As Director of Leader Communications at World Vision International, a child-focused Christian humanitarian organization, Kristin Ebanks positions executives, including the President and CEO, to grow their influence and authority with internal and external audiences. With 20 years of experience at international non-governmental organizations, she thrives on turning communications challenges into growth opportunities to guide leaders to excellence. Her broad expertise in change management, personal branding, strategy, publications and thought leadership has transformed the leadership styles of those she works with to leave meaningful legacies.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook Magazine, Kristin shared her professional trajectory, insights on the significance of diversity and inclusion, the secret sauce behind her success, her favorite quote, future plans, pearls of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Kristin. Please tell us about your background and areas of expertise.
I currently serve as the Director of Leader Communications for World Vision International, a child-focused Christian humanitarian organization. I work with our executives to position them for greater influence within the organization and the public. My 20-year career in the humanitarian industry has included volunteering and working with Tearfund, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and World Vision. While holding various communications roles over the years—including senior writer, editor and publications manager—I’ve developed expertise across a broad range of areas, which helps me to best serve the leaders I work with today.
My desire to work for a large Christian humanitarian organization came to me as a young person, when I began collecting coins to donate. I went on to study Psychology and English Literature in college, and then to earn a Master’s degree in International Service. My time studying abroad in Australia, Jamaica, and England significantly influenced my outlook on the world. I am particularly passionate about leading from the heart and using storytelling to inspire people to do good.
What do you love the most about your current role?
I feel honored to influence many people by working through World Vision International’s top leaders. As a child, I knew that I could move hearts through what I wrote, and my entire being was oriented toward inspiring people to bring about positive change. By working with executives, I can impact leadership styles, transform team cultures and shape how the public views our work in the humanitarian space. I also thrive on challenges, and the stakes are high when working with executives because it matters what they say, how they say it and when they say it.
I am most proud to encourage our executives to adopt a heart-first leadership style. This is a concept developed by David Grossman, a leadership and communication expert. It includes self-care, listening, demonstrating vulnerability, creating a psychologically safe culture, communicating effectively and authentically, and telling great stories.
For example, one leader I work with, Marcus Frost, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, committed to putting people first in all of his decision-making, including during an organizational change process. We asked staff for their questions through regular pulse surveys and then responded to them in follow-up Frequently Asked Questions and Myth Busters. He also created a video expressing his empathy for staff who were waiting to hear more information. These were the most popular content pieces we developed over the year.
President and CEO of World Vision International, Andrew Morley, has demonstrated heart-first leadership through his social media posts, primarily on LinkedIn. We built a following of people (which doubled over the last year, to 31,000) by telling powerful, relatable, human-focused stories. He has talked about self-care (how we can’t pour from an empty cup), how his mother embodies leadership traits he admires, and how he was transformed by his faith. Last year, he reached 1.7 million people through his posts by engaging staff, supporters, and potential partners in authentic ways.
What are the three major trends do you foresee in your industry in the next 12 months?
There are three major trends that I foresee impacting leader communications, and they all have to do with attitudes and behaviors. First, I believe we will continue to see a growing desire for authenticity in the workplace and in our personal lives. It will only grow stronger as people question where and how they get their information (especially in the age of AI and the stronghold of social media), and many people continue to feel lost in an epidemic of loneliness. People will crave real human-to-human interaction that is meaningful to them, and those that generate content around that will gain greater influence. Interestingly, “authentic” was Merriam-Webster’s word of the year in 2023.
Leaders that hone their emotional intelligence will be rewarded with a greater following of people who will be inspired to join in their mission. Employees are looking for far more than technical leadership. They want their leaders to have self-awareness and be able to self-regulate (manage their own emotions) and to show empathy and be compassionate (to perceive the emotions of others). These skills are essential when deploying effective leader communications strategies, including instituting feedback mechanisms and managing change processes. Strong interpersonal relations is everything.
Finally, I believe leaders who are willing to be courageous in being vulnerable (to open themselves to emotional exposure) will find that leadership becomes more rewarding. It will unlock doors all around them, especially if combined with authenticity and empathy. When they share their concerns, questions, and sometimes hurts, it helps create space for others to do so; and when this becomes a protected space, it becomes psychologically safe. Employees want to design, create, and build together with those who seem human just like them.
What are your thoughts on diversity and inclusion in your field? How important is it to have authentic conversations with leaders, professionals, and changemakers to create more acceptance across the globe?
I am a big believer in the genius in everyone, and I am often heartbroken that aspects of our diversity in society are positioned as weaknesses instead of strengths. Over my years in working with executives, I’ve made promoting open discussions about diversity issues a hallmark approach. The most effective way I’ve been able to do this is to work with employees to tell their stories about diversity with a “My Story/Your Story/Our Story” approach.
Through storytelling, we opened the doors in the workplace to talk about diversity issues that were once taboo but were continually on the minds of staff, often triggered by national and global events. We found a way to talk about the hurts of racism and discrimination, but also the joys of being able to authentically express our ethnic identities and raise children in multi-cultural families. I knew this was a holy space, to enter into these discussions with staff to help them tell their stories, so I was guided by prayer. And what I discovered was that not only did we expand the pool of knowledge for those who read the stories, but those who told their stories were blessed from the experience. I continually heard from them, “Thank you for letting me speak my truth. I will never forget this.”
I believe that discussions about diversity should always be welcomed and promoted in the workplace to help it become a more culturally sensitive space. This is a matter of the heart, and it pertains to the identities of staff, who want to first feel that they belong.
You were recently recognized as one of the Rising Star Women Leaders of Non-Profit for 2024. Our readers would love to know the secret mantra behind your success.
I don’t have a secret mantra because I am always willing to share what I’ve learned to help others grow. My mother used to tell me that one of my earliest teachers told her I always did more than was expected of me. I can point to that as a defining characteristic of any success I’ve had. It’s not about working harder; rather, it’s about having a vision beyond my scope of work that offers indispensable value to the right people and superseding people’s expectations in the execution.
In developing the vision, it’s key to be fearless. I think big, and I take smart risks because I want to move forward in leaps, not micro steps. This requires setting aside the predictable cynicism that will come along the way from those more uncomfortable with change and looking for allies who will help me meet my goals.
In the execution, I set myself and others up for the best chance of success and mitigate risk of failure by doing research, being creative, getting feedback, testing ideas, and monitoring and reporting on results.
Perhaps the most important element to developing the vision and bringing it to life is investing in trust-building, which can be developed overtime by listening well, demonstrating patience, being curious, committing to others’ success, and gently challenging. It is essential to work with leaders who will say “yes” to new ideas.
Some of the biggest risks I’ve taken with the executives I support have been on developing thought leadership pieces for them. This required showcasing thinking that is ahead of the curve and putting forth opinions that are debatable, and potentially open to criticism—particularly on sensitive topics.
One example of how I brought a vision to life was working with our Chief Field Operations Officer, Jean Baptiste Kamate, to raise the visibility of his field program visits with a global audience. I arranged for field communicators to accompany him on trips and visually document his interactions with children and families. We then told powerful stories on LinkedIn—about nutrition, child protection, education, and more—that generated intrigue and inspiration in the public. Now the masses can see him dancing and singing in some of the remote corners of the world with people who World Vision partners with to overcome deep poverty.
If you could have a one-hour meeting with someone famous who is alive, who would it be and why?
I would like to meet with Adam Grant, who is an organizational psychologist. He frequently writes about human motivation, rethinking, influencing others, etc. He explores the benefits of when your mind thinks well and the risks of when it does not. I’d love to talk to him so that I can learn how to be a better thinker, but also because I’d like to challenge him with some different ideas. I don’t agree with everything he says—and he’s brilliant!
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
Beyond God and my family, my colleague Marianne Albina comes to mind when I think of how I got to where I am. My first significant role in World Vision was covering for her while she wrapped up her job in another part of the organization. We went on to work together in the same team for many years and I learned so much from her big picture thinking. Later on, she hired me for a role that I really wanted, which built my authority as an editor. I also credit her for being the reason I am in this role now, as I needed her encouragement to take the leap from a previous role that I really enjoyed. I am lucky to have known her for nearly two decades at World Vision, where she has helped me to understand myself better, to welcome opportunity, to transition well, to sooth self-doubt, and to dream big.
How do you keep your mind healthy and stay resilient? And how do you motivate your team?
I believe in a mind-body connection and therefore I invest deeply in the well-being of my mind and body. Our beliefs guide what we do—and I want to do fantastic things. There are two ways I keep my mind healthy: I consider what I put into it and what I take out of it.
I pour into my mind biblical truths, positivity, industry knowledge, historical wisdom, and love from caring people who are my social supports. I spend a lot of time in nature to maintain perspective of my life in this big world. I strive to continually delete the cache in my mind that includes cynicism, polarity thinking, self-doubt, and perfectionism. I’m very mindful of the kinds of media I consume as well.
I motivate my team by sharing my passion for leader communication transformation with them, which involves discussing where we are going (big picture thinking), where we’ve come from, and the impact we’ve had. I have high standards for myself so I do push them to challenge themselves—to take risks, to do research, to experiment, to be more creative, and to test out ideas. We learn together.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is from Ephesians 17-19: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” That is my aspiration for myself, my family (especially my three boys), and all who I encounter—that they would be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
From a business perspective, my favorite quote is, “If you build it, they will come.” This has been my driving perspective for my whole career. I always felt that if I could bring my visions to life, people would follow—and they always did.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
In five years, I see myself with advanced leadership responsibility in the humanitarian development industry because that is the trajectory I have been on. I don’t think it’s for me to say what that looks like exactly now, as every career opportunity I’ve had has arrived at just the right moment when it was needed. Given my personality type as a supporter and peacemaker, I imagine I will thrive in roles where I position influencers to excel and bring people together for a cause greater than ourselves.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out on their career in your industry?
Supporting leaders requires a broad set of skills that goes beyond simply acquiring technical expertise in communications, which can be gained from experience, training, or complementary jobs. One of the most important traits is emotional maturity. This can be developed by learning about yourself (getting feedback from others, personality tests), practicing keeping confidential information, and communicating effectively with others. Another necessary trait is learning how to influence powerholders—it will require various strategies that won’t work on everyone, so it is wise to grow in an understanding of human behavior.