Top Leadership Articles of 2015

Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a leading management consulting firm. We work with organizations to identify and execute strategies for growth and value creation.

Good leadership is invaluable.  At Fronetics we offer: leadership solutions for organizations during times of transition; leadership development solutions; thought leadership on important news and trends; talent acquisition and succession management guidance and support; and M&A support to help our clients build and capture value.

Two of the most-read leadership articles of 2015 were interviews with top female supply chain executives.  Interviewing these women, Arrow Electronics’ Cathy Morris and Bravo Solutions’ Mickey North Rizza, was a highlight for me.  Thank you again to both women for taking the time to talk with me and to share your thoughts on leadership, the supply chain, career development, and women in the supply chain.

The following are top 10 leadership articles of 2015:

1. Arrow Electronics’ Cathy Morris talks women in the supply chain

Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., talks women in the supply chain and offers up career advice. Read the full article.

2. Qualities of a Good Leader

The world has changed a lot in a century, but Andrew Carnegie’s ideas on leadership have endured. Read the full article.

3. M&A, The Importance of Leadership

Mergers and acquisitions are increasingly popular strategies toward growth; however, 40% to 80% of mergers fail to meet objectives. M&A is complicated, and goes beyond simply “the process of buying a company.” At its heart, it is a strategic selection of competencies that fill a void in a company’s offering, geography, technology, or industry area of focus. It’s wise to think about whether the time, money, and energy are ultimately going to pay off, literally and figuratively.

There are some critical things to consider before courting a merger or acquisition. Be a leader by asking the tougher questions internally rather than focusing your team on an outside “target.”  Read the full article.

4. Why Leaders Need Social Media

There’s a great deal of buzz about social media in the business world — and for good reason. Marketing and communications professionals have made it de rigueur to tap into the popularity of social media networks to extend their brands into the digital world. But when it comes to executive use of social media, the field seems much more divided. Domo and CEO.com estimated that of the 500 leaders of the biggest companies in the US, 68% have no social media presence whatsoever. By leaving the social media management to marketers, these leaders are missing opportunities to connect with followers and expand their influence. Read the full article.

5. How to Hire a Leader

Businesses don’t fail; leaders do — a lot.  Studies have shown that the rate of failure of executives coming into new companies ranges from 30 to 40 percent after 18 months.  The costs and implications of a poor leadership hire are enormous.  Given the odds, how can you hire a leader — a true leader? Read the full article.

6. Successful Leaders Make Time to Think

When leaders fall prey to the busyness trap, time devoted to thinking and reflection is often minimized or eliminated; the result can be catastrophic. Freek Vermeulen, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the London Business School, cautions: “If you can’t find time to think, it probably means you haven’t organized your firm, unit, or team very well, and you are busy putting out little fires all the time.  It also means that you are at risk of leading your company astray.” Read the full article.

7. Top Female Supply Chain Executive, Mickey North Rizza, Talks Women in the Supply Chain

Mickey North Rizza, VP, Strategic Services at BravoSolution, holds the distinction of Top Female Supply Chain Executive. She has 25 years of senior-level procurement, sourcing, and supply management experience. Mickey has also been an award-winning supply chain analyst with Gartner and AMR Research.  In this interview, Mickey talks women in the supply chain.  Read the full article.

8. Let it Go; How to Delegate Effectively

The inability to delegate effectively is a principal reason why executives fail.  According to London Business School Professor John Hunt, only 30% of managers think that they are able to delegate well.  Among these individuals, only one-third are considered to be good delegators by their subordinates.  Read the full article.

9. The Gender of Your CEO and Your Bottom Line

Women hold just 4.4% of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies, and this number is set to drop when Carol Meyrowitz  steps down as CEO of TJX Companies, Inc. and moves into the role of executive chairperson.  Looking globally, just 8% of companies with revenues of at least $500 million have a female CEO.  Here’s the thing — the dearth of women in leadership positions is not just an issue of equality; it is also one of economics.  When women are in positions of leadership, companies perform better — much better.  Read the full article.

10. Whining Won’t Get You to the Top

Whining. Just writing the word makes me cringe. Whining is a truly unattractive characteristic. It is unattractive in children, and it is even more unattractive when adults partake. One of the reasons why whining is just so unattractive is that it is ineffective and it can make a brilliant leader look like, well, like a blithering child.  Read the full article.