In Episode 19 of the Lead the Future™ podcast, Dr. Vince Molinaro welcomes Barbara Bahry, VP of Organizational Development with Odlum Brown to discuss leadership accountability and the role it has played in the transformation of culture at Odlum Brown and throughout Barbara’s career experiences. Their conversation dives into the key differentiators that set a company up for success, especially during critical turning points in business. Barbara highlights the results Odlum Brown has experienced over the past 8 years since committing to a culture of leadership accountability and shares her best advice for HR leaders tackling similar challenges.
Barbara Bahry has more than 20 years of working in organizational development, driving business results in national and global leadership roles. She believes investing in leadership is a key ingredient to achieving success.
“A big part of our success embedding leadership into our culture was certainly, from the get-go, a collaboration between HR and the CEO. There was commitment right from the top. We believed in leadership. We were both aligned that leadership could be a real differentiator for us, and we believed that could set us apart in the talent market. And my goodness, that served us well.” – Barbara Bahry
Key leadership insights to listen for
- Odlum Brown’s commitment to leadership accountability and how it continues to evolve today – 8 years after first implementing this change.
- How consistent focus, critical communication, and support of leaders weaves together to form an accountable culture.
- The significance of the CEO and CHRO’s relationship and the role it plays in rolling out leadership initiatives.
- How Barbara has embedded leadership accountability into organizational practices like performance reviews
- How having a clear, explicit set of leadership expectations has impacted Odlum Brown’s leadership culture
Barbara Bahry has been a key driver of business success in national and global leadership roles for more than 20 years. She’s leveraged her portfolio of expertise in personal branding, change management, leadership development, performance management, organizational effectiveness, compensation, and rewards.
Barbara is currently the Vice President of Organizational Development at Odlum Brown, an independent full-service investment firm celebrating its 100th anniversary this year of helping clients achieve their financial goals. And as a member of the Odlum Brown executive committee and senior leadership team, she is responsible for the design, development, and implementation of strategies that attract, engage, and develop team members. She views leadership as a critical business investment and is passionate about supporting individuals on their own journeys to be intentional and accountable as leaders and focused on driving measurable business results. She recently served as a board member of CPHR BC and Yukon, and the YWCA of Metro Vancouver, and is currently an external advisor to both of those organizations. She has also served two terms on the Board of Governors for Canada’s most admired corporate cultures awards program, and she holds the FCPHR designation and is a director at Odlum Brown.
- Connect with Barbara Bahry on LinkedIn
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