Latest news with #LHH
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
It's Time to Cut the Chaos and Let Leaders Truly Lead
Leadership is broken. The issue isn't with the leaders themselves, but with the expectations we've built around them. We hand them a job description that reads like a superhero origin story, then shackle them with process, politics, and unrealistic expectations. We ask them to lead with courage – but speak with caution. We demand agility – but bury them in red tape. We want decisive action – but require consensus or a committee for every move. We ask that they hit their numbers – but don't push your team too hard. In short: leaders are handcuffed – and it's costing us more than we realize. I once led a strategy workshop for a group of Fortune 500 manufacturing executives. The goal? To ignite true strategic transformation from the inside out. Their planning process had grown stale – short-sighted, ineffective, and void of bold vision. As a futurist, my role was to provoke fresh insight and decisive action. I introduced them to my Kill the Company exercise, where leaders are asked to think like their fiercest competitors and brainstorm how they would put their own company out of business. The goal is to expose vulnerabilities and name what's broken – out loud – so we can fix it. It's an exercise designed to stop politics and performance and address real issues head-on. At first, the group hesitated. Their culture wasn't built for this kind of raw honesty. But once they realized they had permission to speak freely, everything changed. What was scheduled as a two-hour exercise turned into the day's entire agenda. Why? Because they'd never been invited - let alone encouraged - to be this direct. To name the real problems, unshackled by politics or fear. As one executive told me afterward, excited by what had been accomplished: 'It's not that we don't know what to do. It's that we're afraid to do it.' A System on the Brink Teams are exhausted, but so are leaders. Let's talk about the reality many leaders face: An LHH survey of over 2,600 global executives found that 56% of leaders experienced burnout in 2024, and 43% of companies lost at least half of their leadership teams within the past year as a result. In DDI's 2025 Global Leadership Forecast, 40% of stressed leaders say they've considered leaving leadership to preserve their well‑being—underscoring a risk of talent pipeline breakdowns from burnout-led departures. And it's no wonder. Leaders today are expected to be: All while navigating: Who would want that job? From Change to Chaos Here's the shift no one wants to say out loud: we're not just navigating change anymore—we're managing chaos. As McKinsey notes in The State of Organizations 2023, 'volatility is a feature, not a bug, in today's organizations,' with just half of surveyed leaders believing their organization is prepared to respond to future shocks. Instead of driving proactive change, leaders feel stuck in cycles of reaction, burnout, and reactivity. The more complexity we add, the more brittle our organizations become. The result? Leaders are forced into a whack-a-mole approach to daily work, trying to tamp down issues and mitigate constant surprises. After a recent keynote I gave at a healthcare company on leading through change, a VP of Strategy commented: 'We used to manage change. Now we survive it.' Employees are looking to leaders for clarity. Yet what they're often met with is scripted corporate-speak that says everything, and means nothing; messages so heavily polished by corporate communications that they're stripped of substance entirely. Because behind every all-hands address is a mental loop that sounds like this: Be bold—but not too bold. Be clear—but avoid controversy. Lead change—without leaving anyone behind. Drive innovation—but don't risk mistakes. Be human—but also superhuman. It's leadership in a straitjacket. And it's killing momentum, trust, and morale. The Cost of Complexity and Chaos Complexity and constant change are both expensive and destructive. Consider the impact: Meanwhile, simple, focused leadership yields extraordinary results. Research from the Simplicity Index by Siegel+Gale shows that since 2009, the brands and organizations that simplify outperform their peers on the major indexes by 1600% in the stock market. Why? Because simplicity and clarity drive speed, trust, and customer loyalty. And that just makes business sense. Case in Point: Project Raindrop at AT&T AT&T launched an internal initiative called Project Raindrop to crowdsource simplification ideas from employees. The results were staggering. Teams cut time-to-completion on key tasks by up to 80%, reduced internal email clutter, and saved nearly 3.6 million work hours annually – equivalent to $230 million in reclaimed value. What made it work? Leaders listened. They empowered employees to call out unnecessary rules. Simplification and clarity became a leadership act – not an administrative task. We Need a Better Way to Lead. Leadership today isn't simply a skill problem. It's a system problem. This won't be solved by the typical solution: executive coaching. We need a culture shift that gives leaders permission to lead clearly, decisively, and unapologetically – with clarity over complexity, purpose over politics, and action over appearance. Here's how we begin to fit it. Not with more talk, but with three bold shifts leaders can make right now: 'Clarity is kindness. Ambiguity breeds confusion and chaos.' — Brené Brown Forget motivational posters. People are tired of word salads that sound good but say nothing. They're exhausted from jargon and unclear direction. The bravest thing a leader can do right now is say what needs to be said – with specificity, honesty, and focus. That means setting goals that are bold and achievable. It means saying 'no' to distractions. It means being direct about expectations, implications, responsibilities and performance – kindly, but without compromise. Years ago at Merck Canada, internal communications were flooded with email overload. Their solution? One simple rule: any email that didn't require a reply had to begin with 'NNTR' (No Need to Respond). Within months, internal email traffic dropped, and productivity and satisfaction improved. Simplification saves money, time, and energy because it lets you operate with clarity. But more than that – it restores sanity. It gives teams room to think, act, and breathe. We need leaders to continually challenge the status quo and eliminate what's not working to make space for what does. If we want speed, subtraction must be as important as addition. Simplifying lets us not just do less – but do what matters most. 'The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.' — Michael Porter Boundaries are not barriers — they are guardrails that free people to focus. Clear boundaries around meetings, scope, expectations, and communication protect our time, energy, and attention. They empower us to say yes with intention and no with purpose. While clarity tells people where we're going and why it matters, boundaries define how we get there together—safely, sanely, and with focus. That means establishing limits on time, scope, and energy to enable bold, clear action. In early 2023, Shopify made headlines by deleting 76,500 hours of meetings from employee calendars. They initiated a 'calendar purge,' canceling all recurring meetings with more than two people—requiring teams to rejustify them from scratch. This was a bold boundary: you can't take people's time without good reason. It's time to put guardrails back in place. Without boundaries around priorities, decisions, and timelines, we risk operating in chaos and fear instead of clarity and confidence. The Time Is Now We're standing at a crossroads. We can either continue to drown in chaos, clinging to outdated ideals of what leadership should be, or we can choose a better path. Let leaders lead. Give them space to think. Give them tools to simplify. Give them the trust to speak plainly, set clear boundaries, and challenge the clutter. Let's reclaim leadership now.
Miami Herald
23-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
LHH Joins the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association to Advance the Evolution of RPO and Workforce Transformation
By joining the RPOA community of leaders, LHH is taking a leading and active role in shaping the future of RPO and establishing the practice as a strategic engine for organizational agility. NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 23, 2025 / LHH, a global integrated professional talent solutions provider and global business unit of the Adecco Group, today announced its Gold Membership with the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA). This move underscores LHH's commitment to advancing the RPO industry and marks a significant step in LHH's strategic expansion within the RPO sector, with its full offering centralized by The Adecco Group under LHH earlier this year. "Now that our RPO offering is fully integrated as LHH RPO, our partnership with RPOA is critical to ensure we are actively guiding the strategic evolution and new standard of RPO globally," shared Serge Shine, Global Head of LHH RPO. "LHH is the only provider that combines flexible RPO solutions with development and career transition services, helping organizations solve talent challenges holistically. We help organizations think bigger than just filling jobs. By connecting hiring to their larger talent priorities, we make every recruitment decision count. This comprehensive approach empowers our clients to hire smarter and pivot faster." "That's not the only thing that sets LHH RPO apart." Adds Alex Ridder, LHH RPO Head of Client Partnerships: "Talent acquisition isn't happening in isolation anymore, that's why we designed LHH's RPO offering to be highly adaptable. Whether it's scaling recruitment quickly in competitive markets, integrating new hiring tech without disrupting teams, or building talent pipelines for hard-to-fill roles, we help people make work meaningful while helping to tackle the tough challenges together. Our approach combines innovation and human centricity, with exceptional care, to deliver results that matter." With 400+ experts across five continents, LHH RPO works with clients across various industries to develop and optimize their RPO strategies through a comprehensive and flexible suite of RPO solutions, backed by global reach and local knowledge, to help drive cost efficiency and transform organizations across the entire talent lifecycle. Earlier this year, LHH RPO was named a 'Major Contender' in Everest Group's 2025 PEAK Matrix® for Global RPO Services, a milestone moment and a reflection of the impact LHH brings in rethinking talent solutions. "LHH joining the RPOA network supports our mission of fostering a collaborative community where RPO leaders can gather and share knowledge, transforming the future of the workforce collectively," said Lamees Abourahma, RPOA CEO. "LHH RPO provides value to our members addressing the challenges and needs of the RPO ecosystem with unique perspectives." She added, "We're thrilled to recognize and support LHH's RPO integration and market expansion and look forward to welcoming their experts to engage, learn and contribute to the evolution of the RPO industry. This is what the RPOA is all about, empowering leaders and advancing the profession." For more information on LHH RPO's offerings, visit LHH's Guide to Recruitment Process Outsourcing or contact LHH RPO. ### About LHH LHH empowers professionals and organizations to achieve bold ambitions and secure lasting impact through unique advisory services and professional talent solutions. LHH's full suite of offerings connects solutions that are traditionally siloed, making LHH a single talent partner for organizations. In a rapidly evolving landscape with complex challenges, we create value across the entire professional talent journey. From hiring great people, developing skills and nurturing leaders, to advancing individuals to the next stage of their careers, LHH makes talent a competitive edge. We believe the future of work lies at the intersection of exceptional human care and innovation. Powered by science, technology, and proprietary data analytics, LHH's approach is crafted to align with business strategies and cultures, delivering powerful, sustainable, and measurable impact. LHH has a team of over 12,000 professionals, across 60+ countries, and more than 50 years of experience. As part of the Adecco Group, we bring together global excellence, local knowledge and centralized coordination for thousands of companies and millions of people worldwide. Recruitment. Development. Career A beautiful working world. To learn more about LHH, visit: About RPOA The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) is a member-driven, mission-driven organization committed to advancing, elevating, and promoting recruitment process outsourcing as a strategic talent solution. We strive to nurture a collaborative community, create thought leadership, and educate the marketplace about recruitment process outsourcing. Learn more at Media ContactsLHH Public RelationsPR@ RPOALamees Abourahma, CEOlamees@ The Adecco Group's RPO business was consolidated under LHH in January 2025. SOURCE: LHH
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cardi B Blasts Hazel-E After Being Accused Of 'Sleeping Her Way' To The Top
Cardi B is clearing the air over explosive allegations made by Love & Hip Hop's Hazel E about her successful rap career. Hazel recently sat down with the Shirley's Temple podcast, where she claimed that the Bronx star made it to the top by 'sleeping around' — Cardi, however, set the record straight. 'Keep my name out your f**king mouth,' the 'Jealousy' spitter warned. 'Name one rapper or exec I f**cked to get where I'm at. The only man I've been with in this industry, I married.' She went on to call Hazel 'a weirdo' and 'a miserable a** bi**h,' responding to past claims that she copied Hazel's child's birthday party idea. 'You're evil and weird. You hate on people you've never met. I can only imagine how you treat the ones close to you,' Cardi added. In the lengthy message, Cardi also clarified that she was 'handpicked' by LHH producer Mona Scott-Young to come onto the show, after already creating a name for herself in New York City. 'I got picked by Mona Scott herself to be on love and hip hop not my pu**y …' the message read. Cardi B then proceeded to call Hazel a 'fan.' Read below. Not quite done yet, Hazel followed up with more messages, accusing Cardi of being 'the downfall of yet another man,' referencing her new relationship with NFL star Stefon Diggs, and recent yacht-party footage that shows him pulling out alleged pink cocaine. Cardi nor Stefon has spoken on the circulating footage. The back-and-forth between the two women came after Hazel spoke on how women who don't 'play industry games' — to boost their music career — often get overlooked. Using Cardi's career as an example, Hazel claimed that she 'played them games' to 'get on' in the rap game. Hazel also said that because Cardi allegedly 'slept her way to the top' now she's not making music anymore. See below. More from Cardi B Wishes Death On Offset After His Request For Spousal Support Offset Reportedly Seeking Spousal Support From Cardi B Amid Divorce Cardi B And Stefon Diggs Have PDA-Filled Courtside Date At Knicks Vs. Celtics Game
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adecco Group AG (AHEXF) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges with Strategic ...
Revenue: EUR5.6 billion, 2% lower year on year on an organic trading days adjusted basis, 3% higher sequentially. Gross Margin: 19.4%, 40 basis points lower year on year. EBITA: EUR132 million, margin of 2.4%, 40 basis points lower year on year. Adjusted EPS: $0.48, 20% lower year on year. Cash Flow from Operating Activities: Minus EUR144 million. Cash Conversion Ratio: 105%. Net Debt: EUR2.7 billion. Net Debt to EBITDA Ratio: 3.2 times. Adecco Revenues: EUR4.4 billion, 1% lower year on year, 3% higher sequentially. Adecco EBITA Margin: 3.1%, up 10 basis points year on year. Adecco Americas Revenues: 4% higher, with North America 2% lower and Latin America 14% higher. Adecco APAC Revenues: Up 11%. Akkodis Revenues: 8% lower year on year. LHH Revenues: 5% lower year on year. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with AHEXF. Release Date: May 08, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Adecco Group AG (AHEXF) gained further market share with solid margin performance, outperforming key competitors by 130 basis points. The company saw a return to growth in the Adecco US segment, with revenues improving sequentially. Adecco Group AG (AHEXF) is adopting AI solutions to accelerate growth, including pre-screening agents in the UK and new AI capabilities in Germany. The company's cash conversion ratio was strong at 105%, indicating efficient cash management. Adecco Group AG (AHEXF) has a robust financial structure with strong liquidity resources, including an undrawn EUR750 million revolving credit facility. Revenues were EUR5.6 billion, 2% lower year on year on an organic trading days adjusted basis. Adjusted EPS was $0.48, 20% lower year on year, mainly due to lower business income. Cash flow from operating activities was negative at minus EUR144 million. The EBITA margin, excluding one-offs, was 2.4%, 40 basis points lower year on year. Akkodis Germany faced significant pressure, with revenues 15% lower due to weaker demand in the automotive sector. Q: Can you provide more color on the trends by different GBUs and whether Adecco has reached a break-even on growth potential in Q2? A: Coram Williams, CFO: The chart shows modest positive momentum through Q1, continuing into Q2. This is broad-based across major territories, with North America returning to growth. We are close to break-even on volumes, indicating positive momentum. Other business volumes vary, with career transition showing good momentum, while permanent placements face pressure. Q: How is the defense sector impacting Adecco, and what is the outlook? A: Denis Machuel, CEO: Defense represents about 5% of group revenue, mainly in Akkodis. We expect momentum, especially in Germany, once stimulus packages are underway. We've renewed framework agreements in France and secured a significant contract in Japan. Our expertise in autos is transferable to defense, promising future growth. Q: How do you plan to recover Akkodis Germany and what are the competitive dynamics? A: Denis Machuel, CEO: Akkodis Germany faces challenges due to high exposure to the auto sector. We are executing a turnaround plan involving business disposals, restructuring, real estate optimization, and offshoring. We aim for profitable exit rates by year-end, leveraging our strong client relationships and diversifying into promising sectors like defense. Q: Can you elaborate on the restructuring in Germany and the expected one-off costs? A: Coram Williams, CFO: The exit rate in Germany was consistent through Q1, with challenges persisting. We've increased our one-off cost expectations to EUR50 million for the year, reflecting German restructuring costs. We maintain discipline in managing one-offs, ensuring accountability for decisions impacting the P&L. Q: How is the restructuring in France progressing and what cost savings are expected? A: Denis Machuel, CEO: The restructuring in France is mostly complete, with ongoing adjustments to market dynamics. We are improving performance relative to the market and expect to surpass market growth as the year progresses. A new leader in France is focusing on efficiency, digitization, and securing large contracts. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
