Executive Effectiveness

  • Reset 2021: Three “Protect and Correct” Leader Priorities

    Year Two of the coronavirus pandemic sees uneven and fragile economic recovery in the United States and broader global community.  While Chief Executive Magazine recently reported US CEO confidence in future business conditions at a two-year high, leaders in both profit and mission-based organizations continue to face daunting fiscal and operational challenges.  

    In this Reset 2021 article I will address three priority areas that leaders and the boards that oversee them are talking about now and that require ongoing “protect and correct” attention and action.   

    The three priority areas are Organizational Reputation, Human Capital and Cybersecurity. 

    Often discussed within the framework of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and regulation, these areas are discrete but interlinking business dimensions that need to be high on the senior executive team’s 2021 “protect and correct” agenda.  Why?  Because the prolonged global socio-economic dislocations wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with a low trust stakeholder ecosystem, and disruptive, next generation digital technologies all contribute to heightened business and management risk.

  • “Type G” Leadership – The Power of Gratitude

    “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”    – William James

    The coronavirus pandemic continues to challenge leaders with navigating rapid change, making tough decisions, and all the while maintaining a motivated community of employees, customers and other partners.

    One of the surest ways for leaders to strengthen stakeholder motivation and engagement is to show Gratitude on a regular basis.  I call these Gratitude champions Type-G leaders for short.

  • Seven Crucial Actions for Leading in Complex Times

    Complexity is a fact of management life in our interdependent global marketplace.  Paradoxically, the more complex things become, the greater the need for leaders to be able to extract, focus and act on core essentials.

    Thriving in complex times involves seven crucial leader performance areas.  Do you consistently deliver in these areas? ‎

  • What’s Your Return-on-Time?

    Performance Tip

    Twice in recent weeks I’ve found myself in small-group meetings that included senior executives who did not need to be there.  After one of these meetings, I asked the chief operating officer, someone I know well, why he was at a gathering that clearly did not require his input or endorsement.

    “Damned if I know,” he replied honestly. “Few people here seem to value my time.”

    To finish the year strong, you and your team must exercise discipline with time allocation so that priority tasks and commitments are completed thoroughly and well.  What activities fall into this category?  Performance reviews, budget decisions, and customer care leap to mind.  These areBusinessman Writing in Scheduler not activities to be rushed.  Yet in reality they often are, with the result being missed opportunities to maximize talent performance and bottom-line results.

    To help calculate your Return-on-Time (ROT), check out our online Meeting Value Calculator Tool. It can help you determine the “cost” of a meeting for planning purposes.  It can also help you determine after the fact whether a meeting yielded a reasonable ROT.

    ©Susan Battley.  All rights reserved.

  • How to Be A Great Leader-Coach

    When it comes to core capabilities that prepare a person for the highest levels of executive responsibility and success, bosses loom large as role models, mentors and coaches.  They are major influencers of how top-performing professionals develop on the job.

    At the management level, professionals regularly tell me about key lessons learned from their superiors in self-confidence, executive outlook, managing relationships and handling adversity.

    To unleash their potential and deliver consistent winning results, top talent needs to be guided and inspired by great leader-coaches.