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    BPI Expert Faculty

    Mette Norgaard

    Founder, Strategic Leadership & Learning & Faculty, Higher Ambition Leadership Institute

    Strategic Leadership & Learning

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.Advises CEOs and CHROs on developing distinguished leadership brands within their organizations.
    • 2.Co-authored the New York Times bestseller *TouchPoints*, which focuses on creating powerful leadership connections.
    • 3.Founder of Strategic Leadership & Learning, a firm that designs learning experiences for executive and global leadership teams.
    • 4.Specializes in crafting unique learning solutions that align with and advance organizational strategy.
    • 5.Serves as a faculty member and co-creator of the Higher Ambition Leadership Institute.

    About Mette

    Who is Mette Norgaard?

    Mette Norgaard, Ph.D., is an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute (BPI) and a recognized authority in strategic leadership and organizational learning. She is the founder of Strategic Leadership & Learning, a boutique firm established in 2004, where she advises CEOs and CHROs on developing distinguished leadership brands within their organizations. Norgaard is also a faculty member and co-creator of the Higher Ambition Leadership Institute, an organization dedicated to fostering leaders who can guide their companies with greater purpose and impact.

    Originally from a village of 900 on the northwest coast of Denmark, Norgaard has resided in New York City for the past three decades. She brings a global perspective to her work, drawing on her diverse background to help leaders navigate the complexities of today's business environment. Her mission is to enable leaders to exercise sound judgment and leverage their innate strengths to inspire positive change.

    What is Mette Norgaard known for?

    Norgaard is widely recognized for her expertise in crafting distinct learning solutions that align with and advance organizational strategies. She is particularly known for her work with executive teams, guiding them through transitions and empowering them to build strong leadership brands. Her contributions extend to the concept of "TouchPoints," which emphasizes the significance of creating powerful leadership connections through everyday interactions.

    She is the author of The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work (Amacom, 2005), an international bestseller, and co-author of TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments (Jossey-Bass, 2011) with Doug Conant, which became a New York Times bestseller. These works underscore her commitment to practical, impactful leadership development. Norgaard also contributes regularly to the discourse on leadership through her column in the Danish financial paper, Børsen.

    What is Mette Norgaard's background and experience?

    Mette Norgaard's extensive experience in leadership development spans over 25 years. Her journey began with directing the one-week Executive Retreat for the Covey Leadership Center at Sundance, UT, concurrently with earning her Ph.D. in Human & Organizational Development. This foundational experience shaped her approach to cultivating leadership potential and organizational effectiveness.

    In 2004, she established Strategic Leadership & Learning, a firm dedicated to designing comprehensive learning experiences for executive and global leadership teams. A pivotal partnership began in 2006 with Doug Conant on the Campbell’s CEO Institute, which later evolved into the Higher Ambition Leadership Institute. This collaboration highlights her commitment to fostering higher-purpose leadership and her ability to build enduring programs that drive significant impact. Her work often involves advising executive teams in transition, providing strategic guidance on leadership brand development, and enhancing multicultural and virtual team leadership capabilities.

    What topics does Mette Norgaard speak and write about?

    Mette Norgaard's areas of expertise are broad, yet deeply interconnected, focusing on the development of effective and inspiring leadership. She speaks and writes extensively on strategic leadership, emphasizing how leaders can align their actions and decisions with overarching organizational goals. Her work in organizational learning explores how companies can cultivate environments that continuously adapt, innovate, and grow.

    Another significant topic is leadership brand development, where she guides leaders in articulating and embodying their unique value proposition. She also delves into the nuances of multicultural and virtual team leadership, providing actionable strategies for fostering cohesion and productivity across diverse groups. Furthermore, Norgaard addresses workplace culture, recognizing its critical role in shaping employee engagement and overall organizational success. Her insights often revolve around creating impactful learning experiences and leveraging "TouchPoints" to maximize leadership influence in daily interactions.

    How does Mette Norgaard contribute to the Best Practice Institute?

    Mette Norgaard serves as an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute, lending her extensive knowledge in strategic leadership and organizational learning to the institute's mission. Her affiliation enhances BPI's offerings with her unique perspective on executive development and her proven methodologies for advancing company strategies through learning.

    Her contributions include leading on-demand learning sessions, such as "Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments," which provides BPI members with valuable insights into effective leadership communication and interaction. Through her role, Norgaard helps BPI fulfill its commitment to providing cutting-edge research, insights, and practical tools to leaders and organizations striving for excellence. Her expertise directly supports BPI's focus areas, including Organization Development & Change, Learning & Development, Leadership Development, Employee Engagement, Assessments & Evaluations, Strategic Planning, Self-Development, Creativity & Innovation, and Coaching.

    Background & Perspective

    Background

    Mette Norgaard, Ph.D., has over 25 years of experience in leadership development. Her career began at the Covey Leadership Center while she earned her doctorate in Human & Organizational Development. In 2004, she founded Strategic Leadership & Learning, a firm dedicated to advising CEOs and CHROs on leadership. A significant collaboration with Doug Conant on the Campbell’s CEO Institute, starting in 2006, evolved into the co-creation of the Higher Ambition Leadership Institute. Originally from Denmark, Dr. Norgaard has been based in New York City for three decades.

    Areas of Expertise

    Dr. Norgaard is an authority in strategic leadership and organizational learning. Her work focuses on helping leaders align their actions with organizational strategy and build distinguished leadership brands. She guides executive teams through transitions and advises on enhancing multicultural and virtual team leadership. A core concept in her work is "TouchPoints," which emphasizes creating meaningful leadership connections through daily interactions.

    Publications and Topics

    Dr. Norgaard speaks and writes on strategic leadership, organizational learning, leadership brand development, and workplace culture. She is the author of the international bestseller The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work (2005) and co-author of the New York Times bestseller TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments (2011). She also contributes a regular column on leadership to the Danish financial paper, Børsen.

    Areas of Expertise

    Strategic LeadershipOrganizational LearningLeadership Brand DevelopmentExecutive CoachingMulticultural Team LeadershipWorkplace CultureLearning Experience Design

    Research Topics

    Leadership DevelopmentOrganizational DevelopmentLearning & DevelopmentStrategic Planning

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    Frequently asked questions

    Best Practice Institute

    Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

    The Workplace Report

    The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

    The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.