Active Listening: A Quick Guide to Turning Tension into Performance

“I just want to be heard.” Those six words resonate with every person on the planet, yet so many leaders ignore this universal need. Toxic leaders go further, actively shutting down feedback. Disengagement, low productivity, and turnover result. And, of course, these leaders miss out on operating improvements, new product ideas, and morale boosters from […]

From Diplomacy to Desktop: How to Keep the Peace at Work

The world never has a lack of armed conflicts. Ultimately, the root cause of these wars remains poor leadership, according to experts on peace and negotiation. The irony: the exact same skills that help you grow as a leader for your team are the skills our political leaders need to solve global crises. For example, […]

How to Stop Worrying and Embrace Work’s Surprises

“Surprise!” That’s a fun word when it launches an unexpected party. It’s not so fun when it launches your work day. Yet for more and more of us, the exponential acceleration of change in the world translates into surprises at work. Fortunately, Chris Nolan and Mike Schindler—our podcast guests and creators of the It’s VUCA […]

Trust: The Bridge Between Leader and Follower

Did you forget something? In our quest to become better leaders, we often forget the most fundamental thing that makes us leaders: followers! They stand at the heart of the very definition of “leader.” So, this week, we circle back to basics for insights on how to cultivate your followership. This information comes directly from […]

Changing the World, One Visit at a Time

Have you ever had this conversation about service during your business trips? YOU: I demand to see your manager! DESK CLERK: Certainly. May I say why? YOU: It’s the service here. The way this hotel is run. DESK CLERK: Our apologies. Perhaps… YOU: I can’t believe how fantastic it all is. I’d like to learn […]

Better Employee Engagement = Better Lives (Yes, Really)

The effect your organization has on its employees extends well beyond work. The 2024 Gallup State of the Global Workplace report found that employee engagement significantly impacts overall life experience. When employees find their work—and their work relationships—meaningful, employment is associated with daily enjoyment and low levels of negative emotions. 88% of employees who are […]

Layering Leadership: Peeling Back Chick-fil-A’s “Onion” of Success

Bingo! That was Steve Robinson’s reaction when the head of a cattlemen’s association said Steve’s marketing campaign was a threat to the beef industry. Steve is the former Chief Marketing Officer of Chick-fil-A. The association was concerned about the wild popularity of Chick-fil-A’s now-iconic cow mascots. In our podcast interview, Steve insists the cows are […]

Motivated by the Best (and the Worst)

This week, we continue our Q&A series. ILI partner consultant Patt Hardie is in the spotlight. She is a trusted advisor/coach with over 30 years of experience in talent, leadership, and organizational development. Patt has held senior leadership and consulting positions at Battelle Memorial Institute, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Ashland Inc., American Electric Power, OhioHealth, and the […]

Adopting AI by Putting People First

Government red tape is notorious worldwide. That’s nothing new; it’s been that way since the Roman Empire. Cutting through that confusing web is just one way artificial intelligence can help you and your organization. In our recent interview, David Levy highlighted that and many other benefits of AI you probably haven’t thought about. The vice […]

Want Engaged Employees? You’ll Need Engaged Leaders

There’s never been a more important time to equip our leaders with engagement tools. We’ve long known that strong employee engagement correlates with strong organizational performance — and now Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace Report is highlighting another crucial correlation: leadership’s impact on individual contributors. Gallup found that “70% of the variance in […]

How to Attract (and Retain) Top Talent

Although the Great Resignation isn’t quite so great anymore, the talent pool continues to shrink. Our podcast guest, Sander van ‘t Noordende—the CEO of Randstad—says this presents a critical need for leaders not only to attract top talent but also to retain them. That can be tricky, especially now that we have five different and […]

6 Questions with an Executive Consultant

This week, we begin a new Q&A series interviewing thought leaders, CEOs, researchers, and others for their perspectives on a multitude of business and leadership questions. We start with Innovative Leadership Institute founder and CEO Maureen Metcalf. Check out her answers to these timely issues: 1. If you could give executive leaders everywhere a single […]