Learning to lead through adaptive challenges

I am listening to my group of participants as they share their updates on their leadership projects. Their projects are scoped from the challenges that their teams and organisations are facing. Leadership skills cannot be tested out in the classroom. It must be developed, practised and honed in real life, real time situations. There is…

Where are all the women?

 Yesterday, I spent the morning at my local grammar school engaging in mock interviews for the students who will be heading off to university next year.   The school organises interviews to help support students’ applications and to offer them valuable practice interview experiences. They ask people in the local community for help and then match…

A tale of 2 leaders: same organisation different leadership cultures

Last week I donned my NHS governance hat and visited 2 hospital wards. They belonged to the same organisation, were in the same building, yet the difference between the 2 was so prominent they could have been in 2 different organisations. Whilst both were clean, tidy, patients cared for, looked after….it was their style, attitude…

7 simple yet powerful ways to get the most out of your team

Do your staff just turn up to work, do what is required of them and then go home? One of the challenges of leadership is to create an environment where people actually care about what happens in the business,  to the business and its success. Imagine the impact on your business if all of your…

Don’t leave your career to fate. 5 tips to help women manage their careers

In my last article, I shared the story of one of my clients, Susan who like many mums get  caught up in the treadmill of work, family and life and don’t take time out to actively manage and make plans for progressing their careers. 3 fundamental questions were asked to help Susan get started:  What…

No need to act like a man: 6 tips for women to develop their leadership style

‘I can’t seem to get it right,’ sighs Joanna, as she slumps into the chair next to me. ‘When I’m assertive and forceful, I’m labelled, ‘aggressive and acting like a man’ and when I’m open and ask for everyone’s opinion, I’m called soft and pushover’…. Joanna has stepped up in her leadership role and is…

What can you learn about leadership from parenting?

This weekend my eldest child begins her training for her expedition to the Amazon and Andes. It seems like only yesterday that she was a helpless and dependent infant. As I reflect back on my journey as a parent I am humbled by the mammoth learning that I have gained from it and how it…

What does Trust have to do with communication and feedback?

 Enquiring about ‘Are you doing anything special tonight for Valentine’s?’ to a colleague yielded the response, ‘I went out yesterday, it’s awful being     in a restaurant and seeing couples there who don’t seem to have much to talk about’. I began to think about the times when we are together as a group,…