
Ashley Herd: Why Better Managers Drive Better Business Results
From Enterprising Investor by CFA Institute
January 15, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 557
About this episode
Ashley Herd discusses the importance of effective management and communication in driving business success.
Great management isn't a "soft skill" — it's a measurable performance lever. Ashley Herd, founder and CEO of Manager Method and author of The Manager Method: Practical Strategies to Lead with Purpose and Confidence , joins host Mike Wallberg, CFA, to unpack why communication sits at the heart of effective leadership and how small managerial choices ripple through engagement, retention, and profitability. Drawing on her experience as a lawyer, in-house leader, and advisor who has trained more than 250,000 managers, Herd explains why promoting top performers into management roles so often backfires, how leaders can avoid micromanagement without disappearing, and why her "pause, consider, act" framework helps managers handle everything from delegation to performance conversations. The discussion also explores what investors and analysts can learn about management quality by listening closely to leadership behavior — not just the numbers — and why culture and innovation are inseparable from long-term returns. Listen to the full episode of Enterprising Investor to hear practical insights on building better managers, stronger teams, and more resilient businesses.
People in this episode
Host: Mike Wallberg
Guest: Ashley Herd
Topics covered
- management
- leadership
- business results
- communication
- employee engagement
- profitability
Keywords
- management
- leadership
- employee engagement
- profitability
- communication
- performance
- business results
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Manager Method, CFA Institute
Books & works: The Manager Method: Practical Strategies to Lead with Purpose and Confidence
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