Leadership and Career

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13, the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program. No one has forgotten that part of history, but we would do well to revisit the lessons we learned 50 years ago during this time of uncertainty. Linda Henman discusses the mentality a leader needs to lead his or her team...

Every decision starts with a belief. That is, we base our decisions on what we know to be true — what we believe. As Linda Henman writes, sometimes, however, we believe something that isn’t true.  Both intellectual and emotional, beliefs influence our behavior when facts and reason alone don’t. How do we develop our beliefs? Our early relationships, experiences, events...

It often happens that a person’s career is over when he or she blows the whistle. Charles Middleton posits that if increasing compliance and minimizing fraud is the goal (and it is), then blackballing whistleblowers is counterproductive. Secrecy is essential to corporate fraud. Destroy the secrecy and you destroy the fraud. So why are honest companies doing the one thing that...

A circuitous path into and through the compliance profession is pretty common among compliance professionals. ICA’s David Povey discusses several of the many roles available to new compliance pros (and seasoned ones, too). Staying in one job throughout a whole working life is less common than it used to be. Changes to the economy, technology and family life have permanently...

We are a nation divided, and not just by politics. When run-of-the-mill conflict has us viewing our opposition as the enemy, the business consequences can be dire. Linda Henman offers a way forward. During the Vietnam War, Americans experienced polarization that we had not felt since the Civil War. In 70s, 80s and 90s, we experienced relative unity. Now, however,...

Michael Toebe writes about how one executive seeks out different viewpoints to get the best out of his employees, reducing all manner of organizational risks and improving decision-making significantly along the way. When confidence becomes excessive ego, it creates a myriad of problems. It becomes a trap of a belief system; negatively affects effective decision analysis, decision-making and decision quality;...

In a strong economy, M&A activity ramps up. Linda Henman discusses what a huge swath of businesses should consider if selling is in their near future. The family-owned business has been a longstanding institution for centuries, but as baby boomer founders and owners look to retire, what can we expect? Many things have changed since these founders, heirs and current...

For professionals looking forward to joining the compliance world, being prepared and knowing what you are stepping into is important. Asia Quality Focus’ Vicky Yu discusses her experience starting out in compliance and what could have made the transit easier. In early 2019, I accepted a new position in my current company to move from the client support team to...

Recognizing the value in a sponsor – a more involved mentor – is the easy part. Mary Shirley offers guidance on how to identify and secure a sponsor to help guide your career development. For those of us in life sciences industries, sponsorship means paying for the continuing professional education of health care professionals (usually indirectly through health care organizations);...

The world is in better shape than we might think – an encouraging thought at the outset of a new decade. Linda Henman asserts that worry and a victim mentality impair our ability to take necessary risks. When conducting research for his bestselling book, Factfulness, Dr. Hans Rosling asked simple questions about global trends and systematically received wrong answers —...

Mariette Cutler, Managing Director of The Risk Navigation Group, discusses how relative inexperience in the audit profession can be a real asset – salve to the souls of those still gaining a footing in the GRC space. Early morning paired with the brisk fall air to set the tone for a third-quarter audit committee meeting. Most of us have been...

“Culture” is a seven-letter word that has gained traction in the C-suite and boardroom. As Protiviti’s Jim DeLoach explains, more than ever, senior executives and directors are acutely aware that culture plays a role in delivering outcomes – both good and bad – at the companies they serve. Every senior executive and director has read stories of companies behaving badly...