Mark Redgrave

Great C-Suite leaders don't retire. They evolve into purpose-driven board directors as their 2nd act! Here are some key takeaways from QED's popular "Journey To Board Directorship" closed door session: 1. Lifelong Learning: Unless you're a rockstar 😎 CEO with a beach house and a book deal, keep that wisdom sharp! 2. Clarity, Alignment, Purpose (CAP): This isn't just a superhero landing. Knowing your CAP is key to finding the board that's the perfect fit (and vice versa). 🧩 3. Know When to Say "Next": Just like taking a C-Suite role, being a board member requires alignment (of values and purpose). It's just as important to step aside if it's not the right fit. 👋🏻 4. 3 C's of Boards: An effective Board is looking for "Critical Thinkers," "Cultivators of Management/People," and "Community Builders (of leaders and successors)". They don't need another expert (that they can easily hire) 🤣 5. Diversity Beyond Gender: Different insights and perspectives are what keep boards out of blindspots and echo chambers that potentially cripple an organization. 😱 6. Start with Committees: Think of it as a test drive! Volunteering for committees on relevant boards is a fantastic way to get your foot in the door🚪(and vice versa). 7. Who You Know > What You Know: Investment in networking (while you are in your day job) is key! Don't wait to be invited. Volunteer yourself instead! 🙋🏻 Many thanks to Seong Kim Ho and his awesome colleagues at SIM Academy who hosted over 50 senior leaders in the early hours of 18 April! 👍🏻 Heartfelt appreciation for their time and candor from our panel of seasoned and well respected board directors: Sutat Chew 周士达, Liengseng Wee, Yong Yong Chia, Shirley Wong, Agnes Liew, Philip Forrest AM and Joy Tan! 🙏🏻 Our wonderful Strategic Partner, Workforce Singapore, and Patron, Diligent, who supported this meaningful topic. Also a shoutout to our co-collaborators: NVPC - Towards a City of Good and National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Thank you everyone for coming together to support the growth of C-Suite leaders! ⭐ Finally, to our hardworking moderators who managed to tease out those interesting questions: Sukhbir Sandhu, Seong Kim Ho, Geraldine Kan, Sze Wee Low, Kandy Chan and Benny Wong. Without whom the conversations wouldn't be so engaging! 👏🏻 There was so much more than I could possibly capture. If you're interested, join us next when you receive our invite? 😉 Meanwhile, what are your biggest questions about starting your journey to board directorship? Shared your thoughts and comments below 👇🏻 (Yes, I read them all!)

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Engaging with peer advisory groups or mentors provides CEOs with a confidential space to discuss challenges and receive support from those who share similar leadership struggles. Peer advisory groups offer objective perspectives from leaders who don’t have a vested interest in the business outcome.

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Key learnings from the herebelow Forbes article for 5 Things A Great CEO Never Does: 1. Get Lost In The Details 2. Stick With Poor Decisions 3. Compromise Their Integrity 4. Lose Composure Under Pressure 5. Become Overly Dependent On The Approval Of Others Through Mentoring & Coaching and use of Assessments, by those who have the expertise & the experience, you can have support on this direction such as by Arsis Global Consulting That’s why I would add a nr 6 on the above: - Avoid not to listen & have the suitable advisors, since nobody is perfect and nobody knows everything. Out of the five things, if integrity is compromised then it’s very difficult or impossible to change your personal branding. #ceo #leadership #mentoring #coaching #assessments #hoganassesesment #arsisglobalconsulting #personalbranding

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Boards should not and can not be complacent. For any organization, It's up to the board to ask the hard questions and fight against complacency to move the company forward. This article from Liz Fedor and Twin Cities Business specifically takes a look at Boeing and the negative impacts of a complacent board. Read the article here: https://bit.ly/43J258R #TrueNorth #BattleComplacency #Boards #Boeing

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Your Company's Values Are Expressed Algorithmically - by Tom Petro in "Directors and Boards." Excerpt: " In today’s AI-driven world, ethics is not just a principle — it’s a choice that every company must make. As Chair Gensler’s recent warnings remind us, AI practices that prioritize profit over people can compromise trust and create systemic conflicts of interest. A company’s true values are now expressed algorithmically, as the decision-making embedded in AI systems reflects and amplifies these values across every interaction." #AIethics #leadership #boards #AI #aileadership 

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When Boards Stall Progress Indecisive boards don’t just delay decisions, they derail momentum. Whether it’s excessive data scrutiny, fear of accountability, or misaligned priorities, these moments of hesitation cost organizations opportunities and erode trust. The fix? ▶️ Clear Frameworks: Define decision thresholds upfront. ▶️ Accountability Culture: Own outcomes, don’t defer responsibility. ▶️ Actionable Insights: Focus on what drives impact, not endless deliberation. A board that acts swiftly yet thoughtfully isn’t just functional, it’s transformative. What do you think is the biggest blocker to decisive board leadership? Let’s discuss! #BoardLeadership #DecisionMaking #CorporateGovernance

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My colleague and I were asked to transform regional leaders who were competing for resources across multiple locations, geographies, and countries into an ‘Enterprise’ Leadership Team, focused on a shared vision, shared goals, and shared resources. We accepted the challenge! By the end of the summer, this team of siloed leaders had fundamentally turned into a united force, making enterprise decisions, sharing talent and other resources across the company, and making decisions and solving industry problems as a true leadership team. Recently, we have been working with a number of clients who present with statements such as this: “We have good skills in each discipline among the executive team, but we are not acting as one team. We are lacking the level of trust and transparency needed to move the business forward.” Whether they know it or not, what they are asking for is a transformation from a traditional Executive Leadership Team to an ‘Enterprise’ Leadership Team. And they have come to the right place! To learn more about the difference between the two and to get a few tips to get you started on your own transformational journey, take a look at our latest article, “Transforming the ELT", linked below: https://lnkd.in/g96yAhRh #enterpriseleadership #leadershipcoaching #leadership

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Commander's Intent - this is one of the more important lessons I learned while in the US Army. Whenever we were drawing up orders, we had to start with the "Commander's Intent" section. It provided our soldiers with an understanding of the objective to be accomplished - especially whenever the plan did not go as anticipated - which was most of the time! Here is a good quote from the McChrystal Group: "Provide Commander's Intent: Even with a clearly defined mission, employees can be confused by specific taskings or decisions if they don't understand the broader context. Leaders should take a page from military doctrine and provide the "Commander's Intent" - explicitly communicating the organizational objectives and strategic considerations behind certain requests. This allows teams to exercise disciplined initiative within the leader's overarching vision." https://lnkd.in/e29ChvpN Christopher Pogue, MSIS Dr. Ray Grubbs Lauren Allen Gina Hand Justin Allen Brian VanHall Chad Wages Joey Havens #intent #context #clarity #purpose Jacob Schmell Clay Kittrell

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Check out this recent McKinsey article about pricing for leaders that want actionable ideas for 2024. A key point they raise is to "act now". If you're looking for an experienced and objective sounding board to create a pricing plan for your B2B distribution business, let's talk.

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What it takes to get transformation right, setting a company up to operate better today and handle disruption and change tomorrow with energized, creative employees.

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With legal battles brewing over Healthcare (https://lnkd.in/eTiuZeCq), and directives from senior leadership teams to cut costs across the board, is your organization in a position of strength? I always found it interesting that leadership teams assumed legal fiduciary responsibility attached to 401k and retirement plans while the engagement around fiduciary resposibility of healthcare was so much lower. The reality is that engagement is low until your hand is forced. What business wants to make a reactive decision, learning in warp speed, around a topic that affects employees and their families? If you were a fiduciary on your healthcare offering, how comfortable would you feel seeing the numbers below? Would you legally sign off you vetted available options and put employees in the best position possible? Reach out if you wouldnt! [email protected] #healthcare #healthinsurance #employeebenefits #fiduciary #finance #people #employeeengagement #hiring #retention #leadership

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I am very thankful to Neil C. Hughes for the recent opportunity to talk about a topic we care deeply about - Transformation Fatigue and how Emergn is solving it for many organizations. This area resonates with so many, and even the research we published earlier this year continues to point to the reality that companies are still challenged with how to get around large programs of work while working through all the buzzwords being tossed around. https://lnkd.in/eDGfnGZG #transformationfatigue

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Preparing for 2025? "When organizations fail to account for value creation in their strategy, or do not set up ways to define, measure, and pivot to keep value creation and innovation at the center of strategic activities and decisions, they often pay a high price." HBR (Harvard Business Review) Analytic Services Highlight in Mastering Value Creation by Centering Strategy and Execution introducing value creation management platforms to get strategy done. Download the free HBR AS report: 8W8.com #HBR AS #CovQ #valuecreation #alignment #strategy

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In this episode of Behind the Curtains, co-hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer dive into the complexities of organizational design, tackling the challenges that arise within matrix organizations and centralized structures. As businesses grow and evolve, traditional vertical hierarchies often stifle communication, slow decision-making, and create barriers to innovation. We’ll explore how shifting to a horizontal, decentralized structure can break down these barriers and foster a culture of open, two-way communication. Learn how value stream structures not only improve collaboration but also enhance agility and responsiveness, allowing organizations to better meet the needs of their customers and employees. Join us as we discuss real-world examples, share insights on the pitfalls of centralized control, and provide strategies for leaders looking to implement horizontal communication channels in their organizations. Whether you’re leading a small team or an entire enterprise, this episode will offer valuable perspectives on transforming your organization’s structure for the better. This description emphasizes the key themes and challenges, while also highlighting the benefits of horizontal communication and decentralized structures. Full Episode 24: https://lnkd.in/euHfGmuN Jill Jusko Robert Schoenberger Marc Kuzik, P.Eng. Mark Preston April T. Paul W. Critchley Bill Greider Billy Ray Taylor Patrick Adams Joel Hugghins - Sensei, P.E., PMP Pedro Monteiro, CSM®Dave Harry Michael Bremer

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New logo and catchphrase, who dis?? What do you think??? Let me know in the comments! I'm currently in design phases so I'm open to suggestions. #WorkplaceWonderers offers #Organizational and #Leadership #Consulting focused on improving #morale and #CompanyCulture

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"Managing Downtime: Actionable Strategies for Productively Filling Slack Periods" Human Capital Leadership Review Abstract: This article provides evidence-based strategies for capitalizing on slow work cycles rather than letting productivity suffer. Drawing on over 40 years of scholarly literature across multiple disciplines, the article outlines a framework for constructively navigating periods of lower workload. It advocates first adjusting one's mindset to view downtime positively as opportunity rather than negatively as a problem. Tactics are then presented for comprehensively inventorying available resources and strategically targeting them towards high-impact undertakings. The importance of systematically tracking progress is emphasized. Real-world case examples from marketing and manufacturing industries demonstrate impact. The article concludes by emphasizing how effectively addressing variability through temporary, targeted investments strengthens long-term organizational agility, performance and prosperity.

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Bold business transformation requires clear objectives backed by evidence of improved organizational health and capabilities driving performance. McKinsey advises breaking down transformation goals into manageable targets owned by individual managers. Linking performance bonuses to specific KPIs ensures alignment and accountability. For instance, restructuring major accounts among different managers can streamline processes and boost efficiency. Despite limitations, midsize companies possess inherent agility and dedicated employees, enabling them to navigate transformations effectively. With targeted strategies and employee engagement, they can overcome obstacles and drive sustainable growth. #BusinessGrowth #BusinessOperations #KPIs #MidsizeCompanies

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Help Your Team Thrive in Times of Change Big organizational changes like disruptive technologies, mergers, and strategy pivots always have the potential for either setbacks or growth. Learn how to harness the power of change in our newest guide—Help Your Teams Thrive in Times of Change. Download your copy here - #change #team #leadership

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Leading Under Pressure: Strategies for Mastering High-Stakes Decisions Navigating the Challenges of Critical Decision-Making as a CEO In an era where rapid changes and high stakes are the norms, CEOs face unprecedented pressures in decision-making. Based on insights from a study involving 111 CEOs, here's how top leaders effectively navigate these challenges. Three Key Strategies for Effective Decision-Making: 1. Embrace Holistic Well-being:   - Successful leaders prioritize their mental and physical health to maintain clarity and focus. Regular downtime, physical activity, and maintaining a work-life balance are crucial for sustaining decision-making capabilities under pressure. 2. Cultivate a Trusted Network:   - Build and maintain a network of advisors who provide not only strategic insights but also emotional support. This network can include peers, mentors, and executive coaches who contribute diverse perspectives and help validate thoughts and strategies. 3. Foster an Inclusive and Open Culture:   - Encourage a workplace environment that values diverse viewpoints and promotes open communication. This approach not only enhances decision-making but also ensures all team members feel valued and understood. Leaders facing high-stakes decisions must balance intuitive judgment with analytical thinking, manage personal biases, and navigate organizational challenges. By fostering strong social connections, ensuring physical proximity when possible, and encouraging open communication, leaders can enhance collaboration and drive successful outcomes even in hybrid work settings. 🔗 https://buff.ly/3RsSHBE #Leadership #DecisionMaking #CEOInsights #BusinessStrategy #HighStakesLeadership #somrasvc #knowledgeinsead #entrepreneur

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