Tag Archives: coaching

WHAT IS TOP TALENT AND HOW IS THAT IDENTIFIED?

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As a part of our talent acquisition engagements, we ask our clients how they define “top talent” and how they would assess those traits in the interview process.  Reflecting on the insightful comments we hear every day, we thought there would be great value in a new blog in which senior executives/thought leaders share their “Take on Talent.”

This is the fifteenth in a series of blogs/interviews with senior executives who are thought leaders in the areas of Talent Acquisition, Career Development and Leadership who will share their perspectives on this ever present question.

 

Jacqui Canney is executive vice president of the Global People Division for Walmart Inc. She is responsible for attracting, retaining and developing talent within the nation’s largest private workforce.Jacqui joined Walmart in 2015 after more than 25 years of experience in global human resources. She has the unique role of engaging more than 2 million associates globally.

She’s focused on making Walmart the best place to work and shop through delivering an experience that gives associates access to the best technology, training and education opportunities. She’s modernizing the company’s total rewards and performance programs, and is also driving Walmart’s inclusive culture through the work done by Walmart’s Global Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Office.

Prior to joining Walmart, Jacqui led the strategy and implementation of programs at Accenture to attract talent, and transformed its workforce to strengthen business capabilities and industry focus. Continue reading →

These 5 Barriers Prevent You From Being a Better Leader.

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by Alison Davis

Here’s What to Do Differently

I spend a lot of time asking employees about how leaders can be more effective communicators. Just yesterday, in fact, I moderated a focus group with employees at a fast-growing consumer products company.

The people in the group provided the same feedback I hear time and time again: Leaders are pretty good at sharing information, but they’re lousy listeners.

As a leader myself, I know how hard it is to slow down and actually pay attention to what your team member is saying, especially when you’re thinking about the 87 other issues you have to address and you’re pretty sure you already know how to solve the team member’s problem.

But you can’t be a great leader if you’re a terrible listener. As Matthew McKay, Martha Davis, and Patrick Fanning write in How to Communicate, “Listening is a commitment and a compliment.”

“It’s a commitment to understanding how other people feel, how they see their world. It means putting aside your own prejudices and beliefs, your anxieties and self-interest, so that you can step behind the other person’s eyes.”

And listening is a compliment because it says to the other person, “I care about what’s happening to you; your life and experience are important.”

Continue reading →

Seven leadership secrets you should already know

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by Cindy Wahler

Not all of us naturally know how to lead. Some leaders have received training, had a mentor or are just plain naturally intuitive leaders. However, many wing it and hope for the best. If you want to be a great leader, here’s what you should know.

Accept a lateral transfer.

My clients sometimes complain of boredom. Here is a direct quote: “I can do this in my sleep, and if I was near retirement, that would be a good thing, but I’m not.” The conversation naturally then moves into a desire for a promotion.

When a lateral transfer is proposed, many leaders seem to balk at this notion. It is as though they’re insulted. Here’s the thing: A lateral transfer promotes your versatility. By accepting a lateral transfer, you showcase that your skills are transferable, you can learn new things and you can build relationships with a whole new set of stakeholders.

Do not exercise command and control.

The good news is that you have been assigned a cool initiative. Leaders, rather than viewing this as a collective exercise, sometimes decide they are in charge and go for the glory.

Remember, diversity of thought brings richer solutions. You will never be rewarded for being the sole architect, even if the project successfully gets off the ground. Your brand should be about bringing different views to the table and never about what you solely think is the best.

Demonstrate emotional resilience.

Things go wrong. Of course, this creates frustration and anxiety. Your job is not to be reactive. Rather, be that leader who guides your team through the storm. You may not have the answers right away. With careful consideration and dialogue, you are sure to find the solution. Be known as the leader who can navigate through tough times.

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Leadership: What not to do

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by Susanne Biro

In my career, I have learned more about exceptional leadership by being on the receiving end of its opposite. Here are three fundamental things I have learned never do to others, simply because I know first-hand how damaging they can be.

1. Don’t lie. This includes blatant lies, half-truths and errors of omission. If you make a mistake, own it, clean it up, and apologize to all impacted. If you don’t know the answer, say so. Be transparent, sharing your thinking and your decision making process. Share what you can, as soon as you can, so people don’t need to make up a story. Be brave, pick up the phone and have the real (and often hard) conversation with the person you need to have it with. Live your values, as everyone is always watching. Call yourself on your own bull. This is perhaps the most important one, as few human beings handle power well. Keep your ego in check. When you need help, ask for it. Be human alongside the rest of us mortals. Remember whom you serve. Keep your promises. Be your word. Address reality. Discuss the undiscussables. Do the right thing. I repeat: do the right thing. You will not be trusted otherwise. And trust is the only thing you have. Continue reading →

Empathy is an essential leadership skill — and there’s nothing soft about it

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by  Prudy Gourguechon

I get tired of hearing about “soft skills,” even when it’s acknowledged they are important. No less a hard-muscled body than the U.S. Army, in its Army Field Manual on Leader Development (one of the best resource on leadership I’ve ever seen) insists repeatedly that empathy is essential for competent leadership.

 

Why? Empathy enables you to know if the people you’re trying to reach are actually reached. It allows you to predict the effect your decisions and actions will have on core audiences and strategize accordingly. Without empathy, you can’t build a team or nurture a new generation of leaders. You will not inspire followers or elicit loyalty. Empathy is essential in negotiations and sales: it allows you to know your target’s desires and what risks they are or aren’t willing to take.

Elsewhere I’ve proposed a short list of 5 essential cognitive capacities and personality traits that every leader who assumes great responsibility must have. Empathy is one of the core five. (The others are self-awareness, trust, critical thinking and discipline/self-control.)

Continue reading →