THOUGHTLEADER PROFILE
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Laura Stone “It happens all the time,” she says. “Plans are rolled out for a strategy for the coming year, or for a new project, or a new division, and then ‘conventional wisdom’ wins the day. Result? Minimal ‘fresh thinking.’” That’s when the urgency for Stone + Company to get involved in the re-development and re-energizing of a worn-down organization becomes apparent. Back when Laura founded Stone + Company in 1991 she determined to shine a spotlight on novel methods that could successfully develop, increase and leverage leadership. Since then, Stone + Company has operated under the premise that everyone is a potential leader and thus one size or style of leadership does not fit all. Thus, the firm combines empirical research and business experience, transforming its client companies by delving into the heart of their management issues to create goals personally tailored to individuals within each company. “Without clearly defined goals,” adds Chief Consultant Jessa McIntosh, “every team resource is going to be ‘under-leveraged.’ Unless all teammates fully understand their team’s objectives, they will inevitably work at cross-purposes.” To fully appreciate Stone + Company’s expertise, one must examine its actual practices. In the course of re-invigorating a “worn-down” company, Laura and her team may end up reconstructing any or all of the following: team forming, annual planning, mergers, critical relationship development, strategy development, new product launching, executive strategy coaching or joint venture planning, to name just a few. Laura and Jessa, with the help of other Stone + Company professionals, may find themselves tackling such problems in virtually any business environment, e.g., healthcare, retail or high-tech. Providing outcomes-oriented strategic planning processes is a must, Laura says, that organizations of all shapes and industries at one time or another will find themselves needing to confront. A true thoughtleader in the strategy planning space, Laura is a published author whose articles have appeared in such business journals as Consulting Times, CEO Refresher, Indus Business Journal, Women’s Business Boston and Strategy & Leadership. She has also been featured in Harvard Management Update in an article on “How to Fix a Broken Team” and was guest of The Imaging Executive Podcast on a program focusing on effective strategy development and implementation. In community affairs, she is a board member to Bailey’s Team, dedicated to serving those with autism and their families. She has served as CEO and President of the Massachusetts Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation and as Chair of that foundation’s corporate board. Formerly an advisor to the City Year Rhode Island Social Entrepreneur Fellowship program, she’s a graduate of University of Wisconsin Madison. Professional affiliations include the Organization Development Network, Society of Human Resources Management, and American Society of Training and Development. To learn more about Laura and Stone + Company, visit her website about emerson consulting group Ken Lizotte, Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO), 978-371-0442 Email Us |
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What kind of leader can lead other leaders? Laura Stone and her team at Stone + Company embody this precarious role with their innovative strategic planning concepts and inspiring approaches to management success. Inventive to a fault, Laura’s firm has developed effective processes for ensuring top results in any company in need of a strategic transformation.