When Charles was promoted into a leadership role, he was not at all prepared for the ‘people’ challenges he faced. Every direction he turned – upwards to management, downwards with his team or sideways to his peers and suppliers, he needed to navigate personalities and people dynamics. This hadn’t been the case when he was … Read more
When my mother was a young girl, a well-meaning relative threw her into deep water to teach her to swim. Instead, she nearly drowned. She had a lifelong fear of the water and swimming because of the experience. It was common practice decades ago to throw children in the deep end. They’ll sink or swim, … Read more
We have all experienced how critical soft skills are in leadership. Think about an influential leader you have worked with. We will invariably find their success comes down to how they treated people. However, no doubt you have also witnessed leaders who treat people poorly. These so-called soft skills give us the edge we need … Read more
Helen has a great ability to connect with people. She is interested in their lives and they enjoy being around her. In one-on-one meetings, people warm to her authenticity and good humour. But in large group presentations she was often overcome with fear. She really wanted to be able to take her friendly demeanour into … Read more