Pam Teagarden, MAPP

When it comes to succession planning, boards have recently been engaging in three particularly problematic behaviors. My colleagues Claudius A. Hildebrand, Kate Hurley, and Giovanna Gallì discuss why the “safe” approach to succession is counterproductive, and offer guidance on how boards can transform CEO selection into a moment of strategic advantage in Harvard Business Review: https://lnkd.in/gqR36sSV #CEOSuccession #Boards #SpencerStuartSiliconValley&Austin

7

Leading Through Ambiguity Alia Rose Connor and I are continuing our series using the SCARF model (https://lnkd.in/eQhMudWF). This week, A for Autonomy: When things feel uncertain, people crave control. In times of organizational uncertainty or shifting priorities, a leader's response to the need for clarity can result in overorchestrating plans or processes as they try to create some certainty for the team and themselves. The desire to provide as much certainty as possible can undermine what people really need - some control. Some ways to do this are: 👉 Offer choice in the how, even when the what is set. “We need to improve onboarding retention. You decide how we might do this.” 👉 Let them design the experiment. “What’s the smallest test that would teach us something useful in two weeks?” 👉 Co-create the plan. “Given what we know now, what should we not work on?” Shaping the path gives people something solid to stand on, and ambiguity becomes more workable. We’re exploring how to lead through ambiguity. Next time, Relatedness. #collaborativeteams #leadership #ambiguity #leadershipdevelopment

4

Experienced executive leadership coach and psychotherapist Marilyn Rosa-Green, M.Ed., MSHR, LPC, NCC specializes in guiding leaders in the manufacturing industry. She highlights the importance of careful talent selection and creating a supportive environment to combat burnout among leaders. Marilyn identifies behavioral changes and emotional responses as key warning signs of burnout, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to address them. Resilience, according to Marilyn, is a combination of innate traits and learned behaviors, which can be cultivated through mindful leadership and stress management practices. She offers practical coping strategies, including mindfulness and avoiding perfectionism, and encourages taking small, manageable steps to enhance well-being and performance in high-pressure settings. Marilyn's expertise in leadership coaching and psychotherapy allows her to offer valuable insights and guidance to manufacturing industry leaders, helping them navigate challenges and cultivate resilience in their roles.  Link to watch/listen in the first comment below. #podcast #collab #collaboration #business #LeadAtTheTopOfYourGame #Leadership #manufacturing #wellbeing #mentalhealth

Great advice in Bob Gerst’s podcast for anyone in career transition. Rachel’s advice to “never send a naked application” is particularly relevant for anyone who has send 100’s of applications with zero response. It’s soul sucking and can severely damage your self confidence. Up 50% or more of job openings are filled by someone who knows you, or knows someone who knows you. Networking is the key. Hate networking? No problem, I did too - until I learned to love it. Now in my online course inside the Connect & Thrive Community I teach others how to overcome their aversion and start to strategically make meaningful connections - something I wish I’d done much earlier in my career.

3

2 Comments

When I think about the conversations that matter most in the boardroom right now, they all come back to one thing: Talent. Human capital now sits at the center of strategy, culture, and long-term value creation. For boards this shows up as questions like: - Do we have a clear, actionable succession plan for the CEO and key leadership roles? - Are we building a strong, diverse talent bench two layers down? - What is our culture really enabling or getting in the way of? - How are AI and technology reshaping roles? In my view, talent oversight works best when these questions are frequently on the board’s agenda. When boards regularly connect human capital to business outcomes, they are better positioned to manage risk, support leadership, and sustain the culture employees experience every day. How often does your board spend time on talent beyond updates on compensation or headcount metrics?

7

1 Comment

Great insights from JP Elliott, PhD and Jennifer Wilson of Heidrick & Struggles. The most significant capability lacking in HR Leadership is a high level of Business Acumen. Cross Functional experience from projects or taking the time to actually take on a role for a period of time will pay off significantly. I have been promoting this for quite some time and consistently get push back saying it's too difficult to pull off. Well the results are clear that the unwillingness to take this challenge on is coming back to haunt the leadership of the HR function. This is a call out to all CHROs of Fortune Companies, demand your Talent Management functions to make this happen. It is not only critical to your function but to your business and the future C-Suite HR Talent Pool. No more excuses, just make it happen. We should also rotate top business people through the HRBP role for a period of time to build their capabilities in Talent, Culture and Team Effectiveness. Yes, it is hard. But, it is worth it! Better Leaders -> Better World

6