5 Questions to Help Leaders Achieve Growth Amid Uncertainty

5 Questions to Help Leaders Achieve Growth Amid Uncertainty

12/01/2022

While the world is still deep in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, business leaders are busy repairing their operations, looking forward to a post-pandemic world. They frequently find themselves torn between two opposite poles: the urge to act and the need for prudence in the face of uncertainty. Even as business picks up in […]

Be Intentional About How You Spend Your Time Off

Be Intentional About How You Spend Your Time Off

24/12/2021

The evidence is clear: Burnout is on the rise. A common suggestion for preventing burnout is to take regular breaks away from work. But what should those breaks look like if we want to maximize rejuvenation and protect our well-being? It may be surprising to learn, but passive “rest and relaxation” isn’t as effective for recovering […]

Designing a Seamless Digital Experience for Customers

Designing a Seamless Digital Experience for Customers

21/12/2021

Over the last couple of years, more and more companies have been trying to fundamentally reshape the way in which they interact with their customers — a trend that has been accelerated by the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Perhaps the biggest change firms have made is that, rather than having a few episodic interactions, they are […]

What CIOs need from their CEOs and boards to make IT digital ready

What CIOs need from their CEOs and boards to make IT digital ready

20/12/2021

To innovate at scale and outperform competitors in the digital age, companies need to be tech forward. That means embedding tech into their business strategy and operating model. For most organizations, that requires a digital-ready IT function—one that is fast, adaptable, focused on the end user, and able to deliver business value. As any CIO […]

How Midsize Firms Can Attract — and Retain — Talent Right Now

How Midsize Firms Can Attract — and Retain — Talent Right Now

17/12/2021

While companies of all sizes are struggling to keep and find people during the Great Resignation, it’s hitting the middle market especially hard — and middle-market companies often find themselves with an inadequate toolkit to address the problem. The same old approaches aren’t working in the crisis and will not build the capabilities companies will […]

Feedback Isn’t Enough to Help Your Employees Grow

Feedback Isn’t Enough to Help Your Employees Grow

15/12/2021

A 2,000-person IT division of an investment bank, had a problem: Employees were leaving at alarming rates. The line we heard over and over again from the people we interviewed: “It’s easier to talk to a headhunter about my career than my own manager.” So the division went on a feedback campaign. They spent more […]

The Omicron Variant: How Companies Should Respond

The Omicron Variant: How Companies Should Respond

14/12/2021

The emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has dimmed hopes that the pandemic will soon fade away and once again has employers pondering how they can fulfill their difficult obligations to keep their workforce safe and to meet their business needs. The good news is that as the virus has evolved, employers have honed […]

How to speak so that people want to listen
6 Strategies to Boost Retention Through the Great Resignation

6 Strategies to Boost Retention Through the Great Resignation

02/12/2021

There is a widening mismatch between the job environment employees want — and now expect — and the one their organizations have. That’s the finding of conversations we’ve had with top executives of dozens of companies over the last several months, multiple global surveys we’ve conducted to learn what employees want, and our examination of […]

5 New Rules for Leading a Hybrid Team

5 New Rules for Leading a Hybrid Team

29/11/2021

While hybrid is often presented as a new model, the fundamentals of what transforms a group of people into an exceptional team haven’t changed as much as we might think. When I was the senior vice president of people operations at Google, we had many employees, especially in engineering and sales, who worked from home a […]

Leadership vs. Authority

Leadership vs. Authority

26/11/2021

Having authority doesn’t automatically make us a “leader.” Regardless of rank, we all have the choice to be the leader we wish we had by looking out for the people around us….

Manage Your Talent Pipeline Like a Supply Chain

Manage Your Talent Pipeline Like a Supply Chain

25/11/2021

Supply-chain disruptions are on everyone’s mind these days. But there’s one that few people are thinking about. It involves talent, not goods — and it poses a serious long-term threat to our economy. In the wake of the pandemic, employers are struggling, with increasing exasperation, to find the workers they need. Commentators ascribe the problem […]

Why good leaders make you feel safe....

Why good leaders make you feel safe….

23/11/2021

What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it’s someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety — especially in an uneven economy — means taking on big responsibility….

Rebuilding Relationships Across Teams in a Hybrid Workplace

Rebuilding Relationships Across Teams in a Hybrid Workplace

11/11/2021

As people slowly return to some form of hybrid workplace, bonds that tie them to one another must be rebuilt. Over the past 18 months, most organizations have experienced some degree of fracturing as social connections and cultural cohesion have been strained. The challenges of remote work, dramatic uncertainty, the clumsy process of figuring out […]

Can companies build on their digital surge?

Can companies build on their digital surge?

08/11/2021

In mid-2020, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company was looking at the spike in the business’s digital sales and the remarkable speed of its growth. He was pleasantly surprised by how well the digital side of the business had performed, and he complimented his digital leaders. Secure that the digital business was doing well, […]

Leaders, Stop Trying to Be Heroes

Leaders, Stop Trying to Be Heroes

05/11/2021

Imagine an elegant office somewhere in the Upper East Side of New York City. One after the other, top business executives discreetly slip into the comfortable waiting room a few minutes before the door opens. They fear crossing paths with someone they might know. When that happens, both people awkwardly look the other way. This […]

Great leadership starts with self-leadership

Great leadership starts with self-leadership

04/11/2021

At TEDxUtopia, the question was asked: What would leadership in Utopia look like? To start with, imagine the best leader you have ever worked with. How did he or she get to become this type of leader? Leadership lecturer and former corporate executive Lars Sudmann argues that it’s likely that they learned to overcome the […]

Reigniting Your Purpose in the Wake of the Pandemic

Reigniting Your Purpose in the Wake of the Pandemic

02/11/2021

As we contemplate a slowdown or end to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are talking about getting “back to normal.” But others, wisely, are instead using this moment to recalibrate, reset, and reinvent. The global crisis — and its personal ramifications — have presented us all a unique opportunity to find new identities, roles, […]

The new marketing model for growth: How CPGs can crack the code...

The new marketing model for growth: How CPGs can crack the code…

01/11/2021

After a year like no other, consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers face a hard question: how to power above-average growth in the next normal. E-commerce penetration is still 35 percent above pre-COVID-19 levels, and more than one-third of consumers are continuing to switch brands or retailers. 1 1. Tamara Charm, Becca Coggins, Kelsey Robinson, and […]

Leadership Explained in 5 minutes by Simon Sinek
This time it’s personal: Shaping the ‘new possible’ through employee experience

This time it’s personal: Shaping the ‘new possible’ through employee experience

28/10/2021

How do leaders satisfy all parties in trying to remake the mission? In our view, they have a unique opportunity to listen to their employees and engage them on what matters—now and into the future. Since the pandemic began, McKinsey has surveyed almost 1,000 individuals to assess their views on work and how it has […]

Mastering change: The new CFO mandate

Mastering change: The new CFO mandate

28/10/2021

One trend about CFOs that we’ve confirmed after years of research: the finance leader’s role is ever evolving. That has never been more true than it is today, during an era of dramatic change—with, for instance, the COVID-19 pandemic, increased attention being paid to social and environmental issues, and the accelerated adoption of technology to address […]

Dynamic talent allocation and the future of work

Dynamic talent allocation and the future of work

22/10/2021

The pandemic has also increased pressure on organizations to respond to three long-term talent trends that have been building for at least a decade: on-demand skills are scarce, made worse by digitization and automation; responding rapidly to changing and uncertain conditions is essential; and flexibility reigns supreme. Reskilling is an important part of the response to […]

Strategy for a digital world

Strategy for a digital world

20/10/2021

Digital’s ascendancy is visible not only in the dominance of hyperscale tech companies but in the success of non-digital-native companies such as John Deere, Goldman Sachs, BHP, Disney, and Bosch, among others. These companies have invested heavily in new digitally enabled strategies and business models. Not only did they enter the pandemic with bigger technology […]

Good Leaders Know You Can’t Fight Reality

Good Leaders Know You Can’t Fight Reality

13/10/2021

The ability to accept reality is one of the most useful, and most misunderstood, skills for a leader. It’s a concept that has been around for centuries in philosophy and more recently in psychology, and properly applied can help drive change. As Carl Jung wrote, “We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does […]

Our Brains Were Not Built for This Much Uncertainty

Our Brains Were Not Built for This Much Uncertainty

11/10/2021

Prior to the pandemic, the working world already felt to most of us like it was undergoing rapid, unrelenting change — changes in customer preferences, client and employee expectations, and competitive advantages. Covid-19 managed to upend the few things that felt relatively predictable, like where we spent our working hours, how we collaborated with colleagues, […]

How Business Leaders Can Reduce Polarization

How Business Leaders Can Reduce Polarization

11/10/2021

Rising political polarization can have serious ramifications for businesses. Companies that speak out on controversial issues can face decreased customer loyalty from those with opposing beliefs, increased internal conflict between employees, or reduced sales from boycotts. Furthermore, taking a public stance can often exacerbate social tensions. For example, after the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, […]

6 Principles to Build Your Company’s Strategic Agility

6 Principles to Build Your Company’s Strategic Agility

08/10/2021

In early 2020, Airbnb was headed for a banner year — bookings were up, expansion plans were in place, and an IPO was set for the spring. Then Covid hit, and more than $1B of bookings disappeared, expansion plans were postponed, and one-quarter of the workforce was cut. However, by the end of the year, […]

Research: How to Position a Luxury Brand as Sustainable

Research: How to Position a Luxury Brand as Sustainable

06/10/2021

A 2018 global survey by Accenture Strategy of 30,000 consumers in 35 countries indicated that nearly two-thirds of them (62%) find brands with high ethical values attractive.   That’s potentially a problem for companies in the luxury sector, because people often see luxury goods as a wasteful self-indulgence and potentially damaging to the environment, especially if […]

Managing Through Crunch Time — Without Burning Out Your Team

Managing Through Crunch Time — Without Burning Out Your Team

04/10/2021

To achieve — and sustain — success, many companies place extraordinary demands on their teams. World-renowned investment banks, law firms, and consulting firms are notorious for subjecting employees to grueling workdays. Software developers use the word “crunch” to describe the long, stressful hours of work that are often required in the final weeks before a […]

How to Be a Leader Who Stays True to Their Ethics

How to Be a Leader Who Stays True to Their Ethics

01/10/2021

In September 2016, Wells Fargo announced that it would pay $185 million to settle a lawsuit filed by federal regulators and the city and county of Los Angeles, admitting that employees had opened as many as 1.5 million accounts without customer authorization over a five-year period. These unethical practices resulted in an immediate drop the […]

The 4 Tiers of Digital Transformation

The 4 Tiers of Digital Transformation

27/09/2021

It’s easy to acknowledge the game-changing role digital technologies are playing in the modern economy. The challenge, to which most companies have yet to rise, is figuring out how to fully capture the different kinds of value that these technologies offer. Developing a strategy for digital transformation that fully leverages this value is also not […]

Executives, Let Stakeholders Drive Your Strategy

Executives, Let Stakeholders Drive Your Strategy

24/09/2021

How do CEOs and their executive teams develop strategy? The accepted process is like coupling two sides of an equation. On one side sits the organization’s external environment, with all its changes and trends. On the other side sits the organization with all of its internal capabilities. Strategy is about how you align the two. This […]

Great leadership starts with self-leadership | Lars Sudmann | TEDxUCLouvain

Great leadership starts with self-leadership | Lars Sudmann | TEDxUCLouvain

23/09/2021

At TEDxUtopia, the question was asked: What would leadership in Utopia look like? To start with, imagine the best leader you have ever worked with. How did he or she get to become this type of leader? Leadership lecturer and former corporate executive Lars Sudmann argues that it’s likely that they learned to overcome the […]

Start Tackling That Big Goal You’ve Been Putting Off

Start Tackling That Big Goal You’ve Been Putting Off

23/09/2021

We all have professional goals we want to accomplish, whether it’s mastering a new technical skill, getting better at delegation, or carving out time in our schedule for networking and relationship building. Yet so often, we find ourselves putting these ambitions on the backburner — again. Sometimes it’s simple busyness, our days eaten up by […]

How to Say “No” After Saying “Yes”

How to Say “No” After Saying “Yes”

23/09/2021

Picture it — a colleague asks if you can chair a new committee they’re starting. Without even pausing to think, the first words out of your mouth are, “Sure. I’d love to!” Flash forward, and you’re looking at emails piling up in your inbox and a flurry of appointments on your calendar. It suddenly hits […]

A Futurist’s Guide to Preparing Your Company for Constant Change

A Futurist’s Guide to Preparing Your Company for Constant Change

23/09/2021

As we look back, 2020 and much of 2021 were a wake-up call for how much and how quickly change can happen. But they were also a warm-up for what’s ahead — not necessarily another pandemic with multiple variants, of course, but flux of every imaginable stripe. The future will not be more stable or […]

How to Have Tough Conversations About Returning to the Office

How to Have Tough Conversations About Returning to the Office

04/08/2021

Are you dreading the conversations with your team about returning to the office? Or maybe you’re already back and need to tell one of your direct reports that your agreed-upon approach isn’t working. Fostering a safe and constructive dialogue about re-entry can be challenging. Ironically, some of the mistakes you might make will stem from […]

Getting real about hybrid work

Getting real about hybrid work

03/08/2021

Once in a generation (if that), we have the opportunity to reimagine how we work. In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution moved many in Europe and the United States from fields to factories. In the 1940s, World War II brought women into the workforce (if not the C-suite) at unprecedented rates. In the 1990s, the […]

4 Strategies for Building a Hybrid Workplace that Works

4 Strategies for Building a Hybrid Workplace that Works

02/08/2021

By all indications the future of work is hybrid: 52% of U.S. workers would prefer a mix of working from home and the office, saying it has a positive impact on their ability to be creative, solve problems and build relationships. Global research tells us 72% of corporate leaders plan to offer a hybrid model, […]

When Trusting Your Family Hurts Your Family Business

When Trusting Your Family Hurts Your Family Business

29/07/2021

Globally, family businesses comprise 75% of all firms and contribute 65% to GDP. However, evidence of whether families improve or impair their companies’ performance remains mixed and is ardently debated. In order to better understand the findings of prior studies, we conducted a meta-analysis (together with the University of Trier’s Joern Block and Dominik Wagner of IUBH […]

Olympics 2021: Comparing Every Sports Ball

Olympics 2021: Comparing Every Sports Ball

28/07/2021

The Tokyo Olympics in 2021 have 17 sports with balls or spheres of some sort. Here are the different sizes and weights of each Olympic sports ball. This content was originally published here.

Research: Why Rejected Internal Candidates End Up Quitting

Research: Why Rejected Internal Candidates End Up Quitting

27/07/2021

There is perhaps no better experience for a hiring manager than seeing the resume of an outstanding internal candidate land on their desk. You can fill the job immediately and, because current employees know the organization and its quirks, they require less handholding in order to get up to speed quickly. You also rarely have […]

How to Prevent a Rising Star from Flaming Out

09/07/2021

If you had to name the top reasons some projects turn into spectacular failures, you probably wouldn’t put “having too much trust in leaders with strong track records” high on your list. However, our research found that managers with the highest status in an organization actually have the greatest risk of experiencing a spectacular failure. […]

Research: What Inclusive Companies Have in Common

07/07/2021

The killing of George Floyd catalyzed a reckoning around racial injustice that led many corporate leaders to seek to evolve their organizations to meet today’s tremendous societal challenges. Many U.S. organizations have publicly pledged to increase diversity by filling more executive positions with individuals from underrepresented groups. Some boards of directors, like Nike, Starbucks, and […]

What Does It Take to Build a Culture of Belonging?

05/07/2021

As we continue to adjust to Covid-19’s disruptions and see Black Americans killed by police, hate crimes against Asian Americans surge, and people in Georgia fight for equal voting rights, the question of what “belonging” means in American society is reaching into the workplace as it never has before. CEOs, corporate boards, investors, consumers, and […]

5 Questions Boards Should Be Asking About Digital Transformation

01/07/2021

The CEO of a large retail company recently brought a $500 million digital-transformation-investment plan to his board. The board reviewed the proposal, but after asking a number of questions, they were unable to evaluate it. Was it too costly? Was it aiming too low? Was it focused on the right priorities? One board member admitted […]

What’s next for digital consumers

18/06/2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven rapid adoption of digital channels across countries and industries, but digital’s growth has plateaued in the past six months and may begin to slip back once the pandemic eases—even as total digital adoption stays well above prepandemic levels. That’s one of the findings from a new McKinsey survey of global […]

3 Strategies to Reduce Bias in Leadership Assessments

17/06/2021

Leadership questionnaires are ubiquitous in organizations today. Surveys are a common tool to measure leadership potential, help determine whether employees should be promoted or afforded a bonus, and understand the leadership culture of an organization. The push towards survey-type assessments was driven by a general dissatisfaction with older, more anecdote-driven processes that came with a […]

‘Back to human’: Why HR leaders want to focus on people again

16/06/2021

For years now, human-resource leaders have found themselves on a cost-efficiency treadmill that applies analytics and big data to existing HR operating models. Their departments have lived by a worthy but uninspiring mandate: to optimize labor costs, reinforce compliance using standardized measures, and support the adoption of technology beyond IT. Even in the areas of […]

Inside IKEA’s Digital Transformation

15/06/2021

What does it mean for one of the world’s most recognizable retail brands to go digital? For almost 80 years, IKEA has been in the very analogue business of selling its distinct brand of home goods to people. Three years ago, IKEA Retail (Ingka Group) hired Barbara Martin Coppola — a veteran of Google, Samsung, […]

Rethinking operations in the next normal

14/06/2021

Regionalization has been accelerated by the pandemic, as countries closed their borders and protected their supply chains. Globalization was already under strain before the pandemic: the intraregional share of global goods trade increased by 2.7 percentage points between 2013 and 2018, according to an analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). Regionalization is most apparent […]

The future of the $1.5 trillion wellness market

11/06/2021

The concept of wellness has been around for a long time. Remember Jane Fonda workout tapes, neon legwarmers, and the “cookie diet”? These days, consumers view wellness through a much broader and more sophisticated lens, encompassing not just fitness and nutrition but also overall physical and mental health and appearance. They also have more choice in […]

How Workplace Culture Enables Investment Firms to Do Better

07/06/2021

In today’s highly competitive business environment, workplace culture is becoming increasingly recognized as a source of competitive advantage. What does this mean for the investment industry, and how can asset managers use it to improve performance? The Top Cultural Edges to Develop Workplace culture was gaining traction for several years prior to COVID-19, but after […]

How Inclusive Is Your Leadership?

02/06/2021

America is housing a racially traumatized workforce. Many managers are ill-equipped to lead and connect with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) employees. The physical traits, values, behaviors, and workplace identities of BIPOC employees continue to be compromised, minimized, and excluded. The reality is that professionalism has become the pseudonym for assimilation. Until white […]

What Psychological Safety Looks Like in a Hybrid Workplace

31/05/2021

“Our office policy is that people should come into the office once per week. Now they are organizing a team meeting with 15 people. I guess some people seem to feel comfortable with that, but I’m not; I have a young family at home and we have been very careful. I can’t say that though.” […]

When an Iconic Founder Overshadows the Family Business

26/05/2021

Sometimes a founder’s image is so publicly associated with his or her company, one rarely stops to ask, “Who is that person?” A few, such as Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Henry Ford, and Ralph Lauren become something even more than that; they become “iconic.” For many family businesses, having an iconic founder has […]

Childcare Is a Business Issue

19/05/2021

When the Covid-19 pandemic removed the safety net of schooling and employee-paid child care for working families, the damage was cataclysmic. Without a stable form of childcare as part of the business infrastructure, the world stopped working for the vast majority of working parents around the world. One third of the U.S. workforce, or an […]

How Accountable Teams Drive Performance in Challenging Times

18/05/2021

The future of work is changing, and new rules are being written before our very eyes. Teams are more important now than ever before, but many of them are struggling to step up and drive high performance when it matters most. Accountable Leaders Build Accountable Teams Weak, mediocre teams demonstrate behaviors that can breed a […]

10 Proactive Questions Every Board Member Should Be Asking

17/05/2021

Being a board member isn’t easy. You have responsibility for a company but limited means to really understand it — and that understanding is often mediated by management. How aware are you of what’s really happening in the company you’re responsible for governing? What did board members at Boeing, Carrillion, Wirecard, and Theranos know about […]

How Leaders Get in the Way of Organizational Change

15/05/2021

I received a call from the chief transformation officer of a midsize financial services company. Their company-wide change effort to shift from a product company to a services company was in shambles after being underway for nearly two years. “We thought we’d done everything we needed to do to keep this transformation from derailing,” he […]

How Leaders Get in the Way of Organizational Change

15/05/2021

I received a call from the chief transformation officer of a midsize financial services company. Their company-wide change effort to shift from a product company to a services company was in shambles after being underway for nearly two years. “We thought we’d done everything we needed to do to keep this transformation from derailing,” he […]

6 Leadership Paradoxes for the Post-Pandemic Era

03/05/2021

The pandemic has accelerated a trend that has been unfolding over the last decade. As the world has grown more digital and complex, the range of decisions that leaders need to make has broadened, spanning from big picture strategic thinking to careful execution, to advancing technology roadmaps and upskilling and engaging employees. And decision-making criteria […]

The Surprising Power of Nostalgia at Work

29/04/2021

Many people assume that nostalgia is purely entertainment, a feeling individuals enjoy because it takes them back to the more carefree days of their youth. Some view it as maladaptive fixation on the past, perhaps indicating a fear of change. I’ve heard business analysts and leaders argue that, although nostalgia may help some companies sell […]

Defining a Post-Pandemic Channel Strategy

23/04/2021

While consumers sheltered in their homes during the pandemic, more economic activity moved online. “In many markets, the surge in e-commerce has compressed the equivalent of several years of growth into just a few months,” McKinsey noted in a report  in August 2020. Now, with vaccinations proceeding, CEOs and others who allocate resources face a […]

Have We Taken Agile Too Far?

21/04/2021

The idea of “agile” thinking or innovation, along with its close cousin “lean,” has spread far beyond its product development and manufacturing roots. It’s not uncommon now to hear about the agile approach to budgeting, talent management, or even running a family meeting. Agile is a powerful process for product development, but many organizations are […]

The Ballooning Valuations In Private Equity Deals

20/04/2021

The Briefing Private equity (PE) deal valuations by EV/EBITDA are increasingly rich and are hitting higher double-digit figures 2021 is expected to be another home run year for PE, with 20% of buyouts estimated to be priced above 20x EV/EBITDA The Ballooning Valuations In Private Equity Deals Private equity is getting increasingly expensive. As a […]

3 Ways to Help Your Team Recover from Disruption

19/04/2021

Many organizations wrestle with how to excel in rapidly changing times. At some point or another, they encounter challenges that force them to modify the ways they do things so they can continue to meet expectations. Some do it better than others, and it usually comes down to how confident they feel about their teams’ […]

The World’s Top 10 Hedge Fund Managers by Earnings

16/04/2021

The Briefing The top 10 hedge fund managers take home an average of $1.3 billion a year in earnings The hedge fund industry manages over $3 trillion in assets Hedge funds often have a two-and-twenty fee structure, charging 2% on all assets under management (AUM), and 20% on profits The Top 10 Hedge Fund Managers […]

How Midsize Companies Can Adapt to Changing Demand

15/04/2021

Because they’re smaller than large companies and less encumbered by bureaucracy, midsize companies have an opportunity to take advantage of the market changes that will persist post-Covid (some permanently). The ones that delay risk permanently losing their market position. Big companies can inadvertently stymie innovation, whereas midsize firms have an ideal mix of sufficient financial strength, […]

Research: Joint Ventures that Keep Evolving Perform Better

13/04/2021

Successful companies actively manage their businesses through periods of economic growth, downturn, and recovery. They do so by innovating, making strategic shifts, rewiring existing operations, reallocating resources, entering new business lines, and restructuring existing ones. For most companies, joint ventures and other partnerships are a critical part of the equation. Companies like Amazon, GlaxoSmithKline, Lockheed […]

The Secret of Adaptable Organizations Is Trust

30/03/2021

In the last year, many companies have been pushed to the limits of their capabilities, and in many cases, to the edge of insolvency. With severe pressure on operations, supply chains, and demand, their processes have collapsed, and any idea of teamwork within their ranks has been thrown to the wind. Or have they? My […]

Use Art to Reignite Your Team’s Motivation

26/03/2021

As we reach the one-year mark of working from home, remote teams are at risk of losing motivation. By drawing on techniques used by creatives, business leaders can revitalize teams and spark fresh momentum and innovation. For example, studies show that jazz musicians’ improvisational skills are achieved via heightened sensory activity in the brain alongside a […]

How to Step In as an Interim Leader

15/03/2021

Your boss has left the organization and you’re named interim replacement. Congrats! Well, sort of. It’s not a given that you’ll become the permanent replacement. What’s the best way to maximize the chances that you’ll get the full-time job? How should you manage the team so they respect your authority and support your candidacy? And […]

What to Do When Your Employee Is Totally Checked Out

11/03/2021

It’s frustrating when a member of your team has mentally checked out. In some cases, this person does only the bare minimum. In other cases, they fail to meet important deadlines, or they drop the ball on critical projects. How can you determine what’s going on? What can you do to address the issue when […]

How to Plan Your Life When the Future Is Foggy at Best

08/03/2021

The year 2020 did not turn out as we planned. Unemployment rates in the U.S. are close to twice what they were in February of 2020, and the number of people furloughed is still towering over February averages. Plus, with the profound shakeup of our daily lives, a lot of folks are asking, What do […]

Global Stars: The Most Innovative Countries, Ranked by Income Group

23/02/2021

The Most Innovative Countries, Ranked by Income Group Innovation can be instrumental to the success of economies, at macro and micro scales. While investment provides powerful fuel for innovation—the relationship isn’t always straightforward. The 2020 ranking from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reveals just that. The above map breaks down the most innovative countries […]

Giving Critical Feedback Is Even Harder Remotely

19/02/2021

Delivering constructive feedback is nerve-wracking in the best of times — most managers don’t want to crush their employees’ spirits. These tough conversations are even harder to have as multiple crises and their side effects wear on, which can make the negativity bias that often accompanies them even worse. To top it all off, a […]

The path forward for sustainable retail

18/02/2021

Retail is undergoing an unprecedented transition. The internet has led to new sales channels and new opportunities to reach out to customers, and globalization has opened markets and introduced new competitors. Then COVID-19 happened, rocking the industry to its core, as stores around the world closed and consumers had no choice but to order online. […]

The Secret to Building Resilience

17/02/2021

An anesthesiologist we’ll call Jacob used to describe his job as “90% boredom, 10% horror.” With a few exceptions of challenging surgeries and managing a department of several hundred physicians and nurses, most of the time, Jacob’s role was routine. But that was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Since anesthesiology is not a specialty that can […]