When my wife and I moved back to Maine several years ago, we knew we wanted to find an old house and put some work into it. My wife is an interior designer and has a particularly incredible ability to see space for what it could be, not…
When we looked at the behaviors that impact leadership effectiveness in the technology industry, one behavior was the clear winner. Behaving strategically was almost three times as important for predicting effectiveness as the next behavior set. It was even more important than maintaining in-depth and up-to-date specialized knowledge…
Anyone following the news can hardly avoid headlines about the US/China trade wars. Given the volatile conditions in the industry, one thought keeps occurring to me: I don’t envy leaders in manufacturing right now. The world of manufacturing has grown increasingly complex in recent years, and the recent…
Sometimes the results of a Best Practices study motivate me to dig a little deeper into an industry. A recent example is our study of the transportation industry. The top three behaviors predicting effective leadership were communication, strategic and technical. This combination made me think of a more…
For several years, I consulted within the energy industry. It was a wonderful experience and provided me with a good understanding of what these organizations look for within their leadership. Usually, when someone thinks of the energy or utility industry, they think of a slow moving, conservative, and…
There’s a lot that sets the retail/wholesale industry apart from other businesses. One of its most salient characteristics is that it touches everyone personally and professionally. It is a part of our everyday lives. With online sales, we have even welcomed this industry into our homes. For many,…
You know the idiom, “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”? This is how I feel about employee engagement in its current form; almost like it has become Frankenstein’s weirder sibling. I should note that I was fascinated by employee engagement in graduate school; yet I’m…
As soon as you feel like we have something figured out, the parameters change and you need to recalibrate. Currently, my husband and I are in the process of buying a new car for the first time in a decade. The biggest challenge has been catching up with…
Just about anyone wants to be considered a high potential employee. Being designated as high potential is more than just a compliment; HiPos are treated favorably through exclusive developmental opportunities, granted exposure not afforded to others, and are promoted faster. The desire for high potential status may be…
Think of your idea of the stereotypical senior leader. Now think of senior leaders you’ve encountered throughout your career. If you’re like me, you are picturing strong, well-respected figureheads who often make decisions from a distance and are mainly concerned with making sure their organization or unit runs…