Are you a “professional” at what you do as a talent developer? Is talent development even a profession? This article answers these questions, makes the argument why you should be a talent development professional, and offers up ways to become one. Professions and...

There are a lot of books and articles about preparing yourself for life in the upper echelons of management—the executive level, or “C-Suite.” Two of my favorites that describe what’s different about being an executive are The Next Level by Scott Eblin and What Got...

    Note: This is an example of taking a lesson from another field—in this case, astrophysics—and using it to make your case. Dr Sagan was trying to get us to imagine being able to see what we currently cannot, which is a fundamental lesson in Purposeful...

Introduction We’ve all seen them. Some companies have them for internal use. Some companies in the leadership development business tout theirs. (And, of course, the certifications and training they sell along with them.) What are they? Leadership competency models, of...

Covid-19 is certainly proving to be a game-changer – and we still don’t know to what extent it will affect our ability to develop leaders. But one thing is for sure: there are permanent changes in store for us all. So, here’s the message: these aren’t obstacles to...

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when careers were, for the most part, based on “lifetime employment.” You went to school, got on with a good company or organization, and worked your way up until you retired. But not anymore! These days, it’s expected that...

Have you ever considered going back to school to either finish a degree you started or to earn another? I’d like to give you a few ideas you might consider when weighing this option. Ever since the 1970s, we’ve seen a rapid expansion of adults with college degrees....

When developing and delivering degree programs for working adults, there is a  need in academia for scholar-practitioners, people who not only are experienced in their fields but are also well-educated in its scholarly structures. Working adults want degree programs...

As we, as working professionals, go through our careers, sometimes we ask ourselves, “What’s next?” Sometimes, the next job assignment or training class isn’t enough. Or maybe that master’s degree you earned way back when no longer has you on top of your field. Or...