Ratliff & Taylor Blog

With 40+ years of experience, Mary’s expertise lies in helping individuals and groups accelerate potential and capacity. She is highly skilled in the facilitation of DiSC, Leader as Coach, and Crucial Conversations. Mary developed a reputation in previous positions as being instrumental in managing large improvement initiatives. She has an executive coaching certification from Progressive’s internal […]

“Following” is “Advanced Leadership”. It is a concept I struggle with occasionally. The day before an extended vacation, my colleague came to me and said, “Enjoy your vacation. We got this!” My insecure side screamed, “No, you need me!” But I knew she was right. In truth, I would follow this team anywhere. Letting go […]

“What I do matters.” While traveling in Portugal this week, I encountered a young waiter who displayed great pride in his restaurant, care for his customers, and who epitomized the very concept of servant leadership. Not only did he take the time to learn about each of us and our tastes, he even asked the […]

The people in my organization both intimidate and inspire me. Every person is wicked smart, motivated, and exceptional at what they do. The thought of leading such an accomplished group is occasionally unsettling. At the same time, I am inspired every day to become the best leader possible. I owe them that much and more. […]

Jamie Lewis Smith, Ph.D. is a Senior Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach with Ratliff & Taylor. She has 15+ years of experience guiding the growth and development of leaders, teams, and organizations across private sector, nonprofit, and governmental agencies. Jamie leverages her background as a Clinical Psychologist and deep expertise in leadership and organizational assessment to design and deliver […]

My father passed away six months ago. Since then, I have been trying to make sense of his life and its application to my own. Dad never left the small town where he was born. After growing up there, I left and never looked back. Today I am attending the annual fall festival in my […]

Yan is an executive coach with Ratliff & Taylor and has been leading strategy and execution with global cross-functional teams in a Fortune 500 environment for 20 years, in both the U.S. and China. She brings extensive experience in P/L management, strategy, supply chain management, global product line management, acquisition, and integration. Yan is known […]

People can read what a company writes about its culture, but the real culture of an organization is what you see, hear and feel as you enter the lobby, walk the halls and watch employees interact with each other. You understand a culture when you see the same courtesies being extended to the local mail […]

Kyla is a master facilitator and executive coach with Ratliff & Taylor. She has been working with organizations and teams for more than three decades and has coached extensively within the corporate and non-profit sectors. Kyla is responsible for the creation and delivery of proprietary group leadership experiences including intensive executive development, strategic planning, and team […]

One of my greatest fears as a leader is that of becoming obsolete and not being aware of it. I think it stems, in part, from the base insecurities that most of us possess. It also occasionally comes from working with the incredibly talented group of professionals who surround me. I am both amazed and […]