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 […]

How to Build Your Ethics (and Avoid Messes Down the Road)

There’s a link between leaders and the fallout from the student protests over the Gaza conflict. That link: ethics. Ultimately, the lack of a clear ethical framework sparked the struggles and consequences for several university presidents. Forging those frameworks fed success for other collegiate leaders. That difference may make or break your own organization in […]

Refresh Your Leadership Path

As a leader, you’re always thinking about others: your team, your peers, and the organization as a whole. But what about you? Our podcast guest, Tammy Alvarez, says leaders must give their own careers as much priority as they give their teams. Hating Mondays is a sure sign your career needs a refresh. Based on […]

The Prep Expert’s Blueprint for Leadership

Dr. Shaan Patel‘s story reads like the American Dream made real: with grit and determination, he rose from a modest background and mediocre SAT scores to earn an MD and become CEO of a market-leading company. He also scored an appearance and investment on Shark Tank to add a little spice to the tale! The […]

Leading Your Wounded Workforce

At least 70% of American adults have endured a traumatic experience. That means a good chunk of your workforce is dealing with trauma in their background. Even if you don’t have the highest empathy, the impacts on employee focus, teamwork, and productivity—frankly, nearly every aspect of business—are clear. But you’re a leader, not a psychologist; […]

Seven Steps to Elevate Your Leadership through Vertical Development

Some leaders see the big picture very clearly—they understand complexity, know their own weaknesses well, and follow principles rather than rules. These leaders are called post-conventional, and our guest, Michael Morrow-Fox, has studied them deeply for his doctorate and consulting practice. He’s teased out several ways we can all grow and develop toward post-conventional perspectives. […]

Burnout and Beyond: Why Leaders Use Psychedelics

Stress only touches the surface of what leaders endure. Leaders are no exception to the rise in physical and mental health issues we’re seeing increase in the workplace. So how do you stay healthy and retain your competitive edge? Yoga, mindfulness, distance running: all manner of efforts can help. But one is on the rise […]