I think if I hear one more executive tell me that they’re really, really busy right now, I’m going to scream ‘you’re giving your power away!’ What I find once I’ve started asking a few questions of them is that their busy-ness is actually a choice they’re making. They’re giving themselves permission to be busy instead of giving themselves permission to have impact.
When you’re a leader, you must invest yourself wisely. You’re a limited resource and you can only go so far. It is very important to make sure that when you invest your time and your energy, your…
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little bit housebound at the moment. I guess lockdown can do that to you. And what I’ve noticed for myself is that this is having an impact on my thinking and approach.
I’m feeling enclosed…and so is my thinking.
I’m looking at pretty much the same things each day, so my perspective isn’t moving and shifting.
I’m in a familiar routine, so not creating change.
It’s a bit like being in solitary confinement …same, same, same. The only thing you can change is yourself.
So if you are feeling a little…
I was on a Qantas flight travelling home to Sydney after a big holiday in the US. Three weeks of New York, skiing in Utah, and generally having a good time. It was well into the flight on the way to Sydney. The middle of the night, probably 3:00 AM. The cabin was dark. It was quiet. Most people were sleeping.
Suddenly the lights in the cabin came on and the captain came over the loud speaker telling us that he was making a change to the flight plan. …
Hands up if your leadership offsite has been postponed?
Or maybe it’s your strategy and planning day?
During a recent webcast one of the participants shared with me that in their organisation the leadership team offsite had been delayed 5 times so far this year. Another person said they hadn’t brought the leadership team together with strategic purpose for over a year.
So how connected does the leadership team feel? How in sync with their shared priorities? What about the level of clarity they each have about the strategic direction of the organisation? …
Are you wondering how to go ahead with a successful strategic event right now? Not sure whether it’s the right time? Unclear how to make it useful and ensure it delivers the outcomes you need?
‘I know I need to get my team together but I’m not sure how.’
‘I’m worried about how to make it work online.’
‘We need to update our strategy and plan.’
‘We need to get the leaders together to create a way forward for the business.’
‘We have already postponed our leadership team offsite because of the lockdown.’
‘Maybe we will just wait.’
This is…
This week I’ve spent a few days sharpening the saw. Exploring the latest online learning and facilitation techniques with some of the world’s best.
One key thing I was reminded of is the importance of changing state to optimise learning. Changing your own state as the leader or facilitator and changing the state of your audience and participants. Change grabs attention.
Regularly changing your state results in the potential for higher energy levels, increased motivation, and engagement, and consequently, more follow-through from learning to implementation. Which in turn, creates more change, more progress, more opportunity, and improved outcomes. …
One of the strongest memories from my early childhood is visiting my grandparents’ dairy farm. I remember everything was so big…of course, I was pretty small. Outside the back door of the farmhouse was a huge clump of blue Hydrangeas, which to this day I just love. In the front was the orchard, with rows and rows of fruit trees.
I remember there was the fairies’ house too. My Nanna would take my younger brother and me to tiptoe out and see if the fairies had visited during the night. …
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself having to be very disciplined about staying focused lately. Part of it is the challenge of being in self isolation at the moment. Part of it is having so many things I could be doing. And part of it is, like many, I have been pushing hard for months now.
I’ve also seen the challenges that leaders are facing to keep themselves focused and making the difference they want to. Working from home, continuing changes in working situations, keeping up with the demands of your team, your manager, customers, and providers…
How has your week been?
What I’ve noticed this week, and for the last few weeks, is that after a period of optimism earlier this year there are two recurring themes coming up in the conversations I’m having with leaders of organisations, large and small.
1. The feeling of overwhelm and general busyness.
People are feeling the pressure of competing priorities, moving goalposts and endless online meetings. And this is even more amplified if they are currently in a work from home situation. It is a vicious cycle.
Leaders, and their people, are struggling to find the time and space…
I was working with Linda earlier this week. And she was telling me how frustrated she is that she can’t seem to motivate her team. They are struggling with being in lockdown again, they are overwhelmed with work and priorities, not terribly engaged and really just not motivated.
She shared that she has tried so many things to motivate them and she just can’t get them energised and accountable.
Well, the thing is, it is not your job to motivate people. It is your job to create the conditions in which people can become motivated, and to help your people…
