If you’re a senior leader, this isn’t just poor advice; it’s a missed opportunity. True leadership involves pausing to ask, “What are we hoping to achieve?” instead of simply reacting to every request. Let me share an example: A few years ago, a CFO came to our session visibly distressed. They’d received a single-line email…
Posts Tagged:#executivedevelopment
How’s your development plan going? If you’re like most people, I’m guessing – not well. Chances are, about eight months ago, you sat down and created a list of actions to help develop yourself. You might have felt quite committed when you wrote them all down. But then life happened – things got busy, and…
If leadership development is on your agenda—for yourself or your organisation—make sure it’s an investment that delivers real results. Traditional training on its own rarely creates lasting change. After all, when was the last time you mastered a skill just by being told about it? Here’s what I believe drives effective leadership growth: Self-Insight: Begin…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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.…
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…