In this Brandon Hall Group™ Excellence at Work Podcast, Rachel Cooke, COO and podcast host, engages in an insightful conversation with Neena Newberry, CEO of Newberry Solutions and founder of NewLens. They explore how organizations can develop effective leaders through coaching and leadership development programs while navigating today’s rapid workplace changes. The discussion examines how learning professionals can move beyond content consumption to create meaningful connections and coaching cultures that drive measurable leadership impact.
Key Discussion Points:
- Leadership Development Approach: Understanding the three critical components—content, coaching, and connection—that drive successful leadership development programs
- Scaling Leadership Development: Making leadership development accessible beyond high potentials through cohort-based learning and micro-learning approaches
- Learning Flow Integration: Implementing bite-sized learning (2-7 minutes) that fits into busy professionals’ schedules with only 24 minutes available weekly for development
- Peer Learning Networks: Leveraging peer relationships as a powerful but often overlooked component that can eliminate disparities in promotion rates
- Emotional Intelligence Focus: Developing self-awareness and understanding one’s impact on others as foundational leadership skills
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Breaking down silos through leadership development programs that connect people across organizational boundaries
- Culture of Learning: Creating environments where learning happens through daily interactions rather than isolated events
- Technology Enablement: Using platforms like NewLens to scale personalized leadership development and measure impact
- Implementation Mindset: Starting with small, actionable steps rather than waiting for perfect, comprehensive programs
The future of effective leadership development requires viewing coaching as an organization-wide capability rather than simply an external service. Neena’s insights demonstrate how learning professionals can transform leadership development from exclusive executive programs to inclusive, accessible experiences by understanding business needs, measuring meaningful outcomes, and creating connections that sustain development beyond formal learning events.
About Neena Newberry:
An award-winning speaker, author, and executive coach, Neena Newberry launched Newberry Solutions in 2008 to focus on her passion for developing strong leaders, especially women. A former Deloitte executive, her experience includes 14 years of strategy, operations and human capital consulting and a role on Deloitte’s U.S. HR Executive Team supporting 34,000 employees.
Neena’s insights are regularly featured in Fast Company, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. Neena was named by D CEO Magazine as one of the Dallas 500, the most powerful business leaders in Dallas, in 2023 and 2024. She is an official member of the invitation-only Forbes Coaches Council and teaches in Executive Education at SMU’s Cox School of Business.
About Newberry Solutions:
Newberry Solutions provides executive coaching, leadership development programs, and now the award-winning New Lens app—which is designed to make leadership development affordable and scalable. Clients are primarily Fortune 500 companies. Visit www.newberrysolutions.com for leadership articles and resources.
Social Media Handles:
Neena Newberry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neenanewberry/
Newberry Solutions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newberrysolutions/