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.

What do inclusive leaders do differently?

By on Thursday, March 21, 2019

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 best practices for specific groups, industries and […]

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What Successful Tech Leaders Put First

By on Sunday, January 6, 2019

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 – something we tend to associate with […]

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Aiming for Lasting Change: Why So Many Resolutions Miss the Mark

By on Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Nearly everyone starts out in coaching and development with good intentions. Yet, some fail to achieve their goals. This time of year, as so many of us are making New Year’s resolutions, these failures can sometimes be seen as a punch line or a cliché. As a researcher, I’m curious about why, if we want […]

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Inspired to Run Faster: Reflections on the Global Assessment Summit

By on Thursday, December 6, 2018

We all run faster during a 5k race than when we’re jogging around the block on our own. Why is that? Well, having to run alongside other people provides a healthy dose of competitive energy. I recently attended the Global Assessment Summit in Tulsa and, while I enjoyed the camaraderie, sharing of ideas and overall […]

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Moving Fast: Leadership Best Practices in the Transportation Industry

By on Monday, December 3, 2018

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 fluid and unpredictable environment than I would […]

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Change is a constant. How do effective leaders handle it?

By on Monday, September 17, 2018

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 the last 10 years of automotive technology. […]

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Empathy & Expertise: Best Practices for Senior Leaders

By on Tuesday, August 28, 2018

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 like a well-oiled machine. Now, imagine the […]

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Notes from a Gathering of Research Rock Stars

By on Friday, July 27, 2018

I’ve always enjoyed conferences. You get to spend time with colleagues, learn new things and, of course, travel! While just about every conference has some value, not every event checks all of these boxes, but the ones that do are some of the most energizing professional experiences I’ve had. As I prepared to attend this […]

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