Search

Today's labor market remains tight. Turnover is an ongoing, costly problem across many industries. To ensure their organizations are effective now and in the future, HR and talent development professionals have an important role to play in implementing programs that increase engagement, retention, and productivity. This white paper explains three keys to development that unlock employee motivation, reduce turnover, and build a pipeline of future leaders for any organization: (1) Focus on individual and organizational purpose; (2) Prepare the workforce to navigate change; and (3) Scale leadership development to all.

Change moves fast, and organizations can struggle to keep up. Mergers and acquisitions create new organizations, and managerial charts flatten, with fewer layers of administration in the middle causing people to be expected to do more with less. The optimal way to achieve critical outcomes is by scaling development opportunities across the entire organization. The following 3 key strategies outlined in this paper will help more quickly achieve concrete results, future-proof the organization, and drive an inclusive culture of learning: (1) Plan your leadership strategy; (2) Provide access to relevant content; and (3) Leverage internal and external talent.

The uncertainty and disruption imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic are so extensive that they will far outlast the pandemic itself. It is difficult to scale leadership development when staff is constantly shifting and leaders are struggling just to keep up with the day-to-day challenges of their work and personal lives. HR and L&D (learning and development) professionals need tools and solutions that allow them to access research-backed content and deliver transformational development experiences across the enterprise. A strong leadership development partner can stay on top of the latest research and trends, anticipate needs, and help pivot quickly to scale large organizational changes in the timeframe needed. The key to successfully scaling leadership development is devising a strategy at the outset. Once the strategy is secured, it is imperative to have the processes and the talent in place to support the initiative and to be able to execute rapidly. When scaling leadership development, it's essential to focus on the following 3 principles presented in this white paper: (1) PLAN Your Leadership Strategy; (2) PROVIDE Access to Relevant & Flexible Leadership Content; and (3) LEVERAGE Internal and External Talent.

With increasing globalization and digital fluency, next-generation workers are free to explore a broader range of opportunities. But they're also faced with upheaval on both the job and personal front, from the challenges of working from home during a global pandemic to the struggles involved in finding their voice in an increasingly diverse and divided society. To develop a deeper understanding of emerging leaders and their concerns, researchers developed an ongoing study that includes data from more than Gen Z and Millennials ages 18 to 30. Participants come from 28 countries around the globe and reflect varying social identities and work experiences. Some are first-time leaders, whereas others have already moved up through the ranks. Some aspire to become future leaders, whereas others are uninterested in formal leadership or see it as unattainable. Our study explores the "whys." (1) Why do some young people aspire to leadership while others avoid it? and (2) Why are some able to take on increasingly greater leadership roles while others are not? The data collected through surveys and interviews points to 3 strategies that can help your organization attract, retain, and support emerging leaders -- building the skills critical to success: (1) Reduce and Reframe Barriers; (2) Align Values; and (3) Support Equitable Access.

When HR executives and buyers prioritize leadership development options for their senior leaders, corporate coaching is often at the top of the list. Particularly in times of profound change and disruption, executives and senior-level managers need the support of a coach who can help them filter through noise and make clear decisions that propel their organizations into the future. And with research from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) showing that 86% of organizations see an ROI on their coaching engagements, the benefits of corporate coaching are significant. But as the coaching industry continues to evolve under the influence of a 'new world of work' -- one that is increasingly digital, agile, and transformed for the post-pandemic world -- how will buyers expect corporate coaching to meet these new challenges? To lead their organizations through massive transformations, senior leaders will need coaches who are specialized -- not just in a particular industry, but on a specific topic. These specialized coaches must be familiar with relevant research and industry trends, and they must have the ability to analyze data to help leaders solve unprecedented challenges. The future will see corporate coaching that's focused on an organization's overall strategy, ultimately helping that organization achieve its mission by crafting senior leaders who are able to operate at peak performance.

Asian leaders continue to deal with perhaps the biggest crisis they have faced in their careers. The combined social, economic, and health crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to stress-test organizations, forcing them to stare at the potential reality of bankruptcy. C-Suite Leaders (CXOs) not only deal with external leadership crises to keep their businesses afloat, but also deep personal leadership crises within as they dig into their ever-so-depleting reserves of emotional energy to motivate themselves and their teams. CXOs in Asia toil to survive and thrive in a world that, even with the most advanced analytical modeling, remains mysteriously difficult to predict and paint a reliable picture. This paper--based on in-depth interviews with 73 CXOs and board directors across Asia from different countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia), industries, and organizations--articulates the journey leaders need to continue to navigate as they reflect, reset, recalibrate, and pivot to survive and hopefully succeed in the "next normal". [This research initiative was led in partnership with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD); the Indonesia Economic Forum (IEF); Center of Excellence in Management Research for Corporate Governance and Behavioral Finance, Sasin School of Management; and the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM).]

Even in good times, when business is booming and employee engagement is high, executive leaders and senior-level managers face a high level of pressure. Not only are they charged with setting the direction for their organizations, but they must also foster alignment and commitment with their teams so the organization moves forward successfully. But in times of rapid change or disruption to existing business models, the responsibilities of a leader become all the more challenging. It's through these volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times that inspiring leaders are needed more than ever. Our research suggests that a behavior-based approach to coaching helps leaders find opportunity in the face of great challenge, and integrate key skills into their daily interactions. In turn, executive coaching has a ripple effect, positively impacting the entire organization. This white paper explores why, even in challenging business environments, executive coaching remains important. It explains the benefits of coaching during times of disruption, both for leaders and their teams. And it looks at the reasons why businesses prioritize coaching and rely on it as a tool to carry their organizations into the future.

Formal leadership development programs enhance what students learn in the classroom by giving them powerful tools for personal and professional success. They are also a differentiator for many institutions. They help schools attract more high-ability students, distinguish themselves from peer institutions, and increase the value of a student's education. Leadership development helps students strengthen their communication and collaboration skills, develop resilience, become more adaptable, and prepare for a world in which they will be expected to be agile and innovative. This paper lays out five key practices for high-impact leadership development: (1) A proven leadership model and development framework; (2) Formative evaluation of students; (3) Relevant, meaningful leadership experiences; (4) Impactful coaching; and (5) Tools and methods that provide a rich, engaging experience. Student leadership development programs that include these 5 elements are much more likely to be successful in nurturing individual growth, improving post-graduation opportunities, and increasing student and alumni engagement with the university.

In today's business world, change and disruption are the new normal. It's not uncommon for companies, industries, and even the world at large to be turned upside down seemingly overnight. With the fast pace of change, adaptable leadership is no longer just an asset, it's a necessity. Executives who display adaptable leadership seek new and innovative ways to solve problems, master new skills, and view disruption as a challenge rather than a threat -- skills needed to prevail through uncertain times. Adaptable leadership is a term that's used often without a concrete definition or understanding of what it is. In this white paper we'll clarify what it means to be adaptable, and the 3 behaviors that our research at CCL has identified as critical. As a result, you'll be able to approach adaptable leadership in a more practical way and establish a foundation for recognizing and developing the skill in yourself and others on your team.

While learning agility has become a hot topic in recent decades, there's not yet widespread understanding of its underlying nature, nor the best way for organizations and talent development leaders to leverage it, especially because it isn't a skill that's necessarily concentrated at the top of an organization. Instead, it's likely dispersed among leaders at all levels. This white paper offers the Center for Creative Leadership's (CCL's) perspective on three of the most fundamental and frequent questions about learning agility: (1) What is learning agility, and who possesses it?; (2) How do I identify learning agility in my organization's leaders?; and (3) How do I develop learning agility in myself and my organization's leaders? The goal of this report is to help maximize workforces, put people in the right roles, and help better design and implement leadership strategies.

In-depth studies in the field of K-12 education confirm that investments in high-quality, research-based leadership development for school systems can directly impact student success--in the classroom and beyond. This results in the need to learn beyond content mastery and develop deeper learning skills. Students need to be able to adapt quickly, be continuous learners, and able to collaborate across many social boundaries. Success in the 21st Century depends on critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. Building students' capacity for this new era requires investments in teacher and administrator professional development to create the educational ecosystems that foster students' mastery of these skills. A growing body of work by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®), a global nonprofit with a 50-year track record of innovation in developing leaders, shows that investments in leadership development for principals, teachers, staff, and students play an essential role in creating the transformational change needed in education today. That's because leadership development focuses on the single most important part of any school system, public or private--its people. And now more than ever, meeting the complex challenges of a rapidly changing world requires schools to equip young people with the skills they need to become productive workers, engaged citizens, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners.

Decades of research by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) around the world have concluded that the two most powerful ways to grow and mature as a leader are by way of taking on challenging assignments, and by developing powerful relationships. With India being one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world, Indian CXOs have to lead in an extraordinarily dynamic and complex environment. As they rise in their organizations, CXOs need for leadership development becomes critical. This study endeavors to both to learn from these leaders and to help accelerate their progress. In this report, CXOs in India will receive specific guidance on what constitutes the critical leadership skills--and how to develop these. This report is intended to be a practical resource, one that executives can use regularly as a reference for self- and team development. It covers the following key points: (1) making experiences matter is key to success; (2) CXOs devote 60% of their time to 3 goals; (3) to achieve their goals, CXOs expect to refine their skills in 7 areas; (4) four experiences can help CXOs develop and refine the seven needed skills; and (5) follow a 6R framework to obtain the most learning out of experiences. [This report was prepared with Hunt Partners.]

While more women than ever now participate in the paid workforce, it still can be hard to find women in top leadership positions. To understand why so few women are in top leadership positions, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) set out to understand what factors help women achieve leadership positions, what factors prevent it, and how organizations could add more women to their leadership ranks. In this paper, the authors raise five key questions that women should reflect on as they consider their ambitions. They summarize five key lessons that came up repeatedly in conversations with women leaders who had worked their way into leadership positions. The authors also discuss some of the changes organizations can make to increase the number of women leaders. These include policies and changes in organizational culture. Research was conducted two phases. First, the authors surveyed 204 women leaders from Singapore, Australia, India, and Korea. The authors gave them a list of reasons that might contribute to the lack of women in leadership positions and asked them to select up to five items they most agreed with and five they most disagreed with. In phase two, the authors conducted 27 face-to-face interviews with women leaders working in Singapore. Women told their personal leadership stories, shared their perspective on women leaders' career enablers and blockers, and also completed the phase 1 survey. The authors learned that there is no single reason or simple solution. Increasing the number of women in leadership positions will require aspiring women leaders to develop themselves professionally and, in some cases, adopt new behaviors. But the organizational context that women work within is also important.

Does innovation matter? In a 2015 survey, the authors asked the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) clients about innovation. Not surprisingly, nearly all of them--94%--said that innovation is important. People are living in a time when technology is advancing at a blistering pace, creating new possibilities for individuals and organizations that could hardly have been imagined a generation ago. The global political and economic environment is also shifting faster than ever, often moving in unpredictable directions. It seems clear that innovation will be a defining trait--perhaps the defining trait--of those organizations that thrive over the next few decades. In this white paper, the authors lay out the essential leadership behaviors that are required to successfully lead innovation. To better understand those behaviors, the authors interviewed people on the front lines of innovation work and interviewed their bosses. The authors looked closely at the interactions between bosses and those responsible for driving innovation, investigating which boss behaviors encouraged their direct reports and which discouraged them. The interview subjects came from various industries, and all had been involved in multiple, successful initiative projects. From those interviews, the authors identified the critical leadership behaviors exhibited during successful innovation efforts, as well as behaviors that worked against innovation. The lessons from these interviews are broadly applicable to managers at multiple levels. But the authors are especially focused on the leaders charged with overseeing innovation projects--often in addition to other responsibilities--and those working on and directing innovation projects on a day-to-day basis. The actual job titles these individuals hold vary widely from one organization to the next, so for simplicity the authors are calling leaders who oversee innovation projects "leaders." Those working in and directing that innovation work on a day-to-day basis and reporting to those leaders are labeled as "innovation managers."

"What Women Want" is a scientific study conducted in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) and Watermark. The aim of this study is to help organizational decision makers better understand how--and why--to recruit, retain, and promote women in the workplace. This study included 745 leaders and aspiring leaders. On average, participants worked full time, and had a great deal of experience in the workplace. Overall, men and women worked about the same amount of hours per week, and had comparable levels of workplace satisfaction and dedication to their organizations. The authors conducted an online survey, asking women and men leaders around the globe about their experiences in the workplace, as well as what they want out of an ideal workplace environment. Key findings on why organizations should want women include: (1) Participants from organizations with a higher percentage of women rated their organizations more favorably on 7 items related to job satisfaction, organizational dedication, burnout, and employee engagement; and (2) Participants with female bosses felt more supported (especially female participants) and experienced less job-related burnout. Key findings on what women want from organizations include: (1) Women want to work for organizations that help them find their calling; (2) Women want flexibility in where, when, and how they work; and (3) Women want leadership opportunities--but they also want the resources and support required to make these opportunities successful. This report also includes action steps for organizations and leaders who want to help women get what they want out of work, and recruit, retain, and promote women.

Many leaders recognize that coaching is more than a collection of effective techniques. This recognition has led them to strive for a corporate culture that reflects a coaching mindset and the kind of relationships that coachees find liberating. As many more leaders have experienced the benefits of coaching (by professional coaches or mentors) the appeal has expanded dramatically and so has the demand for interventions that can deliver this kind of culture. Leaders whose organizations have learned to adapt to rapid, turbulent change have developed an obsession with getting the culture and cultures within their organizations right. Culture and its expressions shape the practical and emotional environment in which we work, and influences the ways organizations accomplish their goals. Expanding on this conversation, this paper defines coaching culture, provides practical expressions of as well as unhelpful assumptions about coaching culture, and offers tips on what works and where to begin.

Technology has revolutionized corporate learning and leadership development. The number of organizations that use learning management systems is higher than ever before, and thanks to massive open online courses (MOOCs), small private online courses (SPOCS), microlearning, nanolearning, and other new media learning platforms, digital learning and training is at an all-time high. Many learning and leadership development professionals, however, still consider expensive, face-to-face, instructor-led training preferable to digital learning. This paper will explore six strategies from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) that talent leaders can leverage to make digital learning initiatives more effective within their organization. When properly designed, delivered, and evaluated, digital learning initiatives can change a company's corporate culture, improve employee engagement, and increase retention. On the flip side, if done poorly, digital learning initiatives can end up as meaningless corporate activities. The six strategies explored in this paper are addressed under the following headings: (1) Less is More; (2) Support from the Top; (3) Learner-Centered Design; (4) Leaders as Teachers; (5) Learning Partnerships; and (6) What Gets Measured Gets Done.

In this white paper, Diane Reinhold, Tracy Patterson, and Peter Hegel assert that there is no magic bullet to ensure people apply what they learn. There are, however, steps that can be taken to create leadership programs, experiences, and supports that improve the likelihood that lessons will be learned and applied. Over time, new skills, perspectives, or behaviors can be reinforced, until they become unconsciously and competently put to use. Learning is a process, and works best when it is viewed as more than merely a program. The authors present their "3 x 3 x 3 Model for Learning Transfer," a framework of leadership development that can be applied to development programs or initiatives within an organization.

For a long time, leaders have asked the question, where will the next generation of leaders come from? And for a long time the same formula has been applied: Identify those high potentials in high school, college or in the workforce and provide that select group leadership development opportunities. One focus of the Leadership Beyond Boundaries initiative is early leadership development. But what do we mean by "early"? One answer the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) has been hearing for years comes from senior leaders, as they leave CCL programs wishing they had been able to benefit from a leadership development experience much earlier in their lives. Couple this statement with comments from youth, leadership development practitioners (Van Velsor, 2011), principals, and educators in schools and universities and a fairly consistent theme begins to emerge--that leadership development could occur much earlier and be provided to a broader audience. Prompted by this theme of earlier and broader leadership development initiatives the authors began to ask several questions. When should leadership development start? What are the most important competencies to focus on in developing young leaders? Do current leaders see young people as having what is needed for success? Have young people been able to develop the competencies organizations need in their entry-level workforce or that they will need to lead organizations and society forward? What impact would a broad investment in younger audiences have? Would it help them learn more about themselves and others, and propel them on an increased path of purpose and impact? A subset of these important questions was the focus of a 2012 CCL Leadership Insights survey, the results of which are summarized in this paper. This online survey of business, government, nonprofit, and education leaders focused on: 1) the age a young person should commence his or her leadership journey, 2) whether leadership development should be part of the regular educational curriculum, 3) how widely it should be offered, 4) leadership qualities that managers want to see in young people entering the workforce, and 5) what excites managers and what concerns them about the young people they employ today. (Contains 2 resources.

Most companies have an opportunity to improve their succession management programs. The number one challenge for succession management (as identified by both HR leaders and executives) is developing a succession planning strategy. This comprehensive industry study sets out to determine how succession management (when done well) helps improve business performance. Extensive research was conducted into this complex and rapidly evolving market. Through a WhatWorks[R] research methodology, several best practices and trends in succession management processes were uncovered. Interviews and surveys were conducted with business leaders, succession management program managers, and talent managers. Overall, the researchers found that many organizations are spending a lot of energy creating succession plans, but few are able to integrate succession management in all company operations and among all levels of employees. They learned that the companies struggle most with identifying employees with high potential, development planning and global implementation. The key findings addressed in the full report are: (1) great opportunity exists for companies to enhance their succession management strategies; (2) Best-practice organizations address succession management consistently across all key positions at all levels; (3) Development planning is a differentiator between those with high-impact succession management programs and those without such a program; (4) For a company to achieve best-practice succession management, its executives have to be as engaged in succession management as its HR leaders; (5) global succession management is an untapped source of top talent for multinational companies; (6) companies must focus their succession management strategies on both technical/professional and management roles; (7) a strong talent review process is critical for highly effective succession management; and (8) good succession management is clearly correlated to business success. The full report provides supportive data analysis, detailed examples, best practices and actionable steps to help one develop or enhance their organization's succession management strategy. (Contains 1 figure and 5 footnotes.) [This executive summary was co-produced by Bersin & Associates.]

Connected leadership is an emerging view of leadership as an inclusive and collective networked activity occurring throughout organizations. Out of this project grew the Changing Nature of Leadership (CNL) research. Its focus: to explore the current field of leadership and forecast future trends. CNL relied on several interdependent streams of research, including academic literature, surveys, benchmarking and classroom research. More than 300 respondents completed one or more aspects of the research. Of these respondents, 84.3 percent believe that the definition of effective leadership has changed in the last five years--indicating some interesting trends in leadership. But the question remains--how has leadership changed and will it look different in the future? The results across our numerous data points to one conclusion: leadership is changing and approaches focusing on flexibility, collaboration, crossing boundaries and collective leadership are expected to become a high priority.

A study examined upward-communication practices (from lower levels to higher levels in an organization) in American industry. Seventy-five large top-ranked companies responded to a survey concerning their upward-communication programs, for a response rate of 39%. Forty of the completed surveys included materials describing their upward-communication programs. Results indicated that: (1) the companies reported using an average of 6.6 upward communication practices; and (2) the three most common practices were suggestion programs, "open door' programs, and opinion surveys. Results further described 10 upward-communication practices, with some examples submitted by respondents, and compared upward-communication programs regarding the extent to which they handle grievances, suggest improvements, and provide feedback to the organization. Among the reasons to ensure good upward communication are that it provides feedback to management, it supplies early warning, it transmits unfiltered information, and it enhances organizational effectiveness. Findings suggest that the majority of large American firms use a wide variety of programs to foster upward communication from their employees. (Thirty-two references, a list of participating companies, the survey cover letter, a completed survey form, and company-provided materials describing the upward-communication programs of 16 companies are attached.) (RS)

This study investigated gender differences associated with experiential learning. The data come from two studies of general management level men and women. The first, conducted between 1981 and 1984, involved 189 men and 2 women, and utilized interviews and questionnaires. In 1984-85, a second study interviewed 76 women. In each study, managers were asked to report key events that influenced them as managers. Even though these men and women were at similar organizational levels when interviewed, the differences in the learning they most frequently reported suggests the women were focused on discovering who they were as individuals in these organizations, on finding their niche, and on integrating self with environment. The men appeared to be focused on the mastery of more specific business skills. These differences may be due to women having less organizational experience and not having as clear an idea about the criteria for a good manager. The impact of these factors may be enhanced by the isolation women feel, especially at higher levels of management. Factors such as organizational experience, newcomer or minority status, the need to define sex-role appropriate behavior, isolation, and discrimination create a working environment more complex in its challenges for women. A comparative analysis of the key developmental events emerging from this study is included. (LLL)

This document describes the struggles of a diverse group of 37 community leaders, called the Greensboro One Task Force, with the issues of race, class, and government in order to develop a bond package that could be supported by the majority of the voters of a North Carolina city. Through quotes from the participants, the document illustrates how consensus was achieved in this 1985 contest. A concluding chapter outlines three things that the two nonvoting group facilitators considered important about their role: (1) setting boundaries and structures; (2) staying neutral themselves; and (3) having complementary styles. (CML)