The Power of Art and the Art of Power with Henry Timms

Henry Timms has discovered a new form of power based on mobilizing participation in our hyperconnected world. He joins us to talk about how leaders can harness this power to effect far greater success, which is the subject of his book New Power, co-authored by Jeremy Heimans. We’ll also talk with Henry about an entirely different kind of power—that of the arts and its critical role in society today—through his role as President and CEO of New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. And we’ll get the backstory on Giving Tuesday, the generosity movement Henry created which became a global phenomenon that’s raised over $7 billion to date. Henry offers a fascinating point of view on power and leadership – one that blends influences from his varied professional career – that will be useful for all leaders.   

If you liked this Redefiners episode, you also might like From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase. 

BIO:Henry Timms is President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.-- an artistic and civic cornerstone of New York City and home to eleven resident companies on 16-acres in Manhattan. President since 2019, Henry’s focus is several-fold: supporting organizations on campus to realize their missions and fostering collaboration; increasing the accessibility and reach of Lincoln Center’s work; championing inclusion; and reimagining and strengthening the performing arts, helping ensure their place at the center of daily life. He is the creator and co-founder of #GivingTuesday, a global philanthropic movement that engages people in close to 100 countries. Designed as a counterpoint to Black Friday, it has generated over 2.5 billion dollars for good causes in the U.S. alone. The recent special edition to support COVID-19 causes catalyzed over $500M of giving online. 

Henry is also the co-author of the international bestselling book New Power, described by David Brooks in the New York Times as “the best window I’ve seen into this new world” and as a “must-read…a gift to our movements” by Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter. It was shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year and named as a Book of the Year by Bloomberg, Fortune, Financial Times and CNBC. 

As a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, he chairs the nomination committee for the RSA’s most prestigious award, the Benjamin Franklin Medal. Previously he was the President and CEO of 92nd Street Y, a leading cultural community anchor in NYC. Under his leadership, the 144-year-old institution was named to Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” list. He is a Hauser Visiting Leader at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Fellow at Stanford University.