Hiring for the Culture You Don’t Yet Have
In periods of disruption, leadership teams often talk about transformation as though it were a strategy exercise. In reality, transformation is usually a talent decision first.
In periods of disruption, leadership teams often talk about transformation as though it were a strategy exercise. In reality, transformation is usually a talent decision first.
Most organisations still treat talent acquisition as a sequence: source → attract → assess → hire. But high‑performing leaders — especially passive candidates — no longer respond to this linear logic.
The past few years have shown how quickly business assumptions can collapse. Markets shift. Technology accelerates. Customer expectations reset overnight. This is why the next generation of leaders isn't a "later" conversation.
The future isn’t approaching. It’s accelerating. And in many organisations, the real constraint isn’t strategy, technology or capital. It’s how quickly people can make sense of change, and act on it.
Most organisations don't actively design culture. They experience it. It shows up in how decisions are made, how people challenge each other and what gets rewarded or quietly discouraged.
Coaching is now central to leadership, not supplementary. AI can extend its reach, but in complex environments, context, trust and judgement remain firmly human domains.
At its core, attracting talent is not about saying the right things. It is about understanding the right things and being able to stand behind them.
In the midst of a red hot labor market, the competition for top talent is fierce. Companies are ratcheting up their focus on retaining employees and looking for smart ways to do so.
When leaders are remembered for their impact, it is rarely because of systems or strategy alone. The enduring differentiator is far simpler and far harder to sustain. Leaders who demonstrate that they genuinely care.
In senior appointments, the greatest risk isn't hiring someone underqualified, but hiring someone misaligned. Sustainable performance begins with disciplined judgement at the point of selection.
In To Lead Is to Care, John O. Burdett reflects on the overwhelming pace that artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing and why the #1 skill leaders are rightly adopting is AI fluency.
With all the discussion on AI, the soft skills are being pushed aside. Technology, technology, technology! And yet, soft skills are truly more important than ever. We can't afford to dehumanize the new workplace.