Author Archives: Larry Janis

From Hire to Hero — 4 Strategies for Onboarding Senior Executives

 

 

 

 

by Bidhan Baruah

 

Finding the perfect hire for a senior executive position can take months of searching and interviewing — but that’s only half the battle.

Without an effective onboarding strategy, you may end up repeating your search in 12-18 months. Whether you let them go for failing to hit their target or they leave out of frustration, the result is the same.

When that happens, you’ve not only wasted time and effort, but you’ve also lost a substantial chunk of your budget. Gallup research shows that it costs one-half to two times an employee’s salary to replace them — and a senior executive’s salary is substantial.

Their departure also leaves a hole in your leadership structure that can impact team morale and productivity.

Therefore, hiring and retaining senior executives requires a flexible onboarding process that strategically integrates them into their new roles and the company as a whole.

1. Start before their first day

Expecting new hires to “hit the ground running” doesn’t make much sense. Why would you want them running before they know where the goal line is? They may end up heading in the wrong direction.

It’s much more effective to give them a map of the territory and let them get their feet under them. Prepare all the information they’ll need and have it ready before they walk in the door for the first time: key stakeholder names, organizational charts, a background on their department and team, etc.

That’s not to say you should dump it all on the new executive all at once. To avoid overwhelming them, gradually provide the information over their first two or three weeks. (more…)

Hope Is a Skill We All Need to Practice

 

 

 

 

 

by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

 

How to harness the power of hope when the road ahead feels uncertain.

We’re often warned against opening Pandora’s box, a metaphor for unleashing a torrent of evils on the world. Yet, we forget an essential detail: Elpis – the spirit of hope – remained within the box. Even when the world seems consumed by chaos, hope endures.

Throughout history, philosophers and leaders have celebrated hope as a powerful force. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu observed, “As long as we have hope, we have direction, the energy to move, and the map to move by.” And military leader Napoleon Bonaparte recognised the influence of hope in leadership, declaring, “A leader is a dealer in hope.”

Many have conceptualised hope as a desire and a belief in the fulfillment of that desire. However, hope isn’t just naïve or unbridled optimism, where we assume a positive outcome is inevitable; it entails action. Hope is goal-oriented and accompanied by a realistic plan, making it a powerful source of motivation. It is an engine that not only helps us envision a future possibility but also empowers us to take action to create this future.

The nuances of hope and how it manifests

Our capacity for hopeful thought begins to develop in early childhood, as we start to understand cause and effect. This marks the moment we become conscious of our agency: our ability to act independently and shape our own destiny, allowing us to imagine and pursue different paths and possibilities. This sense of agency becomes an important coping or survival mechanism, especially when the path we’re on appears to be blocked.

Hope can be categorised into two main types: realistic and unrealistic hope. Realistic hope is grounded in what is reasonable, possible and achievable. It is action-oriented, driving a person toward attainable goals. Unrealistic hope, however, is wishful thinking, where we expect positive outcomes to fall into our laps. Individuals harbouring unrealistic hope may find themselves disappointed and frustrated when their expectations aren’t met. (more…)

10 Essential Skills To Help People Leaders Develop In 2025

 

 

 

 

 

by Chelsea C. Williams

At Reimagine Talent Company, we upskill people leaders for the constantly changing workplace environment. In 2024, I worked with thousands of global professionals to help them evolve their impact in support of their teams and as a driver of business performance and impact.

In thinking back on the year’s encounters, I identified 10 essential skills that HR teams will need to help people leaders cultivate. Whether you’re working with a first-time people leader or a seasoned leader, these skills will help them connect, empower and retain a multigenerational, inclusive workforce.

1. Managing Change

In a time of rapid technological transformation and societal shifts, the ability to manage change effectively is crucial. People leaders must navigate organizational shifts and guide their teams through uncertainty. Developing their change management skills, such as communicating, building support, addressing resistance, planning and implementing, will empower them to help teams adapt and thrive.

2. Collaborating

Facilitating collaboration among team members will be essential for innovation and problem-solving, especially for remote and hybrid teams. People leaders should create an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute, regardless of their work location. You must ensure your company’s leaders can establish clear communication and foster spaces for creative brainstorming and idea sharing. (more…)

5 Leadership Trends From 2024 That Should Be Left Behind

 

 

Leadership in the Workplace: Examples of Leaders With Initiative by Sherzod Odilov

 

Leadership in 2024 was dynamic, demanding and at times, exposed a few cracks —some new, others stubborn holdouts from the past. But not every trend deserves to follow us into the new year. We face a pivotal question as we move into 2025—are we bold enough to acknowledge what isn’t working and leave outdated practices behind? Growth requires evolution and it’s time to close the chapter on leadership behaviors that do more harm than good.

Here’s what we need to say goodbye to and why doing so will open doors to greater success.

1. Ignoring Mental Health Is Not an Option

How can we expect teams to perform when we refuse to acknowledge their humanity? One of the most concerning trends of 2024 was leaders turning a blind eye to mental health. Reports from Gallup show that only 21% of employees strongly agree their organization cares about their well-being—a record low tied at the start of the year. Even worse, research from the Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health reveals that nearly a third of employees fear disclosing mental health challenges due to discrimination.

What does this mean for us as leaders? Ignoring mental health isn’t just a personal failure—it’s a strategic one. When employees don’t feel safe or supported, it directly impacts productivity, retention and innovation. If we’re serious about building successful organizations, mental health can no longer live on the back burner.

2. The Trust Crisis

Trust has become a rare commodity in many workplaces. Data from Korn Ferry paints a grim picture—senior executives distrust the C-suite, managers struggle to trust their subordinates and entry-level workers feel watched and doubted. This isn’t just a “soft” issue. Lack of trust is poison to collaboration, creativity and growth. (more…)

What HR leaders can learn from Taylor Swift

 

 

 

 

by Wendy Hanson

 

Those in HR leadership can learn a thing or two from musician Taylor Swift, especially when looking at how she built and evolved her brand, image and reputation.

“What do I/we want to be known for?” permeates every action and corporate decision Swift makes, and it’s something every business leader should consider. This approach enabled her to push boundaries and explore new musical styles while seamlessly transitioning from teen country singer to global pop sensation and businesswoman who earned nearly $2 billion in 2023.

3 ways HR leadership can take the Taylor Swift approach

1. Make key stakeholders feel heard

By careful design, think how Swift’s strong, relatable messaging makes her target audience of young girls feel more “heard from,” more hopeful, stronger and more confident. These attributes further strengthen her brand—and are very much not to be underestimated or taken lightly nowadays amid what seems like a constant barrage of negative headlines and bad actors.

Swift demonstrates executive presence while projecting as an extremely positive, high performer who is always present and builds her network. She appears to listen carefully to what other people say, surrounds herself with high-quality advisors with whom she collaborates, and then executes what she wants to do—or, more precisely, what she needs to do. Do you have allies and advisors you can lean into in your role?

As an HR leader, your “audience” isn’t exactly a stadium full of screaming fans or the hundreds of people involved in making a pop star’s music and marketing machine work. But your employees deserve to feel just as “heard” as the Swifties do.

As an HR leader, you want your team and employees to feel more hopeful, stronger and confident. What can you do from your vantage point to do this in your company? (more…)