An article by Paul Diepenbroek & Dorrian Aiken - Jan 2021 “The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw Throughout history, the greatest speeches may have been delivered with style, their substance resonating and their impact inspiring change. Winston Churchill, with “We shall fight on the beaches” to Martin Luther [...]
What kinds of skills do coaches need to raise the quality of leadership engagement? What kind of behaviours do leaders need to foster positive connections with employees? These are familiar questions for coaches who focus on leadership development, but perhaps there is a particular focus that is increasingly significant – coaches who understand stages of adult consciousness as a critical [...]
Accountability. There’s a loaded word if there was one - and especially in the context of the workplace. If you’ve ever worked in an environment with zero accountability, or been held accountable for the outcome of something you had very little power to influence, then you know first hand how the notion of being held accountable does not generally conjure [...]
How much of your workday is spent reading and answering emails, rushing to meetings - and how much of it is spent making a meaningful contribution to your team, or your career as a whole? Cal Newport, an assistant professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, and the author of the recent book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success [...]
Intuitive and emotionally intelligent leaders are aware that there’s been a definitive shift in the corporate environment. We used to say: time is money and it used to be true. But with individuals requiring a level of autonomy in the workplace, we now realise that trust is money. The shift from time to trust does make sense. We’ve been [...]
Leadership is often pigeon-holed as a desired skill or attribute in the limited context of the workplace. While good leadership is crucial in organizations, it is also a human quality that should be nurtured in every person. If you are thinking that not all of us can realistically be groomed be President, CEO, manager or team-lead, you are not wrong. [...]
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 [...]