2020 In Review | The Top Leadership Blogs, Resources and Webinars during an Unprecedented Year

As we bring this completely unprecedented year to a close, we are reflecting on the leadership lessons we learned in 2020—and the new priorities we have set for 2021. 

My question for you: What’s your personal leadership goal for 2021? What leadership topics do you want us to help you explore in 2021 to help you achieve your goal? I want to hear from you: Share your leadership goal and tag Linkage on LinkedIn. (Remember, sharing your goal helps you stick to it and helps you unlock resources in your own network!) 

In March, all of us at Linkage made a commitment to provide leaders with the latest thinking, innovative ideas, and fresh content they would need to thrive during crisis. We did just that: In 2020, we shared more free content with you than ever before.  

From the Linkage Leadership Insights Blog to the Critical Leadership Conversations webinar series, thousands of you engaged with these leadership resources—sparking inspiration and conversations that have had a ripple effect on our organizations and our people.

That’s huge. And we’re not done sparking inspiration. Look for even more content from Linkage in 2021—and in the meantime, check out the top resources below. My favorite blog made the list! 

TOP BLOG POSTS 

The Linkage Leadership Insights blog is filled with tips, tricks, and the latest leadership best practices. Check out the most-read blogs in 2020: 

When Work from Home Stops Being Optional: How to Effectively Manage Remote Teams during COVID-19 | Written in the first weeks of what would become a global health pandemic, Maria Howard outlines key practices for empowering teams to successfully work remotely. The lessons she shares are as applicable today as they were in March. Read.  

#LinkageWIL Inspiration Series: Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, on Who Gets a Seat at the Table | In 2020, we asked ourselves: How can we rise to the moment to empower women and other underrepresented groups to continue to lean into their work and advance, when the stakes have never been higher? Read. 

COVID-19 Is Disproportionately Affecting Women and People of Color. Here’s What Leaders Need to Do about It. | This year, we grappled with a harsh reality: The inequities in our systems translated to a disproportionate impact on communities of color in the US. We explore these critical issues in this blog post. Read.  

Achieve Results | 3 Ways to Increase Your Productivity When You’re Really Busy | In 2020, with soaring expectations, increased stress, and a transition to working from home, many leaders doubled down on productivity. In this blog, Rick Pumfrey shares tactics to increase your productivity at critical times. Read.  

7 Ways to Host More Inclusive Meetings in a Virtual World | We’ve all experienced bad meetings, and in the virtual world, it’s more important than ever for leaders to host truly inclusive meetings. Jeff Duffield shares invaluable tips in this blog post. Read.  

TOP WEBINARS 

Linkage’s Critical Leadership Conversations series brought together thousands of leaders each month in a spirit of true collaboration. Check out the top webinars of 2020:  

Reflecting on Race & Allyship: How to Drive Meaningful Change | Jennifer McCollum, CEO of Linkage, is joined by Bev Wright, expert leadership consultant and inclusion advocate, and Eddie Turner, international best-selling author and award-winning coach, for an interactive conversation grounded in lived experiences and actionable strategies for change. Watch the recording. 

How to Recommit to Gender Parity in the Age of COVID-19 | Internationally best-selling author Sally Helgesen and Maria Howard, Principal Consultant at Linkage, explore how COVID-19 has negatively affected women in the workplace and explain how we can support the advancement of women leaders at all levels. Watch the recording. 

Leading in a Crisis with Alan Mulally: Lesson Learned from Leading Ford through the 2008 Financial Crisis | Jennifer McCollum, CEO of Linkage, hosts an engaging conversation with Linkage “Legends in Leadership” award recipient Alan Mulally on how to effectively engage and lead teams during times of crisis. Watch the recording. 

TOP RESOURCES 

White Paper: The Hard Truth about Inclusion in the Workplace: What Works (and What Doesn’t) | In this white paper, we reset the conversation about inclusion and boldly reveal research-backed tactics to create and sustain cultures of inclusion. Read the white paper.  

White Paper: Why the Most Effective Leaders Are Also the Most Inclusive Leaders | Inclusion is at the center of what it means to be an effective leader. In this white paper, we explore the latest data on leadership effectiveness and our ability to lead across difference. Read the white paper.