To be an approachable leader means being open and willing to listen. It means creating an environment where employees feel comfortable approaching you without fear of negative consequences.
Ignoring underperformance can lead to a decline in team morale along with a decline in trust and respect for a leader who is afraid to make tough calls.
Needing to be liked refers to a leader’s desire for approval and acceptance from others, while liking to be needed implies that a leader finds fulfillment in being of service and making a meaningful impact.
For any leader, operating at the learning edge can involve engaging in tasks, experiences, or situations that push your boundaries, require new skills, or demand increased effort. It involves taking risks, trying new things, and embracing uncertainty.
Leadership is a set of qualities and behaviours that can be displayed in various contexts, regardless of whether you have direct reports or not. It’s about inspiring, guiding, and influencing others towards a common goal, and this can be achieved in many different ways.
Have you clarified your own motivations for aspiring to be a leader? Understanding your personal "why" is important, as it forms the foundation of effective leadership, influencing your success and the paths of those you will lead.
Understanding the connection between Robert Kegan’s stages of adult development and leadership can provide valuable insights into the qualities and approaches that effective leaders embody.
Whether you are responsible for the careers of those around you, or if you are a new or aspiring leader, it’s critical to be aware of the dangers of being promoted into incompetence at work.
Leaders who take the time to understand and consider their decision-making styles in different situations can enhance their effectiveness, promote consistency, improve self-awareness, adapt to changing circumstances, and empower their team members.
A call to leadership requires more than just holding a position or title. It encompasses the responsibility to inspire, motivate, and guide others towards achieving shared objectives.
Consciously brining conflict into a work environment should never be purely about ‘turning up the heat’ on a team that might be slacking off. Nor should it be about making people feel so uncomfortable that they self-eject.
The path to leadership success is not solely paved by formal authority. In fact, expanding your informal authority can significantly enhance your ability to lead, influence, and inspire others.
This article doesn’t just help leaders lay the foundations for having more meaningful developmental conversations, it gives them the bricks. Whilst it may have been written with client-facing team members in mind, it can certainly apply to non-client-facing team members, too.
Coaching is rapidly evolving. Digital coaching has emerged as the front-runner with a proven track record of increased learning outcomes, stronger participant engagement, and better accessibility for all.
When an organisation believes in you and invests in your future and your professional development by providing you with leadership coaching, it’s essential that you make the most out of that experience by being prepared.
Many organisations use both KPIs and OKRs. While KPIs cover a wide range of metrics including employee productivity, customer satisfaction, and financial performance, it’s also important for leaders to focus on keeping individuals informed, interested, involved, and inspired.
The true test of a leader believing in their purpose often lies in their ability to persevere through challenges and uncertainty while remaining steadfast in their commitment to their purpose.
Reacting defensively should never be the default response to a team member whose question or comment might be slightly controversial. Leaders need to accept that being challenged is part of their job. By welcoming challenges, they can create an environment where creative thinking flourishes.
Some senior leaders believe that after many years building and running teams, that it’s impossible to change the way they lead; while others are actually afraid to make changes or to reinvent themselves. What would you do if you could start your leadership journey all over again?
One of the most important roles for any leader is to build trust and psychological safety, and to foster an environment where team members feel safe and confident to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or reprisal.
Leadership is often associated with guiding a team, helping individuals grow, and solving problems as they arise. But what happens when your team is already high-performing, reasonably self-sufficient, and for the most part seems to require less direct intervention?
New and middle managers who aspire to be true leaders and senior leaders who aim to create a leadership culture must work together to break free from the constraints that limit potential.
Leading a start-up run by ‘toddler-CEOs’ can be an intricate dance between brilliance and practicality. The challenges may be many, but the opportunity for transformation and growth can also be substantial.
Compassion fatigue can have a significant impact on a leader’s effectiveness and well-being, as it can hinder their ability to provide support and make sound decisions. While caring for employees is crucial, leaders should also establish and maintain healthy boundaries.
