Integer Leadership Consulting

Best Way to Save: Analyze Why Talent is Going Out the Door by Carol Hymowitz

Hymowitz makes a two good points that are critical for senior leaders. First, retention of talented employees requires a significant investment in their professional growth right out of the blocks. This investment speaks volumes about how senior leaders value their organizations and their people. Providing structured and deep value-added professional and personal development opportunities to your more talented employees says, “we take you seriously, value you deeply and want you around for as long as possible.” Conversely, to offer nothing to the cream of the emerging leadership cohort sends the deleterious message to the longer-term growth of the organization. The second point to which Hymowitz speaks is not surprising: senior leaders convince themselves that the exodus of talented staffers is more often than not the result of the staffers who lack talent, commitment and maturity. I agree with Hymowitz! Senior leaders can live in a fantasy world when they cannot admit the truth that departures of talented leaders are often the result of their own (senior leaders) inability to properly value and establish meaningful professional development systems that deepen and broaden employees competencies and sense of worth. Well said Carol!

Employers See Value in Helping Those Laid Off by Joann Lublin

Finally the emerging growth of organizations who take responsibility for staying connected to those who are laid off. This is an excellent example of organizational stewardship. Would it be the more companies would follow suit. It is the right thing to do to provide transition support at the expense of the company to help those who are “forced” to transition to other employment possibilities. When businesses see this as a humanitarian “must do” responsibility rather than an onerous obligation, the perceptions of many regarding corporate selfishness might begin to diminish.

The Ennui of Saint Teresa by Arthur C. Brooks

Brooks misses the point about St. Teresa’s articulation of struggle and doubt in the recently released book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light. These revelations about Teresa are not about religious people exemplifying “happiness, joy and hope.” Rather, these new insights about St. Teresa’s struggles are evidence of her deep faith and the pain, sorrow and suffering that is part-and-parcel of those who seek to follow the example of Jesus while grappling with man’s inhumanity to man. Brooks does a wonderful and thoroughly predictable job of living into the typical response to religious doubt: “lets be happy and go to church and we’ll be better off than those who don’t!” My belief puts me more in line with St. Teresa’s revelations: following after the example of Jesus by legitimately and authentically confronting the depths of human depravity, pain, suffering and misery does in fact deeply and profoundly affect the human heart. Far from revealing a lack of faith, St. Teresa’s words reveal her close communion with a present but often mysteriously absent God. When compared to the great saints of faith, St. Teresa is right on target.