Seven Topics to Transform Your Company Culture

7 topics of Organizational Culture

I was working with a company once that was so customer focused they sacrificed the internal staff for the external product. Three-quarters of the people who were hired would quit after a year. Their Glassdoor reviews were terrible and the word on the street was “Stay away.” It was a culture nightmare. They knew they […]

Reflection and Growth: 10 Memorable Mistakes in 2024 + HPA’s Year In Review

Traci Newkirk typing

The only real mistake is the one you don’t learn from… Which is why as we’re kicking off a new year, I felt compelled to share with you the 10 memorable mistakes I made within the past year. We value development, promote innovation, and continuously learn — which is one of the many reasons that […]

Think About Your Thinking: Traci’s 24 Learnings from 2024

think about your thinking

Dan Sullivan says that “Our learnings should always be greater than our experiences.” This is such wise and timely advice as I look back at 2024 and ponder on ways I have grown and changed this year as an individual and leader. Growth and development of self is never at a standstill. We are always […]

Six Components of Effective Communication

Effective communication is the lifeblood of successful leadership. As management expert Peter Drucker once said, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” This insight underscores the complexity of workplace communication and its critical role in leadership. As we continue our Leadership Core Competencies Series, let’s consider six components of effective communication […]

Team Building: Adaptive Leadership Cultivates Innovation

team building leadership

Team building is more than a buzzword – it’s a crucial element for leadership success in today’s fast-paced, interconnected workplace. As organizations face increasingly complex challenges, the ability to work effectively in teams has become more important than ever. Strong teams drive innovation, boost productivity, and enhance employee satisfaction. However, building a cohesive team doesn’t […]

Problem Solving in Leadership: Opportunities in Disguise

As we continue our Core Leadership Competencies series, this month’s theme is problem solving in leadership. Problem solving is among the most ubiquitous everyday tasks for leaders. Problems come in all shapes and sizes, with varying degrees of complexity, and from a variety of sources within and outside of the organization. As a leader, you […]

Creativity in Leadership: The Powerful Competitive Edge

As we continue our Core Leadership Competencies series, we’re excited to consider yet another quality that is in high demand in today’s leaders: creativity. As the world continues to rapidly change, creativity in leadership – and the innovation it produces – is increasingly understood to be a key driver of organizational success. Leaders who understand, […]

Lifelong Learning: 3 Steps to Grow Your Learning Skill Set

In our Core Leadership Competencies series, we’ve previously considered the proficiencies of emotional intelligence, time management, and resilience. This month we’re going to look at the skill of lifelong learning and the value this skill brings to leaders and their teams. Truth be told, lifelong learning is a skill set more than a discrete skill. People […]

Resilience: The Essential Skill to Avoid Burnout

Resilience in Leadership

So far in our Core Leadership Competencies series, we’ve considered the proficiencies of emotional intelligence and time management. This month we’re going to look at resilience. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment […]

Time Management: A Core Leadership Competency

In last month’s blog we talked about emotional intelligence (EQ) as an important and highly sought after skill in leaders. This month, we’ll continue our exploration of core leadership competencies with a focus on time management. As you cultivate emotional intelligence and develop self-awareness, you’ll become more aware of what obstacles interfere with your time […]

Emotional Intelligence: What It Is + Why You Need It

Emotional intelligence has its roots in the concept of “social intelligence,” a term coined by psychologists in the 1920’s to refer to the ability to understand and effectively navigate social relationships. The study of emotional intelligence gained traction in psychology beginning in the 1980s, but it was Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It […]

Women’s History Month: Reflect, Celebrate, and Look Forward

Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on and celebrate the recent strides that women have made while simultaneously focusing our vision on the future we are creating. From increased representation in politics to breaking glass ceilings in corporate boardrooms, women have been impacting society in unprecedented ways. Across the globe, we’ve witnessed women […]