By Leslie Pratch Some CEOs cope with whatever life presents; more than that, they grab opportunities. They learn from experience, face problems rather than avoid them, overcomes obstacles rather than giving up or blaming others. They consider others’ interests and the interests of society, as well as their own. They…

By Leslie Pratch Reading my posts, you’ll have seen a lot about active coping. As you know, active coping is one of the three characteristics that executives need in order to lead an organization well (the others are adequate smarts for the job and motivation to lead). Active coping is…

By Leslie Pratch Is your PE firm one that focuses on “topgrading” or “hiring only A players” for top portfolio company jobs? The COVID-19 crisis provides a unique opportunity to see whether you indeed have “A” players in your important jobs. …

By Leslie S. Pratch A key responsibility of the Board is to make sure you have the right CEO. …

By Leslie S. Pratch In last month’s column, I shared some of the benefits for non-executive chairmen of the board of having a better understanding of your CEO through a psychological assessment. (These can also be extraordinarily valuable when considering candidates in what I hope is the rare instance of…

By Leslie S. Pratch As a non-executive Board chair, choosing a CEO is an infrequent but immensely important moment. …

By Leslie S. Pratch To be great at being a non-executive Chairman of the Board, you need to know when and how to work with a CEO who will not always (or maybe ever) be pleased with the Board. …

By Leslie S. Pratch You can have a more successful company and a more rewarding time as its non-executive chairman with a better understanding of how your CEO’s mind works. You might even benefit from also gaining a better understanding of how your own mind works. In this column, I’ll…

By Leslie Pratch “When the context of work changes, the skills which are valued change, so some people shine while others fall flat on their face.” — Allon Shavet Some formerly “average-seeming” people shine in a crisis; some top performers crack under pressure or just under the change in circumstances…