A recent study from Zenger Folkman found only 16.6% of leaders excel in both grit and coachability.
Leaders must develop both traits.
Grit fuels determination and perseverance.
Coachability acts as the catalyst for continuous improvement through feedback and adaptability.
Read MoreEven though many organisations made record profits during the pandemic when many of their employees worked from home, many bosses are demanding employees return to the office citing productivity as the driver.
The problem is that these bosses do not know how to measure the productivity of their workers, especially knowledge workers.
Some 71 per cent of business leaders say they’re under immense pressure to squeeze more productivity out of their workers, according to a new Slack survey of 18,000 knowledge workers, including managers. But most are measuring what workers put in, rather than what they put out.
Read MoreTrust is comprised of Character and Competence.
Competence reflects how you are on the outside, your capability, and the results you deliver. These depend primarily on the level of development of your mental intelligence, your education, and what you have learned during your professional career. Capability is demonstrated by skills, knowledge, and experience. Results are demonstrated by reputation, credibility, and performance.
Read MoreTrust is based on Character and Competence.
Character reflects how you are on the inside, your intent, and the level of integrity you display in your relationship with others. These depend primarily on the level of development of your emotional intelligence and social intelligence. Intent is demonstrated by caring, transparency, and openness; integrity is demonstrated by honesty, fairness, and authenticity.
Read MoreIt astounds me that organisations with a low trust factor between leaders and employees and vice versa continue to survive. They are toxic places in which to work for everyone and I wonder if those keeping the lights on are just doing so as the retirement package delivery is imminent, and the organisation’s demise is looming too.
Read MoreSome time ago I started to collate positive and negative comments about remote work by executives across various companies. I wondered whether their stance on remote work had any correlation with employee engagement and company performance. You can read the results for yourself.
Read MoreA recent article in BBC Worklife caught my eye when it raised this issue. Despite many workers getting what they asked for in terms of flexibility, autonomy, and remote working, one thing that hasn’t gone away is presenteeism.
Read MorePsychological safety is not about being nice or mollycoddling, it is not an alternative word for trust, it is not about tolerance of others, and it is not about removing accountability. It is not about wrapping people in bubble wrap and insulating them from threats and friction. It is not about overprotection.
Read MoreWe must practice active listening. This enables us to listen to obtain information, listen to understand, and listen to learn. If you practice active listening it means you are making a conscious effort to not only hear the words being spoken but more importantly, the complete message that is being communicated.
Read MoreI think the lack of effective communication and active listening is a result of people assuming that because they “communicate” and “listen” all the time, they must be ok at it. This is not the case.
Just because you can speak does not mean you are communicating.
Just because you can hear does not mean you are listening.
Read MoreMandated office returns are having a negative impact on talent attraction and retention.
Almost half (42%) of firms who mandated returns have experienced higher than normal employee attrition, whole 29% are struggling to recruit
72% of employers surveyed stated that they are taking this approach. An additional 20% have not mandated a return but are highly recommending it.
Read MoreMany Gen Zs feel they are missing out because they have never worked in an office on a full-time basis. Sorry to tell you but those days are gone. If Gen Z (and anyone else) is not feeling connected, a sense of community, and assimilated into the workforce, the chances are that is a fault of leadership.
Read MoreI am feeling extremely frustrated right now and as I write this, I know I am preaching to the converted. The feedback I get from my videos and articles tells me that most of you concur with my feeling about the demand for employees to return to the office. Yet the people who need to listen are not listening. Are they so protected n their CEO towers that common sense cannot enter?
This myopic focus on where work gets done is antiquated. The focus should be on how work gets done, that benefits both the employee and employer.
Instead of listening to employees and taking a dose of reality, they are now seeking more subversive tactics to get employees back into the office.
Whilst many are getting it wrong, there are those getting it right.
Read MoreThere is now another piece of research undertaken by McKinsey called “The State of Organisations 2023.” This too tells us we have a leadership crisis. McKinsey surveyed over 2,500 business leaders around the world. The report includes a narrative on ten shifts that are transforming organisations and what to do about them.
One of those shifts is called, “Leadership that is self-aware and inspiring.”
Read MoreIt is not easy for leaders to become less directive and more empowering. It is a lengthy and often arduous process. It is a three-stage journey ending with The Return.
Read MoreLeadership transformation is not a single event but unfolds over time and takes many twists and turns. It’s a long journey with three stages: the departure, during which leaders recognise the need to change and leave behind their old ways of working; the voyage, during which they encounter obstacles and trials that teach them important lessons; and the return, when they arrive at a new understanding of what kind of leader they need to be.
Read More“No leader who has built a career on making expert contributions and exercising hands-on control can be expected to make the leap overnight to a people-centric style.”
It is a three-stage journey to move from a directive style to one of empowering and enabling others.
Read MoreMcKinsey suggests five areas where you can start to focus for new ways of working and in this newsletter, I will add my take on their suggestions.
1. Reset performance expectations
2. Be transparent
3. Be purposeful about where people work
4. Remove ambiguity about working practices
5. Test and learn
Read MoreThe McKinsey “The State of Organizations 2023” report cites one of the ten shifts that are transforming organisations as “True Hybrid: The new balance of in-person and remote work.” The McKinsey research named two benefits of getting the right balance: attracting and retaining talent, and increased productivity - both of which I have spoken and written about recently.
A remote work model is required for organisations to thrive, which means every part of an organisation will need to adjust physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Read MoreThe changes in where, when, and how we work, present challenges across structures, processes, and people, but they also offer the greatest opportunity organisations will be presented with for some time to come.
Organisations that unlock this opportunity, will distinguish themselves as the employer of choice whilst those that do not, will find succumb to the pressure of competition, fail to grow, suffer financial deterioration, and ultimately cease to exist.
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