Leadership Growth: From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

In an era of unprecedented business complexity, how do leaders position themselves for C-suite success while building resilient organizations? Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq and co-author of the new book CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job and Keep the Job, joined us to discuss leading effectively through uncertainty, provide best practices for building high-impact leadership teams and explore succession planning strategies that work for organizations of any size. This session is for anyone looking to advance their career or strengthen their leadership effectiveness in today’s dynamic business environment. 

This program is presented as part of the Travelers Institute’s Forces at Work initiative, an educational platform to help today’s leaders navigate the shifting dynamics of the modern workplace and prioritize employees and their well-being.

 
Byron Loflin shared insights from his book, CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job and Keep the Job.

Please note: Due to the nature of the replays, survey and chat features mentioned in the webinar recordings below are no longer active.

Summary

What did we learn? Here are the top takeaways from Leadership Growth: From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be:

Great leadership requires sound judgment, humility and learning agility. In a world shaped by technology disruption and political uncertainty, leaders are valued for their ability to make strong decisions amid ambiguity, Loflin said. A defining trait is humility paired with high learning velocity. “This involves a thirst to learn quickly, understanding what you don’t know and bringing others together to deliver for stakeholders,” he explained.

Trust, empathy and transparency are now core performance drivers. AI and digital acceleration mean leadership behavior is more visible than ever. Stakeholders expect openness, credible accountability and authentic care for people, Loflin stressed. “Humility isn’t timidity; it’s a strength,” he said. It builds trust, strengthens culture and ultimately supports long-term performance and shareholder value.

Resilient organizations are built through clear operating systems. Strong leaders create repeatable success by establishing clear expectations, values and psychological safety, Loflin explained. They invest in decision rights, governance and accountability structures so teams perform consistently in both stable and stressful periods. “This is important whether you’re running one of the largest companies in the world or you’re running a small restaurant,” he said. Resilience functions like a muscle – it strengthens through disciplined practice.

Boards are expected to be more active, curious and risk aware. “The role of the board has changed in that it’s intensified,” said Loflin. Financial literacy remains essential, but directors must also understand strategy, talent, enterprise risk, culture and innovation. Effective boards demonstrate a duty of curiosity by engaging with management, visiting sites and looking around corners to anticipate emerging threats, he explained.

Succession planning should be continuous, not reactive. Preparing future leadership is an ongoing responsibility. Boards and executives should think in three- to five-year horizons, maintain internal and external candidate pipelines and avoid surprise, Loflin stressed. Leaders at every level are reminded: You are the CEO of your own career. Earning any leadership role means demonstrating readiness, self-awareness and stakeholder understanding every day.

Speaker

 
Byron Loflin
Global Head of Board Advisory and Founder, Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence; Author of CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job and Keep the Job

Host

Joan Woodward
President, Travelers Institute; Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Travelers