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Ally Batty is associate director of marketing and communications at the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She has held a variety of writing and communications roles, including associate editor of the Chicago Booth Magazine and alumni editor of the University of Chicago Magazine. Previously, Batty served as an Ohio Legislative Service Commission fellow and a legislative aide to Rep. Denise Driehaus of the Ohio House of Representatives. Batty volunteers as a writing coach for Posse scholars through the Posse Foundation. She received her BA in English literature from Miami University of Ohio.

Ally Batty

June 2019 - TD Magazine

Learning to Lead Together

As senior manager for the Partnership for Public Service, Kevin Johnson II leads the strategy, development, and implementation of federal hiring solutions and services. Previously, he oversaw the strategic direction of a portfolio of leadership development programs at the Partnership for Public Service, as well as designed and facilitated sessions for a wide range of topics and federal audiences at all levels. Prior to joining the Partnership for Public Service, Johnson led all diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Battelle Memorial Institute and earned his entry into a public service career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana.

Kevin Johnson II

November 2025 - TD Magazine

Differentiate between emerging technologies that are just hype and those that can lead to business impact.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Bruce Batten is currently the Director of the Program Management Office for the CSC Enterprise Learning & Talent Development organization (NYSE: CSC). In this role, he is responsible for the Enterprise Learning & Talent Development budget, global vendor relationships and contracts, executive development, and top tier succession planning. Bruce partners with the CLO and the Global Learning Officer council of CSC, which is comprised of the Learning officers from all business units to identify and develop solutions to meet employee learning needs. Bruce served as the Chair of the ASTD Forum’s Advisory Group from 2008‐09.

Bruce Batten

Picture this: A leader spends half a day in assessment. They walk away with a thirty-page report packed with insights on their behavior, skills, and personality. They’re ready to apply it. Then...nothing. No follow-up. No plan.Meanwhile, the report gathers dust while the leadership gaps it uncovered persist. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Organizations are drowning in unused data.But the need for this data is clear. In a recent DDI webinar, 75 percent of L&D professionals said leaders lacked the ability to evaluate skills, and 52 percent said the absence of assessments led to poor talent decisions. These numbers highlight the urgency of moving beyond reports that sit on a shelf.Let’s look at three reasons why assessments fail—and what separates ineffective assessments from real transformation. Problem 1: The Assessment-to-Action Chasm “All Data, No Decisions”A high-potential leader completes a rigorous assessment that pinpoints exactly where they need to grow. But the results never make it past the debrief. No one builds a development plan, and the data sits in a folder—valuable, but unused.Here’s the core failure: treating assessment as the end goal instead of the starting point. It’s like asking employees for candid feedback and then ignoring it. The message is clear: You weren’t really listening. Without action, you’re worse off than before.Why does this happen? Assessment is often buried in talent acquisition or succession planning, making it harder to connect with L&D. The cost is high: disillusionment, disengagement, and leaders who learn to game the system.The fix is to bridge the chasm. Build action planning into your assessment process from day one. If you’re not ready to act, don’t assess.Problem 2: Inconsistent Implementation “The Rollout Roulette” In many organizations, assessment feels like a game of chance. Some leaders are evaluated during hiring, others for succession, and many complete their tenure without being assessed.Key capabilities like “strategic thinking” or “effective coaching” can mean different things without a consistent framework. One leader’s “coaching” might be weekly mentoring sessions, while another’s is quick feedback when something goes awry. With no shared definition, comparing results or target development is nearly impossible.Timing is another issue. Assessments might happen years apart or at random intervals, leaving leaders without timely feedback when it matters most.Inconsistency means no guardrails. Data might be repurposed in ways never intended. Results meant to guide growth are sometimes repurposed for high-stakes decisions like promotions—or even layoffs. When organizations weaponize assessment tools, leaders lose trust and disengage.The antidote is an assessment journey tied to leadership milestones. You create consistency and trust by aligning assessments to key transitions or performance management and defining exactly how the data will (and will not) be used.Problem 3: Leadership Buy-In Crisis “Doubt at the Top”Executives may champion assessments in theory, but if they skip their own, the damage is immediate. Skepticism cascades. If leaders don’t trust the process, neither will anyone else. Common symptoms of a lack of buy-in? Budget battles and a focus on participation over impact. Without executive support, assessment becomes a “nice to have” rather than business-critical. And when success is measured by how many assessments are completed—not how leaders are growing or driving results—the process loses value.Executive sponsorship isn’t optional. It’s the difference between transformation and expensive theater. When executives share their own assessment experiences or visibly support the process, it builds trust and boosts engagement.The Path Forward Each of these problems can be fixed with proven leadership assessment best practices.First, stop treating assessment as a one-time event—embed it into the leadership journey to support ongoing growth. Next, connect assessment directly to development resources and opportunities. Quick, relevant action builds momentum and engagement.Then, establish clear governance for consistency, trust, and protection against misuse. Define what will be measured, how often, and exactly how data will be used.Finally, before launching assessments, ask yourself: "What will we do with this data?" If you can answer, you’re prepared to act with alignment between your assessment goals, business strategy, and leader growth.Conclusion When assessment drives action, the payoff is worth it—leadership gaps close, performance improves, and your leadership bench grows stronger. When leaders see assessments lead to meaningful development, they trust and engage with the process. Now’s the time to examine your assessment strategy. Are you turning data into action? For practical ways to bridge the gap, watch the webinar.

Your Assessment Strategy Has a Fatal Flaw. Here’s How to Fix It. 

Uncertainty is no longer the exception in business; it’s the rule. Whether it’s economic shifts, technological disruption, or organizational change, managers are often tasked with keeping teams steady in the storm. Yet for many, uncertainty breeds one common response: resistance.When people feel a lack of control, their instinct is to push back, protect the status quo, or retreat into familiar patterns. While this resistance is human, it can quietly stall progress, erode morale, and make the road ahead feel even harder.The role of a great manager is to transform that resistance into resilience, helping teams adapt, refocus, and keep moving forward with confidence. In Lead In 30, we call this creating movement: the ability to identify the scripts, narratives, and barriers holding people back, and then shifting them into new patterns that drive progress.So how do you, as a manager, lead your team from resistance to resilience?Acknowledge the Uncertainty Out LoudThe worst thing a leader can do in uncertain times is ignore what everyone already feels. Silence breeds fear and speculation. Great managers instead lean into clarity, acknowledging the unknowns while providing a grounded picture of what is certain.You don’t need to have all the answers, but you do need to communicate consistently. Even saying, “Here’s what we know today, here’s what we don’t know yet, and here’s how we’ll keep moving forward” creates confidence. Clarity reduces noise and allows people to focus on what matters most.Reconnect the Team to PurposeWhen uncertainty rises, motivation often falls. Resistance can look like disengagement, blame, or simply slowing down. To counter this, managers must help the team reconnect to the why behind their work.This is where Team Key Results (TKRs) come in. Setting a few measurable, relevant priorities and showing how they connect to the organization’s mission gives your team something solid to rally around. Purpose is the antidote to paralysis.Shift the Script From Victim to OwnerChanging the narrative is one of the most powerful ways to build resilience. Instead of letting the team fall into "The Excuse Trap, “We can’t because…”, great managers ask, “What’s in our control, and how do we own it?”This is where alignment becomes essential. Invite the team into the process: What obstacles are we facing, and what shifts need to happen to keep moving forward? When people participate in writing the new script, they become invested in living it out. Ownership transforms resistance into resilience.Model Optimism and EnergyHuman energy is contagious. If a manager projects fear, exhaustion, or pessimism, the team will absorb it. However, when you choose optimism, even in uncertainty, you create a different kind of culture.At Lone Rock Leadership, we often say optimism is a choice. It doesn’t mean ignoring challenges, but deliberately focusing energy on solutions and what can be influenced. When leaders show up energized and optimistic, they recharge their team’s batteries, giving them the resilience to keep moving.Learn to Guide Through UncertaintyResistance is natural, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. With clarity, alignment, and movement, managers can guide their teams through uncertainty and emerge stronger, more adaptive, and more resilient.Uncertainty will always be part of leadership, but great leaders don’t just weather the storm; they help their teams grow through it.

From Resistance to Resilience: A Manager’s Guide to Navigating Uncertainty

If you’ve ever dismissed optimism as simply a “nice to have” personality trait, something you’re either born with or not, it’s time to rethink. In a world that’s moving faster and feeling more uncertain by the day, optimism is no longer optional for leaders. It’s a strategic leadership skill, and one that must be practiced intentionally.As we often say: great leaders aren’t born, they’re made. That applies just as much to mindset as it does to technical ability. The leaders who make the greatest impact on their teams, their cultures, and their results are those who choose optimism, especially when it’s not easy.Optimism Fuels Forward MovementIn Lead In 30, the third pillar of leadership is movement. This is the ability to identify and remove the obstacles (including limiting beliefs and negative narratives) that are keeping a team stuck. Optimism isn’t about ignoring problems; it’s about believing that progress is possible. It’s what gives leaders the energy to keep moving when the easy thing would be to stop, and what inspires teams to stay engaged when the path forward isn’t clear.In Power In 30, we compare human mindset to a cell phone battery: without being recharged, even the smartest leaders lose capacity. Optimism is the power source. It doesn’t eliminate challenges, but it fuels resilience, persistence, and creativity in facing them.It’s Not Naïve, It’s StrategicSkepticism may feel safer. It gives the illusion of realism. However, research consistently shows that optimistic leaders have higher performing teams, better employee engagement, and stronger cultures of accountability. Why? Because optimism drives clarity and alignment, two of the other core pillars we teach.A leader who communicates an optimistic vision creates clarity about what’s possible, not just what’s probable. That mindset shapes the team’s goals, efforts, and behaviors. In short, optimism sets the tone for what’s worth working toward.Alignment, in turn, is easier to create when people believe the future is worth aligning to. When a leader paints a vision of possibility and backs it up with thoughtful strategy and clear priorities, teams move faster, stay engaged longer, and overcome obstacles with more cohesion.The Excuse Trap vs. the Ownership MindsetThe opposite of optimism isn’t pessimism, it’s blame. When things go wrong, it’s tempting to explain it away: “Our team isn’t ready,” “The market’s too volatile,” “This company just doesn’t value innovation.” While those may feel true, they trap us in a cycle of excuses.We call that the Excuse Trap. Escaping it starts with a mindset shift: optimism is the gateway to ownership. When you choose to believe things can improve, you also choose to take responsibility for making them better. Optimistic leaders don’t pretend everything is perfect, they confront hard realities and still commit to moving forward.Optimism Is ContagiousLeadership is emotional energy management. How you show up determines how your team feels and how they perform. If you enter a room with stress and scarcity, your team mirrors that. But if you bring possibility and purpose, they rise to meet it. That’s why we say optimism is a leadership multiplier. It creates psychological safety, fosters innovation, and helps teams embrace change with courage rather than fear.How to Practice Optimism on PurposeOptimism doesn’t mean putting on a fake smile or ignoring hard truths. It means choosing your focus with intention. Here are a few ways to lead with optimism today:Reframe challenges:  Instead of “Why is this happening to us?” ask, “What’s the opportunity here?”Celebrate progress: Highlight even small wins to build momentum and morale.Set vision-driven TKRs: Link team goals to a bigger purpose. Let people see how their work contributes to something meaningful.Talk solutions, not just problems: Create space for dialogue around what can be done, not just what’s going wrong.Model recharge: Unplug, reset, and come back recharged. Leaders who never rest burn out their teams.Find the Power in OptimismLeadership isn’t about being the loudest voice or having all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions for belief—in the team, the mission, and the future. That belief starts with you. Optimism is a choice, and when leaders choose it consistently, it becomes a culture.

The Most Underrated Leadership Skill? Optimism

As the global economy continues to shift, CEOs face myriad challenges. Three key issues dominate their thoughts: attracting and retaining top talent, developing the next generation of leaders, and maintaining an engaged workforce. These interconnected issues highlight the need for a robust and future-forward leadership strategy. Let’s dive deeper into these concerns and explore actionable solutions, including strategies for uncovering untapped leadership potential within organizations.Attracting and Retaining Top TalentThe battle for talent has never been more competitive. Organizations are vying for skilled employees in a tight labor market. This need is complicated because workers seek purpose, flexibility, and growth opportunities in addition to competitive compensation.How to address this concern:Align Organizational Goals and Employee Values: When there is clear alignment between personal values and company mission, employees are more likely to stay engaged and committed. Leaders should articulate the "why" behind the organization's work and ensure it resonates.Leverage TKRs: Clear and measurable goals need to align across teams and foster clarity and motivation. TKRs help employees understand their contributions to broader company success.Plan for a Diverse Talent Pipeline: Companies with strong leadership pipelines show 22 percent more women leaders and 36 percent greater diversity in backgrounds. By intentionally cultivating a diverse bench, organizations can uncover hidden potential and create a stronger, more resilient team.Developing the Next Generation of LeadersSuccession planning and leadership development are critical, especially as leadership benches become leaner. 33 percent of HR respondents anticipate a growing need to develop internal talent. Many companies, however, struggle to identify potential leaders.How to address this concern:Surface Potential Earlier and More Broadly: Traditional markers of leadership potential often miss key talent, especially in hybrid and remote workforces. Utilizing digital assessments can help uncover high-potential employees who may otherwise go unnoticed.Create Dynamic Success Profiles: Defining key leadership competencies for critical roles—and revisiting them as organizational strategies evolve—ensures development programs stay relevant. Leaders cultivated with such dynamic profiles in mind are better prepared to step into new roles.Prioritize Virtual Leadership Skills: With the ubiquity of remote teams, companies must equip leaders with tools to identify and develop talent virtually. Such investment is especially critical for maintaining engagement and collaboration across dispersed teams.Maintaining an Engaged WorkforceEngagement fuels productivity, innovation, and retention, but only a fraction of employees feel truly connected to their work. For CEOs, this is a pressing concern that demands immediate attention.How to address this concern:Enhance Clarity Through Communication: Employees need to understand the purposes and goals of their work. Explaining the “why” behind decisions and tying them to long-term strategies fosters a shared sense of purpose.Foster a Culture of Recognition and Feedback: Employees who feel valued are more engaged. Regular feedback loops and recognition programs are essential for building strong culture.Build Psychological Safety: Employees perform best when they feel safe expressing ideas, taking risks, and admitting mistakes. Leaders should create an environment where collaboration thrives.Uncovering Hidden Leadership PotentialIn a tight labor market, organizations must rely on more than external hiring for leadership roles. Instead, they must look inward and develop existing talent.Key steps to surface internal leadership potential:Expand Leadership Scouting Efforts: Recognize that the greatest untapped leadership potential often resides in the lower ranks. Use unbiased assessments to identify high-potential employees across all levels.Diversify the Leadership Pipeline: Companies with diverse leadership pipelines see significant advantages in innovation and decision-making. Focus on recruiting and promoting from diverse candidate pools.Develop Virtual Capabilities: Strengthen leaders’ abilities to mentor and grow talent in virtual environments, ensuring they can connect with and cultivate potential in remote and hybrid teams.The Road AheadAttracting talent, developing leaders, and maintaining engagement are not isolated challenges; they are deeply interconnected. Lead in 30 provides a streamlined approach to leadership development by emphasizing clarity, alignment, and movement.By investing in tools and strategies that uncover hidden potential, foster engagement, and develop adaptive leadership skills, organizations can address pressing concerns and turn them into opportunities for long-term success.

What's Keeping CEO's Up at Night?

Small businesses play a vital role in fueling the US economy and strengthening national security. In both the commercial and government sectors, there is significant value in how a business activates its strategies—how they are implemented, how stakeholders own them, and how those affected experience them. An effective strategy activation approach can drive innovation and deliver critical services across any government agency. For decades, the Department of Defense (DoD) has relied on competitive solutions from commercial partners to effectively implement the National Defense Strategy. Small businesses that provide exceptional learning and development solutions for the world’s largest commercial organizations are well-positioned to fuel innovation for the DoD and will play an increasingly important role in developing effective training and education solutions that accelerate the capabilities of military personnel.Maintaining deep relationships with partners in life sciences, pharma, medical devices, and healthcare can catalyze any organization’s ability to quickly and effectively solve complex problems in critical environments, including operating rooms, emergency rooms, and battlefields. Small organizations, however, have a unique agility to align multidisciplinary teams of experts in program and project management, instructional design, e-learning development, visual design, learning management system (LMS) support, and communication to elevate DoD learning experiences—along with a real commitment to accommodations aligned with 508.One way that small organizations can fuel learning innovation in the federal sector is through securing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. The DoD’s SBIR program funds small businesses’ early-stage research and development projects that serve a DoD need and have commercial applications, empowering small businesses to explore technological innovation while providing the incentive to profit from its commercialization. At TiER1 Performance, a 300-plus employee-owned consulting firm with more than 20 years of experience helping government organizations address diverse challenges—from applied research in human performance, learning, and evaluation to military medicine—we’ve learned firsthand the impact of SBIR awards. Our 2017 SBIR award for the Missile Defense Agency allowed us to explore a game-based learning environment aimed at bridging the gap between missile defense schoolhouse training and high-fidelity simulated exercises. The gamified learning solution addressed learning effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for training warfighters by enabling learners to apply skills in simulated scenarios with a scoring algorithm that mapped their actions and decisions to contributing competencies and by reducing man-hours spent coordinating and delivering in-person training.Another way organizations—small and large—can fuel learning innovation in the federal sector is through cultivating long-term relationships with DoD subject matter experts and instructors and collaborating on development of interactive educational experiences and courseware. At TiER1, we have deep relationships and collaborate often with the DoD’s Humanitarian Demining Training Center and its Defense Security Cooperation University. When developing training and education solutions, it’s imperative to intentionally design how learners will experience them. To enhance learner engagement and knowledge retention, focus on creating realistic simulations that immerse DoD learners in practical, role-relevant scenarios. Assessment and evaluation are integral to all educational programs, especially those with no-fail missions. To ensure courses remain effective and are aligned with DoD competencies and objectives, architect comprehensive feedback mechanisms, including end-of-course surveys and in-depth evaluations. The courses we design in collaboration with DoD faculty undergo rigorous evaluation and are accredited by the American Council on Education. To ensure uninterrupted access to course materials for DoD staff and students, we provide mission-critical LMS support through Blackboard and Cornerstone OnDemand.As the backbone of the US economy, small businesses will continue to strengthen our national security. Organizations that can apply commercial innovation and success to the government sector will continue to be well-positioned for government collaborations and essential to our military’s success. TiER1’s commitment to leveraging commercial expertise to enhance defense education exemplifies the vital role small businesses play in driving forward national security initiatives.

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