I gaped as my friend Sandra told me of her near-death experience paddling on a river. She fell in, got hypothermia, had no effective communications, and had to crawl out of a canyon to find help. It could have ended very, very badly. I shuddered at what may have happened.
I’m all for adventure. It is one of my core values and I have lived all my life following its call. Solo adventure can be done safely, with plenty of planning. In my experience though, adventure together is better. It’s safer, easier, and way more fun.
Likewise, strategy together is better. None of us is as smart as more of us. We can challenge assumptions, test ideas, and explore creatively together.
Here are some key principles to make it work well for you.
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Read MoreHave you ever started your work day by sitting in the car park crying, dreading to go in the office? I have. It is a dark and miserable feeling to steel oneself against the work day.
I'm reading the book Culture 101 by my friend, Penny Nesbitt. In it she describes the common experience of people driving to work Monday in tears. It’s the feeling of being trapped, stuck.
How does it get this way? How do workplaces become prisons?
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Read MoreHuman development is no picnic. We come face to face with who we are and realise there is likely a better way of being in the world. We discover that we might be better, and by correlation, who we are now might not be as awesome as we once thought.
Self awareness is like seeing a video of yourself and realising the picture in your head does not match what is being shown back to you. It’s the painful precursor to growth, if you decide to embrace something different.
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Read MoreOne of the keys to being an effective leader is to embrace a reflective practice. This is why I give each of my coaching clients a journal and some regular reflection questions. It's one of the best ways to develop self-awareness and increase insight.
I do two major big picture reflections per year – one at the end of the year, and one on my birthday. This kind of reflection is useful periodically to take stock, reassess, and course correct if required. And the clock just ticked over another trip around the sun for me! So I'm sharing my process with you so you can add it to your own reflection rituals.
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Read MoreWikipedia defines employee engagement as, “a property of the relationship between an organisation and its employees. An "engaged employee" is defined as one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organisation's reputation and interests.
There are over 1795 results on Amazon for book titles on the topic. They talk about ‘pillars’, ‘fundamentals’, ‘frameworks’, ‘strategies’ , ‘rules’ and ‘guides’ for getting people to like their work and therefore get better results for the company.
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Read MoreToni Hoffman was a senior nurse at Bundaberg Base hospital. In 2006 she was awarded the Order of Australia medal and the Local Hero Award.
She went through hell. She was the whistleblower on the Jayant Patel case, a surgeon who was convicted of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. (These charges were later quashed and a retrial ordered. In 2015 he was finally barred from practising medicine in Australia. Her actions likely saved many lives and caused improvement in the hospital’s systems.) She was shunned by her peers, unsupported by the administration. Her health suffered.
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Read MoreIf you’ve ever worked somewhere with culture problems, you know the telltale signs of cracks: closed door conversations increase, hushed conversations that end abruptly when someone walks by, a few more staff departures, long lunches, early clock-offs at the end of the day, and a revolving door of staff bringing problem after problem to your attention. Then there’s the general vibe. People seem stressed out, bummed out, weighed down.
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Read More“The staff don’t think outside of their own departments. They don’t think strategically about what is best for the organisation, just for what is best for their group. They have a real turf mentality. I really want to break the silos and get them being more collaborative, entrepreneurial, innovative!”
Geoff grimaced. This was a key frustration for him and the leadership team since the major re-structure last year. He thought that with new leadership, new direction, and new organisation that the teams would gel and jump in to the future, gleefully holding hands. Likely he was not that naïve, just hopeful.
Here’s the thing:
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Read MoreI have a Gold Star syndrome. As a kid I always wanted to be first, to win the prize, and to be the best student. I was thrilled when I got called out as an example for others. This competitive edge served me well in terms of academic and career achievement: I worked hard to get good results. It caused endless suffering when someone else did better than me, usually it was my school aged nemesis, Susan, and I was no longer the star. This drove me nuts.
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Read MoreAs a business owner who depends on the quality work of my team, I face the perennial question of, “How do I motivate and encourage my staff to do their best?” I try and do all the right things: I pay well, I offer encouragement, mentoring, and feedback, I focus on creating a fun and engaging culture that has at its heart our mission to show big thinkers with big hearts to make a big difference.
And yet even as a small team of three, we run the risk of falling in to the common reward/incentive traps that corrode culture lickity-split.
Let’s look at these common mistakes:
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Read MoreI just got back from an extraordinary few days with the first Leader’s Edge Mastermind group. This intrepid group of eight met for the first time in Alice Springs before heading out on the spectacular Larapinta Trail, one of the world’s classic overland tracks. Our intention was to EXPERIENCE this remarkable landscape, REFLECT at the foot of inspiring ridge lines, and CONNECT deeply with each other. Oh, and we had some laughs! This is the start of a 12-month leadership development and peer support odyssey, so it’s important to set the tone for fun!
After much drawn out avoidance and procrastination, the group named themselves the “Fearless Bustards”. A ‘bustard’ is a type of terrestrial bird we spotted at one of our campsites, called ‘Fearless Campsite’. Hence, the name.
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Read MoreI've started playing golf. I have a handicap of 45.4. If you’re not familiar with golf, this is very very bad. Just as a benchmark, the pros have minus handicaps. The only reason my handicap is not bigger is that they don't go any bigger. The good news is that I can only get better!
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Read MoreWhen it comes to strategic planning and strategic thinking, leaders often do it backwards. Don’t start with the budget or targets. Reverse engineer your plan, starting with results.
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Read MoreSacrifice in leadership comes with the territory. It’s one of the main reasons that not every one should lead others: sacrifice is a concept and action that requires great maturity and self awareness. Not all are ready for this kind of surrender.
What should we sacrifice as leaders?
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Read MoreWant to influence? No authority? How to get what you want without alienating others.
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Read More5 key takeaways from our premium event, the Edge of Leadership, on how to enhane leadership thinking, connections, and contribution.
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Read MoreGordon leaned back, both arms straight, pushing against the edge of the table, like a king commanding his minions. The others squirmed in awkward silence.
This is the death knell for effective strategic leadership thinking: decisions railroaded through intimidation and shallow discussion.
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Read MoreWhen I go to work, I leave my balls in a jar. I feel neutered all day. When I go home, I take them out again, and fall on the couch to watch TV.
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Read MoreWe almost died. It was the summer of 1992, and we were paddling one of the large wild rivers in North West Ontario with a group of young women. We were five weeks in to our six week trip and we had grown confident and complacent in the environment.
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Read MoreKevin thinks he is a great boss. He loves his work, is a passionate advocate for staff, cares deeply for them, and is known for his ability to smooth over the toughest issues… Kevin drives his staff crazy and no one will tell him!
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