Blog

See our experts’ latest contributions on consulting, execution, growth, simplification and other key topics in today’s industry-leading blog posts.

In a Time of Crisis, Front-Line Managers Have Become Leaders. Let’s Keep it That Way.

Front-line managers have tremendous capacity to lead organizational transformation as well as an incredible willingness to lead during the most stressful and difficult of times. Some thoughts on how to make this impact the "new normal."

Your Strategy Won’t Work if You Don’t Identify the New Capabilities You Need

Strategic planners and senior executives either assume that if a strategy is logical, people will figure out what to do, or they develop a “paint by numbers” approach. Neither extreme works well. If leaders want their company to sustain critical changes the strateg…

06.15.17  Ron Ashkenas

How to Handle Underperformers on a Team You Inherit

Creating the expectation for high performance and doing what’s necessary to help your team be successful is a critical skill for anyone managing others. Many new managers are concerned about the optics of handling underperforming team members.

04.07.17  Ron Ashkenas

Didn't Get That Promotion? Three Reasons Why You Should Thank Your Boss

Sometimes disappointment offers new opportunities. Learn three ways to overcome losing that promotion.

02.21.17  Ron Ashkenas

Warning To The White House: Lack Of Dissent Usually Leads To Dysfunction

We know from years of research that diversity, both in background and thought, leads to better problem solving and creativity. What are the repercussions if criticism and constructive conflict is not valued, and is actually punished?

02.02.17  Ron Ashkenas

How to Overcome Executive Isolation

Being isolated at the top can compromise your decision making and leadership effectiveness, both of which require having as much firsthand information about a situation as possible. Learn how to clear the air and get real information.

09.23.16  Ron Ashkenas

You Can’t Delegate Talent Management to the HR Department

Having great talent is a strategic imperative. Unfortunately, centralized talent management is not always the best option. Learn how leaders at Cognizant stay involved in the process to make it work.

06.10.16  Ron Ashkenas

The Go-to-Market Approach Startups Need to Adopt

Figuring out a go-to-market approach is no trivial exercise – it separates the companies that will be successful and sustainable from those that won’t. Learn how to ask the right questions from your customers' perspective.

05.27.16  Ron Ashkenas

Know When To Celebrate Failure – And When To Avoid It

Failure. A way to learn? The real challenge for leaders is not to either accept or reject failure, but rather to differentiate between whether they are in execution or innovation mode.

05.09.16  Ron Ashkenas

Before Starting a Project, Get Your Sponsor On Board

An executive-level sponsor can be crucial for the success of major projects -- but only if he/she understands the role.

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