Vol. 3 Issue 46: Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD, MPA, AF-CIPD, SFHEA
Top Voice in Leadership, HR, Innovation, Future of Work, Culture & Change, & Inclusion // 17X Best-Selling & Award-Winning Author & Podcaster // Chair/Professor, Org Leadership // Founder & CEO, Human Capital Innovations
Get insights on HR, leadership, and industry trends via original research and interviews with executives and thought leaders from across the globe -?subscribe here to the?Alchemizing Human Capital?newsletter?to get future editions directly in your feed.
Welcome to Vol. 3, Issue 46, of the Alchemizing Human Capital weekly newsletter. This week's content is focused on navigating change and the keys to organizational agility, innovation, and impact.
This issue features Jennifer Nash, Inez Robinson-Odom, and Sarah Adler.
Also, be sure to check out:
New from HCI Press: Navigating Change
In his compelling new book, Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact, leadership expert Dr. Jonathan H. Westover offers evidence-based strategies to help organizations and leaders successfully navigate today's rapidly changing landscape.
Drawing on the latest research across four critical domains—leadership development, organizational culture, future of work trends, and employee well-being—Westover discusses innovative solutions to pressing challenges like cultivating agile management skills, building trust and engagement, fostering diversity and inclusion, supporting remote work, leveraging new technologies, and more.
Packed with real-world examples and actionable tools, the book guides readers in developing the adaptive capacities necessary to thrive amid ongoing disruption. Whether you lead a team or entire organization, Westover delivers practical insights to transform your culture, empower people, and maximize performance over the long run.
For human resources professionals, executives, and any practitioners charged with driving organizational success, Navigating Change is an indispensable resource for navigating workforce trends, embracing change, and cementing your competitive advantage in uncertain times.
New Academic Article: Examining the Influence of Employee Activation on Gender Differences in Employee Engagement
Dr. Westover and his colleague, Dr. Maureen Andrade, had a new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Business Diversity.
This study analyzes survey data from over 500 U.S. employees to investigate how key workplace determinants uniquely relate to engagement for men and women, to address gaps in research examining potential gender variations in the drivers of discretionary effort at work. Traditional predictors like fulfillment of basic needs, individual contributions, teamwork, and growth were examined alongside the emerging construct of “worker activation,” reflecting empowering organizational cultures that motivate extra effort, which is hypothesized to significantly predict engagement across genders when incorporated into engagement models. Analyses include descriptive tests, regression models evaluated separately by gender, and assessments of activation variable impacts between genders, with findings revealing modest yet significant male-female disparities in average engagement levels, the multi-dimensional nature of engagement determinants across genders, and activation’ s cross-cutting importance in predicting engagement, validating refined conceptualization and offering implications for optimally designing inclusive strategies to inspire discretionary commitment and employee engagement.
As Seen in Forbes
Check out Dr. Westover Forbes contribution last week:
"Aggressive Confrontations: One potential emotional trigger is an employee confronting the leader aggressively in their office after being passed up for a promotion. As the head of the organization, keeping one’s calm and choosing words wisely in difficult conversations is crucial. Responding to anger with more anger will only make the situation much worse."
Take a look at the full article and let us know what you think!
New HCI Webinars
Check out last week's new HCI Webinars!
New HCL Review Articles
Check out our new Human Capital Leadership Review articles this past week:
Take a look at the full articles and let us know what you think!
HCL Review Explainer Videos
Check out our new Human Capital Leadership Review article explainer videos this past week:
Take a look at the article explainer videos and let us know what you think!
Human Capital Innovations (HCI) Academy
Check out the Human Capital Innovations (HCI) Academy! All HCI Academy courses, micro-credentials, and certificates are designed, developed, and delivered by award-winning and internationally renowned scholars, educators, thought leaders, executives, and professional practitioners.
Our courses, micro-credentials, and certificates cover the most important issues facing organizational leaders and human resources professionals today and will help you make your mark on the future of the work and make an immediate impact in your organization!
Our award-winning and research-based curriculum of industry-leading human resources and organizational leadership courses helps managers and leaders navigate complex organizational, leadership, and HR issues, stay at the cutting edge of innovation in HR, and bring their whole selves to their work.
Our courses, micro-credentials, and certificates are designed to help learners develop and apply these skills, competencies, and capabilities, which are essential for leaders to navigate the ever-changing landscape of work in the 21st century. By developing these abilities, you can foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning that will enable your organizations to thrive in the years ahead.
Each course utilizes gamification, the use of game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning and solve problems. Additionally you will receive individualized feedback and have the opportunity to expand your professional network!
Individual micro-credential courses are 10 hours of asynchronous, applied, reflective, and social learning experiences that leverage the wisdom and insights of global thought leaders and industry experts.??Additionally, each course features in-depth thematic and topical conversations with a mix of renowned scholars, educators, thought leaders, executives, and practitioners.
Sign up for the complete?4-course,?40-hour General HR Certificate?(complete any 4 micro-credential courses),?the?4-course,?40-hour?Leading the Future Organization Certificate, the?4-course,?40-hour?Innovative Human Capital Certificate,?or?4-course,?40-hour?The Employee-Centric Workplace Certificate?programs.?The entire 4-course certification can typically be completed within around 3 - 4 months and is approved for 40 hours of recertification credits from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and verified by Credly.
Complete all three specialized certificates and earn the?People and Culture Advanced Certification!?The entire advanced certification can typically be completed within a year and is approved for 100 hours of recertification credits from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and verified by Credly.
Check out our micro-credential courses and certificates here and let us know what you think!
HCI Podcast Network
Check out the HCI Podcast Network - where knowledge meets innovation and excellence in the world of human capital management. We are your destination for insightful conversations and thought-provoking discussions on all things related to human capital management, leadership, and organizational excellence.
At Human Capital Innovations, we believe in the power of knowledge-sharing and the importance of continuous learning and development. Our podcast network brings together a diverse lineup of experts, thought leaders, and industry practitioners who share their expertise, experiences, and insights to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of the modern workplace.
Through our podcast episodes, we delve into a wide range of topics, including leadership development, talent acquisition and retention, organizational culture, employee engagement, HR strategies, and much more. We believe that by exploring these critical areas, we can equip leaders and organizations with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in today's dynamic business environment.
Our podcast network features engaging and thought-provoking conversations that challenge conventional thinking, inspire growth, and provide practical strategies for personal and professional development. We invite you to join us as we explore the latest trends, best practices, and innovative approaches to human capital management, all designed to help you unlock the full potential of your organization and its most valuable asset - your people.
Whether you are a seasoned HR professional, a business leader, or someone interested in staying ahead of the curve in the world of work, our podcast network offers valuable insights and actionable takeaways that can drive positive change in your organization. Tune in to our episodes, gain fresh perspectives, and discover new strategies that will elevate your leadership skills and drive organizational excellence.
We are excited to have you join us on this journey of learning and growth. Explore our podcast network, subscribe to your favorite shows, and let us be your trusted source for thought leadership, inspiration, and practical tips to enhance your human capital management practices.
Are you interested in having your professional podcast become a part of the HCI Podcast Network or advertising with the HCI Podcast Network? Please reach out!
Achieving Your Full Potential
Achieving Your Full Potential: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Flourishing in Your Career and at Work
In his latest work,?Achieving Your Full Potential, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover offers a holistic framework to help you maximize your potential and find greater fulfillment in your work. Across 42 research-backed chapters spanning topics from work-life balance and well-being to leadership and organizational change, Westover provides evidence-based strategies and tools to overcome some of the most common roadblocks professionals face.
Whether you're experiencing burnout from excessive work hours, languishing in an uninspiring role, or feeling like an "imposter" amid senior colleagues, Westover offers actionable advice drawn from the latest research. His multi-dimensional approach takes into account the various stages of your career journey, from onboarding as a new employee to navigating organizational change as a mid-level manager. You'll develop the self-awareness, soft skills, and resilience necessary to advance your impact and address workplace challenges in a healthy, sustainable way.
Weaving in case studies and examples from his consulting practice and own academic research, Westover also outlines how to build high-quality relationships, influence colleagues, and make better career decisions to accelerate your growth. Later chapters provide guidance for those seeking to expand their skills in areas like change management, effective feedback, trust-building communications and listening. For those ready to develop others, he covers topics like supporting millennials, empowering employees and overcoming the tyranny of the urgent in leadership.
Whether you feel stuck in your current role, are considering a career pivot, or want to enhance your leadership abilities, this book delivers a robust toolkit to help you achieve your fullest potential. Accessible yet research-driven,?Achieving Your Full Potential?serves as an indispensable companion and practical playbook for any professional dedicated to lifelong learning, continuous self-improvement and a balanced, flourishing work experience.
The Adaptive Leader
The Adaptive Leader: Thriving Through Change in Uncertain Times
In today's era of constant change and disruption, the only constant for leaders is change itself. To thrive in this new frontier, organizations need adaptable leaders who can connect with their people, guide their teams through uncertainty and evolve their own approaches. In his comprehensive new book, The Adaptive Leader, leadership expert Dr. Jonathan Westover offers a practical framework for exactly that.
Across 7 in-depth parts and 35 chapters, Westover covers all aspects of adaptive leadership. He provides strategies for effectively communicating visions for change, building strong workplace cultures, managing stress and avoiding burnout. Readers will learn how to develop trust through transparency, empower teams through strengths-based development, and attract and retain top talent. Later sections offer approaches for leading through economic upheaval, fostering change agility, and crafting purposeful work.
Interwoven are models and frameworks made accessible through examples and exercises. Leaders will finish with a deeper understanding of their own mindsets and how to skillfully overcome challenges to their potential. Whether you're a seasoned executive or new to managing others, this book delivers need-to-know strategies, tools and perspectives for adapting both your leadership approach and organization to whatever the future may bring.
For any leader seeking to thrive in today's VUCA world, The Adaptive Leader is an indispensable resource for successfully navigating constant change and helping your people and business reach new heights. Its wisdom and pragmatism will help readers evolve into the adaptive leaders needed for the future.
Workforce Evolution
Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs
In an era of unprecedented disruption in the workforce, how can organizations adapt to shifting human capital needs? In Workforce Evolution, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover offers practical strategies for leaders seeking to evolve their workforce strategies.
Drawing from psychology, leadership theory, and complexity science, Westover addresses key challenges facing modern organizations, from developing agile leadership skills to motivating employees during times of change. Detailing the impacts of new technologies like AI, he outlines a systems approach for building resilience into hiring, promotion, and strategic decision-making processes.
Across 30 chapters and 5 parts, Westover equips readers with frameworks, tools and case studies for assessing workforce gaps and driving innovation. He covers topics ranging from strengthening emotional intelligence to implementing sustainable workplace cultures. Organizational leaders will find actionable guidance for retaining top talent, embracing diversity of thought, and collaborating across silos.
By understanding the dynamics of complex adaptive systems, Workforce Evolution demonstrates how any organization can continuously evolve its human capital strategy to thrive amid disruption. This unique blend of authoritative research and real-world application makes it essential reading for academics, students, and practitioners seeking to lead effectively in our rapidly transforming world of work.
Championing Performance
Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being
In today's volatile world of work, high performance depends more than ever on an organization's ability to champion its people. But how can leaders foster the trust, purpose, and well-being needed to unlock discretionary effort and innovation over the long run?
Through rigorous academic research and practical case studies, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover sheds new light on this vital question. In "Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being," he presents a systematic framework to help practitioners evaluate key levers for cultivating an engaged and committed workforce.
Westover draws from multiple disciplines, including organizational behavior, neuroscience, and change management. Readers will learn strategies for reducing workplace stressors while increasing autonomy, work-life integration, and leadership empathy. Compelling insights address challenges like burnout, talent retention, and navigating technological disruption with humanity.
Through an empirical yet accessible analysis, Westover offers a roadmap for organizational leaders seeking to champion both people and performance for competitive advantage in uncertain times. His scholarship makes a timely contribution to transforming people practices grounded in trust, purpose, and well-being. Practitioners in HR, L&D, and beyond will find valuable models, tools and ideas to apply for sustainable business success.
Energizing Innovation
Energizing Innovation : Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth
In Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth, renowned organizational sociologist, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover provides a comprehensive research-backed framework to optimize and maximize organizational performance and employee performance and innovation.
With chapters spanning talent management, leadership, engagement, culture, as well as other timely topics such as hybrid work arrangements, self-managing teams, and adapting to workers' changing ambitions and more, Westover explores the latest research on attracting talent, fostering leadership skills, boosting engagement, and strengthening company culture and equips managers with strategies to attract top performers and develop teams to their fullest potential.
Westover dives deep into strategies like using AI for HR planning, developing meaningful work, turnover intention, building resilience during change, and leveraging positive psychology. Packed with real-world examples and tools, this book equips managers with evidence-based practices for developing top performers at every level. Westover delivers must-have insights on igniting extraordinary potential through people-centered approaches to innovation and growth.
Backed by rigorous evidence, Energizing Innovation delivers a complete toolkit to spark engagement, nourish empowering cultures and achieve peak results by maximizing an organization's greatest asset - its talented workforce. An essential read for any leader seeking to energize their workforce and turbocharge organizational success.
Cultivating Engagement
Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making
In Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover draws on over two decades working as both an academic researcher and culture change consultant to provide an authoritative guide for organizational leaders seeking to foster truly inclusive, innovative and high-performing work cultures.
Westover emphasizes that cultivating true employee engagement and sustainability is an ongoing journey, not a destination. It requires commitment to an inclusive leadership approach, placing empathy, compassion, continuous learning and relationships at the forefront above quick fixes or purely strategic plans. Throughout seven comprehensive sections and 29 chapters, Westover weaves themes of inclusion, well-being, talent optimization, and progress. Readers will find discussions and tools covering foundational elements of inclusive leadership, building psychologically safe and high-performing teams, understanding diverse generational characteristics and leveraging individual strengths, rethinking factors like meetings and remote work with humanity in mind, addressing pay equity and other cultural issues, equipping leaders for their own growth, and aligning data practices with holistic human experiences.
Underlying each topic is Westover's philosophy that maximizing both people and performance long-term demands systems thinking balanced with understanding diverse experiences. Managers will gain perspective through reflections on Westover's own triumphs and challenges encountered as a consultant. The book aims to spark and support positive long-term change through sharing valuable lessons, insights and real-world case studies of progress realized. With its integrated framework and translatable strategies, Cultivating Engagement provides a comprehensive blueprint for leading authentically inclusive workplace transformations.
Reinventing Leadership
Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change
In a world of increasing uncertainty and constant change, the ability to empower people and lead organizational transformation has never been more important. Yet many traditional leadership models are no longer effective for navigating today's complex challenges.
In Reinventing Leadership, organizational sociologist and management expert Dr. Jonathan H. Westover draws on over a decade of empirical research to propose a new people-centered framework for guiding effective change. Integrating insights from social, cognitive and industrial-organizational psychology, and other management and organizational sciences, Dr. Westover outlines a paradigm shift away from top-down directives toward distributed, empowering styles that motivate teams from within.
Through comprehensive literature reviews and in-depth company case studies, the book unpacks how today's workers truly process and respond to change initiatives. It then provides evidence-based strategies and tools leaders can apply to build resilience, foster autonomy, and inspire collective innovation across businesses undergoing disruption.
Packed with real-world examples and quantitative data, yet accessibly written for busy executives, Reinventing Leadership is an indispensable resource for any manager seeking to effectively lead their people into an uncertain future. Its research-backed insights offer a roadmap for empowering and engaging teams to successfully drive organizational reinvention.
Optimizing Organizations
Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change
The world of work is undergoing rapid and unprecedented change. Technological disruptions, shifting demographics, and globalization are transforming the business landscape at an exponential pace. To thrive in this new reality, organizations must evolve beyond traditional ways of operating. Adapting structures and processes is no longer enough. True reinvention requires optimizing the human factor - the people, mindsets, and dynamics that form the heart of every organization.
This is where this book comes in. In "Optimizing Organizations for Maximum Impact", I introduce a holistic framework for reinventing organizations through continuous optimization of leadership, teams, culture, environment and performance. The approaches discussed are grounded in practical strategies and evidence from high-impact companies that are successfully navigating change.
Over the course of six parts, we will explore how optimizing key organizational dimensions can drive transformation. We begin by enhancing leadership capabilities and fostering an innovative mindset. We then examine optimizing culture and collaboration, as well as managing workflows and talent. Finally, we bring these elements together to propel organizational impact.
My goal is to provide a playbook you can use right now to mobilize people, evolve mindsets and harness disruption. Optimization is a journey, not a destination. I hope the frameworks and tools in this book empower you to reinvent continuously and thrive - no matter the challenges of tomorrow. It is through people that organizations will find both meaning and maximum impact in this new era.
The Art and Science of Organizational Leadership
The Art and Science of Organizational Leadership : Building High-Performing Cultures Through People and Innovation
The Art and Science of Organizational Leadership provides actionable frameworks to help build high-performing, resilient cultures in today’s uncertain business landscape. As globalization, technology and industry disruptions upend the status quo at an unprecedented rate, the most successful leaders cultivate flexibility to adapt.
Rather than clinging to outdated assumptions, these innovative leaders challenge norms, welcome new perspectives and continually develop the adaptive skills, mindsets and structures needed to thrive amid constant change. This book equips readers with research-backed strategies to adopt this forward-thinking approach within their own organizations.
Across six sections and 28 chapters, Dr. Westover synthesizes research and practitioner insights from the management sciences, psychology, sociology and other disciplines to holistically define the elements of organizational leadership. Topics like strategic planning, innovation, talent development and change management are explored through diverse lenses to present a comprehensive model.
Universal leadership qualities that strengthen all organizations are also examined. Themes of authenticity, empowering employees, operating trustfully, self-awareness, embracing complexity and redefining metrics beyond revenues emerge as pillars of sustainable adaptability. Truly extraordinary cultures integrate strategic vision with how human relationships and potential are nurtured.
Through case studies and profiling of high performers, the book illustrates how the most agile leaders constantly expand their understanding of cultural dynamics and shifting industry drivers. They approach problems with curiosity rather than assumptions, welcoming diverse inputs. This nimble, empathetic mindset allows rebuilding workflows collaborative as realities change on the ground.
Focus is placed not solely on risk minimization but rallying teams around meaningful missions optimizing long-term creativity, health and shared purpose. While strengths and contexts vary, certain growth-oriented practices consistently underpin leaders’ evolving dexterity to impact positive change.
Overall, this book provides a wealth of actionable takeaways to strengthen any organization’s adaptive capacities and future-proof its culture. Most importantly, it encourages continual self-reflection and learning as the sole means to successfully navigate uncertain terrain. Readers will be inspired to lead pragmatically but also think beyond perceived limits, prizing people and purpose above short-term outputs alone.
Leading with Purpose
Leading with Purpose: Navigating Change, Cultivating Collaboration, and Prioritizing Well-being in Today's Workplace
Work is constantly evolving, and organizations need to equip their leaders with the tools to navigate change while fostering employee engagement, productivity, and well-being. In this book, leadership expert Jonathan H. Westover lays out a roadmap for establishing purpose-driven leadership in uncertain times.
Drawing from research and case studies, Westover outlines strategies for developing a coaching mindset, creating a culture of open communication and collaboration, and embedding well-being practices into daily work. He provides templates, checklists, and examples to help leaders implement an agile and growth-oriented leadership approach.
Readers will learn how to craft a compelling vision that inspires action, set measurable goals to track progress, and translate strategy into clear action steps. They will also discover tactics to facilitate breakthrough thinking, resolve conflicts constructively, and establish an environment where learning from failure is expected.
Ultimately, Westover coaches leaders on how to lead with empathy, integrity and resilience -- traits essential for navigating constant change while elevating performance and engagement. For any executive seeking to inspire their organization to reach new levels of success, this book delivers a practical roadmap for purposeful leadership in today's shifting business landscape.
Leading for Transformation
Leading for Transformation: Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Work, by Jonathan H. Westover, PhD.
Leading for Transformation - Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Work is a groundbreaking book that serves as a compass for leaders who are navigating the ever-changing landscape of work. In this insightful and thought-provoking guide, renowned leadership expert Jonathan H. Westover, PhD, provides a roadmap for leaders to embrace the challenges and opportunities presented by the dynamic world of work.
Purchase your copy on Amazon and let us know what you think!
The Future Leader
The Future Leader: Creating & Transforming Next Gen Organizations, by Jonathan H. Westover, PhD.
Drawing from two decades of professional experience and over 600 in-depth interviews with executives, thought leaders, and scholars from across the globe, The Future Leader will help you explore the ordinary, everyday actions that will help you to prepare to lead in the future of work, to respond to an uncertain future, and to produce extraordinary results for individuals, teams, and organizations.
Purchase your copy on Amazon and let us know what you think!
'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership
'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership: The Journey of Becoming a Truly Remarkable Leader, by Jonathan H. Westover, PhD.
Purchase your copy on Amazon and let us know what you think!
The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership
The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership: Ordinary, Everyday Actions that Produce Extraordinary Results, by Jonathan H. Westover, PhD.
Purchase your copy on Amazon and let us know what you think!
The HCI team helps?our clients break through the personal and organizational obstacles that seem to be holding them back in their professional life. Life's too short to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled at work. Let us help you learn and develop better ways to handle the issues that are standing in the way of your professional goals and organizational success. Let us help you learn how to create and maintain a people-centric workplace and organizational cultures.
Thinkers 360 - Thinkers360 Top Voices 2024
Thinkers 360 - #1 HR, #1 Innovation, #1 Culture, #1 Future of Work, #1 Leadership, #5 Overall
Thinkers 360 - Top 5 Global Thought Leading Company in 2024
Global Gurus - Top 20 in Management, Top 20 in Organizational Culture
LeadersHum - Power List of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership to watch
LeadersHum - Nominated - Top 100 Influential Global Thought Leader
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Get insights on HR, leadership, and industry trends via original research and interviews with executives and thought leaders from across the globe -?subscribe here to the?Alchemizing Human Capital?newsletter?to get future editions directly in your feed.