I used to love saying, “if you want a job done properly, do it yourself”. But what that really said was, “I’m a terrible delegator”. And I was. When we first move into management roles, we’re typically bad delegators. We’ve often been promoted because we’re…
Can you trust someone who only tells you good things? I don’t think so. Here’s why and what it means for leaders. If someone is only sharing good news with you (including feedback on your performance, opportunities you’re seeking or anything else that could personally…
Taking total responsibility means measuring communication at the listener’s ear, not the speaker’s mouth. This is what former Google executive Kim Scott talks about in her book Radical Candor. If we seek to take total responsibility, we must accept that – if someone doesn’t understand something –…
The book in a paragraph The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni identifies five key temptations that leaders often face: prioritising personal status over organisational results, valuing popularity over accountability, choosing certainty over clarity in decision-making, preferring harmony over productive conflict, and avoiding…
Can someone have a bad interview, but still be the best choice for a role? Absolutely. Here’s why. Often, the best fit will interview well. When people know their stuff and they’re at ease, they’ll normally perform well. But, that’s the point: they must be…
You can’t be a kind person and criticise someone, right? And you definitely couldn’t sack them, right? Wrong. You can be a kind manager and still: Take criticising someone as a common example. Some managers criticise people and they are unkind. Some managers criticise people…
ChatGPT has blown everyone’s mind with the many cool things it can do. And – more than just being impressive – it can save managers time and help them do a better job. So, here’s 10 simple ChatGPT prompts you can try today: Where to…
The hardest people to manage are those with attitude problems, not capability issues. So why do recruitment processes focus so much on technical fit, rather than cultural fit? I think there are two reasons: What’s the answer? Recruit people through the lens of the matrix…
The book in a paragraph American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce Hoffman chronicles the remarkable turnaround of Ford under the leadership of Alan Mulally during a period of financial crisis. The book delves into the profound leadership…
In fact, it turns out that organisations deliver better financial returns when they focus on purpose over profit. You don’t have to take my word for it: recent survey by PwC showed that 79% of business leaders believe that an organisation’s purpose is central to business…
I make this error all the time (most of us do). You’ll probably recognise this scenario: you’re faced with a choice in (even slightly) unfamiliar territory. And getting it wrong feels like it will have some cost or pain (perhaps only minor). What do we…
Update: Our Strategic Planning Toolkit has launched! Download a free preview here. Most leaders know they need a good strategic plan. But few know where to start. A Google search reveals lots of conflicting information on what a good strategic plan looks like. Most of…
Being influential is a key leadership quality. Making persuasive arguments is critical to leading your team forward. And to managing upwards. What drives influence? There are three things: The first lever takes time. But the better and more consistently we do 2 and 3, the…
Are problems on repeat in your organisation? Is it like a game of whack-a-mole, where you fix one problem, only for another to pop up? This happens when organisations are stuck in a firefighting death loop. Gaps between organisational capabilities (in systems of work, people,…
The book in a paragraph Unproductive and tedious meetings plague many teams and organisations. And bad meetings almost always lead to bad decisions, which is the best recipe for mediocrity. To address this, teams need an integrated, comprehensive and practical framework for structuring and managing…
I once worked with a manager who was routinely hostile and aggressive to colleagues. I asked my boss about it, and he said “oh, that’s just the way they are” and shrugged it off. Being quite young, I didn’t think much of it. I took…
You are never too small to make a difference. Greta Thunberg, Activist You don’t have to be a CEO or executive to make a difference. You don’t even need a manager’s title. Leaders exist at all levels of organisations. And society. We don’t need anyone…
It’s been 15 years since I first managed people. And, when I look back at my past self, I cringe at the way I thought and went about some things. It’s uncomfortable. But I think that’s a good thing. Because it means I’m growing. If…
The book in a paragraph Algorithms to Live By explores human algorithm design – the use of algorithms for solutions to life’s everyday challenges. Algorithms are not just the domain of computer scientists – they are any sequence of steps used to solve a problem.…
The difference between management and leadership is confusing. They’re distinct, but related disciplines, which overlap with one another. There are no hard fast rules, but here’s five differences to help you distinguish the two. 1. Leadership leans to vision and purpose. Management is more goals…