Author Archive:

“Leadership is a one-person job.”

While I love working one-on-one to help chief executives perform at their peak, there is something very special about getting a group of leaders on the same page about how they’ll lead. And that’s exactly what I’m getting to do this week! The organisation was particularly insightful in their desire to combine two things: So…

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“360-degree feedback does more harm than good.”

If most of us agree that feedback is a gift, why isn’t everyone asking to do a 360? Well, because lots of people have had awful experiences with them. And it’s not so much about the feedback itself, but more about how the process was conducted and how the information was used. When used correctly,…

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“I’m going to give them a piece of my mind!”

One of the things I’m often called in to do is “relationship optimisation”; in other words, helping two people who aren’t getting on get their relationship back on track and work together better. When I sit down with each person to understand the problem from their perspective, I invariably find one or more of the…

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“I have to disagree with you there…”

My younger self was pretty combative. Always standing up for what I believed in, arguing the point, and trying to make others see it my way. The problem was – they didn’t. These days, I’m no less principled and passionate; but my approach to influencing has changed dramatically. Some people think I do it this…

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“What others think of you is none of your business.”

I’ve noticed this movement lately of people being closed to feedback. When asked: “Can I give you some feedback on that?”, they don’t brace for impact; they politely say “No”. If you’re taking this approach (or want to!), I can see your point. I don’t think it’s good to open ourselves up to feedback from…

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“Restructures are the best way to drive change.”

Especially in the current climate, every organisation I talk to seems to want the same thing. They want their people to quickly embrace change and readily initiate it. In other words, they want to be change-resilient. And fast. If you’re light on budget and short on time, my favourite way to achieve this is to…

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“The paycheque at the end of the month is recognition enough.”

Last weekend, while I was out enjoying the sunshine, my 16-year-old was drumming up business for his new window-washing business. After spending weeks sourcing the right gear, honing his craft and researching sales techniques, he couldn’t wait to get stuck in. He door knocked for hours. 10 to be exact. And not a single bite.…

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“Talking a good game builds trust.”

I am a tough nut to crack. The more someone tries to push me – into an idea, a product or a service – the more reluctant I become. It’s not that I’m purposefully obstinate. The daughter of an engineer, I’ve been encouraged to think critically from such a young age; it’s in my blood.…

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“To be an effective leader, all you need is more knowledge.”

This week, I’m excited to be starting monthly executive coaching with a couple of new clients. Each of them will receive one of these lovingly-crafted practical guides on how to help others be at their best. While I always get great feedback on this guide, I’m under no illusion: Knowledge alone does not change you.…

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“You’re the only one who feels like an imposter at times.”

Actually, this couldn’t be further from the truth – so many highly competent people feel unconfident at times. While I don’t personally love the term, I get asked about “imposter syndrome” so much that I thought I’d put together 7 tips you can try. This is not an exhaustive list, so feel free to add…

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