Who Was Dorothy Vaughan and What Can You Learn from Her Leadership?
By Jon Lokhorst, CPA, PCC Chances are, you don’t recognize the name Dorothy Vaughan. More likely, you recall the portrayal of Vaughan by the award-winning actress, Octavia Spencer, in the much-lauded 2016 film, Hidden Figures. Although she died in 2008, Vaughan stands out as an exemplary leader for us today. So much so that I featured her
‘Enterprise Thinking’ Is Key to Your Next Promotion
Prioritizing your organization’s success over your own is a necessary step for climbing up the leadership ladder. Are you looking to move up in your organization? Perhaps you aspire to become your firm’s managing partner or your company’s next CEO? While it’s natural to look out for your own best interests or those of your team—thinking this
How Savvy Leaders can Surf the Turnover Tsunami
Consistent and meaningful one-on-one check-ins are one key to keeping your—and your organization’s—head above water. The great resignation that swept many organizations up in a turnover tsunami doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. According to Fidelity’s Financial Resolutions Study, 39 percent of workers plan to look for a new job in 2022, and that number
Four Tips to Snuff Out Burnout
The post-pandemic rise of employee burnout should have savvy leaders taking these preventative steps to protect themselves and their teams. An increasing rate of employee burnout is among the far-reaching consequences of the global pandemic we’ve been weathering. According to the most recent Future of Benefits Pulse Survey from The Hartford, 61 percent of workers said
Use a 360-Degree Approach to Get Feedback on Leading Change
By Jon Lokhorst, CPA, PCC Leading change has always been a high-risk, high-reward proposition. That’s become even more true throughout the significant, unplanned change of the COVID pandemic. This rapid, constant change also makes it difficult for leaders to gauge their effectiveness, especially when many of their team members are working remotely. The best leaders address this
How to Prevent Turnover When Introducing Your New Normal
Using empathy, clear communication, and careful planning is key to retaining star employees when reopening the office. The World Health Organization’s declaration of the global COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 triggered a sudden and involuntary shift to remote work. As often happens in a crisis, this inspired a can-do spirit. Employers and employees alike adapted
Refresh your Leaders with Sabbaticals
By Jon Lokhorst, CPA, PCC, Lokhorst Consulting LLC The word sabbatical has roots in Hebrew, Greek and Latin terms that all mean a rest from work. The concept of a sabbatical leave traces back to ancient Israel when Jews took a one-year break every seven years from planting and growing their fields. In the late 1800s,
Build Your Leadership Capacity on a Strong Personal Foundation
Jayden,* a newly appointed supervisor, approached me with a question at the end of a leadership program. “What can I do to advance quickly as a leader in my company?” he asked. Jayden was surprised when I responded, “Start by building a strong personal foundation.” As I went on to tell Jayden, you can’t build a
Take Your Leadership to the Next Level: Lead Well in All Directions
Is it possible for you to be a good boss and, at the same time, underperform as a leader in your organization? That was the dilemma facing Peter,* a coaching client who served as a manager in the financial services industry. Peter had the respect of his functional team, which was known for reliable, consistent performance.
Three Ways to Add Depth to Virtual Communications
Videoconferencing, emails, and chat messages fall flat by their very nature. Leaders must take intentional steps to replicate the important connections and informal interactions of the in-person office in a remote workplace. Last fall at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told the group, “Video meetings are more transactional.” Nadella would know—Microsoft
