Alex Wirth, Co-Founder and CEO of Quorum, joins Anthony Shop to explore what it really takes to lead with influence, from the Senate floor to the tech boardroom. Alex shares how he built one of Washington’s top civic tech startups from a Harvard dorm room and scaled it to more than 330 employees. He breaks down his “Hacker and Hustler” founding model, the evolution from “Superman” to “Captain America” leadership, and why consistency, clarity, and communication define great leaders.
In this insightful conversation, Alex reveals his approach to influence inside organizations and in Washington, D.C., including how Quorum helps Fortune 500 companies, associations, and nonprofits advocate effectively. From using AI to personalize congressional outreach to leading with authenticity and transparency, Alex shows how influence today means building movements, not just managing teams.
Takeaways:
- Communicate more—and more consistently. Great leaders are “Chief Reminding Officers” who repeat key priorities across channels until they stick.
- Know your strengths and build around them. Use tools like Gallup StrengthsFinder to balance influencers, executors, relationship builders, and strategic thinkers across your team.
- Adapt your leadership as you scale. Move from doing everything yourself (“Superman”) to empowering other leaders (“Captain Americas”) who can build their own high-performing teams.
- Personalize advocacy. Whether engaging staff or lawmakers, tailor messages to individuals. Authentic, human communication wins over one-size-fits-all tactics.
- Communicate, especially when it’s uncomfortable. Transparency during uncertainty builds trust faster than waiting for perfect answers.
- Measure and prove impact. Tie public affairs objectives to measurable outcomes, including financial value, to strengthen organizational credibility.
- Sustain your own energy. Prioritize rest, exercise, and downtime so you can bring your best self to your work and lead for the long haul.
Quote of the Show:
- “Communicate when it’s most difficult to communicate—that’s when people need it most.”
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