Success at the executive level isn’t just about skills or experience—it’s about alignment, trust, and influence. Research shows that nearly 40% of executives fail within the first 18 months—often due to misalignment with company culture, unclear expectations, or lack of support.

Great leaders don’t just manage teams—they inspire them. They know how to drive change, rally people around a vision, and make a lasting impact. But finding these leaders isn’t easy. For CHROs and executive teams, the real challenge is recognizing the kind of leadership that truly moves the needle.

In the business world, a unicorn is a rare, multi-talented executive who can operate as a “utility player” to deliver against competing demands. Unicorns adapt to challenges with finesse, they lead teams to deliver beyond their job descriptions, and they bring extraordinary value to a company.

If you’re a CHRO, you know the stakes of getting company culture right. It’s not just about attracting talent—it’s about keeping them engaged, inspiring them to innovate, and empowering them to bring their best selves to work every day.

During these challenging times, it is even more crucial for employers to find and recruit unicorns to lead their businesses in new directions.

An industry colleague who I admire and respect for his intelligence and eloquence recently shared this article. It captures some of the most salient points about how to be a motivating and inspiring manager. Bottom line is trust your team members to handle what you ask of them, and just know that you will get back the level of quality that you initially provide.

A recent article from Harvard Business Review addresses a point that we all need to realize: when you broaden a discussion to include women, the perspectives will broaden as well.

Tammy Jersey - executive search expert and well-known ‘unicorn hunter’ - shares with us how she finds ‘corporate unicorns’. They are highly sought after for their unique superpowers, and hence, they are difficult to obtain! Tammy and her team know how to reel these marvels in.

Despite the COVID-related layoffs plaguing the U.S., some of you may have witnessed what’s happening on the other end of the spectrum: companies are hiring! Our firm just completed 4 searches since January – two CEO searches, one CHRO and one for a brand experience leader – all for companies that are in high growth stages.

In these unprecedented times, one of the critical things we need to realize is that people are our most critical assets.

Prior to the chaos of COVID-19, our clients would typically say: "This new hire must be based in our headquarters city, 5 days a week”, as a condition for their hiring. This requirement has changed overnight. Now, with virtual leadership being the new normal, the knowledge and foresight for how to guide this new way of operating is critical.

This is fantastic advice! And it works!! Try it if you are willing to appear vulnerable to your team.

As an executive recruiter, I ‘know it when I see it’ — my sixth sense always guides me when I meet the right candidate with the perfect combination of qualities.

I'm so excited to learn that the global efforts to amplify women leaders are bearing fruit. More of a reason to continue the cause.

The most productive coaches provide strategies for their clients to excel, by smartly leveraging their soft skills, without the need for the coach's ongoing guidance. Engaging the boss as a trusted partner can often ensure this continued success, as long as there is enough trust between client and boss. Ben’s article captures the importance of a boss’ partnership in his article. Well said Ben!

I came across some research done by Columbia Business School on the challenges that CEOs face in building and maintaining their company’s cultures. The challenges they identified capture the essence of the work I do with management teams to assess and help them improve their company cultures. Evidently, culture DOES have a direct impact on company value. 

When making a hire, the best way to attract a fantastic candidate is to show them that you care about their goals and interests and that these are just as important as what you, the Company, want and need. It’s up to you to help them see why this could be a perfect match. When the selling happens on both sides, the fit becomes obvious and the hire will last longer. Hiring is a two-way street.

3 simple tricks that top interviewers use to make great hires.