The Leader's Edge

09/29/2026

Succession planning starts long before the exit.

In a recent conversation with Strategic Exit Advisors Entrepreneur Spotlight host Peter Hissey, The Leader’s Edge CEO Kristin Lytle shares what makes succession plans work, where they can break down, and why strong performance in one role doesn’t always mean a leader is ready for the next.

Kristin has nearly 20 years of experience in talent strategy and succession planning, including building succession processes from the ground up and advising executives through hundreds of succession discussions.

In the conversation, she shares a real example of a planned successor who struggled when the business environment changed, and what that experience taught her about assessing readiness beyond a leader’s track record.

Watch the full conversation here: https://hubs.la/Q04ywBGL0

At The Leader’s Edge, we help organizations assess leadership readiness, identify development gaps, and prepare leaders for the roles they may ultimately step into.

Kristin Lytle has spent her career helping organizations navigate leadership transitions and prepare leaders for greater responsibility. In this conversation with podcast host Peter Hissey, she shares what she hasContinue reading "Succession Planning Starts Long Before the Exit"

09/23/2026

Last week, the 2026 KPMG Executive Leadership Institute (KELI) Philadelphia cohort completed their final course, The Long Game: Tools and Strategies for Sustainable Success, facilitated by Maura Lightfoot, PCC, Senior Consultant at The Leader’s Edge.

Following the course, we celebrated their Graduation which featured a fireside conversation with Bernie Shields, Market President, Pennsylvania at WSFS, in conversation with Kristin Lytle, CEO of The Leader’s Edge. Bernie shared insights from his own leadership experience and the realities of leading at the enterprise level.

We were also pleased to hear remarks from Kristina Parker and are grateful for her continued partnership at KPMG and advocacy for KELI.

For 16 years, KELI Philadelphia has helped organizations prepare leaders for the transition from functional leadership into broader enterprise roles.

The program is designed around the capabilities and challenges that become increasingly important as leaders take on more scope, responsibility, and influence, combining executive perspective, peer learning, and small group coaching throughout the experience.

KELI Dallas begins this Fall, and KELI Philadelphia returns in Spring 2027.

If you’re thinking about which leaders in your organization are ready for greater responsibility, learn more and nominate your leaders here: https://hubs.la/Q04y5CzQ0

KPMG

09/22/2026

Conflict is a necessary part of leadership. How leaders navigate it can make all the difference for their teams and organizations.

Last week, participants in the KPMG Executive Leadership Institute (KELI) Philadelphia cohort explored that idea through Course 4: Conflict Resolution & Inclusive Leadership Practices, facilitated by Robyn Wheeler, Vice President, Research & Workplace Trends at The Leader’s Edge.

The conversation continued with an Executive Panel featuring Jim Cass, Vice Chairman of Ultimus LeverPoint; Chuck Zwicker, President & COO of Weidenhammer; and Rita Johnson-Greene, CFO of Ocugen and KELI Alumni, moderated by Kristin Lytle, CEO of The Leader’s Edge.

The panel gave participants an opportunity to hear leaders reflect on the experiences that shaped how they lead, including decisions they would approach differently today, leadership lessons they learned along the way, and how their approach has evolved with experience.

This is part of what makes KELI valuable to organizations. Developing leaders for greater responsibility requires more than preparing them for the scope of a new role.

It means giving them opportunities to learn from experienced executives, broaden their perspective, and develop the judgment needed to navigate increasingly complex leadership challenges.

Thank you to Jim, Chuck, and Rita for sharing your experiences with the participants and Alumni!

If you’re thinking about which leaders in your organization are ready to take on greater responsibility, the KELI Dallas cohort begins November 11.

Learn more and nominate your leaders: https://hubs.la/Q04y4CRq0

09/14/2026

Meet the expert team behind the KPMG Executive Leadership Institute (KELI) in Dallas.

Kristin Lytle
→ CEO of The Leader's Edge and former Fortune 500 executive on a mission to help organizations stop wasting potential by deepening leaders' self-awareness and expanding executive impact.
→ Course 1 – Emotional Intelligence & Understanding Your Leadership Impact

Maura Connell Lightfoot, PCC
→ Senior Consultant with global leadership experience across 7 countries, helping leaders understand succession selection and increase their visibility to future-proof their career.
→ Course 2 – Crafting Your Edge: Becoming the Leading Succession Candidate

Booker Farrior, ACC
→ 30 years steering Fortune 500 organizational transformations, with expertise in navigating complex decisions and turning uncertainty into strategic advantage
→ Course 3 – Strategic Leadership, Expanding Influence & Executive Discernment

Robyn Wheeler, PhD
→ International Psychology PhD and organizational systems expert whose work includes building inclusive cultures and navigating dynamics across diverse, global teams.
→ Course 4 – Conflict Resolution & Inclusive Leadership Practices

Lauren Gordon, PCC, MBA
→ Nearly two decades of corporate leadership experience across executive recruiting and strategic HR, coaching leaders to build endurance and support their teams through turbulence.
→ Course 5 – The Long Game: Tools and Strategies for Sustainable Success

Set your high-performing leaders up for success. Nominate them to become executive-ready: https://hubs.la/Q04xj21y0

KPMG US

09/01/2026

"Performance is only part of the equation. Influence, relationships, and exposure matter just as much."

April Stewart, Senior Business Program Manager, shares how EXCEL changed the way she leads, communicates, and influences.

One shift that stood out: learning that different people are influenced in different ways. Now, before a conversation, April thinks first about her audience, what they need, and what will actually resonate, rather than leading with what feels most logical to her.

That shift has changed how she brings ideas to leadership, and how she shows up across the organization.

Ready to invest in your next generation of leaders? The Fall EXCEL cohort begins September 22.

Nominate your high-potential leaders here: https://hubs.la/Q04vJVq20

08/31/2026

Meet the expert team behind EXCEL for High-Potential Leaders.

Robyn Wheeler, PhD
→ VP of Research & Workplace Trends with expertise in change-readiness and helping leaders adapt their approach as workplace dynamics shift.
→ Facilitating: Leveraging Your Unique Strengths | September 22, 2026

Booker Farrior, ACC
→ 30 years steering Fortune 500 organizational transformations, with expertise in turning complexity into strategic advantage.
→ Facilitating: Building Strategic Influence & Key Relationships | October 20, 2026

Lauren Gordon, PCC, MBA
→ Former Head of Global Executive Recruiting and Chief of Staff to the CHRO, with expertise in cultural change and building confidence.
→ Facilitating: Deepening Self-Awareness Through DiSC | November 17, 2026

Lisa Mathis
→ VP of Consulting Initiatives with 20+ years coaching C-Suite and high-potential leaders, and a sought-after keynote speaker on Executive Presence and Personal Leadership Brand.
→ Facilitating: Crafting Your Personal Narrative & Brand | December 8, 2026

Whitney Siavelis, PCC
→ 20+ years developing leaders across Fortune 100 companies and high-growth organizations, with deep expertise in resilience and emotional intelligence.
→ Facilitating: Cultivating Resilience for a Successful Career | January 12, 2027

Set your high-potential leaders up for success. Reserve their spot now:
https://hubs.la/Q04vKz1p0

08/28/2026

A strong track record doesn’t always mean a leader is ready for the next role.

We saw a situation where a leader performed exceptionally well in a smaller business unit, benefited from strong tailwinds, and appeared to be a natural choice for the next role. They were on the succession plan for a while.

Then the context changed.

With greater scope and pressure, the leader fell back on old leadership behaviors, and what had been less consequential at a smaller scale became a serious problem at the new level.

Ultimately, another leader had to be pulled out of retirement to take over the role.

The lesson is an important one for succession planning: readiness has to be assessed in the context of the role a leader is moving into, not just the role they were previously successful in.

That means looking closely at capabilities, judgment, leadership behaviors, and whether the individual is truly ready for what the next role will demand.

Because identifying a successor is only part of it.

The real question is: Will they be ready when the time comes?

We help organizations assess readiness, identify the gaps, and prepare leaders for the roles they may step into.

Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04vFV9q0

08/04/2026

Planning your executive offsite?

Executive team meetings shape strategy and influence the decisions that move your business forward – which is exactly why how they are facilitated matters.

An external facilitator creates the conditions for every executive to fully engage, while keeping the conversation focused and productive.

Your offsite can be built around your organization's priorities, culture, and leadership challenges – whether that's strategic planning, succession discussions, team alignment, or organizational design.

The best outcomes start well before the offsite itself: clear objectives, key stakeholder input, and an agenda built around what matters most. During the session, your team gets full support to stay engaged and focused. What follows is a plan to carry the momentum forward.

Your executive team has the expertise. We bring the structure to turn that time into stronger decisions and meaningful action.

Planning your Fall offsite? Reach out to us!

08/03/2026

Last week we continued the Foundations of Leadership program with Berger Communities bringing leaders together virtually for Course 2: Speaking Straight & Getting Clear on Expectations Upfront.

This session focused on what happens when expectations aren’t clearly defined and consistently reinforced, and what it takes to course correct in a way that builds trust, accountability, and stronger performance over time. Leaders explored practical tools to communicate more directly, reinforce priorities, and empower their teams with greater clarity.

Facilitated by Yasmeen Toney, the conversation pushed beyond concepts into real application leaders can carry into their day-to-day work.

We look forward to continued small group coaching sessions and seeing everyone again for Course 3.

07/30/2026

Being great in your current role isn’t the same as being ready for the next one.

The KPMG Executive Leadership Institute (KELI) is built to bridge that gap.

It helps high-performing leaders step into broader responsibility with stronger decision-making, clearer executive impact, and the ability to lead across complexity – not just within their function.

Because when that next role opens up, you don’t want to hope they’re ready. You want to know.

This Fall, we’re bringing KELI to three cities:
📍 Washington, DC – September 9
📍 Atlanta – September 23
📍 Dallas – November 11

If you’re thinking about who on your team needs to be ready for an enterprise-level role, this is where you invest.