Oliver Group

04/17/2020

What do you think is the most important tool in a leader's toolbox? Versatility and integrity are certainly high on the list.

They know how to read and respond to change — and they have the skills to do it.

04/16/2020

You've probably endured a few toxic managers to get where you are today. But how do you keep yourself in check?

The data-driven signs that entrepreneurs and executives should be looking for.

04/15/2020

Every business coach has their own unique model but one thing is always the same: it's all about mindset.

I gleaned three takeaways from a personal research exercise about the value of coaching and how to choose the right coach for your needs.

04/14/2020

Do not implement AI solutions without first weighing out the ethical implications. Have you considered the (sometimes subtle yet significant) AI baggage that comes with the flashy new tech?

Only 25% of companies say that they definitely prioritize considering the ethical implications of an AI solution before investing in it, according to research by PwC.

04/13/2020

Social media isn't just for fun anymore, it has become a powerful recruiting resource. But it's going to take more than a kegerator and ping pong table to retain employees. What do you think keeps employees happy?

Social media was mainly “for fun” and effects of the Great Recession lingered, but some predictions of how the workplace would evolve proved accurate.

04/11/2020

Aim for compassion and interdependence to cultivate a culture of connection and support.

At a time when most Americans report feeling lonely, some organizations are building a culture of connection and support.

04/10/2020

Your organization needs a new executive and we have the unique strategy to ensure you find the strongest leader for your role. Learn more at OliverGroup.com

04/09/2020

What does HR 4.0 look like? 🎯Hyper-focused recruiting and retainment initiatives. Spending more time establishing the right culture, and less time with tasks that can and will be automated. 🤖

Let s take a step back in time to get a better understanding about the future of HR in the context of gearing up for the demands of the future of work

04/08/2020

Change at the corporate level often must first happen at the personal level: in the household. We support and advocate for more women in executive roles.

Change starts within the family unit — long before many corporations and institutions recognize what is happening.

04/07/2020

Many say remote work is the future, what do you think? While it works for some corporations, it may not for others - but the perks of saving thousands per sq. ft. on real estate, happier employees, and no commute are reasons enough to consider it.

Dozens of studies find remote workers happy and productive. Why not let them be?

04/06/2020

Leaders set the tone. Not just for meetings, but for the entire organization. Have you analyzed your own behavior lately? http://bit.ly/3cUzAKS

04/02/2020

How diverse is your C-suite? With rapidly changing technology and organizational dynamics, it's a good idea to mix up the leadership pool a bit for innovation to flourish in your corporation.

In order to fully leverage the creative powerhouse in organizations, diversity is key.Yet, when it comes to representation, we have a long way to go

03/31/2020

Avoid internal advisors in their various forms. Executives need a fresh perspective when facing challenges and are often bombarded with advice and opinions around every corner.

The sole job of the CEO is sifting through heaps of advice.

03/30/2020

Some statistics may point to promoting within, but that one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for every company. Decide what's best for finding your ideal C-suite based on what's been going on within your company the past 5 years, not generalized statistics.

Promote From Within or Hire From the Outside?

03/28/2020

Check out some of the Fortune 500 CEOs' best advice for students just starting out in their careers.

The top career advice for students from the heads of some of the world's most successful companies, such as Google, Best Buy and Microsoft.

03/27/2020

There is a lot of considerations to make when accommodating the "modern workforce". We no longer talk about the "office" but rather our "workspace", as workers demand flexibility in where and when they work. What's a CEO to do?

The modern workforce is a mobile one. This impacts leadership development efforts. Leadership development pros need to adapt to mobile, modern learners’ needs.

03/26/2020

Our new ForbesBooks podcast is LIVE: Who Will Lead? Your Company. Your Future. Are you sure your leaders are ready?

In Part 2 of our talk with Chris Griffin, he makes a bold statement: “I joke all the time: I’m overhead. I don’t make anything and I don’t sell anything. So the only value I provide to the organization is getting the resources so that others can be successful. That’s it. And so I need my teams to be effective, and if they’re effective, that’s how I’m successful. It’s as simple as that.”

Who Will Lead invites CEOs and other senior leaders of companies going through change and growth to share their leadership wisdom and their challenges to provide support and insights. The stories they share come from their direct experience and offer real insight for listeners going through similar challenges in their own businesses.
http://bit.ly/38yyNMc

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03/25/2020

Learn the differences between horizontal and vertical leadership development.

Leaders have to keep expanding and growing if they want to keep up and keep moving forward. But how?

03/24/2020

Our new ForbesBooks podcast is LIVE: Who Will Lead? Your Company. Your Future. Are you sure your leaders are ready?

For our second guest, we were fortunate to pull Christopher Griffin away from his work as CEO of USG, a company leading the manufacturing industry with innovations and products that set new standards for design, productivity and performance for customers around the globe. Chris has worked with Jennifer Mackin, and her team, for many years since assuming command of Knauf US.

In this two-part conversation, Chris talks about his career path and what he learned from one of the most challenging events of his career: going from leading a family contracting business to USG, a $3 billion company with over 7,000 employees. He highlights the importance of trust and how leadership requires daily commitment and focus on making his direct reports better and inspiring them to make their direct reports better, too.

Who Will Lead invites CEOs and other senior leaders of companies going through change and growth to share their leadership wisdom and their challenges to provide support and insights. The stories they share come from their direct experience and offer real insight for listeners going through similar challenges in their own businesses.
http://bit.ly/3aMnB06

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03/23/2020

What else is happening for leadership development in 2020? These are the trends, for better or worse, that most programs are adhering to.

Leadership development needs to resolve to make some changes. These five leadership development trends for 2020 can help your organization build a new vision.

03/21/2020

Is fantasizing about quitting your job getting in the way of your productivity? Don't let a bad day turn into a larger problem! Take these steps to reinvigorate your career and mentality.

If you're feeling stuck at work, take up a fun hobby or try out a side hustle — it'll give you something new and energizing to look forward to.

03/20/2020

You can scale quickly without disintegrating the culture you've worked so hard to cultivate. Don't take shortcuts with hiring, stay involved and hire new teammates carefully.

Company culture can be a tough nut to crack when your business is growing quickly. Here's how to do it.

03/19/2020

Learn about three key components to a great company culture and how to cultivate them: Safety, vulnerability, and personal growth.

There are three key components to lock your company culture into place: safety, vulnerability and personal growth.

03/18/2020

It's about time that we have a solid pipeline of women CEOs, but the path to the c-suite remains statistically and stereotypically in favor of men. Isn't it 2020? Let's fix this.

The traditional stepping stones to the chief executive position are jobs responsible for the bottom line—such as head of division—and those roles are still overwhelmingly filled by men. There are more female executives these days, but most are in areas such as HR, legal and marketing.

03/17/2020

Our new ForbesBooks podcast is LIVE: Who Will Lead? Your Company. Your Future. Are you sure your leaders are ready?

We’re very excited about our first guest! Ben Breier, President & CEO of Kindred Healthcare LLC, one of our country’s largest healthcare services companies with over 60,000 employees, joins us for an exceptional start to our podcast journey.

Ben shares how he began to understand the power of leadership as an athlete, in advance of his first leadership roles. He shares the personal side of how his career choices affected the other parts of his life as his professional life developed. He also explains his desire to leave a meaningful legacy of strong leaders—leaders he has helped to develop, and which ensure a continuity of best patient care. He notes that 30-40% of his time is routinely spent on the people pieces of Kindred’s strategy.

Who Will Lead invites CEOs and other senior leaders of companies going through change and growth to share their leadership wisdom and their challenges to provide support and insights. The stories they share come from their direct experience and offer real insight for listeners going through similar challenges in their own businesses.
http://bit.ly/2W0zOtD

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03/16/2020

"If it's not broken, break it!" and other words of wisdom from top executives on growing as a leader.

The New Year is a time to think about your leadership growth and thank the people who have supported you on your journey.

03/14/2020

Is your company due for a radical change in the traditional heirarchy? Decentralize your management and consider holacracy for an autonomous and happier workplace.

Although born as an online shoe retailer, Zappos is most famously known for their core values, employee driven company culture and superior customer service.

03/13/2020

As the leader of your company, your impact on company culture cannot be understated. Every ideal, every action and interaction trickles down to every organizational level. Behave intentionally.

A leader must understand that high performing teams with strong cultures are those that are highly aligned around the same core values.

03/12/2020

Our new ForbesBooks podcast is LIVE: Who Will Lead? Your Company. Your Future. Are you sure your leaders are ready?

In Part 2 of this episode with our guest Mike Shaver, President & CEO of Children's Home & Aid, Mike explains why his first priority is to invest in the development and talent of his team. He also talks about how to embed building a talent-driven organization into the day-to-day operations of your organization.

Who Will Lead invites CEOs and other senior leaders of companies going through change and growth to share their leadership wisdom and their challenges to provide support and insights. The stories they share come from their direct experience and offer real insight for listeners going through similar challenges in their own businesses.
http://bit.ly/38FoXs3

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03/11/2020

"Instructional leadership" is easy to talk about, but hard to do. How can leaders keep up with increasing demands in capabilities and relationship building for their company?

Research shows demands put on school principals are increasing when it comes to instructional leadership. Greater demands bring out increasing gaps, and a need for better leadership development.

03/10/2020

Our new ForbesBooks podcast is LIVE: Who Will Lead? Your Company. Your Future. Are you sure your leaders are ready?

We’re excited to begin with our guest Mike Shaver, President & CEO of Children's Home & Aid, a leading child and family service agency in Illinois. They help children recover their health, their hope, and their faith in the people around them.

In Part 1 of this episode Mike Shaver talks about why he believes leading in the non-profit sector can offer greater challenges than leading a for-profit organization. He also shares lessons he learned during his first CEO post, when he successfully led his team through a major reorganization of a $120 million-a-year business. Before Mike’s involvement, it was believed the organization had an uncertain future.

Who Will Lead invites CEOs and other senior leaders of companies going through change and growth to share their leadership wisdom and their challenges to provide support and insights. The stories they share come from their direct experience and offer real insight for listeners going through similar challenges in their own businesses.
http://bit.ly/38Gh71h

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03/09/2020

Many leaders confuse "busyness" with success. They are actually quite different from each other. Figure it out and you'll find true productivity.

Let’s face it. We live in a time that glorifies the state of “busyness”. It seems that the most common response to, “How are you?” is “Busy”. With some people, it is all about perception. They confuse busyness with success. They want to feel, and for others to view them as being succes...

03/06/2020

How digitally-inclusive is your company? Today's workers want their daily job routine to be intertwined with technology. Embrace digital innovations and embed them into your culture.

Today, it’s imperative for leadership to foster a work environment that embraces digital tech and also encourages employees to cultivate the digital culture.

03/05/2020

Don't let your commitment to the company mission derail your plans altogether. Here are a few tips, such as having a Plan B up-front and holding new hires accountable, to make your culture and focus "fail-safe". http://bit.ly/2OAQlQH

03/04/2020

Are you harboring one or more of these counterproductive mindsets? If leadership development hasn't been effective, you may need a paradigm shift.

It’s often overlooked by leadership development programs.

03/03/2020

It can be hard to measure the success of your company culture unless you first define it.

The challenge with culture is that it is often harder to define than things like brand guidelines or compliance requirements.

03/02/2020

The mentor-mentee relationship is not always clearly defined and comes in various forms. You may be surprised who goes out of their way to invest in you during your career.

In an essay, Marianne Crosley shares her experiences and views on mentoring ahead of Mentoring Monday, a Feb. 24 women's summit that is meant to highlight the importance of such professional relationships.

02/28/2020

Are you achieving your goals? The most important part is to first identify your goals and then plan around them. Try the STAR method:
- Strongly felt and connected?
- Theatre of mind (visualization).
- Achievable and realistic? (but stretch yourself)
- Ridiculously hard to attain. Aim High!

Establishing what you want, and then building a framework to reach it, is crucial in business.

02/28/2020

Our New ForbesBooks podcast Who Will Lead? invites CEOs and other senior leaders of companies going through change and growth, to share their leadership wisdom and their challenges to provide support and insights. http://bit.ly/3995VuS

This new ForbesBooks podcast was designed to share real-life leadership thoughts and stories to help make the leadership journey easier for others.

02/27/2020

Enjoy this inspiring story about how a change of attitude can change the trajectory of your career and entire life.

Michael O'Brien seemed to have life figured out in summer 2001. The 33-year-old was married to the love of his life and had two beautiful young daughters. He'd worked his way up to marketing director of the flagship product at the U.S. division of a Japanese pharmaceutical company. Coming off a spec...