Workplaces are busy, and different people have their own priorities that they are focused on. That's why to be productive and effective, leaders need to carve out their own space. Setting boundaries is critical because if you're not working towards you or your team's priorities, then you're probably working on someone else's! Boundaries prevent us from being stepped on, run over or controlled by the people around us. Setting boundaries can take courage, because you may need to push back on other...
Jan 25, 2021•16 min
As part of my coaching, I wanted a simple model I could use as a reference to help leaders target strengths and shortcomings in their leadership. So, I came up with the MORE model of leadership which stands for Myself, Others, Results-Focus and Effectiveness. The model is simple, but I think it covers most (if not all) of the most important aspects of leadership. I included it in this episode because I believe this can also be a good tool for leaders to see whether they have the various aspects ...
Jan 18, 2021•15 min
Not all leaders are born equal. Some people will have personal qualities that will help them succeed in leadership positions better than others. However, the good news is that leadership qualities can develop over time, along with our personality. That means we don't need to be born with them, we can take steps to incorporate them into our leadership even if they might not come naturally. In this episode, I look at the top 5 qualities that I believe make for the best leaders in today's organisat...
Jan 11, 2021•22 min
Some workplaces operate with a culture of "command and control" and toxicity that can have our team members quaking in fear. In this episode, I talk about the concept of Psychological Safety and how creating a safe culture can help to improve performance and the willingness to try new things. What are you going to do to help your people feel safe and enjoy coming to work each day? If you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here , I really appreciate it! 👈👈 Show Links: Ar...
Jan 02, 2021•16 min
The sad reality in many workplaces is that leaders keep working harder and for longer, putting the needs of their organisations and bosses ahead of their own. Self-care is critical for leaders, because you will never be able to support or lead anyone effectively if your own mindset is not where it should be. In this episode, I cover some of the problems I see in our workplaces, why leaders don't look after themselves, and of course some good ways to look after your own self-care. This is the las...
Dec 28, 2020•17 min
Have you ever wondered what the main parts of leadership are? Me too! That's why in this episode, I'm going to take you through what they are. It's important that we keep these components in balance, because when we focus too much on one area, other parts of our leadership tend to suffer. Listen to this episode to find out more about the components and let me know what you think in the comments below! Show Links: Article: Balancing the Four Essential Leadership Components . eBook: The Difficult ...
Dec 13, 2020•12 min
Job satisfaction is a critical aspect of team member motivation. If people aren't satisfied coming to work and are having to drag themselves into work every day, you're likely to see poor performance. In this episode, I highlight some of the common "Job satisfaction killers" that I see damaging motivation and performance in our workplaces, as well as some simple ways to try to overcome them in your team. Apple Podcast Review: If you like this episode, be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts ...
Dec 06, 2020•10 min
Ever felt insecure during your leadership role? It's not uncommon to feel that way, as leaders are often having to deal with change and uncertainty in their teams and workplaces. But just because we feel insecure sometimes, it doesn't mean we should resort to insecure behaviour. If we are conscious of the signs of insecure leadership, we can stop ourselves from going down that path! In this episode, I look at some of the signs of insecure leadership so you can be aware of them and stop falling i...
Nov 29, 2020•13 min
Do you find yourself frustrated by team members who won't meet your expectations? You're not alone! Many leaders struggle with this issue, feeling like they always need to run around cleaning up after their team. In this episode, I target some of the key areas which can cause this problem, and look at some ways to help your people step up and take on more accountability and ownership. Show Links: Enrol in the Team Accountability Builder Online Course. Article: Team Members Unable to Meet Your Ex...
Nov 21, 2020•13 min
Have you ever had to lead people that don't really want you to? Awkward! But this can be quite a common problem in leadership, because there are lots of potential reasons why people might be resistant to your leadership. In this episode, I cover some of these situations, the root cause that is often behind this resistance and of course, what you can do to overcome this tricky problem. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you like it! Oh... and t...
Nov 15, 2020•14 min
As the leader of your team, the openness and honesty of your communication can be a bit of a balancing act. It can feel good to be open with your team, but this can cause problems too. In this episode, I cover the benefits and drawbacks of being open and honest with your team, including some of the ways to strike the right balance. If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe using your podcast platform of choice, whether it's Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts or on Spotify . Show Links: Though...
Nov 09, 2020•10 min
Have you ever felt like you wanted your team, colleagues or your own boss to like you so much, that it has impacted your leadership? If so, you're not alone. Some leaders would rather please the people around them than make the right decisions or take the right actions. In this episode, I'll take a look at some signs that you might be a bit of a people-pleaser and then look at some ways you can shift your mindset to take the right actions instead. Show Links: Leadership Confidence Online Course:...
Nov 02, 2020•12 min
Saying "No" is a critical leadership skill, and one that many leaders still struggle with. We all want to be seen as "team players" and good leaders, so it can be tempting to just say "Yes" to everything. In this episode, I talk about how to push back and say "No" to unreasonable requests and extra workload that would push you and your team over the edge! Show Links: Article: 5 Ways to Say No Without Getting Fired . Podcast Episode: Is All Your Hard Work Helping or Hurting? Online Course: Leader...
Oct 26, 2020•15 min
Have you ever fallen into the trap where you think you know what your team members want? And perhaps you've made assumptions based on your own experience and preferences. In other words, you've assumed you know what your team members like, dislike or want to achieve in their careers, because you think they are just like you! This is a cognitive bias known as the "False Consensus" effect. Basically, this means in our head, we tell ourselves that other people are just like us. Unfortunately, this ...
Oct 19, 2020•11 min
Ever felt like you're just not good enough for your leadership role? Do you feel like other leaders seem more calm and confident than you do? Well, you're not alone. In fact, I've felt all of these feelings and more during my leadership career. The problem with imposter syndrome in leadership roles is that it can make you step back and stop leading the way you should be. So in this episode, I'm going to cover some of the best ways that I've dealt with it over the years, so you can deal with it t...
Oct 12, 2020•17 min
Building team accountability is a great way to improve performance in a team. Team members that take accountability are more likely to put in extra effort, care and attention to making sure the work is done right. Without accountability, leaders often feel like they are going it alone. If you are the only one who really cares about the quality of the work in your team, it can feel like you're running around trying to fix everything by yourself. That's why we want to be doing things that increase...
Oct 05, 2020•11 min
The way that leaders behave can have a dramatic impact on the way our team operates. Leadership behaviour can be contagious, so we need to make sure we're sending the right signals to our team members. Like it or not, we are role models for our team members, and they'll often behave the way they think we want them to, even if they don't really believe in it. In this episode, I look at the impact of negative leadership behaviour and how it can shape the attitudes and actions of our team members. ...
Sep 28, 2020•18 min
If you’ve ever had trouble with behaviour issues in your team, you’re not alone! In this episode, I take a look at some simple steps to take to diagnose and start to fix behaviour problems from team members. This can be quite tricky so there might be some trial and error, but if you follow the steps you should be able to make some progress! Don’t forget to subscribe in your podcast app of choice and leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you like this episode! Team Accountability Pack: If you would...
Sep 21, 2020•22 min
With the rise of more inclusive and collaborative leadership, setting deadlines can be uncomfortable for many leaders. However, there are good reasons for deadlines and they really can help to improve performance. The trick is to make your deadlines meaningful, useful and real. This will help your people strive to achieve the target and feel motivated at the same time. In this episode, I look at some of the common problems we see with deadlines in the workplace (or lack of them), the benefits of...
Sep 14, 2020•13 min
Ever felt like you're constantly dealing with people problems and team issues, rather than doing actual work ? You're not alone. Dealing with people problems is a natural part of leadership. However, if it is consuming your working day so much that you can't actually focus on doing real work that moves your team or business forwards, then you have a problem. You're not alone. Dealing with people problems is a natural part of leadership. However, if it is consuming your working day so much that y...
Sep 07, 2020•11 min
Doing meaningful work is one of the greatest motivational factors that drives team member performance. When people feel as if they are taking on worthwhile tasks that matter, they're more likely to feel engaged and put in the effort. Unfortunately, there are many people who aren't doing meaningful work. There is a lot of wasted time and effort in our workplaces which can destroy motivation. In this episode, Ben looks at some ways that you can provide more meaningful work to your team, so they fe...
Aug 31, 2020•12 min
As humans, we are constantly experiencing emotions and the workplace is no exception. Leaders often need to deal with deadlines, team problems and other situations, so it's inevitable to feel stressed, upset or anxious from time to time. Even positive emotions can get us in trouble in the wrong context. The most important part of dealing with emotions is making sure that we can respond to them in a productive way. In this episode, I cover some of the ways we experience emotions, some of the trou...
Aug 24, 2020•10 min
When I hear the words "Performance Management" these days I tend to cringe a little. Why? Because over the years, Performance Management seems to have become more about following arduous Human Resources (HR) processes and pushing people out of the organisation than actually improving performance. In this episode, I run through the 5Cs of Performance Management, to actually help you get better results in your team. Let's forget about the formal HR process for a moment and actually focus on good l...
Aug 17, 2020•15 min
Setting a direction is an extremely powerful action that leaders can take to reduce conflict, improve productivity and make sure everyone is on the same page. Setting a clear direction seems obvious, but I've seen many cases where conflicting priorities still unravel teams and cause dysfunction. In this episode, I look at some of the reasons why setting a direction is so important, how it will help your team and of course, how you can set a direction yourself. Get the Team Accountability Pack: I...
Aug 10, 2020•12 min
Many organisations seem to be trying to do too much, with too little. The list of "critical" initiatives and projects seems to keep getting bigger. Committing to lots of priorities seems like a good idea. It looks good to say you'll complete 100 initiatives this year. The problem is that in reality, it looks more like you'll complete 20 of those initiatives. Often the pressure flows down hill. The senior leaders at the top set too many priorities, and then everyone else needs to deal with it. So...
Aug 03, 2020•15 min
Self-serving leaders put themselves ahead of other people in their organisation, including their teams. Most of us have a tendency to believe that some leaders are selfish and out for themselves, while others aren't. I believe that our self-serving tendencies lie on a spectrum, it's not black or white. Yes, there will always be the political animals and the power players, but everyone else sits on this spectrum too. Sometimes, the environment we work in can bring out these harmful characteristic...
Jul 27, 2020•16 min
Leadership can be stressful. Sometimes we feel like we want to have all the answers, when the reality is that our workplaces can be full of ambiguity and uncertainty. In an effort to gain control of their team and guide them in the right direction, some leaders will try to grip on tighter. They feel like if they don't, they'll lose control and everything will go wrong. Well... what if I told you that the opposite is true? That you should in fact force yourself to let go, stand back and let your ...
Jul 20, 2020•13 min
Most of us have been conditioned to believe that hard work is a good thing. Working long hours, being exhausted every day - it's all part of the general grind of work. While hard work was certainly needed in the "olden days", our working lives have changed. Instead of going down a mine or lifting heavy things, many of us spend a lot of time doing "knowledge work" which involves writing documents or analysing information. With this type of work, many of the benefits aren't so obvious. Many worker...
Jul 13, 2020•13 min
I've worked in many organisations where leaders are still running on the hamster wheel of work. These leaders treat themselves poorly, without taking breaks or doing anything else to support their wellbeing at work. There are a few problems here - perception is one of them. Some leaders think that if they are perceived as hard-working or never taking a break, people will think they are better leaders... wrong! When I see someone who can't take a break and keeps putting themselves second all the ...
Jul 06, 2020•10 min
Many organisations spend an enormous amount of time focusing on small, trivial issues and working around problems instead of tackling them head on. Focusing on the small issues is a great way to procrastinate and make yourself feel like you're doing something. In this episode I talk about why this happens, how you can tell if it's happening to you and then, of course, some ways to help you change your mindset and give you the courage to address that elephant in the room. If you like this episode...
Jun 29, 2020•13 min
