The Thinkers Quarterly - Spring 2026
Explore leadership development trends, coaching insights, assessment-based solutions, certification opportunities, and practical strategies for improving performance.
Welcome to the PPI Newsletter — a place to stay informed, get engaged, and be entertained. We have lots of exciting news and updates to share, so make sure to get in touch for further discussion!
Internal Churn
Our very own Matt Gronowicz has been promoted to Sr. Program Manager! Matt's been a valued PPI team member for 13+ years and brings incredible expertise to the role. Having played a key part in building PPI's foundational systems, we could not be here without him. Please join us in congratulating Matt!!
Reading Subscale
Fun and enlightening recommendations from our Readership Team:
- Paul — Society's expectations
- Mike — Ambition as a leadership expectation
- Kirsten — Unexpected excellence
Entertaining Subscale
Will the tragic Dee Railer ever stand up to her boss with conviction? Will she realize the blind-spots overlooked as she scales the agenda? Find out on Management-Style Network's next episode of The Bold and The Dutiful – a KissUp-KickDown production, airing right after the finale of I'm an Executive, Get Me Out of Here!
Advice for Avoiding Trouble: Sr. Manager, Expectations
Realizing we've made a bad decision challenges our self-perceptions. To resolve this, we either correct our mistake or rationalize the choice— and there are a range of ways one might go about exercising these options. That's why it's so important to decipher the motivational needs underlying an executive's problem-solving style and how they react when things go awry. That's also why using objective personality measures are critical to an effective assessment. After all, how can we expect our leaders to make informed, data-based judgments if the process to hire or promote them was anything but?
Notable Quotable
"The more one tries to manage life with pure intellect, the less tolerable it is to acknowledge unconscious factors at play." ~ Dr. Karen Horney
Coaching Corner
Dear Prudence,
I'm a giver. But maybe too much, I wonder? There are times I just can't stop thinking of others. Like I'm customer obsessed… I just love my clients. And all I want is to help my team succeed. But yesterday I got feedback that I get overly involved; and that I don't appreciate others' needs for self-sufficiency. Even my long-time coworker Phil E. Yayshin has been keeping his distance lately, and I'm starting to feel stuck… stuck in my own head and disengaged. I guess my question is: where did I go wrong? And how do I fix it?
At your service,
Al Truism
Dear Al,
I'm reminded of my Jean-Paul Sartre: When we rely on others for our identity or feel constantly judged by them, we become trapped as a self-perceived object in their minds… and vulnerable to losing feelings of freedom. To reflect: Might you have become too reliant on your coworkers' receptiveness to your help to feel whole? It's hard to realize when motives also influence perspective. Try reading up on Unconscious Biases to learn more. Bright side reframe: When you can better manage your need to help, that underlying instinct is sure to align well with U.S. Leadership Expectations.
Stay on track,
Prudence
Leadership Development News
PPI's updated Leadership Development Report combines best-in-class Hogan Assessments (HPI, HDS, and MVPI), expert insight, and our proprietary framework to deliver clear, accurate, and immediately actionable guidance. Built on predictive leadership research and focused on providing practical recommendations, this turnkey solution helps leaders improve performance at any managerial level.
Want to know more?