Leadership Conversations

Leaders who show respect get the best results

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Those of us in Melbourne have just returned to six weeks of lockdown. We had a pleasant reprieve for a couple of weeks of coffee meetings. I got a shock in one of my first in-person conversations, when my friend looked me in the eye and asked me a question. I think I was so used to being online, I had forgotten what it is like to connect with another human being face-to-face. Video platforms have served us well and kept us in touch with each other, but you never make real eye contact or see all the non-verbal clues with the person on the screen.… Read more

Appreciation is the foundation for what’s next

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Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash

Matt’s boss thanked him for an outstanding job achieving his sales targets during the pandemic and added a ‘but.’ It was a significant result but he said they have to keep it up because they were not out of the woods yet. Everything that followed ‘but’ was how they were not doing enough to trade through the crisis. He drowned the excellent work that Matt had done in a sea of concern for the future. … Read more

How to execute your strategy successfully

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Linda’s business was going backwards. They needed a fresh vision and strategy or they would not survive. She listened to teams at all levels in the company. She outlined her view of the future if nothing changed. People saw the case for change. Linda and her team created a bold future for their organisation. 

That was not the end though. She had lived through too many vision and strategy statements posted on the walls that did not go much further. 

Linda acknowledged that that she could only achieve a game-changing vision and strategy by elevating her leadership.… Read more

It’s not the seat at the table, it’s what you do with it

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I was presenting to a senior leadership group on one occasion and they were not responding to the topic. 

When one member of the team who had been silent, spoke up to support my call for action everyone listened. Once he recommended they get behind the proposal, the others supported it.

You often hear leaders say they need a seat at the main leadership table, but if you win that seat, you need to know what to do with it. 

I am sure you have seen it happen.… Read more

Connecting with the great people around you

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Dan knew for sure that one of his team members was a future senior leader. He first got to know her by talking to her about her personal and professional experience. Over time, he discovered that he could count on her to deliver what she promised. She demonstrated her commitment to make a difference to their organisation. 

Dan noticed a warning label, that she did not see, that she was inclined to be a perfectionist. Nothing she accomplished was ever enough to satisfy her. … Read more