Leadership coaching articles
Explore our insightful articles and discover their relevance to you
Why triangulation and gossip at work is toxic
Gossip may seem like just a bit of fun, but in reality, it’s far from harmless. Left unchecked, gossip -along with the triangulation that comes with it, can be highly toxic. It creates a working atmosphere so unpleasant that it can leave people miserable, impacting individuals, teams, performance, and general productivity.
The neuroscience of habits and how the brain works
Over the past decade, the integration of neuroscience, technology and behavioural economics has led to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the power of habit and the pivotal role that habit plays in behaviour change. It is all about different parts of the brain and how they work together.
Hooked on ‘people pleasing’ at work? Here’s how to stop
Brene Brown isn’t the only one who used to struggle with saying ‘no’, something that can affect even the most successful of us. US chat show superstar Oprah Winfrey calls it the 'disease to please', and she didn’t manage to overcome the impulse to say ‘yes’ to everything until she hit forty. Others have defined it as an ‘unhealthy focus on others’ rather than yourself.
Stakeholder management – Get people on board, keep them there
It’s rare to embark on a work project that doesn’t depend on other people for investment, support, resources, or all three. Because working with multiple stakeholders could prove one of your biggest challenges, managers and leaders need to know about and handle stakeholder management well.
The beautiful African philosophy of Ubuntu – An antidote to individualism
Ubuntu is essentially about togetherness, and how all of our actions have an impact on others and on society. It is the common thread of the UN’s Global Goals, and the motivation in the mission to end extreme poverty — so that everyone, everywhere, can live equally.
Uncovering unconscious bias – developing greater awareness
These days the workplace is all about inclusive leadership and management. It is also about mentoring and coaching in a way that fosters mutual understanding and respect, plus inclusive behaviours.
Temple Grandin rates mentors super-high – Here’s why
Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism as a child. She thinks in pictures, a novel way to solve problems in a way that isn’t accessible to people with neurotypical brains.
About neurodiversity – how it adds value
We’re all different. Every one of us is unique. Here, we explore the term neurodiversity and reveal why it’s so important to be aware of it in the workplace.
The risks of confirmation bias – and how to avoid it
Which coaches, managers and leaders are at risk of confirmation bias? Basically, all of us. Confirmation bias is horribly easy to fall into. It can cloud anyone’s judgement. And it’s wise to know about it so you can keep your thinking clear. Here’s what you need to know
Leading: the conductor as an archetype
Leaders come in every shape, size and flavour, but one of the most common leadership archetypes is the conductor of an ensemble or orchestra. Just as there any many types of leaders, there is also a wide variety of conductors, each of whom fulfils their role differently.
About Wigs and Pigs – And how to survive the Whirlwind – Part 1
So many great ideas, so little time... what do you do, as a leader, when there’s a multitude of inspiring ideas flying around but you simply don’t have the resources to make them all happen? When everything seems equally urgent in the whirlwind of everyday working life, where do you focus your energies? You need to be able to see the wood for the trees.
How to harness the 4 Disciplines of Execution to achieve WIGS – Part 2
We’ve already talked about WIGS, those Wildly Important Goals that need to be teased out of the tangle of potential tasks, the projects most worth focusing on. But once you’ve identified them, how do you actually get them done? Let’s explore the 4 Disciplines of Execution.
Discover Patsy Rodenburg’s take on Presence
It’s all about circles. Patsy Rodenberg’s take on Presence helps leaders be present in the moment and stay fully engaged with the ‘now’. Let’s explore.
Brené Brown’s Rising Strong – How to fall, learn from failure and bravely stand again
The American researcher and internet phenomenon Brené Brown’s popular book, Daring Greatly, explores the importance of not giving up. Her ideas are inspired by a speech by Teddy Roosevelt, Citizenship in a Republic, delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris way back in 1910. You can read it at the end of this post.
Discover the power of single, double and triple loop learning
We are creatures of habit, so learning and change can be a tricky thing to drive. Some kinds of change are harder to implement than others. Single, double and triple loop learning, as defined by Argyris & Schön in 1974 can be a helpful way of understanding how we become stuck, and why, when, and how transformational learning is more likely to occur.
About Servant Leadership – The extraordinary power of being human
There are so many different leadership styles. Some will suit you and the circumstances better than others. This time we’re delving deep into the Servant Leadership style, where you lead to serve. As you’ll see it’s very different from traditional leadership, which puts the organisation before the people.
Situational Leadership – Make a fantastic job of leading your people
What is Situational Leadership, and why does it matter? Situational Leadership is a style developed by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey in the ‘70s. It reveals how leaders and managers benefit from changing their style to fit the situation and the people they’re leading.
The risk of single stories, and the value of balance
In the 1930s scientists began examining the cognitive effects of labeling. According to a hypothesis by the linguist Benjamin Whorf, the words we use to describe what we see aren't just random. They actually determine what we experience to a startling degree. And that can be dangerous.
True Grit – The importance of getting your story straight
Failure hurts. When you fail, make mistakes, relationships become strained or you disappointingly lose, it can shatter your equilibrium. Inevitably it always involves having to pick yourself up and dust ourselves off. It can take plenty of resolve and resilience to start again.
Fine-tune your resilience – 3 secrets to staying steady in tough times
Every one of us is faced with great difficulty right now during Covid19 lock-down, and plenty of us are facing tragedy. Many of us are feeling wobbly. We're riding so many emotions in one day, the unfolding situation is unprecedented and it's hard to manage.
Working with three horizons in mind – shaping new futures
We are living in such uncertain and volatile times. Everyone is searching for some ‘handle’ on the future? We are seeking to see what emerges and how to shape different futures - find a way forward through all the uncertainties and complexities.
Introducing our Transformational Narrative Coaching book – the power of story
Human beings have always told stories. In the beginning, we huddled around campfires. These days we huddle around the TV, mobile or computer, in pubs and restaurants, at home and at work, to create and consume the stories of our lives, other people's lives, businesses and the media.
Self-Determination Theory – The Energy of Action
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has made a significant impact to field of study of human motivation. SDT added a more multi-faceted understanding of motivation. This approach can be used to better understand yourself and others.
Sparking Creativity by Joining the Dots – Part 3
In this blog, I take a closer look at the idea of creativity being seen as a process of ‘joining-the-dots’ and how this idea links to what we know about both individual and group creativity. And how you can use this understanding to bring creativity into your world.
The Scarf Model – David Rock’s take on social threats and rewards
You’re a business manager, leader, change agent, mentor, or coach. Your working life is all about having significant conversations that encourage collaboration, and a big part of that is influencing others. It’s a constant challenge.
The ups and downs of working with a narcissist – And how to survive it!
Narcissism is a trait that can be very difficult to live with as well as very tricky to work with. If you're struggling to cope with a narcissist in a business context, it is challenging and it isn't all bad. Here are the up-sides and downsides of working with a narcissist, and how to survive the experience.
Gathering around a roaring telly – The science of storytelling
In the 1970s parents told children they'd get 'square eyes' from watching too much telly. There's still some snobbery around the idea of hunkering down in front of the TV, which is seen as somehow less worthy than the theatre, opera, film, books, even radio.
Building an anti fragility strategy in these complex times
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Professor of Risk Engineering, is most famous for his book, The Black Swan: The Impact Of The Highly Improbable (Penguin, 2007). In it, he outlined the concept of ‘black swan events’.
About the Drama Triangle – And how to escape it
If you've ever found yourself trapped in a personal Drama Triangle, you will already know how detrimental it can be to relationships. But it also rears its ugly head in a business context, and it's something well worth watching out for.
How different nationalities see the world differently – And why it matters
Tip a waiter in the USA and you'll get a smile, but tip a waiter in Korea and you can cause offence. In a country where people take a lot of pride in their jobs, extra incentives to get it right the first time are an insult.
Forget your superchickens and connect better for brilliant teams
Margaret Heffernan recommends we move past the pecking order at work. As the successful former CEO of five businesses, Margaret has discovered that one of the most common ways businesses are run invariably leads to troubled waters.
Leaders are weavers – of people and stories
In the current crisis, this may seem like an unusual way to talk about leaders. An odd way to describe how they can influence others. The idea of a leader being ‘a weaver of people’ resonates with us. We also believe a leader is a ‘weaver of stories’ - both a story-maker and a storyteller.
What does it mean to flourish at work? Introducing the PERMA Model
Are you happy at work? For most of us, our professional experience is a mix of frustration and fulfilment, plus many hours of grind which can be bland and monotonous. It can also be the opposite, highly pressured and seemingly relentless.
How to lead a company well in an increasingly complex world
The subject of how companies should be run is an enduring one. Business Schools and business gurus peddle endless creative solutions, making a good living at theorising and pontificating about it.
Innovate or stagnate? Get ahead of the curve
In a fast-changing world it is important to stay open, and be aware that people who are the most responsive to change are those who survive, even thrive. Does that sound familiar?
How to write a successful blog for start-ups and small businesses
Writing a blog is a great way to grow your business and add value for your clients, creating a space to let you and your brand’s unique identity shine. Blogs can be a fantastic way to communicate directly with your customers and attract new ones, but with so many company blogs out there sitting unloved and unread in a dusty corner of Google’s search rankings how can you ensure that your blog avoids a similar fate?
About business ownership and the Founder’s Mentality
We have been privileged to coach many ‘founders’ of businesses. Founders are a special breed. Some we have worked with in the white heat of the early days, some in the mayhem of scaling up, and some in the relative peace of the uplands, once the business has become established and successful. But all of the founders we have worked with are remarkable people whose drive and perseverance have often impressed us.
Mastering the ‘experience economy’ – How customers or clients get what they want
The theory of the ‘Experience Economy’ gives us a powerful way of understanding how people get what they want in any ‘marketplace’. It matters because structuring your business around the idea will change the way you look at what you are doing, and how your clients experience it. If it sounds exciting, it is. Here’s an introduction to the experience economy.
It isn’t money, strategy or technology. So what really makes teams effective?
What makes an exceptional team? As the management guru Patrick Lencioni says in his 2002 book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, “Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” So how functional is your team? Could you do better?
James Kerr, the All Blacks, and their awesome insight into leadership
Who does teams and leadership better than anyone else? The New Zealand rugby team The All Blacks do an epic job, and their methods of working together are the primary reason behind their enviable, long-held status as the world's most successful international men's rugby team.
New job? How to make a positive impact and do it FAST!
You've landed a new role. Big congratulations! But beware... it can be a surprisingly tricky transition, a complex pivotal time unless you're prepared. A career move can make or break a leader, especially a new leader with little experience. You need a good, solid plan of action. Here's our survival kit.
How to be curious, know your leadership blindspots, and lead better
As a leader you cast light and shadow across not only your team but your organisation. That’s one heck of a responsibility. No matter how talented a leader you are, how experienced or self-aware, you will have blind spots.
How to stop your blind spots from tripping you up
Our blind spots often develop when we’re young. They help us survive, and they often start off being pretty useful. But as time goes by and your past successes become your only way to succeed in the present and future, things can get tricky. If our only approach to solving problems doesn’t work in certain environment, we’re lost.
Are You Struggling to Overcome the Imposter Syndrome?
Do you ever feel like an imposter? It's a surprisingly common phenomenon amongst leaders like you. If you find you're constantly worried that someone will realise you're not up to the job and 'find you out', you're not alone.
Take a Better Approach – Make Difficult Work Conversations Easier
When was the last time you absolutely dreaded a difficult conversation you knew had to take place at some time or another? Or put it off, or avoided it altogether? It isn’t unusual.
The neuroscience of habits – And how mindfulness can break them
Some habits are good, some are dreadful, others deserve close critical examination, and some particularly strong ones even hold us back from being the best we can be, both in our personal lives and our careers.
Story-driven businesses – How great companies are winning by mattering
You could pull out all the stops to compete, making every effort to become the best in every way, at every stage. Or you could win by mattering instead - mattering to your employees, mattering to the local and wider economy, mattering to your customers.
Thinking about an organisation’s purpose – Why, exactly, does it exist?
Getting your why straight is vital, and that’s why so many successful business leaders think so long and hard about it. When the commercial landscape is in a state of serious sustained turbulence, for example during an acute recession or thanks to Brexit, the why is particularly important.
What is Emotional Intelligence? EQ is vital ingredient for success
Emotions are essential to human survival. But it’s all too easy for them to run away with us, especially under pressure. If you’ve ever really lost your temper in a work context you’ll know how unproductive it is. It can be difficult to handle and manage your emotions unless you know how you’re feeling from one moment to the next.
The exciting benefits of a multi-generational workplace
As the brilliant Chip Conley says in his Ted Talk about intergenerational workplaces, “It’s hard to microwave your emotional intelligence”.
The One BIG Thing
In the self-help world there are numerous books that claim to you give the four essential things you need to do, the five secrets of success, or the six principles to follow. This is compounded by the fact that people love a list, whether it’s the top ten celebrity shots or the hundred best reads for summer. The formula for success often ends up as a list, something quick and easy to digest.
Are You Blind-sided by Your Schemas?
Did you see it coming? MIT Professor Peter Senge suggests that one of the defining characteristics of leaders is their capacity to ‘read the signs well’. It’s called ‘sense-making’ and almost every great leader is also an excellent sense-maker.
Business Narratives
As business leaders the stories we tell, the narratives we weave, are often the key to our success.
How to become an Authentic Leader
As independent coaches, we're often seen as a useful resource to bring in when every other internal remedy has failed, a final port of call for people the organisation is struggling with. They frequently ask us to deal with problem issues.
Recognising the people who give us real confidence
Who gives you confidence? Here’s why trusted advisors help business executives achieve the very best in their game.
Great leadership needs conversational dexterity
Different conversations are central to strong leadership. At the Listening Partnership we call it ‘Conversational Dexterity’. Conversations are essential to organisations, and that means having a good breadth and depth of conversational competence then applying it deftly in different situations. No wonder great conversational skills form such a vital part of a strong leader’s repertoire.
The Strategic Perspective – Foxes, Hedgehogs and Dragonflies
Does your Board have the right focus? Recognising foxes, hedgehogs and forging their thoughts together to create the acuity of dragonflies can give your Board a powerful strategic perspective...
Steering Clear of Leader’s Bottleneck Syndrome
As a leader, you end up involved in every tiny aspect of the business. You eventually end up in a leader's bottleneck. Here's how to avoid it.
New to leadership – what does it really mean for you?
Others are looking for you to demonstrate leadership, make sure decisions and create an impact quickly. Gaining real credibility with your new team is crucial.
How to Run Great Business Meetings
There's a way to run face to face and virtual meetings. Get it right, and it will enhance your career as well as getting essential things done. Here's how.
Leadership luck
Leaders need to be open to what fortune, or the market throws at them. Yet great leaders often seem to be luckier than others. Or are they just better able to respond to the circumstances they’re dealt?
Leadership in 9 words
Leaders can tell a story in a way that captures the imagination of their people and holds their interest. That’s why knowing how to enthral your audience with a succinct tale is such a potent skill…
Leadership and mood
Leaders determine the mood of their teams, their departments and their organisations. Cultivating eight simple practices can increase a leader’s capacity to diffuse a positive mood company-wide through a process known as 'limbic resonance' thanks to the pioneering work of
What would Google do?
The world’s most successful internet company, google, has lots to teach us all about how to thrive in business today and in the future. What would google do? Is a great question to start our thinking… in 1896 christian socialist,...
