There are several ongoing research projects at MRG. One project that I really enjoy working on is our series on leadership best practices. Not only do we search for insights that will help leaders increase their effectiveness, but we can identify the nuances of effective leadership by exploring best practices for specific groups, industries and […]
“I don’t understand it. We sent him to an expensive leadership development program, but I haven’t seen any improvement in his approach to leadership.” Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this frustration and confusion is a common refrain in many organizations. While there is certainly individual variation in the full explanation for why this occurs, one of the […]
When my wife and I moved back to Maine several years ago, we knew we wanted to find an old house and put some work into it. My wife is an interior designer and has a particularly incredible ability to see space for what it could be, not what it currently is. And so we […]
When it comes to self-confidence, can leaders fake it til they make it? In other words – if a leader looks confident, but doesn’t quite feel it inside, can anyone tell the difference? How does it impact the impression they’re making on their colleagues, and how they’re perceived as a leader? When the MRG research […]
The world of 1983, when my partners and I founded MRG, was significantly different in so many ways from today. Perhaps the most profound change has been technology. When the first MRG assessment instrument was created, we were sharing a single PC with an insurance agency down the hall from our office. That initial product […]
We’ve all heard some version of the Peter Principle: that in a hierarchical organization, every employee will rise to the level of their respective incompetence. It assumes that employees possessing the skills need to excel in a given position will be promoted to the next “rung” on the corporate ladder, which will require different skills; […]
You know what’s difficult? Developing as a leader. You know what’s more difficult? Developing as a leader when there is little to orient the leader as to whether what they’re doing is making any difference. Leadership development, as a task, is a bear. It can be filled with confidence-breaking and doubt-ridden moments. This self-doubt can […]
In part one, Christine described her arrival at MRG and her slow realization that her motivations weren’t aligning with her job description – and it was draining her every day. Read on to find out how she sought to better sync her drivers with her task. There I was failing for the first time in […]
When I coach, one of the things people have a hard time reconciling is their self-perception of what they’re good at vs. what gives them energy. People can spend years toiling in a position, maybe even delivering great results and being successful, but wondering why they’re still so miserable at the end of each day […]
Anyone following the news can hardly avoid headlines about the US/China trade wars. Given the volatile conditions in the industry, one thought keeps occurring to me: I don’t envy leaders in manufacturing right now. The world of manufacturing has grown increasingly complex in recent years, and the recent escalation in tensions – along with the […]
