Erica Keswin

When Kristin Cullen-Lester and I began curating contributors for The Social Capital Imperative, commissioned by Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) we set out to bring together leading voices who have shaped how we understand leadership as a dynamic and networked process. That’s why we were thrilled when Dorothy Carter joined Caton Weinberger and Laura Bauer to co-author the chapter, “The Role of Networks in Leadership Effectiveness.” Dorothy is an Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology at Michigan State University and the Faculty Director of the Leadership, Innovation, Networks, and Collaboration (LINC) Laboratory. Her research seeks to uncover the factors that enable teams and larger collectives to tackle complex challenges. She has been published in top journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, The Leadership Quarterly, and Journal of Management, and her work has been supported by National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In their chapter, Dorothy, Caton, and Laura explore leadership through a social network lens, emphasizing that leadership emerges through relationships and is influenced by the structure of those relationships. While research supports the value of this approach, practical guidance for managers has been limited. The chapter addresses this gap by offering actionable insights for how managers can understand, build, and use networks effectively, and outlines directions for future research. Kristin and I are deeply grateful to Dorothy and the fifty thought-leading contributors for bringing their expertise and real-world leadership lens to this book. Her work not only advances the science of leadership but provides practical guidance for anyone seeking to lead more effectively through connection. Cécile Emery, Ph.D., Dan Halgin, Flavia Zexi Li, Scott Hines, PhD, Nicolas Petit, Michelle Mahdon, Alexandra Gerbasi, Cody Martin, SPHR, Michael Hoffman, Ph.D., Clint Kofford, Caitlin Porter, Ashley Pearson, Donna Chrobot-Mason, Ali O'Malley, PhD, PCC, Pat Downes, Phil Willburn, Curtis Hampton, Andras Vicsek, Travis Grosser, Michael Arena, Cynthia Maupin, Semin Park, Victor Bilgen, Chris Gideon, Neha Shah, Lauren Blackwell Landon, Ph.D., SPHR, Andrew Parker, Julia Brennecke, Katelyn Cavanaugh, Eric Middleton, Ph.D., Matt Berkheiser, DrPh, CIH, CSP, CEM, James Vardaman, Feigu Zhou, Hemerson Paes

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AUSLAND #1 - Clip 1: “Disagreeing Well – A Hard Lesson in Family Business Leadership” 🚀 I’m thrilled to launch AUSLAND – Leaders Beyond Borders, my new YouTube video podcast exploring the triumphs and trials of international executives. 🎙️ In this inaugural episode, I sit down with Dr. Maren Celine Schweizer, CEO of Schweizer World Group and sixth-generation leader of a 175-year-old German family business. Maren’s journey is anything but ordinary—she earned her pilot’s license, launched her first aviation startup, turned around a multinational in France, and steered her family business through fires, financial crises, and global expansion. Now based in Singapore, she manages a portfolio of 34 companies across Europe and Asia, spanning listed industrial firms, digital health, and fintech startups. 🎧 In this first featured clip, Maren reflects on one of her hardest-earned leadership lessons: “Overconfidence kills strategy. And in family businesses, you must learn to disagree well.” She opens up about navigating stakeholder tensions, sibling rivalry, and the scars of childhood dynamics—offering rare insight into the emotional realities of running a family business. 👇 Watch the 2-minute clip below 📺 And click here to view the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dV3H5pir #AUSLANDPodcast #Leadership #FamilyBusiness #CrossCulturalLeadership #MarenSchweizer #ExecutiveInsights #BusinessPodcast #MichaelMaeder

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Many of you have seen me share my passion for young entrepreneurs. Today, I am proud to share a new thought paper that explores the business case for founder development in today’s fast-moving innovation economy. Drawing from industry insights, including the #2025StateOfBlackVentureReport, this paper examines why we need an approach that increases the emphasis on founder development as a key determinant of startup outcomes. The future of venture capital is not just about finding unicorns - it is about building them. Through Path Forward Consulting  FLAME initiative (Founders Leading Advancement in Modern Entrepreneurship), we’re building the infrastructure to support founders- especially those underestimated by traditional capital systems- through targeted development, support, and strategic alignment with investors. Read the thought paper to gain a new perspective on what it means to truly invest in entrepreneurs: The Founder Is the Algorithm Thought Paper #FLAME #FounderDevelopment #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #StartupGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment 

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I recently interviewed Lisa Gelobter, founder and CEO of tEQuitable, on the SHRM AI+HI Project podcast. Lisa's insights into designing AI systems with equity at their core are truly transformative for the future of inclusive workplaces. Lisa reveals how organizations can break through systemic biases and create AI that works for everyone through strategic, inclusive design: ▪️ Understanding the critical importance of equity-centered AI development ▪️ Ensuring communities aren't left on the outside of technological advancement ▪️ Implementing fairness and representation principles in AI systems ▪️ Addressing systemic biases to foster truly inclusive workplace cultures As she powerfully states: "It's about thinking expansively, ensuring that communities aren't left on the outside." Follow Lisa. Read everything she publishes. Click the link in the comment section to listen to the podcast episode and discover how to design AI systems that prioritize fairness, inclusivity, and meaningful change for your organization. #AI #InclusiveWorkplace #Equity #Bias #FutureOfWork #AIEthics #Inclusion #WorkplaceCulture

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PLEASE STOP CHASING THE UNIVERSAL DEI BUSINESS CASE For years, many inclusion leaders have been searching for the holy grail—a universal DEI business case or the perfect dashboard that works for every company. The truth? Those searches are wild goose chases. Why? Because no two organizations are the same. Their goals, markets, challenges, and opportunities differ. A “one-size-fits-all” case or dashboard can’t capture the unique levers that matter most to your business leaders. It’s also the reason all those so-called best and next practices HR is so fond of don’t produce any results beyond window-dressing in your company. Here’s the real path forward: Instead of chasing magical solutions, inclusion leaders must focus on the specific needs of their organizations. Build initiatives that directly support profit growth, market expansion, cost savings, or risk reduction—and then measure outcomes in those terms. That’s how you build credibility, win leadership support, and secure investment. And here’s the bonus: when DEI is designed to solve business challenges, it doesn’t just drive financial results. It also produces powerful social good as a byproduct—better opportunities, greater equity, and stronger communities. In this week’s issue of The Bizclusionist Weekly, we dive deeper into how to shift from generic “business cases” to creating business-specific ones—and how to measure results in ways that leaders can’t ignore. 👉 Follow this link and read the full article on Substack https://lnkd.in/ezzhF4Zw #Leadership #Strategy #Growth #Impact #DEI #Inclusion #CDOPowerCircle

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Learning, Leading, and Elevating Executive Talent I recently had the privilege of joining SHRM’s #HonestHR Podcast, hosted by the insightful Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP. We explored a topic that is deeply close to my heart: executive recruiting and leadership development. During our conversation, I shared my belief that executive recruiting is fundamentally different from other levels of hiring — it’s not only about finding someone with the right experience on paper but about identifying a leader who can shape the organization’s direction, strengthen culture, and inspire people to achieve their best. We also discussed how critical it is for HR to take an active leadership role in the executive search process. While I deeply value the expertise that external executive search partners bring, I emphasized that HR should serve as the primary steward of the relationship between the organization and the search professional. By doing so, HR ensures alignment with strategic goals and maintains the authenticity of the employer brand throughout the process. Another key topic we covered was how HR leaders in small or lean teams can still have a powerful impact in executive recruiting. Even without large resources, HR can assert their influence by staying deeply connected to organizational needs, fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders, and embedding themselves in the process as strategic advisors rather than just facilitators. Finally, we touched on the importance of supporting leaders after they are hired — executive recruiting doesn’t end when the offer is signed. It’s the beginning of a journey to help new leaders integrate successfully and make a lasting impact. I’m grateful to SHRM, the SHRM Digital Production team and Nicole for the opportunity to share these insights and for hosting such a thoughtful discussion. If you’re interested in thinking more strategically about executive recruiting and how HR can lead with impact, I encourage you to listen to this episode. Thank you again to SHRM and Nicole for having me. (and boy, I don't know why I am blinking so much at the beginning of this video... maybe I was overwhelmed with the outstanding facilitation and interview skills of Nicole?) ------ https://lnkd.in/gtWiyuag #ExecutiveRecruiting #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentAcquisition #SHRM #HonestHR #HumanResources #StrategicHR

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