CEO

Covid-19 has undoubtedly cast an enormous shadow globally, but it has also reshaped leadership.  Rewind two years and some leaders were already embracing behaviors like servant leadership, and new approaches, like hybrid working. As a global people development company, at Insights we put our people firmly at the center of everything we do and work

The keynote speaker is introduced. He or she begins with some introductory remarks and then launches a Power Point presentation while carefully reading, word-for-word, from a script. The speaker seldom looks up from his or her notes to “read the room.” The audience intuitively picks up on the disconnect. The speaker – and the audience

Apple’s Tim Cook is arguably the most influential person and CEO worldwide currently. Cook regularly features in various global rankings for the most influential people and CEOs. One such ranking is TIME’s 2021 influential persons, which ranked Cook in the “Titans” category alongside other influential people such as Tom Brady, Simone Biles, Shonda Rhimes, Swizz

In today’s hyperconnected age, we’re all familiar with the concept of networks, the webs of relationships that connect people or things. Networks influence who you are connected to, where you get your information, and how work gets done. Networks are “intricately intertwined with an organization’s performance, the way it develops and executes strategy, and its ability to innovate,”

Starting a business from scratch isn’t always the right option for everyone. When starting a business from the ground up, there are several obstacles one must overcome before generating large profits is a reasonable goal. From finding a foundation to discovering the dos and don’ts of running a business, building a well-known, trusted company can

Business, like life, is a story of yin and yang. This tale has two dominate players, who are interdependent in the raising of capital needed to get a start-up started.  Firstly is, quite obviously, the entrepreneur. By definition, a “person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of

Good leaders understand that people are their greatest asset.  Prioritising the needs and well-being of your people can have a remarkable impact on the organisation and your bottom line.  In this profit-driven world, we live in today, it’s no surprise that sales, margins, shareholder return and revenue is at the forefront of most leaders’ minds. 

The concept of distance education was already commonly known, but what Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) did, was to ensure accessibility to everyone and anyone in the world. Of course, digital literacy is a major driving force behind the rise in the popularity of MOOCs so there is still a long way ahead. However, the

One of the greatest challenges of a CEO is changing strongly held biases of employees, investors, or customers. The most important initiatives can’t be accomplished through sheer force or position. Rather, to break through and influence someone to embrace a radically different point of view requires a very counterintuitive approach. The bottom line—your intellect, facts,

Millennials and “Zoomers” (members of Generation Z) care far more than previous generations did about making an impact on issues that matter to them. This might have something to do with the fact that they grew up with the internet and had access to boundless information about the inequalities in the world. This also might

Many workers remain teleworking due to the pandemic, and many companies don’t plan to return to the office until 2022. Because the shift to remote work was so successful for many organizations, some workers will be reluctant to head back to in-person work. When approaching the return to the office, leaders need to keep these

A very good friend of mine runs a dental-health business. For the past 20 months she has endured a whipsaw running a business in the Covid-19 era. Her once flourishing venture plummeted early in the Covid pandemic. Then, when business rebounded, she had trouble bringing employees back. Some were not ready to return to the

Predictions were rightly cancelled in 2020; instead, benefits professionals look to 2022 with thoughtful planning. One of my new year’s resolutions is to never make another prediction. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that predictions don’t hold much water. Instead, I’ve learned to make flexible plans rather than firm predictions. So, it’s with that mindset

These are unprecedented times. Changes in working conditions, legislations and “flexible working” are on an entirely new level. How we operate and must lead today, is like nothing we’ve experienced before. COVID has turned whatever plan we might have had completely on its head and now suddenly companies are making community and government type decisions.

The world knows how particular the Japanese are when it comes to their professional lives. They are among the most hard-working individuals in the world, though they do have a tendency to overdo it at times. Yet, their productivity is unquestionable. Work is work anyway, and so long as money and the workplace are good,

Did you know there’s two definitions of collaboration in the Oxford dictionary? The first is “the action of working with someone to produce something”. Which is what we mean when we say we want collaboration. The second is “traitorous communication with an enemy”.  Which is sometimes how it feels when collaboration isn’t working. Even the

It all started with the added stress Covid-19 created as companies around the globe were forced to accommodate and secure remote workforces. In turn, this shift increased vulnerabilities and risk as workers were connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, for instance, which forced companies to try to balance the need for speed with security. For perspective, the swift

As we return to the office after countless months of COVID-prompted work isolation, take some time to reconsider your corporate lobby space. Does it complement your culture beautifully? Does it align with your tone and values? Here are some important elements to consider. You only get one chance to make a first impression. When people

Being a male leader, manager or individual contributor in today’s current social and political narrative means having the spotlight on what you say and do. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be motivated by others to adjust or change. It’s human nature to avoid looking at the impact of our actions on lives,