In most organisations, the natural progression for the star in the team is the promotion to team lead or manager. And while that might be a step up, most individuals feel ill prepared for the new responsibility of leading. Old school management styles are no longer relevant in modern places of business - managing a team is not the same [...]
It’s not possible to be aware of all sources of resistance to change. But that there will be resistance to change is a sure and safe bet. Expecting that there will be resistance to change and being prepared to manage it is a positive and proactive step from your side as the driver of change. Here are some common pitfalls [...]
For too long, organisations have viewed emotional intelligence (EI) as a soft skill, or a nice-to-have in the candidate who is being promoted into a leadership position. But there is a reason why some people are more influential than others. Once you acquire the education and training required for a particular career path, it’s not your IQ that will set [...]
If you are a person with a ‘can do, go- go- go’ attitude at work and at home, then be warned – burnout could be coming for you. Because high-achievers are often so passionate about what they do, they tend to ignore the fact that they’re working exceptionally long hours, taking on exceedingly heavy work loads, and putting enormous pressure [...]
Never heard of the term 'vertical learning'? To put it into perspective, you’re probably already really good at horizontal learning. A good example is learning to drive a car. When you started, you were incompetent, you had to take it slowly and have a lot of instruction. Gradually you became consciously competent, and now with all the driving practice you’ve [...]
As a professional coach and lecturer in leadership competencies, I meet people from all walks of life, and the two questions I am most often asked are: What is a leadership development coach? How will coaching benefit me? Usually, the word 'coach' conjures the image of a sports coach – an expert who has the knowledge to instruct you on [...]
Great leadership is not about self-aggrandisement, not about ‘me and my ego’ but focuses on positive engagement with people. Great leaders are know how to listen to others in such a way that their team are inspired to come up with bold solutions-focused thinking. None of these are new concepts but how many executives and senior managers know how to [...]
When it comes to change, the first step a leader needs to take is increased self-awareness. When you give someone quality attention, regardless of possible conflicting viewpoints, you give value to that person or group and their thinking improves exponentially. When people feel respected and heard they are less likely to have a resistance to change and are more open [...]
Like climbing a ladder to get a bigger perspective, vertical leadership development expands your mindset and worldview, so you can handle greater complexity. This increases innovation, creativity and your ability to lead into the future. If a leader is to flourish instead of fold in these fast-changing, complex times while managing diversity in teams in the globalised work environment [...]
