Decoding leadership: What really matters

By Claudio Feser, Fernanda Mayol, and Ramesh Srinivasan

New research suggests that the secret to developing effective leaders is to encourage four types of behavior.

Telling CEOs these days that leadership drives performance is a bit like saying that oxygen is necessary to breathe. Over 90 percent of CEOs are already planning to increase investment in leadership development because they see it as the single most important human-capital issue their organizations face. And they’re right to do so: earlier McKinsey research has consistently shown that good leadership is a critical part of organizational health, which is an important driver of shareholder returns. Continue reading

Evaluate Your Leadership Development Program

By Harrison Monarth

Despite studies showing that succession is an essential part of strategic planning, many companies ignore leadership development to focus on more immediate challenges. But your organization’s future success depends on identifying and developing the next generation of its leaders.

According to a 2014 survey from Deloitte, 86% of business leaders know that their organizations’ future depends on the effectiveness of their leadership pipelines — but a survey of 2,200 global HR leaders found that only 13% are confident in their succession plans, with 54% reporting damage to their businesses due to talent shortages. To improve your leadership development strategy, look at the criteria you’re using to identify potential leaders, what you’re doing to assist with their development, and how you’re measuring their success. Continue reading

The Capabilities Your Organization Needs to Sustain Innovation

By Linda Hill, Greg Brandeau, Emily Truelove, Kent Lineback

Why are some organizations able to innovate again and again while others hardly innovate at all?  How can hundreds of people at a company like Pixar Animation Studios, for example, work together to produce blockbuster after blockbuster over nearly two decades – a record no other filmmaker has ever come close to matching? What’s different about Pixar that enables it not only to achieve, but also to sustain innovation?

It’s a crucial question. In recent years, many people have sought to understand how organizational innovation works, hoping to shed light on the broader and deeper dynamics and principles at play. They have debunked the myth of the lone genius, discrediting the idea that innovation is purely a solitary act or flash of insight in the mind of one creative individual. Continue reading

3 Simple, Yet Critical Musts for Onboarding Success

Marty FukudaBy Marty Fukuda

Organizations spend a great deal of resources, including time and money, selecting the perfect hires. Many businesses have developed training programs to teach new recruits the ins and outs of technical procedures as well as details about their products, services and software.
Yet often some essentials are neglected. During the first few days of an associate’s career, amid those nervous, impressionable moments, a company should lay the groundwork for a lasting powerful relationship with the person involved. Continue reading

Why Innovative Leaders Aren’t The Same As Great Leaders

By Jane Porter

Just because you’re full of new ideas doesn’t mean you’re prepared to lead others. An innovative leader’s role is to build a community.

Innovation is elusive and full of contradictions. It’s about breaking from convention and going in a new unprecedented direction, but also requires incredible teamwork.

That’s why heading up innovative companies requires a set of skills unlike those required of the leaders of traditional companies, argues Linda Hill, professor of business administration at Harvard University. Continue reading