We know intrinsically that good leadership leads to strong financial performance. But, to date, it’s been rare to get hard evidence of that link in Australian companies. A landmark research report, released this month, has now applied some science to identifying exactly which people management strategies correlate with better financial results. See the full article here …

Risk management professionals require a unique skill set in order to be effective at senior levels. Craig Donaldson speaks with three risk management leaders about their experience, the evolution of careers in risk management and what steps risk professionals need to take to make the chief risk officer grade. See the full article here, starting page 13 …

Corporate governance has come a long way in recent years. However many companies still struggle to build a strong organisation-wide culture of governance, writes Craig Donaldson. See the full article on page 20 (free subscription required) …

Boards’ focus in the economic crisis post-mortem should be on returning to “real” governance. See the full article here …

HR as a function has not always been perceived as one that is vital to the success of an organisation. This is changing, however, as senior leadership teams understand the value that effective HR leaders can add to a business. See the full article here …

Government and organisational leadership were stress-tested during the financial crisis – with dire consequences for cases such as 158-year-old financial giant Lehman Brothers, which collapsed under the strain. See the full article here (free subscription required) …

The Victorian Public Service took leadership into its own hands with the establishment of the Victorian Leadership Development Centre. HR Leader examines how this “centre of leadership excellence” operates and looks at what HR professionals can learn in the process. See the full article here …

When Nicole Hollows was appointed CEO of Macarthur Coal three years ago, it came with one day’s notice and at a time of significant organisational change. Hollows describes how both she and her role as CEO have evolved over that time and shares her insights on leadership, culture change, being a female CEO and lessons from the GFC. See the full article here …

Executive education is a popular and cost-effective option for many time-poor business professionals when it comes to bolstering knowledge and skills. Craig Donaldson looks at the latest trends in executive education and how participants can get the best return on their learning and development dollar. See the full article here …

Although it is hard to measure and often ignored by analysts, improved employee engagement delivers better financial performance and a higher share price. Craig Donaldson reports. See the full article here (subscription only) …