If you took some of the world’s most successful leaders and dropped them all into completely new situations, some would be able to pivot while others simply wouldn’t (as the pandemic has readily shown us).

Successful leaders set up systems of accountability that apply to everyone, including themselves. They take responsibility for their actions and the consequences that occur as a result. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “to err is human.” It would be irrational for any leader to expect perfection from their staff or themselves personally. In my experience, successful leaders don’t dwell on mistakes. Instead, they focus on developing action plans to mitigate the consequences of their mistakes.

Harnessing Organizational Culture through Communication

Organizational culture is the personality of your organization. Culture is made up of the attitudes and core values that the organization holds dear and stands firm to. It trickles from the top down and is often reinforced through company policies and ethos. Organizational culture plays a large part in establishing the working environment your people operate within, so it has a direct impact on the well-being and productivity of employees.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettSeptember 13, 2021Organizational Development, Communication, Management, Organizational CultureComment

Recognizing Ineffective Leadership Traits

When you hear the word “leader”, certain expectations come to mind. We look to our leaders for guidance and inspiration, which means they wield a great deal of influence. However, since not every leader is an effective leader and how do you spot ineffective leadership? And even if you’ve seen it, you may not immediately recognize what those traits are.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettAugust 9, 2021Leadership, Management, Professional DevelopmentComment

Adapting Leadership to People – Pandering or Proper Management?

Consistency is important for anyone in a leadership position. Where your values are concerned, you can’t be moving the goalposts back and forth. However, when you’re leading people in an individual or team setting, you have to be willing to adapt the way you lead in order to get the best out of your people.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettJuly 12, 2021Communication, Management, Professional DevelopmentComment

Money, Motivation, and What Matters Most to People at Work

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Money often costs too much.” In today’s world, it takes a lot more than a periodic pay rise to keep employees happy and motivated at work. It seems like many employees have taken Emerson’s words to heart. More than ever before, they’re leaving high paying jobs in search of more fulfilling work. Organizations everyday run the risk of losing skilled labor to their competitors if they don’t offer the right motivation to their employees.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettJune 14, 2021Organizational Development, Leadership, ManagementComment

Where'd I put my resume again?

If you're like most job seekers, your job search happens while you're already at work. It probably starts, or restarts, on a really bad day. Maybe that project you have is just not getting traction, or perhaps your boss or coworkers are not the nicest bunch to be around, or maybe you’ve realized (or re-realized) that your organization is crumbling at the seams.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettMay 10, 2021Professional Development, Change Management, LeadershipComment

Why Technical Leadership Matters

I recently shared a Harvard Business Review podcast titled Why Technical Leaders Make Great Managers and the response was notable. And I'm not surprised at all. When I speak with experienced professionals, one of their most common frustrations is that their managers have no idea what they actually do.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettApril 12, 2021Leadership, Management, Change Management, Professional DevelopmentComment

Mentorship vs. Sponsorship

We recently re-watched Hamilton in my house and it got me thinking about mentorship and sponsorship in organizations. There is no shortage of business literature sharing the benefits of having mentoring relationships throughout your career.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettMarch 8, 2021Mentorship, Change Management, Leadership, Management, Professional DevelopmentComment

Leadership Roundtable

Recently I attended a Women in Leadership Roundtable and one of the presenters had an insightful perspective. She shared how sometimes as women we feel like we need to justify why we belong at the table that we've been invited to. Instead we should be focusing on what is the value we provide now that we're there.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettFebruary 8, 2021Leadership, Change Management, Management, Organizational DevelopmentComment

Kicking Off A Change Initiative?

Change Management is the practice of looking at the whole system from inception to adoption by finding ways to ensure its success. The impact of change is often underestimated in misdiagnosed even before the formal project starts. It is important to start any potential change initiative by asking a series of questions with the intent to deeply understand the core of the issue and not accepting quick answers that might fit a preset narrative.

A Year in Review

Today is a really special day for me and for this business. It marks 1 year that I’ve been working full-time in my own consultancy and my LLC founding date. A real true business birthday. Some days it has felt surreal and amazing while other days challenging and frustrating. However, I’ve made it to a year and am looking forward to each day that comes.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettJuly 17, 2020Change Management, Business OperationsComment

Intersection: Intentional listening and note-taking

This week I highlighted Sabina Nawaz’s article: Become a Better Listener by Taking Notes. My primary takeaway was simple, taking time to listen is always well spent.

Sara Ismail-Beigi BartlettMay 29, 2020Change Management, Communication, Process Improvement, ManagementComment

What happens when we try to go back? (An open letter to Senior Leadership)

What happens when we try to go back to ‘normal’ business operations? My open letter to Senior Leadership.

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