Archive for executive coaching

Tales of Terror: Three Scary Moments in 360 Feedback (and How to Fight Back)

Ideally, every coachee could start the development process feeling confident, open, and ready to achieve deep self-awareness – fearlessly. In reality, though, the idea of candid 360 feedback can strike fear into the hearts of even an experienced leader. Finding out how you are perceived by others could…

Why Pausing to Access Wisdom is Worth It

“Why?” It’s a question my toddler asks pretty frequently (okay, very frequently). But last week, when he asked it from the back seat of the car as I turned toward the highway on ramp, his question was just enough to knock me out of auto-pilot mode. I realized…

5 Reasons to Make Open-Ended Questions Part of Your Assessment Strategy

One of the things I’ve always loved during my many years at MRG is talking – by phone, by email, or especially in person – with the coaches who are using our assessments. Part of this is my own curiosity – I’ve been doing this work for a…

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…

Fake it til you Make It: How to Realize the Benefits of Conveying Confidence

Power stances. Lucky socks. Pep talks in the bathroom mirror. Most of us probably have a few little tricks we try to boost how confident we feel, especially in a moment where it feels critical. (As a musical theater aficionado, humming a few bars of The Sound of…

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…

Webinar Wrap-Up: Surprises as we Explore the Science of Self-Confidence (Part 1)

When it comes to self-confidence, can leaders fake it til they make it? In other words – if a leader looks confident, but doesn’t quite feel it inside, can anyone tell the difference? How does it impact the impression they’re making on their colleagues, and how they’re perceived…

Lessons in Lemonade: Behaviors of Successful Leaders in the Retail Industry

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,…

Has Employee Engagement Gone off the Rails?

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…

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

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…