Blog

In a 360-feedback interview a team member described his leader as being inconsiderate and unreasonable. He went on to say that when his leader was overwhelmed and overstressed, the leader had a “very short fuse”. Further investigations with other team members told a similar story: They felt devalued and disrespected because their leader was sometimesRead more

Just quickly, before we get to 2015’s hot topics, I want to say… Whether you’re a person I coach, a sponsor of a person I coach, a business associate or a friend, I appreciate you being in my 2015. Thank you! It’s been a valuable year and I’m glad you were a part of itRead more

Self-esteem. It’s a sensitive topic that, in an instant, could have you putting yourself into one of two camps… Camp 1:    My self-esteem is good, thanks very much. I’m not sure that I need this bulletin. Camp 2:    You’ve written this for me. I definitely need to feel better about myself! If you’re in theRead 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

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

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

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

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

Self-esteem. It’s a sensitive topic that, in an instant, could have you putting yourself into one of two camps… Camp 1:    My self-esteem is good, thanks very much. I’m not sure that I need this bulletin. Camp 2:    You’ve written this for me. I definitely need to feel better about myself! If you’re in theRead more

Aaron’s the CEO of a financial organisation. Given the instability in the financial markets for the last two or three years, being in his role hasn’t been a bed of roses. However, the levels of trust people in his organisation have for him has grown markedly in this time. In contrast, Zach’s the CEO ofRead more

On a good day, being urgently summoned to your boss’ office will have you excitedly optimistic and expecting to be acknowledged for your good work or perhaps requested to lead an exciting new project. Oh happy days! On a bad day, being similarly summoned will have you feeling tense and nervous, expecting a reprimand aboutRead more

As a leader your job is essentially to get things done through others—to motivate, persuade, inspire and propel your team members to meet their targets. Right? And that’s not a big ask when your emotional intelligence (EQ) is up there. Unfortunately the reverse applies too. That would be why Yale’s School of Management, for example,Read more

Want practical, effective thinking habits that’ll maximise your leadership results? You’ve heard that when we’re “in the zone” distractions and fears don’t exist and that we think really clearly, right? If you want to spruce up your leadership practices and behaviours, this is an exceptionally useful concept…   More About This “In The Zone” ConceptRead more

I can hear you saying “Why on earth would I want to do that?” Before answering this question, let me quickly do a bit of important framing… Most leaders are quite nervous about “airing their emotions”. About 75% of the leaders I’ve coached have indicated that they’re apprehensive about disclosing how they feel. So, ifRead more

Want practical, effective thinking habits that’ll maximise your leadership results? This Leadership Bulletin outlines a simple but precise three-step process that’ll have your mind actively supporting you to create your targeted outcomes. But before we look at what you can do to create your ideal, let’s take a peek at what happens when you ruminateRead more

In a lift recently, I overheard a leader respond to the “How are you?” question by saying “Oh, not bad. I’m concerned about how we’re travelling. My team seems to be really sluggish.” The leader was then asked “Sluggish? How come?” He said, “My team’s just not motivated. They complain about one another. And they’reRead more

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself—Wayne Dyer  A recent Leadership Bulletin focussed on why an “I’m OK, You’re OK” attitude is an intrinsic part of effective leadership. This triggered a lot of discussion . What troubled some Bulletin readers was their perception of their lack of capacity to viewRead more