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Explore practical insights and leadership perspectives from BES on talent strategy, organizational performance, and future-ready teams.

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Leadership/Melissa Sumnauth
The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership
Names are not just labels; they are powerful reflections of identity, culture, and history. In this article, Melissa Sumnauth explores the significance of correct name pronunciation in leadership and organizational culture. Drawing on her experience in executive coaching, executive search, facilitation, and people & culture she illustrates how mispronunciation can function as a microaggression and a barrier to inclusion, while intentional effort to say names correctly fosters dignity, belonging, and trust. With practical tools and a call to action for leaders, this article reframes name pronunciation as a vital practice in advancing equity and respectful engagement.
Read The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership
Industry Trends/Urmilla Mahabirsingh
From Rigid Rules to Real Strategy: A Diasporic Perspective on Hybrid Work
What if hybrid work isn’t just a logistical issue—but a lens into how inclusion, trust, and leadership really function? Drawing on new research and her own diasporic perspective as a Caribbean-born woman of Indian heritage working in North America, Urmilla Mahabirsingh maintains that hybrid strategy is about far more than presence—it’s about purpose. This article explores how organizations can move beyond mandates and proximity bias to build hybrid models that reflect how people truly live, work, and thrive.
Read From Rigid Rules to Real Strategy: A Diasporic Perspective on Hybrid Work
Future of Work/Helen Mekonen
Generalist vs. Specialist: Rethinking How We Define Expertise in a Hybrid World
In this piece, Helen Mekonen challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that generalists—not specialists—are becoming the most critical leaders in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. As AI, hybrid models, and cross-sector complexity reshape how value is created, organizations need leaders who can apply knowledge across unfamiliar contexts, connect disparate ideas, and lead without a script. While deep expertise still matters in specific high-risk settings, Helen shows that it’s the generalist—adaptive, integrative, and systems-minded—who increasingly drives innovation, collaboration, and enterprise-wide momentum.
Read Generalist vs. Specialist: Rethinking How We Define Expertise in a Hybrid World
EDIA/Jason Murray
A Defence of EDIA: Speaking Points for Advocates Looking to Defend the Work
As public discourse grows more polarized and organizations face pressure to retreat from equity commitments, leaders must be prepared to speak clearly and practically about the value of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA). This article offers a strategic reframing of EDIA—not as a moral obligation, but as an essential operating discipline. It provides decision-makers with language to defend the work, insights to ground it in daily practice, and a reminder that EDIA, when done well, is not only ethically sound—it is operationally wise.
Read A Defence of EDIA: Speaking Points for Advocates Looking to Defend the Work

Thought Leadership Videos

Watch recent thought leadership videos on inclusive leadership, workplace culture, and transformation.

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Why Being Liked Can Hold You Back

As leaders move into executive roles, being well-liked is not always what moves them forward. In this short, Jason Murray reflects on

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The Invisible Line Between Senior Leader and Executive

When moving into executive roles, how you communicate matters as much as what you’ve done. In this short, Jason Murray breaks down what executive-level

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Why High Performers Stall Below Executive Level

In this short, Jason Murray explores why strong leaders get held at that threshold and what hiring committees are actually looking for beyond performance, including signals of trust, judgment, and peer-level presence.

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What Executive Presence Actually Is

In this short, Jason Murray breaks down why hiring committees look for calm, clarity, and restraint, and how presence often comes through in what you don’t say.

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The Interview Mistake Strong Leaders Make

When interviewing for executive roles, strong delivery is expected—so it’s no longer what sets you apart. In this short, Jason Murray shares a common mistake leaders make: answering like high performers instead of future peers.

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Why Confidence Stops Working at Executive Level

When interviewing for jobs at the executive level, confidence is expected—and so it’s no longer a differentiator. In this short, Jason Murray shares tips on what executive hiring committees are listening out for, which includes evidence of sound judgment and being able to navigate ambiguity.

Sustainability/Stephanie La

Green AI: The Role of AI in Sustainability

Green AI emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with environmental responsibility, addressing the significant environmental and ethical challenges posed by AI development, such as high carbon emissions, energy consumption, and data privacy concerns. While AI offers transformative benefits, including climate change prediction, pollution monitoring, and public health insights, its rapid advancement often prioritizes speed over sustainability. By adopting Green AI practices—such as energy-efficient algorithms, renewable energy sources, and sustainable development goals—organizations can reduce their environmental impact, align with sustainability objectives, and foster long-term growth while contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.

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Leadership/Melissa Sumnauth

The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership

Names are not just labels; they are powerful reflections of identity, culture, and history. In this article, Melissa Sumnauth explores the significance of correct name pronunciation in leadership and organizational culture. Drawing on her experience in executive coaching, executive search, facilitation, and people & culture she illustrates how mispronunciation can function as a microaggression and a barrier to inclusion, while intentional effort to say names correctly fosters dignity, belonging, and trust. With practical tools and a call to action for leaders, this article reframes name pronunciation as a vital practice in advancing equity and respectful engagement.

Learn more

BES Insights page 3 of 3

All Posts

The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership

From Rigid Rules to Real Strategy: A Diasporic Perspective on Hybrid Work

Generalist vs. Specialist: Rethinking How We Define Expertise in a Hybrid World

A Defence of EDIA: Speaking Points for Advocates Looking to Defend the Work

Thought Leadership Videos

Why Being Liked Can Hold You Back

The Invisible Line Between Senior Leader and Executive

Why High Performers Stall Below Executive Level

What Executive Presence Actually Is

The Interview Mistake Strong Leaders Make

Why Confidence Stops Working at Executive Level

Green AI: The Role of AI in Sustainability

The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership