4 min readFuture-ready executive search begins with a difficult question: are we hiring someone who succeeded in the past, or someone who can lead effectively in the conditions ahead? In executive search, few requirements appear more often than this one: “We need someone who has done this exact job before.” The request is understandable. Senior appointments are […]
3 min readExecutive transition coaching helps leaders succeed when a bigger role demands more than working harder or making faster decisions. It helps them make the shift from being valued primarily for personal expertise to creating enterprise-wide clarity, capability, and results through others. Executive Transition Coaching for Bigger Roles It recognizes performance, potential, and the organization’s confidence […]
4 min readGlobal-ready succession requires boards and CHROs to look beyond international assignments, regional titles, and passport stamps when assessing leaders for broader responsibility. The real question is not simply where an executive has worked, but whether they have demonstrated the perspective, curiosity, adaptability, and integration required to lead through global complexity. When boards and CHROs discuss […]
4 min readQuick note before this week's issue: I recently sat down with my son and co-author, Bryan McKinney, for a conversation with Michael Levitt on the Breakfast Leadership Show. It's live now, and it ties closely into what follows below. After a recent round of conversations with leaders across Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America, a […]
2 min readCross-cultural leadership is often measured the wrong way. Boards and selection committees look at passport stamps, years abroad, and the number of markets on a resume. Those things matter, but they are not the whole story. The real differentiator is something quieter: how much complexity a leader can hold without collapsing into oversimplification, defensiveness, or […]
5 min readHiring for agility is no longer optional. A few weeks ago, I sat with a CEO who was frustrated that an apparently perfect hire could not keep up with the pace of change. “We hired someone with exactly the background we thought we needed,” he said. “They’d done this job before, in our industry, at […]
3 min readA leadership team can spend months building a strategy that looks exactly right. The numbers make sense. The priorities are clear. The case for change is persuasive. Headquarters signs off. The rollout begins. Everyone feels confident. Then the strategy lands in local markets. Not with dramatic resistance, but with something quieter: Leaders often say, “The […]
3 min readA question I often encourage senior leaders to ask in succession discussions is this: Are we promoting for comfort or for complexity? It is a simple question, but it gets to the heart of a much larger leadership issue. Too often, organizations confuse familiarity with readiness. A candidate may be highly respected, loyal, and successful […]
5 min readWhy counting overseas assignments is no longer enough and how boards can bring cultural intelligence into the center of CEO and C‑suite selection. In global CEO and C‑suite searches, especially across Asia Pacific, a familiar pattern keeps appearing: boards overestimate “international experience” and underestimate cultural intelligence. Candidate briefs ask for “significant international experience,” “time in […]
5 min readIn a world where markets, technology, and expectations keep shifting, companies are quietly rewriting what “great leadership” really means. Not on paper, but in who they actually hire and keep. What is rising to the top? Agile talent. In 2026, an impressive résumé and big title get you into the conversation, but they are no […]