Leadership and Career

United Airlines made headlines last week for an incident involving the forcible removal of a paying passenger from one of its planes. In the 10 days or so since, United has been navigating a PR nightmare. The company’s CEO, Oscar Munoz, was quick to respond, but his apology rang hollow, and it may suggest a major disconnect in United’s culture.

Leaders are expected to facilitate the organization’s success; that’s why they’re paid the big bucks. But there are too many layers separating executives from front-line staff, it’s rare for them to hear firsthand where key ethics and compliance issues lie. Richard Bistrong discusses the “good news cocoon” and how to learn what you don’t know in order to fix it.

If you’ve been part of a decision-making collective, you’re probably familiar with the phrase “death by committee.” When there are too many cooks in the proverbial kitchen, it can be nearly impossible to come to a consensus – or even land on a solution in a reasonable amount of time. Linda Henman offers her insight on how to jump-start decision-making.

Content consumption has seen major shifts over the past decade. Social media, digital platforms, and even podcasts have disrupted traditional news (read: print) channels. In this episode, we hear from Jim Moroney, publisher and CEO of A.H. Belo, and publisher and CEO of The Dallas Morning News, on the importance of outside perspectives in identifying major industry disruptions. “ have...

Companies with a strong culture of ethics have a real competitive edge in the marketplace. Often these organizations outperform the competition in productivity while also enjoying a lower rate of employee misconduct. Culture may be difficult to measure, but CCOs should focus on continually improving the corporate culture – it’s the company’s most important control.

Change is not only inevitable, for businesses, it’s mandatory. “Adapt or perish,” as H.G. Wells wrote. And the early adopters, those quickest to adapt, are most likely to survive. But recognizing a sea change early isn’t always easy. It’s incumbent on the executive leadership team and board of directors to understand and address risks as they emerge.

The foundation of an ethical culture is trust and integrity. Employees are proud to work for organizations that prize trust and integrity. When senior leaders act in ways that are contrary to these values, employees’ belief in the company’s integrity plummets. The importance of tone at the top can’t be underestimated; failings in this regard are disastrous.

One small interaction can often make the biggest difference when you're traveling. Mandeep Grewal, the Head of Customer Experience for United Airlines, shares her perspectives on why service matters and the importance of finding your purpose at work. "If you have the best product and terrible service, that's not going to work. Even if you have older equipment but deliver...

Mental toughness – the attribute Tom Brady identified as what distinguishes the Patriots from the rest of the NFL – provides an athlete or a business professional a psychological advantage over the competition. Individuals with this advantage overcome pressure, anxiety and physical and emotional pain to break new ground.

The vast majority of board candidates are self-appointed leaders – those who have created a high level of visibility for themselves, directed efforts to achieve superior results and created learning opportunities for themselves to advance their expertise and position themselves for advancement. Here are a few tips to help board candidates as they seek appointments.

“Collaboration, not Subordination” Captive compliance programs are hamstrung programs. Compliance officers who enjoy independence and are able to collaborate with legal, HR and other key business teams… they’ll be far more effective. We’ve long discussed the need for compliance officers to have a seat at the table. It’s time for businesses to graduate to Compliance 2.0. By: Donna Boehme I...

When natural disaster strikes, how do you effectively lead a community's recovery efforts? Mark Riley, Louisiana's Deputy Director of Disaster Recovery, discusses the importance of trust, teamwork and temperament. "Trust is indispensable in our business."