Daily commitments are a powerful tool that I use with some of my coaching clients. Commitments are a great way to shift mindset and help you show up the way you want to every day. For leaders this is extremely valuable, because we are often in challenging situations where our people are relying on us to remain calm, composed and motivated. After all, we want to role model the right behaviours! In this episode, I discuss the benefits of daily commitments, how you can develop some for yourself and...
Aug 24, 2021•13 min
Ever wanted to improve engagement in your team, and make work more interesting at the same time? Well, you’re in luck! In this episode, I interview Lauren Dixon who is the founder of Wizard Innovation Labs. Lauren is an ex-corporate consultant who wants to make work better for all kinds of teams. She founded Wizard Innovation Labs in 2020 to help teams be more innovative and effective through unlocking people’s creativity and performance. You’ll most often find her – Sharpie in hand – facilitati...
Aug 18, 2021•27 min
Many leaders struggle with the balance between wanting their people to like them and getting the respect they need to perform their leadership role effectively. So which is it? Is it better to be liked or respected? And is it reasonable to want both? In this episode I look at both sides of this issue and look at the pros and cons of each! Want to Feel More In Control of Your Leadership Situation? 😎 Join the New Group Coaching Program If you struggle with your workload and feel like you’re not i...
Aug 10, 2021•14 min
It’s frustrating when you ask your people to do something and they just can’t seem to get on board. Your first instinct might be to think they are incompetent or lazy. However, I’ve found that hardly anybody comes to work looking to do a bad job – there is usually more to the situation. In this episode, I’ll take a look at some of the questions you can ask yourself about your people, to see whether you can narrow down the source of the problem. Want to Feel More In Control of Your Leadership Sit...
Aug 03, 2021•13 min
Some leaders consider regular 1 to 1 meetings with their team members to be a waste of time and effort. After all, there are lots of other things that could be done instead of adding another regular meeting to your schedule. This perception often results in 1 to 1 meetings being held less frequently, on a monthly basis or even less. This isn’t very much over the course of a whole year! 1 to 1 meetings can be a valuable point of engagement with your team, especially if you focus on making them us...
Jul 26, 2021•16 min
It’s never pleasant when your people aren’t getting on board with what you’re trying to do. But leaders are in the business of making change, and resistance is a natural part of the process. Whether you are trying to introduce a new process, change the structure of your organisation or trying to get your people to think differently, you’ll likely find people who are resistant to it. Change brings uncertainty, which breeds fear of the future, and of the unknown. In this episode, I discuss some of...
Jul 20, 2021•15 min
It’s very common for leaders to feel a lack of confidence sometimes, and it’s nothing to be ashamed about. But ideally, we’d like to be perceived as self-assured and confident most of the time, so people want to follow us! In this episode, I look at some of the common signs of a lack of confidence that I see in leaders, so that you can try to avoid them. Sometimes it’s as simple as creating a shift in language and behaviour that can make us seem much more confident. If you like this podcast, be ...
Jul 13, 2021•14 min
Ever struggled working in a tough role in a challenging workplace? How about working for a horrible boss? If the answer is yes, then this episode is for you! This week, I interview Reshad Oberlander, an experienced leader and host of the excellent Weekly Leadership Experience podcast. In this interview, Reshad shares his experience working in toxic workplaces, and how he has managed to bounce back and keep leading despite the setbacks. Reshad is a leadership super junkie with more than 17 years ...
Jul 06, 2021•38 min
Thoughtful leaders sometimes get caught in the trap of trying to shelter their people from harm. While this can be a good thing, it can also slow the growth and development of your team members if they never need to fight their own battles or solve their own problems. In this episode, I look at protective leadership, some of the common causes and then the situations where I see it occur most commonly. You can use these scenarios to see whether you may need to adjust your own approach to your tea...
Jun 27, 2021•13 min
Trust is a vital ingredient in a productive, cohesive team. When people in a team trust each other, they feel like they are in a safe environment, free from blame. People in a trusting team are much more likely to show commitment to the team and to feel compelled to do a great job. For leaders, trust is important because they need to believe that their team members will be able to get the job done and work well with others. However, trust goes both ways. Not only do you need leaders to trust the...
Jun 21, 2021•18 min
Work doesn’t always go smoothly, or to plan. As leaders, we are often put in situations where we are under stress and having to work through uncertainty. Leaders need to be able to keep calm, make good decisions and move forward. That’s why in this episode, I run through some good ways to help yourself stay calm in times of trouble, stress and uncertainty. After all, a calm leader looks more confident and capable, and is more likely to have people want to follow them! Like the Show? Leave a Revi...
Jun 15, 2021•13 min
Fear is a natural part of leadership, because leaders are always pushing forward, trying to make change and improve their workplaces. They are taking on responsibility and dealing with difficult situations every day. Thoughtful, introspective leaders can be vulnerable to fear because they tend to be aware of their feelings and emotions. Instead of ignoring them, they may feel that this means something is wrong. However, it’s impossible to avoid all fear in your leadership role, and it’s how we r...
Jun 07, 2021•16 min
One of the most frustrating parts of workplace life happens when people aren’t communicating effectively. After all, it’s easy for communication to break down in the hustle and bustle. In this episode, I look at some of the common causes of communication issues and of course, some ways that you can avoid them in your team and workplace. As usual, leaders have a huge part to play in how communication flows, which can have a dramatic effect on just how productive your workplace is! Book Your Disco...
Jun 01, 2021•17 min
It’s inevitable that at some point in your leadership career, you’re going to come across a colleague that you just don’t see eye to eye with. In this episode, I cover the various causes of poor working relationships and some ways to fix it so that you can work together productively, even if you don’t become amazing friends. After all, it’s much nice to come to work without the stress and awkwardness of a difficult colleague. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Disco...
May 24, 2021•17 min
Sometimes even the best of us will go down the road of weak leadership… even if we don’t mean to. Leadership is complex and can be difficult and sometimes we’ll run the other way when we come up against our fears. We might take the easy road instead of the more difficult path. But what might that mean in the long run? Could our problems get even worse? In this episode, I’ll discuss some of the misconceptions of weak leadership, as well as some of the key signs of weak leadership and what you can...
May 17, 2021•12 min
Collaborative and inclusive leadership can be great when used in moderation. But what happens when leaders collaborate too much? Many thoughtful leaders fall into the collaboration trap because they value the input and opinions of others. They care about giving people a chance to make their opinions count. This is generally a good thing… but it can come with some issues. In this episode, I’ll cover the pitfalls of the collaborative and inclusive leadership style and look at some ways to avoid th...
May 10, 2021•14 min
In this episode I interview Michael Watts, who is a consultant focused on helping business incorporate more purpose into their operations. In our conversation we cover what we mean by “Purpose for Profit” and how leaders can start to use a purpose-driven approach to improve engagement within their teams and organisations. You can get in touch with Michael by clicking the show links below, but don’t forget to leave a review if you like the podcast! Like the Show? Leave a Review On Apple Podcasts ...
May 03, 2021•32 min
Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone in our teams were super high performers? You know, go-getters who are striving to improve their career and going over and above all the time? Well, maybe. But maybe there are other people in our teams who play a valuable role that we are actually overlooking. In this episode, I take a look at some of the types of team members who deserve some appreciation, but sometimes aren’t the first people we think about. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to...
Apr 26, 2021•12 min
Do you ever wish your team members were more resilient? You know, putting up with the problems and striving forward with even greater motivation? Well, it’s not enough to wish people were more resilient. And you can’t just blame them for feeling bad in a chaotic and complex work environment. Leaders need to set the right conditions for resilience to happen. In this episode, I talk about some of the key ways that I believe you can create resilience in a team, and have your people feeling more abl...
Apr 18, 2021•15 min
If you’ve ever encountered tricky behaviour or performance issues in your team, it’s not pleasant. Sometimes leaders will wait until the problem “sorts itself out” or goes away, instead of taking action to fix it. The only problem with this approach is that these issues hardly ever go away by themselves. It often takes some powerful and courageous leadership action to make progress. In this episode, I’ll discuss four of the powerful actions you can take to address the issues in your team, rather...
Apr 11, 2021•16 min
Many people think that being strategic is just for company CEOs and executives, but this isn’t necessarily the case. In this episode, I’ll introduce some of the top strategic skills that I believe make for better leadership. You might not feel like you have a strategic bone in your body, but it really doesn’t need to be too complicated. In my opinion, strategy can be summed up by knowing where you want to be, developing an approach to getting there and having a framework for deciding what to do ...
Apr 05, 2021•15 min
When you’re in a tough leadership role, it can be easy to slip into a victim mindset. Nothing is your fault, you can’t do anything to fix the workplace problems and you end up being passive in your approach. This is obviously damaging for leaders because they slip into complacency and inaction. So what can we do about it? In this episode, I discuss this mindset challenge and some common situations that can bring it on. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Discovery Co...
Mar 28, 2021•12 min
Continuous improvement is obviously very popular these days. Why wouldn’t you want your team to keep improving? But there is more to team improvement than just boosting performance to make you look good. In this episode, I look at some less obvious reasons why improving your team is something that all smart leaders should do. It can make the difference between leading an engaged, motivated team and having a team that simply stands still. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-...
Mar 21, 2021•12 min
Leadership situations are often complex, because they involve people and competing priorities. Each leadership challenge involves multiple dimensions that need to be considered. Even when you think there is a simple solution, there are often complexities that arise when we analyse the situation from different perspectives. In this episode, I discuss a helpful model for assessing your leadership challenges from 3 perspectives: Rational, Emotional and Political. I’ll walk through these 3 aspects t...
Mar 14, 2021•13 min
Many leaders need to deal with a tricky situation – balancing the needs of their boss with that of their team. In this episode, I take a look at why this can be difficult, and how failing to balance both aspects can be bad for your leadership and the workplace itself. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Discovery Coaching Session , where we will: Get clear on your most important goals and what is most important to you Identify blockers and limiting beliefs that are h...
Mar 07, 2021•11 min
Ever had an influential stakeholder who blocked what you were trying to do? What about one who supported you and removed the roadblocks along the way? Leadership always involves gaining support from the key people around you, whether it’s your boss, other colleagues or senior executives within the organisation. Leaders who ignore this aspect of leadership can come unstuck as they experience opposition to their ideas and have trouble moving things forward. In this episode, I discuss some simple s...
Feb 28, 2021•19 min
Many leaders (especially the thoughtful ones) struggle to find the right balance between being too kind or lenient with their teams, and making them stand on their own two feet. In this episode, I pose 3 simple questions to help you work out whether you are being too kind to your team members, or whether perhaps you could benefit from taking a bit of a harder position with them. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Discovery Coaching Session , where we will: Get clear...
Feb 21, 2021•11 min
What is the difference between leadership and management? Does it matter? And who cares? Well, in this episode, I answer all of these questions and provide some advice for those people who would rather be more “leader” and less “manager”. I also discuss some of the negative stigma around management and some of the ways that you can add more aspects of leadership to your role, no matter where you sit in your organisation. 👍 If you like this episode, please take a few minutes to leave a review on...
Feb 14, 2021•16 min
It can be super frustrating when your team members aren’t working well together. Maybe you’re seeing too much conflict, or perhaps people just aren’t helping each other out the way you’d like. Whatever the case, “team work makes the dream work”, so try these simple tips to help you bring out that spirit of togetherness that you’re probably craving in your team. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Discovery Coaching Session , where we will: Get clear on your most impo...
Feb 08, 2021•14 min
Delegation is often seen as the saviour of leaders who are struggling with their workload. “You just have to delegate more” is common advice for these leaders. While delegation is a useful tool and it can really help leaders control their workload and get more done, it also has its downsides. In this episode, I’ll look at some of these potential downsides and give you some aspects to consider when you think about delegation. Book Your Discovery Coaching Session I invite you to a 90-minute Discov...
Jan 31, 2021•10 min
