Some of the teams I work with report to a boring leader, and it’s a problem. As someone who works with leadership teams, it’s easy to spot when this is happening because the clues are usually obvious: During meetings, the team is multi-tasking, they are checked out, and they’re often quiet, only offering thoughts when called upon […]

A new CEO of a manufacturing company had been given a mandate by the board to drive aggressive growth and double the size of her business over the next five years. To say the strategy differed dramatically from her predecessor was a major understatement, given the previous CEO was known for his relentless focus on driving […]

A new CEO of a manufacturing company had been given a mandate by the board to drive aggressive growth and double the size of her business over the next five years. To say the strategy differed dramatically from her predecessor was a major understatement, given the previous CEO was known for his relentless focus on driving […]

In advance of an important meeting with company executives, you provide an agenda along with a set of pre-read materials. Your ask of the senior leader audience: Please review these documents before our meeting. It seems like a simple request, except for the fact that for many of us, getting an audience to even skim our pre-read […]

The future of work’s time has come, which is why you’d be hard-pressed to find a company that isn’t tackling the issue head-on through important strategic initiatives, enterprise projects, and more. And then, there is Ravi Kumar, president of Infosys, the global IT consulting and services company with over 250,000 employees worldwide. He’s widely regarded as […]

The future of work’s time has come, which is why you’d be hard-pressed to find a company that isn’t tackling the issue head-on through important strategic initiatives, enterprise projects, and more. And then, there is Ravi Kumar, president of Infosys, the global IT consulting and services company with over 250,000 employees worldwide. He’s widely regarded as […]

Many of my clients work closely with CEOs and some like that fact more than others. Those that appreciate the proximity to the CEO do so for the reasons you might imagine: You’re in the inner circle, you have a direct line to the economic buyer and decision-maker, you have the opportunity to learn from the best, […]

Here’s a question you’ve probably heard more than ever lately: What does it mean to bring our organization into the future? It’s what leaders at some of the best-known companies in the world are asking, including Karen S. Carter, Chief Human Resources Officer & first-ever Chief Inclusion Officer at Dow, the global materials sciences company. Carter has […]

Here’s a question you’ve probably heard more than ever lately: What does it mean to bring our organization into the future? It’s what leaders at some of the best-known companies in the world are asking, including Karen S. Carter, Chief Human Resources Officer & first-ever Chief Inclusion Officer at Dow, the global materials sciences company. Carter has […]

Are you in a leadership rut? It’s a hard question to answer because of the nature of ruts: You often don’t realize you are in one until you’re out of it.  This is particularly true for senior leaders, who have demanding schedules and packed calendars, which may further delay the realization of being in a rut: You’re just too […]

Are you prepared for growth? It’s a timely question to consider as we approach the one-year anniversary of the pandemic in the United States. It’s also a question that likely hasn’t come up in some time for those companies hit especially hard by Covid, who had no choice other than to operate in survival mode for the […]

Are you prepared for growth? It’s a timely question to consider as we approach the one-year anniversary of the pandemic in the United States. It’s also a question that likely hasn’t come up in some time for those companies hit especially hard by Covid, who had no choice other than to operate in survival mode for the […]

I was recently speaking with a board member of a public company. He was providing some feedback about the company CEO, a first-time chief executive who was still “getting his sea legs,” and had some work to do to gain the confidence of the rest of the board of this traditional, conservative company.  As the executive […]

It’s never been more important for CEOs to lead high-performing teams and also never more challenging. If there’s one theme I’ve been hearing about from nearly all my clients - CEOs and others - it’s how they are demanding more from their teams than ever before, and the results are mixed. While some leaders are quick to point out […]

It’s never been more important for CEOs to lead high-performing teams and also never more challenging. If there’s one theme I’ve been hearing about from nearly all my clients - CEOs and others - it’s how they are demanding more from their teams than ever before, and the results are mixed. While some leaders are quick to point out […]