OK, so the silly season has officially begun. But before you go silly, let’s have a serious discussion. Do you want 2015 to be a repeat of this year or something much, much better? Many of us are about to put the cue in the rack and call 2014 a day. If we are not …
I read a lot to stay current and to be inspired. I saw this recently from Peter Bregman on the Harvard Business Review blog. It was too good not to share.Peter was facilitating a strategic planning workshop (as I often do) for a client. Members of the team, representing different parts of the company, were presenting …
I often get asked about good books to read about business, management and leadership. High on my list is ‘Good to Great’* by Jim Collins. In this modern classic Collins claims that ‘good is the enemy of great.’ He covers the things that some companies do to make the leap from being good to being …
None of the aspiring leaders and managers I know could be accused of being lazy. On the contrary, most work really hard, working long hours and being stressed about improving their organisations. I surprise them when I tell them that what I want them to do is to create a situation where their people wonder what …
Those of you who have worked with me know that I obsess about being organised and productive. It’s especially important for leaders as the leading stuff takes lots of time, so getting all of the other stuff done in less time allows you more time to lead. Here are five really practical tips to help …
I bet you have heard someone at some time in your organisation say “it’s not my job”. What they are really saying is “I am not prepared to take responsibility for that”. If too many people take that line, no one is taking responsibility for anything and drama unfolds. It is the job of a …
First of all, we all do it. Some of us do anything to avoid conflict. Some of us want to be friends with everyone. No one really enjoys delivering words that might cause upset or worry. Second, as a leader, there is no escaping the need, from time to time, to say what needs to …
Leadership means different things to different people. Some think it’s about power and getting your own way. Here is a new way to think – it’s called servant leadership and it’s about making sure that you are making others better as well as yourself. Imagine if all bosses were more focused on doing whatever they …
Just yesterday I presented at an industry conference on building a culture of leadership. In the presentation I listed what I think are the top five things you need to have in place if you want to improve your organisation’s culture. 1. High level commitment (board/owner/senior management). Without it, as soon as things get hard or tough …
Australia Day is a time when many of us celebrate being Australian, and some of us reflect on elements of our national culture, both positive and negative. I think we should also take the opportunity to do the same about our corporate cultures – both celebrate and reflect. Use this simple guide to give your …