brian donovan

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

by

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

by

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

8 ways to attract and retain good staff

by

If you are up to big things post COVID-19 you know that you need to attract and retain the best talent to work with you.

But you can keep them challenged, invest in their development and still find it difficult to keep them. If you attract talented people, they are likely to be sought after for other opportunities. You may not be able to provide them with their next career move.

David has fostered countless senior leaders into bigger roles all over the globe.… Read more

How a sense of purpose can guide you

by

The mood in the air of waiting for things to return to normal is not an option for game-changing leaders.

They are preparing for an operating environment that is likely to be dramatically different from the one we knew before the global pandemic.

What will guide their future strategy?

During the global financial crisis, Glen found that having a clear purpose statement for the organisation, was the light on the hill that guided their actions.

He did not just develop it in isolation and post it on the wall; he spent a lot of time co-creating it in sessions with his broader team so that people at all levels of the business owned it.… Read more

How to find the best version of yourself

by

Back in my junior tennis days (yes I can still remember!), a friend invited me to play doubles with his brother and sister, both of whom were senior A grade players and club champions. 

As a pretty average player myself, I was nervous about playing with such talented champions. But I was surprised to find that I actually played the best tennis I had ever played.

It was not anything they said to encourage me. There was just something about playing with people at that level that helped me lift my game to meet their expectations. … Read more