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DDI Celebrates Award Winners and Introduces New Leadership Strategy

The Better Leaders Summit 2025, organized by DDI, a renowned leadership firm, took place from November 10-12 in Pittsburgh. This annual event gathered professionals to delve into leadership innovation and recognize organizations for their commitment to cultivating impactful leadership.

At the summit, DDI introduced its cutting-edge framework known as Continuous Leadership IntelligenceSM. This strategy addresses the pressing need for organizations to develop robust leadership pipelines capable of adapting swiftly to evolving business challenges.

According to reports, about 71% of leaders feel overwhelmed in their roles due to escalating responsibilities and the fast pace of change. Verity Creedy, Senior Vice President of Product at DDI, stated, "In an era of rapid disruption, traditional leadership methods are faltering. To bridge gaps created by poor hiring and succession issues, businesses must shift from static evaluations to dynamic, data-driven leadership pipelines that foresee future capabilities and activate the right leaders when needed."

DDI's Vision for Continuous Leadership Intelligence

This innovative approach is built upon five pivotal transitions aimed at fostering organizational success:

1. From Reactive Data to Predictive Insights: Organizations will shift focus from merely collecting data to leveraging it for anticipatory leadership insights.
2. From Fragmented Solutions to an Integrated Leadership Strategy: Unifying various leadership initiatives ensures a coherent strategy that enhances organizational performance.
3. From Static Programs to Continuous Adaptability: Organizations will embrace leadership programs that evolve with changing business landscapes rather than relying on outdated, fixed structures.
4. From Measuring Activity to Delivering Business Impact: The emphasis will be on tangible business outcomes rather than just the completion of leadership activities.
5. From Vendor Support to a Strategic Partnership: DDI encourages viewing their collaboration as a strategic partnership rather than a simple vendor-client relationship.

Honorees of the 2025 Customer Awards

The summit celebrated six exemplary organizations through its Customer Awards, which spotlight those effectively embodying the principles of Continuous Leadership Intelligence. Each recipient demonstrated impactful leadership transformations:

High Impact Award

1. Boulder Community Health: Boosted leadership competencies significantly, leading to a 10% reduction in patient complaints and a drop in employee turnover from 29% to 20%.
2. GE HealthCare: Implemented global leadership academies for over 800 emerging leaders, achieving a 99% retention rate and 18% enhancement in performance post-training.

Rising Star Award

1. State Farm: Rolled out the Leading with Purpose program, enriching the leadership quality of over 2,000 leaders, resulting in a 28% improvement in overall skills.
2. Arcosa: Motored organizational effectiveness with its LEAD initiative, realizing a 64% promotion rate among participants in just a year.

Innovation in Action Award

1. Astrion: Launched its Elevate Leaders Program, which fostered engagement and effectiveness through peer learning combined with practical projects.
2. Caterpillar Inc.: Expanded its partnership with DDI to encompass over 11,000 leaders, resulting in improved communication and effective onboarding strategies.

CEO Tacy M. Byham, Ph.D., remarked on the event, saying, "With mounting pressure on HR leaders to show demonstrable returns on leadership initiatives, these award-winning clients have successfully adopted a data-driven strategy for leadership development, ensuring that they, and their future-ready programs, are aligned with organizational goals."

For more insights into DDI's distinctive approach towards leadership development and evaluation, visit ddi.com/why-ddi.

About DDI

For over 55 years, DDI has been instrumental in shaping the leadership landscape. The organization assists companies in acquiring, nurturing, and elevating exceptional leaders from various levels, ensuring readiness for the future. Grounded in behavioral science, DDI's Continuous Leadership Intelligence methodology empowers businesses worldwide to fulfil their leadership needs proactively, aligning with strategic objectives. Explore more at ddi.com.