Leadership can be a real poke in the eye. We carry responsibility and accountability, sandwiched between expectations and reality. Confronting the brutal facts is not for the faint of heart! We need to learn to be brave - not just for ourselves, but for others. Discover how howling near naked in the rain can harness your inner Warrior!
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Know thyself and other leadership strategies
Under pressure? It’s easy to crack. As leaders, we need to be able to respond with grace regardless of the emotional chaos around us. But how? Read on, Macduff.
Read MoreLeadership under pressure and facing up to fears
We’ve been pretty good lately at catastrophising. The media has us spellbound, doom scrolling through the news. We imagine the worst, and get stuck freaking out about it. The worst may indeed happen. Better to imagine it happening, rather than look on fear struck and paralysed. Welcome to ‘fear setting’.
Read MoreHow charisma can improve your leadership effectiveness
We are naturally drawn to leaders with confidence and charm. Many leaders feel they are deficient if they are not the life of the party. This is far from the truth! Simple little things can greatly enhance your charisma, while being completely authentic. Read on for these showstopping tips!
Read MoreWhat leadership principles do you need in a crisis?
Crisis can create panic. All of us are wired to avoid threat and when we see it, we jump into survival mode. Often this leads to rash decisions. We need to cultivate composure to handle the toughest stuff. ‘Stop the moving parts’ is one way to do this.
Read MoreTeam development strategies for when stress hits
Banging doors, swearing, and raised voices. Stressed out staff don’t always behave in the most professional way. As leaders, what can we do to prevent these outbursts?
Read MoreWhy listening is a leadership priority
Trust is a tricky thing. Hard earned, easily lost. As a leader, trust is our primary currency for culture. But if it’s gone, what can we do?
Read More50th Birthday Wisdom
Something about getting older and having a birthday with a zero in it makes you sit up and pay attention. Here’s some of my thought bubbles for you. May they inspire and titillate.
Read MoreThe #1 mistake in handling corporate culture problems
How many times have you heard, “It’s a personality clash”. That’s the default response when it comes to people stuff problems. And it is not always true! In fact it’s true much less often than you think. Here’s what the issues are really about.
Read MoreGet an elevated perspective on your leadership challenges
Racism, institutionalised injustices, political polarisation. These are not easy issues. It is all too easy to judge and dismiss. Leadership is never easy, particularly with complex and barbed issues. Where do you start? It starts with a point of view.
Read MoreCreate a leadership mindset that's ON for innovation
Now is the time to innovate, to get set up for the new normal, to be on the front foot as we tiptoe through the covid tulips. But let’s face it, who has the energy for innovation right now? Change is hard at the best of times, let alone when we are still juggling the uncertainty of a pandemic world. Ugh. Yet innovate we must, or face the oblivion of irrelevance. Here’s how to enthuse your team (and yourself) with innovation energy.
Read MoreHow to make team development events meaningful
It is with great joy I am running my first live, in person training event since armageddon March 12. That’s nearly three months! Gathering in person is a serious commitment when it’s so easy to stay at home. We’ve got to make it special and meaningful. Here’s how.
Read MoreA leadership approach for 'not-to-be-missed' team events
Since the shut down, the absence of events has either been a blessing or a curse. One thing is for sure, it’s made us rethink the ones we do by default. When we are allowed to gather once more, in small or bigger groups, events will need careful consideration.
Read MoreLeadership strategies for resetting the team
How are you feeling right now? How is the team doing? Thinking of reopening the office, or do you have a semi-open one now? With no end in sight, the pandemic is draining our collective mojo. Anxiety is taxing and people are exhausted. We can however put a line in the sand. We have made it through the first stage of the pandemic, from crisis control to whatever you want to call this current state of affairs. Now is the perfect time to undertake a team reset. Here’s how.
Read MoreHow to stop the Ground Splitter undermining corporate culture
Backbiting and nasty comments. Whispered corridor conversations. Furtive looks and silent staring at the computer. Back in the day when we shared offices, this kind of behaviour ate away at the culture like a hungry termite. Now that we are remote, it still happens, but in private zoom rooms. How can we stop the two-faced nastiness?
Read MoreHow to avoid the Water Bomber - One of the Four Devils of People Stuff
Some people light up a room when they enter; others when they leave it. Ever been around someone who was a breathing bag of whingeing? An emotional bagpipe, constantly squeezed and wailing? Chances are we've been that Devil too. Let’s look at how we can avoid letting our inner Water Bomber out into the open.
Read MoreHow to tame a Storm Driver - One of the Four Devils of People Stuff
Ever been on the receiving end of an emotional tirade? Witness a tantrum at work? It’s a marvel to behold. Like watching an approaching storm, we can be awestruck and terrified at the same time. When it comes to people letting an emotional rampage loose at work, the devastation can be harrowing. Let’s move to quell the storm.
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Read MoreHow to spot the Firebug - One of the Four Devils of People Stuff
Let’s face it, we’re not always at our best. There are times when tempers fray, jealousy flares, irritation settles under the skin like shingles. If we are to move away from the worst part of us, we need to be able to spot the devils when they appear.
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Read MoreLeadership strategies for motivating remote teams
Same day, same four walls. How is cabin fever? If you’re struggling, chances are your team is too. Let’s take a look at what we can do to help each other stay sane.
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Read MoreLeadership strategies for uncertain times
As we move more firmly into the Great Cocooning, we need to be mindful of our core responsibility as leaders. Where there is uncertainty, let us provide clarity. Where there is fear, let us provide hope. Where there is doubt, let us provide chocolate. It makes everything better. Let’s look at some practical things we can do right now to lead with confidence, though the way is masked in fog.
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