Learning and development professionals tell us that $billions are spent each year in the U.S. on professional development. Having worked in that arena for better than two decades, I agree…
Category: Training & Development
Leadership Development Exigencies, Circa 2019
Our work with leaders in the healthcare, hospitality, and financial services sectors often begins with some derivative of the statement, “I can’t get enough managers (all levels) hired, trained, and…
That Leadership Bench Won't Grow Itself
Better than half of newly appointed, first-time business leaders fail in their first two years, resulting in their removal from position, either voluntary or otherwise. I hesitate to wonder how…
Career Advice from 6 Prominent Female Executives
Today, in celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re going to do one thing that guys like us should do more often… Shut up and listen. To wit, here’s a link…
Good Leaders Look Beneath the Surface
One of the most remarkable people I ever worked with was a bank teller named Donna, at a bank branch I managed early in my career. Donna was a customer…
When it comes to Training, Visibility Matters
I was conducting leadership training for a large public utility, in a rural training facility about 100 miles from the company’s headquarters. The Vice President who had brought me in…
Why Stars Sometimes Fail as Leaders
A bright and promising software engineer, we’ll call him Jay, had made a real mark on his company, developing and innovating some of the most important products and processes in…
Helping New Leaders Stay Out of the Weeds
Nearly every day we witness or experience the net effect of people having been thrust into front-line leadership roles without being vetted for leadership capability, and without the benefit of any management…
Teaching is the Best Way to Learn
Sometimes, reminders of important lessons come in the most peculiar forms. I’ve long known that one of the best ways to truly understand a concept is to teach it to…
Pssst! Wanna Get Ahead? Polish Your Presentation Skills
https://contentedcows.com/blog/item/99-how-to-improve-your-presentations Most of us are occasionally called upon to make a business presentation… Presentations to seek authorization or funding for a project, to report on performance, to pitch a product…