Stanford’s Legendary “Touchy Feely” Workshop: The Leadership Skills Every Leader Needs — with Carole Robin
Hi, I’m Carole Robin. I am the co-founder of Leaders in Tech (LIT), a San Francisco-based nonprofit that gives founders and startup executives the leadership skills they need to build great companies and make the world a better place leadersintech.
Prior to starting LIT, I taught the legendary Interpersonal Dynamics course (affectionately known by students as “Touchy Feely”) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business to MBAs and executives, held a bunch of fancy titles and won some awards. Touchy Feely has been credited for being worth the entire price of tuition by thousands of students over many decades.
I started Leaders in Tech to bring the principles and process of “Touchy Feely” to leaders in Silicon Valley. Prior to coming to Stanford, I had careers in sales and marketing and consulting. I co-authored a highly acclaimed and award-winning book, Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues which contains the lessons of "Touchy Feely" that thousands of students and executives consistently describe as life changing. The book is available in 15 languages.
The fundamental premise of my work is that people do business with people—not ideas, not products, not strategies, not even money—they do business with people. So, getting the people part right is key. That is why the course is legendary at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and not hidden away in the Psychology Department. The question is not whether people skills are important—the question is how to develop them. Interpersonal competence is a determinant of both professional and personal success. I have had as many former students and LIT participants call me to thank me for helping them become a CEO or raise another round of money, as I have those who call to tell me they are pretty sure what they learned saved their marriage.
This workshop draws on the LIT and Stanford Interpersonal Dynamics curriculum and will provide you with the key skills necessary to become more interpersonally competent. It will help you begin to answer the question I ask all program participants to explore: “Why should anyone follow you?”
This workshop is for you if you would like to learn how to:
Move relationships from dysfunctional (or contact with no real connection) to functional and robust (at a minimum) and exceptional when desired
Use the 15% rule to inform your choices as you are deepening relationships
Create conditions for giving and receiving feedback in ways that build stronger relationships (vs. weaken them)
Resolve conflicts more productively
Be a more influential leader
You’re a great fit if:
You want to connect more deeply and effectively with colleagues, direct reports, a boss, a board member, investors, and/or family members and friends
You believe strong, functional relationships are critical to your success (personally and professionally)
You are curious and open to learning
You might be:
A startup founder raising money and growing your company
A leader in either a for profit or non-profit organization looking to “up your game”
A person seeking more meaningful relationships in your professional and personal life
In this interactive session, expect:
Learning. You will learn what fosters deeper connection between people and engage in some important introspection and self exploration
Skill building. You will learn new skills based on robust frameworks.
Role Playing. You’ll have a chance to role play feedback conversations you want to have.
Challenge. I will invite you to test your mental models and update your limiting beliefs about what creates connection
Fun. We’ll have some fun while we explore together (and especially during role playing)
By the end, you’ll be able to:
Connect more quickly and effectively with others—especially people who are different than you
Determine the kind of relationships you want and how to build them
Influence others more effectively
Develop others more effectively
Address limiting beliefs that hurt relationship building
Join me for a taste of what thousands of Stanford MBAs have said, for decades, was worth the entire price of tuition.
Workshop Outline
Leadership and Referent Power: Why Should Someone Follow You?
Self-Disclosure, Reciprocity and the 15% Rule
Feelings and Emotions – the Key to Connection
“Pinches” before “Crunches”
The Power of Feedback
Influence and the Theory of Exchange
Special Notes
Please note that this will be an interactive/expriential workshop—you will be placed in breakout groups of three people each periodically. As such, please plan on staying in the workshop the entire time and being fully present throughout. Failure to do so will not only impact you and your learning, but also could negatively impact someone else’s
We will take a 5–7-minute biobreak roughly halfway through – though please note this is meant to be strictly a biobreak in case two hours is too long for you to go without one. This mini break is not intended to be a time for you to check your email or attend to other business.
Hosted by Bay Area Founders Club
Bay Area Founders Club (BFC) brings together founders, investors, executives, and AI leaders across Silicon Valley and beyond.
Through the BFC AI Academy, we connect our community directly with leading investors, operators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to share the frameworks and insights founders need to build the next generation of companies.
Come with your hardest fundraising questions. Leave thinking more like a VC.
About the Bay Area Founders Club
The Bay Area Founders Club (BFC), founded by Dr. Paul Fang in Silicon Valley in 2022 and managed by a dedicated group of Stanford alumni and students, is a thriving community of over 100,000 members, including more than 5,000 startups and over 1000 venture capital firms. With most startups in our network raising $1-10 million, and some exceeding $20 million, our mission is to empower creators who aspire to make a global impact. We provide the essential resources, support, and connections needed to transform visionary ideas into reality.
Unlock insider access and elevate your founder journey — join BFC NOW.
Learn more: https://www.bayareafoundersclub.com