Leadership Development Has a Readiness Problem
From my associate Janice Giannini. Organizations invest heavily in leadership development, yet many still struggle to build a reliable bench of leaders whose judgment, adaptability, and credibility strengthen the business over time. The problem is rarely a complete lack of effort. Programs exist. Frameworks exist. Coaching exists. Assessments, workshops, executive education, and high-potential initiatives are […]
Restructuring of the Leadership Contract in the Agentic Era
From my associate Grant Tate. Leadership has always resisted a clean definition. That’s not a failure of management science. It’s a feature. What philosopher W.B. Gallie called an “essentially contested concept” — one that generates genuine, irresolvable disputes — turns out to be exactly what leadership needs to be. A fixed definition would freeze it. […]
Leading Ahead When Your Style Is Built for “Just in Time”
Some leaders naturally learn by solving the problem in front of them. They do not spend much time gathering information “just in case.” They prefer relevance, urgency, and application. When a need becomes clear, they move quickly, learn what matters, and act. That instinctive style can be a real strength. It keeps leaders practical. It […]
When Training Ends, and Leadership Begins: What Development Requires That Training Alone Cannot Provide
From my associate Janice Giannini. The article Why Training Fails—and What Leaders Must Do Differently makes a necessary point: training often fails not because of bad content, but because organizations misplace ownership, misalign systems, and treat development as an event rather than a business discipline. That article clarifies the problem. This article builds upon that foundation […]
Beyond Execution: Building Leaders Who Create Value
From my associate Janice Giannini. Most leadership development efforts today miss the mark. They teach how to manage goals, communicate clearly, delegate efficiently, and deliver results; all important, but insufficient! In a world where strategic threats emerge in real time and opportunities are increasingly transient, delivering outcomes isn’t enough. Leaders must create value: economic, experiential, and organizational […]
Bridging the Hidden Gaps: What Managers Don’t Know and What It’s Costing You
The most dangerous knowledge gap in an organization isn’t likely to be technical. It’s strategic. And it’s hiding in plain sight—within your managers. While technology and markets evolve, one truth remains: organizations stall not from lack of expertise, but from unrecognized leadership gaps. Whether you’re running a small to mid-sized organization or leading a division […]
Seeing Clearly: The Hidden Power of Self Leadership
From my associate Janice Giannini. In a world defined by constant change and persistent ambiguity, effective leadership doesn’t begin with strategy; it begins with the individual. The ability to lead others starts with the capacity to lead oneself. Self-leadership is understanding, managing, and intentionally guiding our thoughts, actions, and emotions. At the heart of this […]
Is Leadership Dead of Just Asleep at the Wheel
From my associate, Grant Tate. My bookcase is full of leadership books. And I’m one of thousands (if not millions) of leadership coaches. How can it be that in a world saturated with leadership advice, so few true leaders seem to stand tall? Something deeper is broken, something we can’t fix with another flashy seminar […]
Future Proofing Leadership and Sustainable Growth
From my associate Janice Giannini. Did you know that organizations investing and excelling at leadership development and engaging their workforce aren’t just better places to work? They report 21% higher profitability and a 17% higher productivity rate. In today’s volatile business environment, leadership resilience isn’t optional—it’s a competitive necessity. The concepts below help companies to […]
Leading During Times of Turbulence
Experiencing natural disasters and personal loss—whether by hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, or health-related causes—brings profound disruption that touches every part of our lives. These moments remind us of our shared vulnerability and capacity to support one another. Such events test our resilience, decision-making, and capacity for empathy, both personally and professionally. In times like these, […]