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What Will Separate Top CEOs From The Rest in a Post-Pandemic World?

 What are the 3 greatest leadership challenges CEOs face in the years ahead?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 179 TranscriptCongratulations to Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer on the publication of their new book “THE CEO TEST: Mastering the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders” (Harvard Business Review Press). To mark this event we’re revisiting our summer 2020 conversation with Adam, when we previewed some of the highlights of  this book.

Adam Bryant is Managing Director of Merryck & Co.  He joined them in 2017 after a 30-year career in journalism, including 18 years at The New York Times. In addition to his many roles there as a reporter and editor, he created the popular weekly “Corner Office” column in 2009, interviewing 525 CEOs and other leaders over a decade.  (Read more about Adam below).

In our conversation we discuss:

    • How top CEOs are navigating emerging leadership challenges in the post-pandemic world
    • The most critical attribute that will separate the top CEOs from the rest in meeting these challenges
    • Three immediately useful tips for successfully leading through tests CEOs face when there are no clear answers

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Why Top Leadership Needs to Embrace “Holistic Insight”

A thought-leading CEO shares stories of how holistic insight can be transformative for a company

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 152 Transcript Listen to Episode 189. Scott and I speak with Lawrence “Larry” Siff, CEO of Neptune Advisors and the C Level Community. We discuss the key to developing broader and deeper perspectives for boards and management to optimize a company’s growth and create long-term value.

Larry has advised hundreds of CEOs and boards on maximizing corporate value. He holds a wide range of leadership positions in multiple organizations and boards. This includes being a National Association of Corporate Directors board leadership fellow, an independent board member of Mason Companies Incorporated, and being an industry advisor for Silverwood Partners, a boutique investment bank. (read more about Larry Siff below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The key benefits for boards and for management teams who gain and act upon holistic insight
  • Stories of the game-changing power of holistic leadership in action
  • Three immediately useful ideas for boards and management to develop holistic insight 

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Is Your Board Fit for the Future?

How must board-management relationships evolve to proactively lead into the future?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 152 TranscriptFind out by listening to Episode 188. Scott and I speak with returning guest Peter R. Gleason, CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) about highlights from their Blue Ribbon Commission report “Fit for the Future.”  

Peter is a recognized expert in board leadership and corporate governance issues. He serves as a member of NACD’s national faculty, is regularly quoted in the national media, and is a frequent presenter on the subjects of corporate governance, executive and director compensation, risk, strategic planning, and board/shareowner relations.

He has served as a commissioner on every NACD Blue Ribbon Commission report issued over the past 16 years, including the most recent releases on Fit for the Future: An Urgent Imperative for Board Leadership and Adaptive Governance: Board Oversight of Disruptive Risks.  (read more about Peter Gleason below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The most impactful challenge for boards and management teams in the age of rapidly interacting “Megatrends”
  • The “Recalibration” of expectations and roles between boards and management
  • Three immediately useful ideas for shaping “Future Fit” Board-Management relationships

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It’s our anniversary! Answering your questions

Which leadership issues will we focus on in our 7th year of Growth Igniters® Radio?

Find out by downloading and listeningRead Growth Igniters Radio Episode 187 Transcript | game-changing business growth to Episode 187. To commemorate this occasion, Scott and I have put together a 15-minute episode featuring our responses to the top questions some of you have asked us about game-changing business growth.

These include:

  • “Why is ‘game-changing business growth’ an increasing priority?”
  •  “What do you mean by ‘Growth Igniters,’ and what is special about them?”
  •  “What is the major reason that momentum sometimes falls off during transformation for business growth”

We also have links to related episodes we mention in our conversation. Scroll down to the “Resources” section below.
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Remembering Dr. Gail Hayes, Race Relations Advocate

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 186 Transcript: Remembering Dr. Gail HayesScott and I were shocked and saddened by the news that a recent guest on Growth Igniters® Radio, Dr. Gail Hayes, unexpectedly passed away after a brief illness. She was a Race Relations Consultant, Speaker, award-winning book author, and media personality. (see bio below).

To honor Dr. Gail’s memory, we are revisiting the entire conversation we had with her in the Fall of 2020. We discussed the compelling business case for building bridges to promote racial equity in the constantly shifting environment, why we need more than good intentions to overcome systemic racism, and immediately actionable ideas for working together on problem-solving.

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The New Keys for Leadership Success in a Disruptive World

Why are more boards looking for greater adaptability in CEOs, C-Suite, and Sr. Executives?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 152 TranscriptFind out by listening to Episode 152.  In this pivotal fan-favorite podcast, Scott and I speak with Peter R. Gleason, President & CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Although we recorded this conversation in 2019, before the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, it is just as relevant (or even more so) now as then.

Peter is a recognized expert on board leadership and corporate governance issues. He serves as a member of NACD’s national faculty, is regularly quoted in the national media, and is a frequent presenter on the subjects of corporate governance, executive and director compensation, risk, strategic planning, and board/shareowner relations.

He has served as a commissioner on every NACD Blue Ribbon Commission report issued over the past 16 years, including the most recent releases on Adaptive Governance: Board Oversight of Disruptive Risks, and Culture as a Corporate Asset. (read more about Peter Gleason below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • Why Boards, CEOs, C-Suites & Sr. Executives need to think differently about disruptive risks
  • The critical new leadership traits and behaviors that CEOs need to develop
  • Three immediately useful ideas for developing your own leadership success in a disruptive world

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C-Suite Politics in the age of Zoom

How does a virtual C-Suite impact key alliances and critical decisions?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 183 TranscriptFind out by listening on-the-go to Episode 183.  Scott and I speak with Nancy Halpern, Founder of the firm Political IQ. She is a nationally recognized leadership consultant who diagnoses political dysfunction in organizations. She leverages her thought leadership and intellectual capital from over twenty years of client engagements to help companies find solutions to the many challenges of office politics.

Nancy’s clients include The World Bank, Disney, and Novartis, among many others. She has been interviewed by a variety of media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Inc., and more (read more about Nancy Halpern below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The critical impacts of virtual C-Suite politics on relationships and business decisions
  • How the dynamics of alliances can change in the virtual C-Suite
  • Immediately actionable ideas for navigating virtual C-Suite politics in the age of Zoom

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How Top Leadership Can Build Bridges to Promote Racial Equity

Beyond ethics, what is the compelling business case for promoting racial equity? 

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 182 TranscriptFind out by listening on-the-go to Episode 182.  Scott and I speak with Dr. Gail Hayes, a Race Relations Consultant, Speaker, award-winning book author and media personality who is internationally recognized as a communicator who ignites the atmosphere with contagious enthusiasm and a passion for purpose.

She has been called a Conduit and Bridge between Races, genders, generations, and political parties because of her unique ability to paint pictures with words to promote understanding between communities. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of the American Diversity Report and enjoys helping organizations create new ways of doing business in today’s changing culture.  (read more about Dr. Gail Hayes below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The compelling business case for building bridges to promote racial equity in the constantly shifting business environment
  • Why we need more than good intentions to overcome systemic racism
  • Immediately actionable ideas for discovering what is really happening in your organization and working together on problem solving

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There’s Always More to the Story

In the middle of a crisis, what is most important to keep in mind?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 180 TranscriptFind out by listening- on-the-go to Episode 180. In this episode, Scott and I share our own experience of Tropical Storm Isaias (we’re OK), and the reminder of an essential principle we keep actively in mind when the stakes are high and time is short: There’s always more to the story of any situation, and it always makes a difference in the outcome of any decision and action. So how can you consider the perspectives of others AND act quickly?

 You’ll gain insights on

  • Overcoming the challenge of going beyond “hard wired” perceptions and instincts that exist in a crisis
  • A handy strategic tool for quickly bringing to mind the less obvious stakeholders whose perceptions could be critical to success
  • Three immediately actionable ideas from a game-changing CEO (literally) on how communicating with stakeholders can help you discover Silver Linings in a crisis

Read our blog post about our “there’s always more to the story” experience in Tropical Storm Isaias.
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What Will Separate Top CEOs From The Rest in a Post-Pandemic World?

 What are the 3 greatest leadership challenges CEOs face in the years ahead?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 179 TranscriptFind out by listening to Episode 179. Scott and I speak with Adam Bryant, Managing Director of Merryck & Co. He joined them in 2017 after a 30-year career in journalism, including 18 years at The New York Times. In addition to his many roles there as a reporter and editor, he created the weekly “Corner Office” column in 2009, interviewing 525 CEOs and other leaders over a decade.

Adam is the author of two books based on themes that emerged from the interviews, Quick and Nimble; Lessons from Leading CEOs on How to Create a Culture of Innovation, and The Corner Office; Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs on How to Lead and Succeed. His next book, which he is writing with former Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer, is “THE CEO TEST: Mastering the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders” (due to be published in early 2021 by Harvard Business Review Press)  Read more about Adam Bryant below.

You’ll find out about:

    • How top CEOs are navigating emerging challenges in the post-pandemic world
    • The most critical attribute that will separate the top CEOs from the rest in meeting these challenges
    • Three immediately useful tips for successfully leading through these tests when there are no clear answers

Read More