Dana Maor, Hans-Werner Kaas, Kurt Strovink, Ramesh Srinivasan
{"title":"MICRO-PRACTICES TO HELP YOU BECOME A GREAT LEADER AND LEARN TO LEAD FROM THE INSIDE OUT","authors":"Dana Maor, Hans-Werner Kaas, Kurt Strovink, Ramesh Srinivasan","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20868","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20868","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The authors, all senior partners at McKinsey & Company, concluded in working with many leaders that there was a need for greater self-awareness and self-reflection. The article, and a recent book from which it is adapted, is based on “a step-by-step approach for leaders to reinvent themselves both professionally and personally.” The starting point revolves around “three dimensions: leading yourself, leading individuals and teams, and leading organizations.” Each dimension lists and describes various “micro-practices.” Within the first dimension, in their words, are, in their words, put being before doing; pause for productive reflection and solitude; seek and embrace feedback from others; keep learning; and embrace optimism; in dimension two; be attentive; foster learning and growth; give feedback; build confidence and an ownership mindset on your team; and celebrate the big things and little things; in dimension three; reinforce values and purpose; master clear communication; be a role model for the rest of the organization; build capabilities and promote continuous learning; and engage stakeholders. “Leadership is now all about personal change,” they conclude, “about being the change you want to see in the world, and then inspiring others to follow.”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"26-31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"PREDICTING LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH THE TALENTS THAT REALLY MATTER","authors":"Barry Conchie, Sarah Dalton","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20859","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20859","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Conchie (founder and president of Conchie Associates) and Dalton (partner, Conchie Associates) explain that they apply science “to the study, application, and development of leadership,” adapted from the research in their book <i>The Five Talents Really Matter</i>. They discuss their criteria for outstanding leadership and point to “over 58,000 top level leaders in our global database.” Their scientific “assessment of The Five Talents That Really Matter carries a disproportionate weight, greater than all the other factors thought to be important in leadership selection, in predicting top leadership performance.” The Talents “capture the broad variability of traits, dispositions, and characteristics the very best leaders possess, and, through the Executive Leadership Assessment built to measure these talents, we are able to use the results to help predict future leadership performance.” In their words, the Talents are Setting Direction (using modern GPS technology as a metaphor), Harnessing Energy, Exerting Pressure (“Debate and dissent, we’ve found, is what many leaders claim to value yet precious few succeed in delivering”), Increasing Connectivity (“The very best leaders…are straight shooters who deliver difficult messages with compassion,”) and Controlling Traffic (“Exceptional leaders responsible for business execution follow rigid rules with maximum flexibility.”)</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"13-18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142868020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ORGANIZATIONS BUILDING TRUST, COHESION, FRATERNITY, AND FRIENDSHIP OUTSIDE THE FAMILY AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY","authors":"Denis Moriarty","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20864","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20864","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author is managing director of Our Community, an Australian social enterprise. He provides context on what it’s like being a leader in that country. He describes Our Community as “basically a support organization for not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) and a software vendor to government.” In relating its origins, he writes that “I wanted to break new ground in this country with a new thing that would reward its employees, that I could make some money from, and that would do good in the world.” He also explains that “without support from investors who are poised precisely between commerce and philanthropy, leadership would simply be beside the point. From the beginning, Our Community was for-profit, but not for-profit only. A lot of our offerings were free, subsidized by our profit centers.” He also points to the pivotal role of ethics for him, and that he was “awarded a Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership scholarship 30 years ago and it was a seminal moment in my career.” A separate sidebar explains, “What We Believe,” “What We Do,” and “How We Work.” For instance, in the latter: “We believe in a work environment that allows for an authentic life balance.”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"51-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CONTINUAL LEARNING—THE KEY TO COMPETITIVE SUCCESS","authors":"Willie Pietersen","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20866","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20866","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author, a business school professor, former attorney, and Chief Executive Officer/CEO, writes that “the best leaders are lifelong learners, cultivating their personal gardens and drawing valuable lessons from each season’s experience.” He references such organizational thinkers as Richard Cyert, James G. March, Chris Argyris, Donald Schön, and Peter Senge, and notes the Darwinian aspect of learning within organizations. He also quotes an additional theorist/author, Margaret Wheatley: “You cannot change a living thing from the outside. You can only <i>disturb</i> it, so it changes itself.” He notes the importance of keeping a learning journal, referencing both his own long-time example, and that of Dr. Ash Tewari, “one of the pioneers of robotic surgery.” He also notes the importance of questions, and writes about their different usages based both on his experience as an attorney, and as an executive. There is “a science to asking questions that are likely to generate real insights.” A major part of the article is about strategic learning, which involves four steps that move in a cycle. In his words, they are Learn, Focus, Align, and Execute. He further explains: “Then you loop back to the Learn step, thus creating a cycle of ongoing learning and adaptation.”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"64-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ltl.20866","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142868021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"WHAT WILL SUSTAIN THE DEMOCRACY?","authors":"Sarah McArthur","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20872","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20872","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author, <i>Leader to Leader’s</i> editor-in-chief, writes about the necessity for ordinary citizens to take responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their communities, and how this relates to sustaining our democracy. She builds on an anecdote about saving a tree that was damaged twice by a storm in her county. She recounts passages from Frances Hesselbein’s 2010 <i>Harvard Business Review</i> article “How Did Peter Drucker See Corporate Responsibility?”. She notes that Frances’ question was: “What must our organizations do today to help our country maintain its greatness and sustain the democracy?” In light of that article, the author writes that “democracy’s very survival is dependent on how we interact and support each other, how we work together towards a common purpose, and on our commitment to serving the greater good for all.” She also notes that “…we must ask ourselves, am I taking responsibility in my community, my organization, and I’n our world, or am I waiting for ‘them’ to fix it and blaming ‘them’ when it remains broken?”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"4-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"THE IMPORTANCE OF (RE)FRAMING CONVERSATIONS IN LEADERSHIP","authors":"Steven T. Collis","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20863","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, adapted his article from his recent book <i>Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues</i>. He notes that one particular habit “can be especially helpful for organizational leaders seeking to solve any number of problems. It is useful when talking about divisive policy issues, but it is just as important when talking about any of the challenges organizations face on a daily basis. It is the habit of <i>framing</i> and <i>reframing</i> conversations.” He notes that “whenever two or more people are discussing a given issue, how the topic is framed is perhaps the most important step in the process.” He first uses the example of a legal dispute, but notes how in a court of law, “strict rules force a certain level of emotional control and civility in the courtroom.” Moving to a workplace setting, he contends that “as a leader, the next time you are beginning a conversation or leading a dialogue about any topic, think first about how you want to frame it. In large measure, that will determine where the conversation goes and how productive it will be.”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"46-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"THE DIPLOMAT WITHIN: LEADING WITH UNITY IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD","authors":"Alex Lazarus, Feyzi Fatehi","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20861","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The authors, who have varied and extensive experience in areas such as business and law, note that their “article leverages our collective experiences worldwide as leaders, lecturers, coaches, and speakers, that underscore the increasingly urgent need for diplomacy skills in everyday human interactions.” They further discuss the importance of diplomacy and diplomatic skills in modern workplaces. The authors “introduce the following three-tiered <i>Personal – Organizational - External Diplomacy Framework</i>, inspired by modern diplomatic thought. It cuts through dense literature on diplomacy and provides a navigational tool on how to add diplomacy skills into the organization’s DNA to nurture peaceful coexistence and achievement of goals, from interpersonal to global engagements.” They discuss three steps in detail, which in their words are (1) Mastering Personal Diplomacy, (2) Developing Organizational Diplomacy, (3) Developing External Diplomacy. For instance, core skills in step 1 are, in their words, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, systems thinking, positive regard for others, effective communication, and trust building skills. Step 2 includes, in their words, Leadership Diplomatic Composure, Psychological Safety and Performance, Learning and Development, Engagement and Dialogue, Diversity and Teamwork, and Strategic Implementation. Step 3 includes, in their words, Engagement with External Stakeholders, Leadership in Global Challenges, and Public Diplomacy and Policy Advocacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"32-38"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"THE POWER OF CONTROL: TRANSFORMING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD","authors":"Laura Gassner Otting","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20862","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author is a corporate and governmental advisor with a background in executive search and leadership advisory. She points to the changes in workplace motivation: a “list of motivating factors was given to each of us by a high school or college guidance counselor, meant to assist us in plotting out future educational paths based on the career choices expected of us by parents, teachers, friends, and potential employers.” These factors, in her words and further described in the article, are Mission, Leadership, Challenge, Scope of Impact, Acquisition of New Skills, Prestige, Personal Needs, and Money. She contends that “when we use the old metrics of success, and only them in only one order, we mistake filling in checkboxes for what our people really want: consonance.” She describes the latter as “the sense of frictionless belonging, of momentous stride, of core relevance.” The “new definition of success,” is built around, in her words, calling, connection, contribution, and control. Related factors are, in her words, flexible work arrangements, autonomy in task management, involvement in decision making, clear communication and expectations, professional development opportunities, empowering middle management, and leading with inspiration.</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"39-45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"THREE LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES FOR ENHANCING THE ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR METAPHOR","authors":"Tiffany Chang","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20858","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author is an award-winning orchestral and opera conductor, and music conservatory professor, who remarks on the way that “the conductor is such a common metaphor in executive leadership.” Yet she discovered that these notions can be flawed because of misconceptions about what a conductor actually does, on the podium and outside it. She provides an “insider’s perspective,” that in her words, (1) the conductor is a storyteller, (2) listening is the conductor’s most important job, and (3) musicians don’t actually follow conductors. Within the first perspective, she takes “four approaches: investigate clues, find meaning, get buy-in, and be a reverse-engineer.” She relates that “It’s fascinating that different conductors can gather different stories based on their own worldviews, lived experiences, and artistic values. This results in many different possible performances of the same piece of music. That’s the magic of interpretation.” In perspective two, she describes “three types of awareness: situation-aware, self-aware, other-aware.” Regarding teamwork in perspective three: “The best conductors enable teamwork and stay out of the way. They don’t insist on their help when it may be unhelpful.” Finally, she reminds us that “a conductor faces the same challenges as any leader embedded within a top-down management structure.”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"7-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"HOW LEADERS CAN APPLY THE PAUSE PRINCIPLE IN DIFFICULT INTERACTIONS","authors":"Cynthia Kane","doi":"10.1002/ltl.20865","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20865","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The author, CEO and Founder of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute, LLC, contends that “at the forefront of creating a thriving culture is the way those in leadership positions communicate, especially under pressure.” While many companies conduct programs to aid in communication under pressure and in crucial encounters, the effects wear off not long after these interventions. “To keep our cool in high pressure moments,” she writes, “we need to put our attention not on the words we use or how we’re listening but on that split second between the other person’s words and our reaction.” Her own experiences led her to create what she terms the Pause Principle. One part of the latter is the SOFTEN practices, which she says “are mindfulness-based practices.” The elements are Sensation, Own Your Discomfort, Focus on the Present, Take a Breath, Eyes Toward Another, Need to Say, Within Focus, she writes “Refocusing and redirecting our attention to the present moment helps us find our way out of the never-ending cycle so we feel grounded, balanced, and centered again.” And for breathing, she recommends “inhaling for the count of five, holding the breath for the count of five, and then exhaling for the count of five.”</p>","PeriodicalId":100872,"journal":{"name":"Leader to Leader","volume":"2025 115","pages":"58-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}