Working with Executive Recruiters Lisa Thompson, Managing Director, Professional Services Executive search is a large, yet very fragmented, business. According to the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), industry revenues in 2013 were more than $10.5 billion, yet the 10 largest firms accounted for less than one-fifth of that revenue. There are many reputable and successful search firms you may not be familiar with. Here are some tips from our […]
When a troubled manufacturing company needed an expert numbers person as CEO, the board of directors conducted a national search for an experienced chief financial officer with the ability to run the entire organization. When a U.S. sales company decided to open its first overseas affiliate, the CEO selected a sales manager from one of its largest domestic offices to run the new operation. And before a major children’s hospital […]
Successful executives have many skills and qualities that enable them to excel in their roles and create value for their companies. These might include strategic thinking, vision, creativity, leadership, communications skills, emotional intelligence and decision making—to name just a few. However, superior decision making is arguably the most important ingredient for success, especially in the C-suite. In fact, as a June 2010 Harvard Business Review article by Blenko, Mankins and […]
If you’re a corporate CIO or aspiring to move up from IT into the C-suite, strong translation skills are imperative. That’s means being able to explain the latest technology programs and initiatives in terms that business and financial executives will understand and support. Like all professional disciplines, IT has its own language, filled with jargons and acronyms that other techies understand but are largely incomprehensible to people outside the technology […]
When LeBron James entered the National Basketball Association a decade ago, he had enough raw athletic talent to be considered the potential heir to Michael Jordan. He began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he carried his team to the 2007 conference final but faced criticism about his mental toughness and judgment, particularly after his 2010 nationally televised decision to leave Cleveland and join the Miami Heat. Since then, […]
One of the more difficult HR questions for every enterprise is determining the size and scope of its internal information technology (IT) talent pool. On one hand, having a large, experienced in-house staff allows the organization to respond quickly to requests from internal customers and changes in the market. It also can reduce the fees paid to outside consultants, developers and designers. But it’s also expensive to maintain a large […]
Most senior leadership development programs take a top-down approach, focusing on the traits and personalities of individual executives. The goal, in many cases, is to look at various leadership styles—such as autocratic, democratic or somewhere in between—and help executives learn new attitudes and behaviors. With a dynamic facilitator and a well-planned curriculum, these leadership programs can boost individual careers and increase an organization’s human capital. But there’s another perspective to […]
In most organizations, teamwork provides the foundation for getting things done. A strong team can multiply individual strengths and talents, creating a powerful force for moving a company forward. Of course, the opposite is also true: A poorly led team can waste time without achieving anything positive. Successful leaders are masters at the art of giving feedback. It’s true that feedback is an art, not a science, because what works […]
College professors know that one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of a certain topic is to teach it to others. As a senior executive, you can put that insight to good use by training, coaching and mentoring your team in leadership skills. Not only will you be giving them an opportunity to grow and progress in their careers—and support your own succession plan—you’ll also get an opportunity […]
When interviewing job candidates, most recruiters focus on the past, asking questions like “What were your biggest accomplishments?” or “What did you learn from that experience?” But there’s another strategy that can help HR professionals determine whether a candidate will be a good fit for the organization, especially at the executive level. The technique is called behavioral interviewing and it focuses on how a candidate reacts when faced with a […]
