The Power of Difficult Conversations
As leaders, why are we not having the conversations we need to be having? I don’t believe that those of us in leadership roles are having the conversations we need to be having. Why? It’s not out of malice or stubbornness or prejudice. Rather, we are scared. And, it is costly. As we are currently …
The Power of Culture
By Laura Lewis Culture. It’s not such a bad word, but refusing to admit its significance for business success could be the reason your company’s struggling or continues to be successful, but isn’t moving to the next level. We continue to run our businesses in an uncertain world, where the secret to growth and an …
The Power of Play at Work
By Phil Walsh Why is it that a lot of large organisations are now advocating for some kind of playtime at work and during development / idea generation sessions? Far from being a frivolous option, it has been shown to be highly effective in increasing productivity, fostering creativity and strengthening teams as well as helping …
The Power of Psychological Safety
Psychological Safety underpins the other dynamics of an effective team (Google’s Aristotle Project 2012). This suggests that, as leaders, we need to get clear on what the term means so that we can explore how to create and co-create higher levels of Psychological Safety in our own teams. Psychological Safety is a shared belief held …
The Power of Listening
Listening has to be one of the most important skills for good leaders. Done well, it enhances both relationships and productivity! Although we may not always appreciate it, there is a difference between hearing and listening: one is a function, the other is a skill. This is much like the relationship between living on autopilot and …
Equanimity: leading in the middle of a storm
What is equanimity? Equanimity is a powerful and particularly useful concept within Mindfulness as we grapple with our global pandemic. This word can commonly be misinterpreted as a form of chilling out or achieving a detached state. It’s actually a long way from this and is vital in chaotic times. To define equanimity, it’s best …
A leader who listens creates optimal thinking environments
As a young person, I was pretty much the opposite of a good listener. I had a sharp reminder of this last week when someone shared the yearbook from when we were 18 on Facebook. Besides the usual nice fluff, there was something about me always wanting to change people’s minds (whether they wanted me …
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Emotional Intelligence: The difference-maker for leaders
Emotional Intelligence – that’s the fluffy stuff, isn’t it? It turns out to be quite the opposite. The most prominent researcher in this space, Daniel Goleman (well-known for his business psychology insights) paved the way for us to see the personal traits and behaviours that really make leaders successful. But first, what is Emotional Intelligence? …
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The biggest myth about Mindfulness – tuning in, not zoning out
There are many widely propagated myths about Mindfulness and I can often be found busting them when I blog or in my speaking and training work. Now, the biggest myth in my opinion is the idea that Mindfulness is about achieving a state of calm or zoning out from life. In fact, Mindfulness is quite …
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‘Will I lose my edge?’ and other myths about Mindfulness training
This subject has started coming up in conversations between myself and coaching clients, or usually as a side conversation at the end of a training session. ‘But what if I lose my edge?’ says one man to me at the end of a group training in a slightly hushed voice. Let’s call him James. I …
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What is it to be a mindful leader?
This week, I spoke at a Mindful Leadership Breakfast on this very subject. It’s pretty challenging being a leader in business at the moment. You’re supposed to be visionary, yet down to earth, impressive but not egotistical, participatory and yet not mowed down by others. This is an artform if ever I saw one, a …
Book review: ‘The things you notice when you slow down’
A book by Haemin Sunim The things you can only see when you slow down is about the importance of slowing down in our increasingly fast-paced existence. An easy read and a great book to pick up and put down frequently, it is filled with bite sized chunks of wisdom and poignant insights. These are …
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