Every executive team I coach works hard to align on strategy. They debate priorities, refine ROCKS (quarterly priorities), and finally walk out of the room confident they’ve nailed it.
Yet a few months in, progress feels uneven. Teams are stuck in old habits. Projects stall. Strategy looks great on paper, but it isn’t fully alive in day-to-day work.
When growth slows, most leaders look outside for answers—market conditions, competition, talent shortages. But in my coaching work with executive teams, I see a different pattern. More often than not, the bottleneck isn’t out there. It’s in the leadership team itself.
In our always-on world, disconnection feels counter-intuitive. Leaders often believe constant presence equals constant impact. We're wired to think "always on" means "always productive." But what if this mindset is actually holding you and your leadership team back?
The truth is, genuine disconnection is a strategic necessity. It's the deliberate act that unlocks clarity, fuels innovation, and builds a more autonomous, resilient team.
Recently, I had a profound conversation with Brian Wish on his podcast, the "One Away Show". We explored the power of a single pivotal moment that can completely alter the trajectory of your life. At the heart of my story is the decision to step away from a long-standing and high-profile CEO role that had become central to my identity. This is deeply relevant to any leader who must find the courage and clarity to make a choice which could transform the entire course of their company or career.
Paul Darley had sales representatives on the ground in Wuhan, China, in the fall of 2019. As CEO and President of W. S. Darley & Co., a 113-year-old fourth-generation family business that manufactures fire trucks and pumps, as well as special operations equipment and PPE for firefighting, emergency and special operations personnel, Paul had early insight on the impending pandemic.
In this month’s episode of Leadership Legends, Jill talks to Kate Brewer, President at Greenfield Rehabilitation Agency, a leading provider of rehabilitation services in Wisconsin with 40 clinics and 500 team members. She’s also the first woman to be named Chapter Chair of YPO’s Wisconsin Chapter and is currently Chair-Elect.
Jill and Kate talk surviving the pandemic, the qualities of great leadership during a crisis, and the biggest learnings taken from the past year.
In this month’s episode, Jill taps into the wisdom of her longtime friend Steve Baird, president and CEO of Baird & Warner, the oldest residential real estate brokerage in the United States.
In this month’s episode, Jill taps into the wisdom of her longtime friend, Michelle Seitz, Chairman and CEO of Russell Investments. They discuss leading through a crisis like the world experienced in 2020, lessons that will be carried into the future, and what Michelle hopes to be known for as a leader.
We’ve learned a lot of lessons in 2020. The best leaders tell us that focusing on Organizational Health of the company is more important than ever. Organizational Health gives you the competitive edge you need and will help you weather whatever turmoil lies ahead.
What is Organizational Health? It’s the way a company aligns around a common vision and strategy, executes with excellence, and engages with its employees. According to a recent McKinsey study, healthy organizations are outperforming their competition at every level and delivering 3x total return to their shareholders.
