Michelle Kemp

Lately, I keep hearing the same refrain from our partners: the mission is clear, the plan is set, and still the team can't quite deliver on the goals in front of them. Picture two organizations hitting the same wall from opposite sides. One set an ambitious goal and brought in a capable leader to drive it, but didn’t plan for or budget a team around them to carry out the work. The other downsized a team but kept the same goals, hoping new systems would make up the difference. The starting...

Change in the workplace rarely waits for January. For many organizations, a new chapter begins in the second half of the year: a new school term or fiscal cycle, a team restructuring, a leadership transition, or a shift in strategy or budget. The specifics may vary by sector and situation, but the throughline remains the same: change has arrived, and people are being asked to move with it. When change arrives, leaders are expected to pressure-test the strategic plan and priorities: Is the...

There is an old saying that patience is a virtue. In leadership hiring, patience is also a strategy and a signal. The pressure to move quickly during a search is real and understandable as program continuity, team momentum, and the compounding need for resolution are legitimate drivers. Yet some of the most costly hiring mistakes are not made because an organization moves too slowly. They are made when the strategic work that separates a deliberate hire from a reactive one is rushed. So...