“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” said Peter Drucker, by which I think he meant getting the right culture is very important for organisational and team success. Rather than just accepting culture as it is, a key question that leaders need to ask themselves is “how can...
We don’t have to look far to see organisations going through major adaptations and changes: restructures, downsizing, changing business practices and processes. As a people manager you have probably had your hands and head full, getting to grips with what’s happening in your organisation. If you...
The modern world is complex and requires leaders who can leverage the talents of a team of experts to solve problems and gain a competitive edge. As these individuals will most likely have more knowledge and experience than you in their areas of expertise, getting the...
This is a question that all leaders should ask themselves but, if we do, our reflection is often skill or attribute focused, for example “should I be more visionary, or more empathic, or more decisive?”. Is this skill or attribute focus the most effective way...
Let’s start by reminding ourselves of the two fundamental questions of leadership: Where am I going? Why should anyone follow me? My previous blogs have focused on Strategic Thinking where I have outlined what it is and how developing an effective strategy may be best approached. This addresses...
Leaders of organisations spend a lot of time thinking about, and evolving, strategy but there are three questions that may be even more important to consider first: Why we exist as an organisation – What is our Mission or Purpose? Who we are – What are our...
To paraphrase Leo Tolstoy: “All happy teams are alike; each unhappy team is unhappy in its own way.” A dysfunctional team can be a nightmare and suck up huge amounts of time, emotion and motivation as well as significantly affect results. Sometimes, it can seem as...
There are many books written about Strategic Thinking but, to many people, what this means is still unclear. So, how do you demystify the concept in a short blog? Strategic Thinking seeks to answer two key strategic questions: Where are you going to play? In which countries,...
When I received school reports for my two daughters at the end of last term, I was a bit surprised by the new format used. The way the report was written had changed and some key information, which had always been there before, was missing. ...
As a leader, do you ever wonder how you’re perceived by others? Well, as a leader, everything you do is seen and everything you say is heard which sends a message to the people you lead. So, what messages are you sending and how are these perceived?...
Why do you delegate? Is it because you’re busy and can’t get everything done? Is it because you want to give someone else an opportunity to develop? Is it a bit of both? Whatever your reason, delegation is an ART and, like any art form,...
There are many opinions on what it takes to be personally effective. Here, a view from the top of the world offers another perspective. The same perspective can be applied to your effectiveness at lower altitude – read on to find out how… At 8,848 metres,...
With so many differing views on leadership, how are you supposed to make sense of what you should be doing as a Leader? What do you need to do to get it right? If you want to know how to get it right, read on… To start with,...