A favourite tool of many consulting firms is the dreaded 360° feedback survey that gets routinely pushed out, often just ahead of the equally dreaded performance review. Leaders and managers are asked to get selected peers, direct reports and supervisors to answer them anonymously. The surveys usually contain between about fifty to well over a […]
He’d had enough. There was too much bureaucracy and costs coming from his HR department and he couldn’t see a return on investment from what they were doing. So he did this, honourably and efficiently: Closed down his HR department. Kept one HR person to manage records and ensure compliance – there are software systems […]
There seems to be a never-ending list of leadership styles, models and theories, with new ones emerging frequently. The topic of ‘leadership books’ in Amazon throws up 176,009 titles! They all say pretty much the same thing – it’s about influencing people to behave and act together to achieve a vision. They unpack that statement […]
Everyone can learn to lead, but that doesn’t mean they should. Gallup says that 82% of management appointments (which always involve leadership) are ‘wrong fits’. So before embarking on your leadership journey, consider disqualifying yourself if any of your primary reasons for becoming a leader are listed below: You want to be the ‘hero’. It’s […]
Everything is changing rapidly, isn’t it? In only five to ten years from now it is likely that artificial intelligence, robotics, and additive fabrication technology will have replaced many current ‘jobs’. Nevertheless, the future of work remains unlimited just evolved. How will you lead yourself and your people towards this imminent future? Your people skills, […]
Time and again when I speak with successful leaders I am reminded that one of their greatest strengths is their devotion to regular self-reflection. Their courage to face the truths about their thoughts, expressions, decisions and actions, plus their desire to always improve themselves leads directly to their higher performance. Here is a non-exhaustive list […]
Let your direct reports know how much you value them? (And if you don’t value them, what have you done to rectify the situation?) Asked your direct reports what you need to do differently; stop doing; start doing and keep doing? Walked around your ‘turf’ looking for real reasons to compliment your people? Asked your […]
The man in the grey suit approached as we were taking a coffee break in my presentation on the “12 C’s of Effective Leadership Behaviour” from my book “The Wheel of Effective Leadership Behaviour”. “So which leadership style do you advocate?” he asked. I paused then said “I don’t advocate any particular style of leadership.” […]
The diversity of effective leadership styles and their personalities is immense, ranging from the visionary humble and beloved leader to the feared dynamic controlling leader who gets people through crisis after crisis. The latter styles tend to be short-lived and fit for purpose. Whilst they get us through as crisis, they are damaging otherwise. What […]
A recent UK report arguing for HR to add more value to M&A deals is extremely revealing. Not only does it show the lack of effectiveness of HR in M&A’s, it also reveals the secret ambition of HR – to be the leaders in their corporation. The article suggests the HR professional should coach senior […]
