Blog

I couldn’t count the number of times people in organisations have said that their leaders just aren’t getting candid feedback. And many leaders have disclosed to me that they personally haven’t been completely candid in giving their boss feedback.   What’s This Got To Do With The Disease That Most Leaders Have?  “CEO’s Disease” isRead more

An “I’m OK, You’re OK” attitude is an intrinsic part of effective leadership. This proposition usually triggers a lot of discussion . What troubles some leaders is their perception of their lack of capacity to view another person as OK when the other person’s behaviour was clearly not OK—well, in the mind of the observerRead more

Trying to change a behaviour can be exasperating, can’t it? Many, many attempted behavioural changes get derailed. Unless something special happens, it’s way too easy to, wittingly or unwittingly, resurrect the old habit. We’re very reluctant to change our behaviours. But I have a treat for you, courtesy of best-selling author, Marshall Goldsmith. (The toolRead more

Here’s a template that’ll pull things together for you when you want to influence people to adopt your thinking. It’s called an “Influence Map”. You’ll find it clever but simple and effective to use. You can use it in a macro way, say “to be a more influential leader”. Or you can use it in aRead more

To be frank, most leaders spend too much time drilling down into the details of their team members’ jobs. It’s the leaders job to create an environment that has team members accepting real accountability for meeting their objectives! How much drilling down, micro-managing, are you doing? Hold your head high if you’re focusing on theRead more

I’m noticing that there’s a critical, key-difference between: A stand-out leader who’s truly respected, and A so-so leader who’s not nearly so well regarded. The behaviour I’m noticing, that the highly-valued, sought-after leader consistently demonstrates, is…   Conversationally, They’re An Exceptional Receiver We’re not talking here about how well a leader receives gifts or awardsRead more

There’s now heaps of research about how the best leaders have high emotional intelligence (EQ). And a large part of a leader’s high EQ is them having: An awareness of their mood, and The ability to manage their thinking. They know that it’s their thinking that needs to shift when their mood isn’t constructive—because it’sRead more

Warning: In disclosing my opinions on this topic, you’ll detect that I take a tough line. That’s because I think the topic is vital for effective leadership… What words would others use to describe you? Up or down? Optimistic or anxious? Happy or sad? Relaxed or frazzled? Beware! Your state of mind as a leaderRead more

Enough struggling with team members—enough feeling frustrated with peers—enough grappling with your boss—enough wrestling with issues! It’s time for you to tackle your frustrations… …and influence difficult people with ease. It’s time for you to have more impact… …and grow your leadership career. It’s time to loosen up and flow as a leader… …and haveRead more

I hope 2015 is looking like it’s going to be immensely satisfying for you . We have two topics in this first bulletin of the year: The most useful/read/commented on/liked Leadership Bulletins during 2014 The two issues/subjects/concerns/themes you’d like me include in our Leadership Bulletins during 2015.   Your Top Three Leadership Bulletin Topics FromRead more

I can’t say this better than Seth Godin did: “We Have Limits… There are challenges, limited resources, people or organisations working against you. Your knee hurts, the boss is a jerk, the systems are down.   We Have Opportunities… There are opportunities, new sources of leverage and ideas just waiting to be embraced. You canRead more

Listening without an intent (that is, your sole purpose, your only immediate outcome, is to hear what the other person’s saying) takes guts. It takes courage. And it takes patience. Listening-without-intent also takes practice. Think about it… How often are you currently “listening while waiting to speak?” Or “listening to understand”? Or “listening with theRead more

I appreciate you taking the time to read this bulletin  Some leaders have it embedded in their DNA to let others know that they appreciate them—and for other leaders it’s a learned skill. Regardless of your genetics, let’s look at why thanking a team member, or anyone really, is a hugely impactful habit to develop.Read more

It Was Clear That The Two In The Next Meeting Room Were In Trouble… Overhearing was inevitable from my adjacent room—and things weren’t going well for them! Interestingly, when you only hear the voice it’s so easy to notice the underlying attitudes, isn’t it? The flavor of their communication, especially the bad habits they’d bothRead more

The leaders we admire and align with are the leaders that we trust—and, when it comes to cranking up engagement, having your team members trust you is THE number one essential. It’s therefore essential that you’re alert to these two key ways you can immediately kill off your team members’ trust in you: Being emotionallyRead more

Yes, we know carrots are good for your physical health—your skin, digestion and blood pressure, plus some—and they’re good for your mental health too. I want to be sure our thinking is aligned regarding the “mental health” though… Using my exercise routine as an example, here’s my self-talk about exercising: “I enjoy a physical workout.Read more

Follow Your Natural Tendency At Your Peril It’s not that tough is more effective than tender, or that tender is more effective than tough… It’s that some leaders automatically take a tough stanceyou know, those firm leaders whose decisions are based on a detached logic, who take a no-compromise position, whose judgment disregards sentiment orRead more

Leaders who don’t master conflict are leaders who grapple with managing their tension and stress—and who unwittingly stall their careers. You’re reading a great article for you if: You feel nervous, or even powerless, when conflict strikes, or You find yourself side-stepping hard-to-handle, difficult situations, or You have an inkling that your success, and yourRead more

Oh my gosh, occasionally circumstances seem to line up against us, don’t they? You know those days, when the traffic made you late for a meeting, then the content of the meeting had you feeling hot under the collar, and then, on the way back to your desk, one of your team members, Mike, informsRead more

Yep, nothing has changed in this respect since Emotional Intelligence (EQ) first became a mainstream topic of conversation almost twenty years ago. EQ is still the #1 predictor of first-rate performance at work. Of course, technical skills and IQ also impact performance—but not nearly as much as EQ does.   We Only Need “Threshold” AmountsRead more