Tag Archives: Europe

The Importance of Seeing the World in Shades of Grey

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Manfred.jpg by Manfred Kets de Vries

Executives who see the world in stark contrasts miss the nuances of situations and are less able to compromise to meet common interests.

Joan, a senior executive, wasn’t the easiest person to deal with. Although she had many excellent qualities – she was creative, had a great capacity for work and was extremely knowledgeable about the industry – she also had the tendency to engage in drama and in doing so rapidly got on people’s nerves. Joan was rigid in her outlook, had angry outbursts, was manipulative and constantly criticized everything. She seemed to always be involved in some kind of vendetta, forcing people to choose sides. In Joan’s world there was no such thing as a middle ground, her thinking was exclusively black and white. Continue reading →

What is top talent and how is that identified?

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As a part of our talent acquisition engagements, we ask our clients how they define “top talent” and how they would assess those traits in the interview process.  Reflecting on the insightful comments we hear every day, we thought there would be great value in a new blog in which senior executives/thought leaders share their “Take on Talent.”

This is the first in a series of blogs/interviews with senior executives who are thought leaders in the areas of Talent Acquisition, Career Development and Leadership who will share their perspectives on this ever present question.

 

Debbie Polishook, Group Operating Officer

Accenture Operations

Debbie is responsible for executing the business strategy and driving operational excellence. Accenture Operations comprises an 81,000 strong global team of both consulting and outsourcing professionals that provide Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services as well as Infrastructure and Cloud services. Continue reading →

What CEOs Are Afraid Of

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By Roger Jones

Deep-seated fears — of looking ridiculous, losing social status, speaking up, and much, much more — saddle children in the middle school lunchroom, adults on the therapist’s couch, and even, my research has found, executives in the C-Suite. While few executives talk about them, deep and uncontrolled private fears can spur defensive behaviors that undermine how they and their colleagues set and execute company strategy.

In 2014, I surveyed 116 CEOs and other executives, interviewing 27 in depth afterwards. Of the 116 survey participants, 73% were male, 27% were female, and all but 9% were based in Europe. About a third (32%) were CEOs or presidents; 31% were division/business unit heads; 30% were senior managers reporting to division/business unit heads; and 7% were in investment or professional services firms. Continue reading →

Smart Leaders Are OK with Seeming Uncertain

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By Don Moore

The expression of confidence is intimately tied up with leadership.  Would-be leaders are careful to present a confident face because it helps gain them credibility and convince others that they know what they are doing.

When George W. Bush faced John Kerry in their first Presidential debate in 2004, Bush criticized Kerry for having vacillated on the war in Iraq.  “I just know how this world works,” Bush declared.  “And in the councils of government, there must be certainty from the U.S. President.”  Even those who may have disagreed with Bush’s policies may nevertheless support this view.  In his profile of President Barack Obama, Michael Lewis put it this way: “After you have made your decision, you need to feign total certainty about it. People being led do not want to think probabilistically.” Continue reading →

If You Can’t Communicate, You Can’t Lead

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Meet Mark Miller  by Mark Miller

Yes, many factors contribute to the enormity of our task as leaders. I’m just not sure any are more critical or daunting as clear communication. Let’s unpack this a little bit. What are some of the barriers to communication within an organization? Continue reading →