Maria is Head of Research at MRG. She loves a challenge and often gets a little too excited about running new studies. She finds peace and balance by cooking (as long as her husband is doing the cleaning) or being anywhere near the ocean.

Assessments for the 2020s: Dispatch from SIOP’s Leading Edge Consortium

By on Thursday, November 7, 2019

After hearing great things about it, I attended the Leading Edge Consortium (LEC) last month. This is an annual, 2-day meeting organized by SIOP during which a single topic is discussed from many different angles. All attendees are gathered in a single room, which means everyone has the opportunity to attend every single talk. And […]

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The Path to Effective Leadership in the Biotech Industry

By on Thursday, September 26, 2019

As someone external to the biotech field, I never really thought of it as a very broad industry. However, our recent research into best practices for leaders in this field made me take a deeper look. It turns out that the biotech industry encompasses a diverse group of specialized areas, including medical, industrial and agricultural […]

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Delivering results is more than setting ambitious goals

By on Thursday, September 12, 2019

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 simply pushing for ambitious goals and having […]

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Relationship building fosters learning

By on Thursday, September 5, 2019

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 often default to thinking that knowledge is […]

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The more I learn, the less I know

By on Thursday, August 22, 2019

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 is discovering that there is always more […]

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Cognitive effectiveness for compelling leadership

By on Thursday, August 1, 2019

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 make good decisions, adapt to changing environments, […]

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Leading across Borders: Using Data to Inform a Global Workforce

By on Thursday, May 30, 2019

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. Some common stereotypes are accurate but at […]

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Reflect, Learn, and Transform: Dispatch from the EMCC Annual Conference

By on Thursday, May 9, 2019

In April, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland and celebrated my third time presenting at a European Mentoring and Coaching Council conference. EMCC exists to develop and promote mentoring, coaching and supervision at a global level, so don’t let the name mislead you. The conference is a global gathering of coaches and mentors looking to learn […]

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

By on Wednesday, April 24, 2019

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 paint a very different picture. The more […]

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