CHRO Spotlight | Kelly Smoots Stixrud

The Keys to Transformational Leadership: Insights from Kelly Smoots Stixrud of Aon

In a recent conversation, Kelly Smoots Stixrud, Global Talent Enablement Leader at Aon, shared her deep expertise on leadership, coaching, and organizational culture. With over nine years of experience in a global firm operating in more than 120 countries, Kelly provides valuable insights into fostering talent and driving change.

Here are the key takeaways from her perspective on leadership and transformation:

Leadership as a Driver of Success

Kelly emphasized that leadership is one of the most critical enablers of organizational and individual success. She highlighted that the fundamentals—effective communication, trust, transparency, and decision-making—remain at the core of great leadership. These foundational qualities create an environment where employees can thrive and feel connected to the organization’s mission.

Leadership Transformation

Aon’s transformational leadership journey, "Aon United," is one of Aon's significant initiatives on aligning diverse teams and offerings under a cohesive vision. This requires a firm-first mindset, where leaders prioritize the organization's best interests over individual or team agendas. Kelly shares how this shift has necessitated significant behavioral and mindset changes among senior leaders, enabling them to work collaboratively and break down silos.

Succession Planning for the Future

Kelly describes how Aon has evolved its approach to prepare leaders for the future by aligning individual development with organizational needs. Their six behavioral areas—trustworthy, visionary, inclusive, results-driven, talent-focused, and client-centric—serve as a framework for identifying and nurturing future leaders.

Coaching and Leadership Development

Kelly stressed the value of coaching as a tool for leadership growth. Aon uses both internal and external coaching resources to develop leaders. Internal coaches bring cultural understanding, while external coaches provide C-suite expertise and advisory capabilities. Kelly also highlighted the power of cohort-based programs to foster trust, camaraderie, and shared learning among future leaders.

The Evolving Role of HR

According to Kelly, HR is now more critical than ever in driving change and building organizational resilience. At Aon, the HR function—referred to as "People Org"—acts as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, helping them navigate challenges and foster sustainable transformation. By focusing on culture, talent development, and performance management, HR plays a pivotal role in ensuring long-term success.

Building Leadership Resilience and Sustainability

Kelly Stixrud’s insights highlight the critical role of leadership, culture, and talent development in driving organizational success. By embracing transparent communication, fostering trust, and aligning leadership with organizational goals, Aon continues to set the standard for transformational leadership and talent strategy.

The Role of Leadership in Driving Success

Kelly emphasizes that leadership is a critical enabler of talent and a predictor of organizational success. She highlights the foundational traits of great leadership:

• Effective Communication: Building trust through transparency and context.

• Trust and Compassion: Leaders must connect with their teams on a human level.

• Decisiveness: Making tough decisions while considering the greater good.

These core competencies have remained essential and evolved to place greater emphasis on compassion and transparency.

Effective Communication in Complex Organizations

In matrix-driven, global organizations like Aon, influence and communication are pivotal. Leaders must tailor their communication styles to resonate with diverse audiences, from board members to frontline teams. Kelly shares that Aon has embraced a "firm-first mindset," encouraging leaders to:

• Speak candidly and address challenges directly in meetings.

• Foster trust and collaboration within and across teams.

• Align individual and team goals with organizational priorities.

Cultural Transformation: A Force Multiplier

Culture at Aon is not treated as a soft issue but as a critical driver of performance. To build a cohesive and united organization, Aon has focused on:

• Behavioral Shifts: Encouraging courage in communication and accountability.

• Pulse Surveys: Continuously collecting and acting on feedback.

• Inclusive Leadership: Holding leaders accountable for embodying desired behaviors.

By aligning cultural initiatives with talent development, Aon ensures that employees at all levels feel connected to the company’s mission.

“At Aon, we have over 50,000 people and we have to bring them all along on the journey. We listen to what resonates with people as well as what doesn't resonate. We do pulse surveys throughout the year when we're working on different initiatives to see what's resonating. We're constantly iterating on the things we're getting feedback on to say this actually doesn't work or you haven't taken this culture into account or this region as much as we should. The feedback is critical to how our colleagues are experiencing Aon and how we're thinking not just about surveying to get the feedback, but also how we're thinking about performance management and talent development.”

Succession Planning: Preparing for Future Leadership Needs

Succession planning at Aon has become a robust and future-focused process. Key elements include:

• Competency Frameworks: Defining six leadership areas—trustworthy, visionary, inclusive, results-driven, talent-focused, and client-centric.

• Future-Proofing Roles: Aligning executive competencies with anticipated organizational needs.

• Intentional Development: Pairing potential successors with senior advisors to bridge skill gaps.

Kelly notes that successful succession planning requires balancing immediate needs with long-term organizational goals.

Leveraging Internal and External Coaching

Coaching is a cornerstone of leadership development at Aon. The organization uses a blended approach of internal and external coaching to:

• Internal Coaching: Leverage cultural understanding while maintaining boundaries to avoid conflicts of interest.

• External Coaching: Tap into diverse perspectives and specialized expertise to support senior leaders.

• Customized Programs: Combine one-on-one and peer coaching for high-potential colleagues.

Kelly underscored the importance of aligning coaching efforts with organizational objectives to drive measurable outcomes.

The Power of Cohorts in Leadership Development

Cohorts have emerged as a powerful tool for fostering collaboration and resilience among leaders. Aon uses different cohort models, including:

• Intact Teams: Building trust and camaraderie among colleagues with varied responsibilities.

• Cross-Functional Cohorts: Encouraging best practice sharing and mutual support.

Facilitators often guide these groups to ensure structure and accountability, maximizing their impact.

Leadership and talent strategy are the cornerstones of organizational success, especially at global firms like Aon. Kelly Stixrud, Global Talent Enablement Leader at Aon, offers valuable insights into fostering effective leadership, driving culture change, and enabling talent development. Kelly’s expertise spans competency frameworks, executive coaching, and succession planning—all crucial elements in aligning talent strategies with organizational goals.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about leadership and talent development. Whether you're an HR professional, executive, or aspiring leader, these insights offer actionable strategies to elevate your impact.

For more insights on leadership development, talent strategy, and culture transformation, stay tuned to Crenshaw’s leadership blog.

ABOUT KELLY

Kelly Smoots Stixrud is an accomplished leader in talent management and development, currently serving as the Head of Global Talent Enablement at Aon, a global professional services firm with over 50,000 employees operating in more than 120 countries. With nearly a decade at Aon, Kelly has consistently championed transformational leadership, cultural evolution, and talent strategy to drive organizational success. In her role, Kelly oversees critical initiatives such as competency frameworks, skills development, executive coaching, and the succession planning process for Aon's executive committee.