Why so many bad bosses still rise to the top

Narcissism. Overconfidence. Low EQ. Why do we persist in selecting for leadership traits that hamper organizational progress—and leave the right potential leaders in the wrong roles?

Rethinking organizational health for the new world of work

Yes, organizational health still drives long-term performance—but the way leaders measure and diagnose health should change, new research shows.

Tera Allas, Brooke Weddle

McKinsey research suggests that society is a key source of meaning for employees, along with company, customer, team, and individual. Together, they make up a collective, integrated whole that leaders can address.

Tera Allas, Brooke Weddle

Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs was both right and wrong at the same time. On the one hand, it recognized that people have many desires in addition to basic bodily needs such as water, food, and shelter. On the other hand, it assumed a fixed hierarchy where psychological needs—such as belonging and self-esteem—became relevant only after basic physical and safety needs were met. However, modern … [ Read more ]

Investing in middle managers pays off—literally

New research shows that having more top-performing middle managers leads to much better financial outcomes. Here are five actions that can set managers and their organizations up for success.

Meet the Psychological Needs of Your People—All Your People

Too many employers pay too little heed to the needs of the lower earners in their company. Here’s why—and how—they should shift gears.

Losing from day one: Why even successful transformations fall short

Our latest transformations research confirms that success remains elusive and reliant on a holistic approach. Yet some actions are especially predictive of realizing the financial benefits at stake.

Brooke Weddle

We like to say that organizational health is composed of three things. One is how well the organization aligns around a common strategy. Two, how the strategy then translates down into the work environment—how well the organization executes against its strategy and its ambition. Three is how well it renews itself over time, which basically means two things: one, looking outside, staying in tune with … [ Read more ]

Randy Lim, Jean-Benoît Grégoire Rousseau, and Brooke Weddle

Some organizations worry that fostering innovation might jeopardize safety by introducing change, which many see as a source of risk. Our results, however, highlight the significance of line ownership: in our experience, one of the most effective bulwarks against accidents is the use of “near miss” programs, which encourage employees to identify hazardous situations and propose solutions before safety is jeopardized. Engaging employees in the … [ Read more ]