Vision has been among the most coveted and discussed leadership qualities of the past two decades. This much sought-after trait allows leaders to guide their organizations by creating meaning and purpose. When applied strategically, this translates into practical plans and meaningful work. Attaining...

Historically, successful organizations were built to support monolithic structures and bureaucratic strategies – not to change them. As noted by learning theorist Willie Pietersen, in today’s global, technologically savvy, knowledge-based economy, the leadership challenge is to recognize...

Increased competition, stiffer regulation, globalization, shifting alliances, mergers and acquisitions, retiring baby boomers, and an increasing number of stakeholders – among other factors – mandate that energy companies have skilled leaders to thrive in today’s volatile and complex...

The concept of leadership traditionally has been discussed in positive, constructive terms; however, the focus has increasingly – and some would argue, necessarily – shifted toward the darker aspects that have resulted in bankruptcy, corruption and scandal for so many organizations. To those...

The official state motto of the state of Nebraska is “Equality before the law,” but according to Mike McCrory, Nebraska’s state personnel director of administrative services, talent management for the state’s 18,000 employees varies greatly from department to department by statute. “We’ve...

The world may be flat, but human relationships are bounded by limits. Action learning and experiential leadership development can help overcome those personal and organizational boundaries. There’s an interesting paradox at the heart of today’s connected world. Technology and communications...

With the economy still shaking off the effects of a record recession, growth remains a top priority for many organizations. It’s also one of the greatest challenges. Integrating talent management and organizational design may be the solution. The current business environment requires executives...

The American Civil War holds a range of valuable lessons for learning leaders. Experiential learning requires that the learner step into uncharted territory and make the connections, post-experience, back to the workplace. Last November, I had a chance to participate in an experiential learning program:...

Social networking is not only changing the way HR leaders think of legal risks or recruiting opportunities. It also should make them think about the way they select high-potential candidates for leadership-development programs. In recent weeks I attended two events with CHROs from Fortune 500 companies....

A new breed of learner is driving the evolution of learning in companies. Over the past decade, the story of enterprise learning has increasingly been dominated by an emphasis on the “learning” part and a de-emphasis on the “enterprise” part. It’s like an adaptation of...