those who are ready.Quote of the Show:“Being rooted in principle, being seen as having a high level of integrity and credibility, is a very important element in having influence, exerting influence, and ultimately persuading people.”Links:Website: https://www.cato.org/