Archive for Best Practice Reports

Delivering results is more than setting ambitious goals

Most leaders want to be seen as delivering results. This is done by accomplishing a great deal and focusing on measurable outcomes. There is something about tangible and measurable outcomes that makes us feel like we’ve accomplished something. Unfortunately, there is a lot more to delivering results than…

Relationship building fosters learning

For leaders, working well with individuals and departments across the organization can be quite beneficial. In addition to helping build relationships, working with others can lead to learning opportunities. It would be difficult to think of a good leader who is not consistently expanding their knowledge.  While we…

Recognizing opportunity and change

I used to think I lacked the ability that allowed me to recognize when opportunity existed. Even worse, I thought I lacked the ability to adapt to change. You would often hear me say that I wasn’t creative, instead I preferred stability and the status quo. I’m unsure…

The more I learn, the less I know

There are many different versions of the phrase “the more I learn, the less I know” out there. This phrase is attributed to many brilliant minds, which is not surprising because this paradox resonates with so many people. One of the most important realizations a leader can have…

Cognitive effectiveness for compelling leadership

As a general concept, cognition is how we acquire, store and use information. The MRG research team recently conducted a study to explore this concept in a leadership context. We defined cognitive effectiveness as a measure of how well a leader is at acquiring and using information to…

People Management: Demystifying a Complicated Recipe

I think it’s fair to say, that in relative terms, people management is having a moment. Heck, even Silicon Valley is taking notice. It’s quite common to hear the phrase, “war for talent” inside of today’s organizations. An offshoot of this “war” is that once an organization feels…

A Delicate Balance: How Effective Consulting Leaders Manage the Needs of Clients and Business

Working in the consulting industry myself, at first I found it a little ironic that it was so challenging to write this post. Flipping the switch from client calls and content development to writing was daunting, and I kept putting it off. Then I realized it was fairly…

Leading across Borders: Using Data to Inform a Global Workforce

There’s no denying that, in ways both personal and professional, we are more globally connected than ever. In fact, the flow of information internationally has increased more than 250% since 2001, according to the 2018 DHL Global Connectedness Index. Many of us also hold stereotypes about different countries….

What are the most effective leaders in Higher Education doing differently?

If we were to believe most TV shows and movies, we would think that to be successful in higher education, one needs a high degree of arrogance, self-importance, and even a tendency to isolate oneself. However, our findings on the behaviors associated with effectiveness in higher education leaders…

What do inclusive leaders do differently?

There are several ongoing research projects at MRG. One project that I really enjoy working on is our series on leadership best practices. Not only do we search for insights that will help leaders increase their effectiveness, but we can identify the nuances of effective leadership by exploring…