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How different can a leader be and still have…

Organisations often say they want leaders who think differently, challenge established ways of working and bring new ideas.

But difference creates an interesting dilemma.

A leader can bring exactly the challenge an organisation needs, but if their ideas aren’t accepted or people stop listening to them, how much influence can they really have?

Read more “How different can a leader be and still have influence?” →

What leadership does your organisation actually need, and can…

When organisations think about building their leadership pipeline, there is usually no shortage of activity.

There are talent reviews, succession plans, leadership programs, competency frameworks and assessments designed to identify who has potential and what they need to develop.

But there is a question that needs to come before all of these:

What leadership does our organisation actually need?

Read more “What leadership does your organisation actually need, and can it tolerate it?” →

Talent Hidden in Plain Sight

“Leadership assessment often measures who’s ready to be seen as a leader, not who’s already leading.”

This was a comment a reader recently made on one of my articles, ‘Why we overlook capable leaders’:

The comment stood out because it captures something I have observed repeatedly over the years.

Read more “Talent Hidden in Plain Sight” →

Why We Overlook Capable Leaders

Some time ago, I worked with a leader who was told she had “no leadership potential.”

The verdict came after a leadership assessment centre where more than 100 leaders at a similar level were assessed for future leadership potential. Over the course of one day, participants completed activities such as presentations, group discussions and other observed exercises.

At the end, she was assessed as having little leadership potential.

The problem?

Read more “Why We Overlook Capable Leaders” →

The Executive Presence Trap

“You need more executive presence.”

I’ve heard versions of this phrase throughout my career.

And I have heard from clients that lack of executive presence was the reason someone was not being promoted.

Sometimes it meant:

• not confident enough
• not polished enough
• too quiet
• not visible enough
• not leader-like enough

Read more “The Executive Presence Trap” →

How you can tap into your team’s wisdom (including…

As a leader of a team, have you ever wished your team would contribute more of their talents?

That:

• They would proactively make suggestions?
• Capable, quieter members would speak up?
• People would share their thoughts when asked?
• Issues were raised earlier?
• The team would engage with each other and solve problems together?

Read more “How you can tap into your team’s wisdom (including the quiet ones)” →

Stop telling people to ‘speak up more’ if you…

How often do you tell people to “speak up more”?

• Maybe you have a quiet team member that you really want to hear more from.
• Maybe you want some feedback from team members and they’re not giving it to you.
• Maybe you have team members who speak to you individually but say nothing in meetings.
• Maybe you found out about issues too late and want to avoid that happening again.

In any case, you have a sense that you are missing out on useful, sometimes critical information when people do not speak to you or don’t speak up in meetings.

Read more “Stop telling people to ‘speak up more’ if you want them to speak up” →

Listening – the underrated tool for risk management

In boardrooms and executive teams, risk management is a standing agenda item. Leaders invest in policies, audits, insurance, and compliance systems. But often, one critical ingredient does not get enough attention — and it’s not a policy or a framework. It’s listening.

Read more “Listening – the underrated tool for risk management” →