When you can’t tell them
Have you ever caught yourself doing waffly corporate speak? Maybe something like this.. “As we strategically pivot to generate greater integration there may be, in the fulness of time, important adaptions that will need to be made to ensure future viability going forward.” Why do leaders talk like this? Is it some kind of brain
- Published in Ambiguity, Complexity, Leader, Leadership, Trust
Taking the ‘difficult’ out of difficult conversations
Power of labels A regular topic in my coaching work with leaders is ‘difficult conversations’. Seems straight-forward, right? Get a model and guide the person through the techniques for having a ‘difficult conversation’. A few good questions, active listening and off you go. These techniques are very useful. But often there is still this nagging
- Published in Engagement, Influence, Interpretation, Leader, Self-management, Uncategorized, Way of being
Leaders – Idealistic realists
Often, leaders come to coaching sessions with conflicted energy. I can see it in their faces. There is the energy of creativity, imagination and future focus. An eye to the horizon of how things can be better. There is also a feeling of wrestling, of struggle against immovable forces, even of being trapped or stuck.
- Published in Leader, Strategy, Way of being
From expert to leader
After 15 years as a lawyer, Matt is now the manager of a small team of specialist lawyers. Annie has been an engineer in high-tech electronics for ten years and now finds herself leading the program office covering multiple projects with multi-disciplinary teams. Many lawyers, engineers, economists, doctors, physiotherapists, IT systems analysts and actuaries find
- Published in Leader, Leadership
The currency of leadership
“It’s really important to keep the staff happy!” Said a senior manager in a large organisation who I was coaching. Sounds people orientated right? In this era of focus on employee engagement this is what we want to hear from leaders. I have come across this idea from many leaders in different organisations. It’s a