News

It will be so good to make the turn out of this year and into the next, which sounds like I want to be rid of this year, and a little bit of me does.  And yet, I also want to recognise the learning, the growth, the achievements, the love and the friendships that have …

On one of our treasured days out recently, I was struck and inspired by this metaphor for recent times, on a sign used by the National Trust to help everyone stay safe in the grounds of their properties. We’ve had to travel one way for a while now;  to keep ourselves and each other safe, …

How to get your team unstuck… Are you part of a team that’s stalled and are you starting the year short of ideas on how to kick start your efforts?  In the Nov/Dec 18 Harvard Business Review, the authors of ‘Unite Your Senior Team’, discuss what it takes for a team to create a growth …

My eyes and ears are always open to simple and impactful messages on leadership. In the Nov/Dec Harvard Business Review, we are invited to consider that it is not heroism, or only particular personality traits that lead to great leadership, rather its consistently demonstrated everyday courage. We’re offered a set of behaviours for cultivating everyday …

There is no doubt in my mind that President Lincoln was an inspiring, transformational leader who infused people’s lives with a sense of purpose and meaning; no mean feat.  And so I was naturally drawn to the title ‘Lincoln and the Art of Transformative Leadership’ in the Sept/Oct Harvard Business Review. The article is an …

“It’s time to claim our right to be happy at work”.  In a previous news item, I referenced Annie McKee, (teamed with Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis), who took our understanding of the emotionally intelligent leader to a new level. This time, in HBR’s Sept/Oct issue, Annie McKee now opens the door on how to …

Are you born a great leader? Or can you develop to be one?  This age-old debate has simply run out of steam for me.   In recent times, I have become a firm believer that what distinguishes great leadership from average leadership is the ability to know yourself, know what kind of leader you want to …

In a recent Linked-In post, I shared Sharon Richmond’s World’s Simplest Leadership Model; Set Direction, Engage and Enable! Here is my synopsis of her latest thinking on Leading When Times Are Tough.   So much is written about advice for leaders, but Sharon’s Five Leader “Must-Do’s”, also presented at the MBTI User Conference this year, …

This short news item ties together a couple of brilliant HBR articles I came across recently and felt moved to share – always looking for simple and memorable guidance, I was drawn to their pithy summaries. Bill Taylor, in a recent HBR digital article, highlighted 5 questions leaders need to ask to get beyond the …

When you look up the meaning of the word collaboration you get two results – “traitorous cooperation with an enemy” and “the action of working with someone to produce something” – the apparent opposite nature of these definitions fitted well with my choice of topic for this comment. I was left thinking to what extent …

Joseph Badaracco, in HBR’s September ‘16 edition, rightly points out that “our toughest calls come in the grey areas”.  You’ve done all you can to gather the facts, and appreciate all points of view but are still not sure what to do. You might be deciding if the job offer you received yesterday is the …

The organisational context needs to be right for learning and growth As a passionate proponent of all things Leadership Development, I was drawn to an article in Harvard Business Review’s October ‘16 edition, entitled ‘Why leadership training fails – and what to do about it’.  It’s my own experience, and long held belief that there …