One of the traits of an effective leader is problem-solving. Unchecked, a leader is constantly looking for problems to solve. Although the intention to improve things is positive, the results can be negative: Perceptions of micro-management “We only see the boss when something goes wrong” No attention being paid to success and achievement, resulting in […]
That it’s about employee engagement. It’s really about leadership engagement, without which there is no employee engagement. That’s where the focus needs to be first and foremost. Too many leaders are too busy to be engaged with their employees, so they outsource or delegate to HR professionals etc. Damn shame isn’t it? Proof of how […]
So much is expected of leaders. After all they have accepted the role and the rewards of stewardship of the values, the vision, the people and the results. With such high stakes the effective leader must have a variety of traits to handle the complexities and uncertainties of the territory. Yet there is one trait […]
In helping my senior leader clients master their role, I ask them to consider developing a pentagonal mindset. The foundational element is values. Values are the rules of the game, why and how we think and behave. To break them is to be in dishonour. A dishonourable leader has no future. The next element is […]
There are valuable corporate lessons to be learned from the FIFA scandal. For me the main lesson is the length of time a peak leader stays in the role, which is ultimately a succession planning issue. Whether a corporation of some sort or a government or even a dynasty, without a timely authentic ‘changing of […]
There is a much complained-about gap between strategy and results. There is also a thriving consulting business in attempting to close that gap. It has given rise to jargon, misnomers and other rubbish that thwarts the desired outcomes. Executing strategy is actually executing the tactics that make up the strategy. We implement strategy and execute […]
With the discussion about equality of marriage rights for gay and lesbian people high on the Australian nation’s agenda, watch closely for valuable leadership lessons from Tony Abbott. Regardless of what he says and does about the issue, now that his opposite Bill Shorten has tabled a bill on the matter, there will be lessons […]
There is rightly a greater focus these days on leaders needing to be creative, thanks to the disruptive changes taking place in technology, aging, climate and economics. However should they be the most creative in the team? I believe they don’t, though they require access to the best creative minds for their purpose. In commerce, […]
Can you remember a time when you were acknowledged for having done great work? How did you feel? Too many people in the workplace feel they aren’t recognised or acknowledged for having done great work. The cost of not acknowledging great work is high – it leads to employee disengagement, frustration and a lowering of […]
We have been taught that we are all equal. That is true regarding respect, justice and our humanity. But we are not all equal when it comes to our talents, skills and preferences. Too many organisations follow the mantra of ‘one size fits all’. This leads to people being deployed in roles for which they […]
