Happy New Year and welcome to the 25th Anniversary edition of Leadership Development Worldwide (LDW) Touchpoint. Our goal is to keep you updated on LDW’s growth, while offering perspective on the larger shifts influencing global leaders and organizations. As a team of seasoned business psychologists and consultants, LDW is dedicated to amplifying leadership excellence. Our mission continues to be focused on empowering leaders, fostering resilient teams, and driving organizational success. For 25 years, our clients have been the driving force for LDW. In this issue, we discuss what it means to support their achievement.
We’re also excited to announce that since our last Touchpoint, Dr. Michelle Bush has joined LDW as a Senior Principal Consultant, based in Chicago. Michelle brings a wealth of experience in executive assessment and team effectiveness, particularly in the Private Equity space. We’re also grateful to have Kristen Guerin join the team as our Controller, with seasoned experience in accounting and finance. Having these two accomplished professionals on board gives us even more confidence and excitement about what’s in store.
We've made some key staff promotions that align with our newly unveiled 2025 organizational structure. Drs. Scot Boespflug, Anjali Fox and Greg Robinson have each been elevated to the role of Partner, while Dr. Erin Crane will be taking on the well-deserved position of Senior Principal Consultant. Each has demonstrated a genuine commitment to LDW, to our clients, and to their own development, and we are pleased to recognize their growth in this way. Their new leadership roles are designed to drive purposeful change, mentor new and emerging talent, and deepen our client relationships. We are confident that these team members, with their expanded scope of responsibilities and proven track record for success, will help us better serve our clients, drive exciting innovation, and maintain the high standards of service that define LDW and that our network has come to expect.
A Note from LDW’s Founder
Dr. Tony Saccone
As I reflect on my 25 years with LDW, the most rewarding part of my job has been making a difference with our clients- helping individual leaders be the best that they can be, and helping organizations identify and develop the best leaders and teams possible. That intense client focus has always been our fundamental driving force, and it underpins everything we do.
The other constant in our culture has been the drive to deliver our work in a deep spirit of collaboration with our clients, and among the LDW team. We learn from each other and build long-term, trusting relationships that lead to mutual learning. Our clients make us better, and we aim to make them better.
This mindset cascades throughout LDW, even as we have grown over the 25 years. Much has changed, but the fundamentals have not.
I’d like to express my deep gratitude to all the leaders and organizations who have allowed LDW and me personally to be part of their stories, and their growth, over the years.
Cheers to the next 25 years!
INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD
How are your clients preparing for the future?
Innovation and AI are critical components of our clients' organizational design and strategy
Shane Danaher, COO
As our clients look to the future, many of them have recognized that their approach to talent needs to keep pace with their organizational strategy. Since that strategy now includes significant investments in AI, digital transformation, and innovation, they are carving out new responsibilities and roles (e.g., Chief AI Officers and AI roles in R&D) for the leaders who will imagine what’s next and shape the path to get there. Change, especially as it relates to technology, is happening at an incredible pace, and our clients want to ensure that they have competent leaders and strong voices to drive the innovation and transformations needed to stay competitive. They’re also turning more and more to the power of data and market intelligence to focus their efforts and find opportunity while keeping compliance and data integrity the top priority. Through our expertise in talent selection and development we're fortunate to be in a position to support these efforts by helping our clients identify the right leaders for these critical roles and equipping them with the insights, tools, and frameworks needed to thrive.
Succession planning and development are not afterthoughts
Adrianne McVeigh, Senior Partner and Advisory Board Member
We have seen an enhanced focus and sense of urgency around succession planning and career pathing in the organizations we serve. They have become more proactive and intentional in identifying potential successors and mapping out a robust path for development. They are thinking not only about the experiences and skills these leaders need, but also the relationships and followership they need to develop to position themselves effectively for future success. We’ve noticed our clients are investing in their employees earlier in their careers than in years past (through 360 feedback, coaching, and team effectiveness workshops) and they want to understand which of their leaders have the greatest growth potential. In parallel to the technological advancements we are all seeing, our clients are experiencing and anticipating (with some anxiety) the impact of generational shifts and increasing retirement rates. Securing the next generation of leaders and creating more robust talent pipelines and development programs have become imperative.
Organizations are investing more resources in support of newly transformed teams
Joe Wiggin, Senior International Partner and Advisory Board Member
In 2024, LDW observed a remarkable 145% increase in team effectiveness and team coaching engagements compared to the previous year. This substantial growth is primarily driven by our clients' efforts to navigate significant business transformations post-COVID. As many organizations undergo major reorganizations, they are increasingly centralizing core functions that promote nimble execution and decision-making processes and ensure there will be a swift response to unexpected obstacles along the way. This transition has underscored the need for robust team dynamics and effective frontline leaders who can quickly rally alignment around moving targets and keep everyone rowing in the same direction. By investing in team effectiveness and coaching, our clients are not only fostering a stronger, more cohesive workforce, they’re also ensuring that they are well-equipped to meet the demands of their evolving business landscapes.
KEY PARTNERSHIP ACCELERATOR
We are excited to introduce LDW’s Key Partnership Accelerator (KPA), a quarter-day session designed to kickstart the relationship between a new leader and the hiring manager. The session is designed to facilitate onboarding into the organization, and leverages LDW assessment data to bring more clarity to performance and behavioral expectations. This facilitated conversation proactively addresses key points of alignment as well as potential points of misunderstanding or conflict.
An LDW Consultant guides these critical conversations, covering topics such as:
- Defining success in the role
- Establishing communication channels
- Discussing culture and executive influence
- Understanding the broader agenda
- Identifying opportunities for credibility
- Outlining developmental support and resources
What our clients are saying about KPA:
As we embrace the start of 2025, we would like to express our warmest gratitude and appreciation for the time, openness, and genuine engagement we seem to always receive from the organizations we serve. Our pride lies in our clients’ success, and we very much look forward to another year of working together.