Leadership Advantedge: Leadership | Influence | Talent | Neuroscience

This is a story of two leaders. We worked with the organisation on team leadership because one of their sales teams was "highly successful" and another was "doing poorly, with a very low morale". The organisation wanted us to "find out what's working in [the high-performing  team], fix the [low-performing team] and run a training programme for all the other sales teams to  be as good as [the high-performing team]." Ann, the leader of the high-performing team had joined the company 5 years previously as a  sales representative. She was good at her job and always exceeded her targets. She was  promoted to team leader after 3 years and had infused her own enthusiasm, determination and  will to her team. Her team members were happy, hard-working and also successful, most  exceeding targets. Joe, the leader of the low-performing team had similarly joined the company 5 years previously,  though as sales team leader. Joe's team were, by contrast, unhappy and unsuccessful in  achieving targets. This had been the case

Do you believe that to succeed you just have to be lucky, Or perhaps you believe it's all about your own hard work? No, then perhaps you think it's down to having the right connections. After all, the saying goes, it’s now what you know, it’s who you know."Luck" hints to us that all good things are the result of chance. Some people are lucky, some aren't.  Or so the conventional thinking goes.But the truth is, fortune isn't found in a four leaf clover or at the end of a rainbow. Good luck follows hard work. It may seem that the people who get “all the breaks” do so effortlessly, but when you look deeper, you will find effort, persistence, and determination.In other words, “lucky” people reap opportunities because they've worked hard to get where they are, not because circumstances have magically lined up to give them a smooth ride.So often, “lucky breaks” in life have actually come about because you have worked diligently, and often unglamorously, to achieve your goals. In other words, good luck doesn't come

“True heroism is remarkably sober,  very undramatic.  It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever the cost, but the urge to serve others whatever the cost.”Arthur AsheI've been working with a client this past week who's something of a maverick. A rebel. A person who has a different opinion and ideas about the way forward. It's a joy for me to work with someone so intent on making a real difference and not content to follow the way things have been done in that particular organisation for years. Because the organisation is in a bit of a rut. They're not growing, they're stagnating. And before long, they could easily simply die out.This leader has passion and believes that, with a few changes, things could be different. That there is life in the old dog yet.But no-one wants to change. Whispering and worry abound in the company, everyone knows that there's problems. That margins have been squeezed, that the market is drying up and they could easily become obsolete. They know this. They understand this.

Are you at Cause or Effect?One of the most common issues faced by people in their lives and leadership is: life happening. John Lennon's famously said"Life happens whilst you're making other plans."Some of you are going to like this, others won't like this one little bit. Essentially, you have a choice. A very simple choice. You can choose to create their future, or you can accept the one that you get.Moving from effect to cause"But..." I hear you about to interrupt... there are no 'buts'. Sorry about that. Yes, it is true that other people, the world, the circumstances around them may well prevent them from achieving their goal. So what are you going to do about it?Can you cause the world do something different? There are many things that you cannot change... the weather for example. So the answer is…. overcome the problem.Can you make another person do whatever is necessary? Neither you nor anyone else can directly cause them to do something, though you can influence them."But..." I continue to hear... Ther

When we ask this question in our workshops, we are usually met with blank  stares at first. I call them ‘blank stares’ because to be looked at as if you  are completely off your trolley isn’t something I choose to reinforce.The first response from that first brave soul suggests that there is no need to  influence oneself. Basically, it runs like this: I decide to do something, I  tell myself to do it, and I do it. No influence is required. I don’t have to ask  myself nicely, or threaten myself with unpleasant consequences, or  persuade myself that it will be worthwhile. Really? If we could slow down  the thought processes going on, you might think differently.Let’s take a slightly different approach. I suspect that you have, inside  you, at least two ‘voices’ - the pro voice and the con voice. The optimist  and the pessimist. The good and the bad. You may have more, you may  not consider them as ‘voices’ - that’s OK, I hope that you can work with  me on the concept for a little while. Let’s say that this is t

Size Doesn’t Matter; Impact Does When you think about thought leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, or even Oprah, it’s tempting to conclude that YOU couldn’t make very much of an impact in the world like they have. After all, they are special. They are “big”. I couldn't possibly do what they have done! And while you may not be Mother Theresa or the Dali Lama, you are NEVER too “small” to make a real difference in the world. Because the truth is, you don’t need to be famous or lead an historic movement to have an impact. You just need to do what needs doing in your corner of the world. Too often, we talk ourselves out of taking a stand or making a contribution because we tell ourselves it won’t matter, or that no one will notice. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, ordinary people around the world make the GREATEST impact in the lives of others. You can’t put a price on teaching a child to be kind and empathetic. Or spending time with an elderly person who has no family. Or feeding a s

I watched a movie recently about a Michelin Star chef, it's called Burnt and the movie is quite good and somewhat realistic, certainly in the way the chefs behave under pressure. It reminded me of my early career in the kitchens and some of the Chef's I had worked with. Superstar Chefs are renowned for screaming vulgarities, throwing tantrums and punishing staff for any wrong-doing, perceived or real. And with sharp knives and live flames around, you learn to quickly obey. As the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. In my own experience, chefs use coercive power to achieve what they require, with the excuse that any other form of leadership simply takes too long. So what other sources of power can a leader utilise when they want to motivate others and get them to do things that matter? This week I want to help you understand five different sources of power in the workplace and how you can build a more sustainable source of long-term leadership power and gain influence. People foll

Carol Dweck’s excellent book on Mindset shows us that there are two dominant mindsets that people choose to believe of themselves and about learning and growth. Anyone, who is involved in any learning and growth, will recognise these two mindsets. The diagram here represents the two types of mindsets, and I’ll sure you’ll recognise the attitudes of many people you know. Download the Learning to Learn Workbook here Growth Mindset Let’s first take a look at the Growth Mindset: Individuals who hold the Growth Mindset believe that intelligence can be and is developed that the brain is like a muscle that can be trained. With this belief is the desire to improve. To improve, firstly you embrace challenges, because you know that overcoming challenges makes you stronger. No matter what you decide to do, there will be obstacles. For the growth mindset believer, external setbacks do not discourage you. Your self-esteem and self-image are not tied to how you look to others or your success. You see failure as the

FEAR is the number one reason that people neverachieve their breakthrough to success. Yes, we can blame otherpeople for not giving us the chance. We can lament that we took thewrong course. We can express concern about the uncertainty ofobtaining that success, and maybe, just maybe I'll look stupid.In short, our fear comes down to two enemies. Ouruncertain future and our excuses from the past. Or. More simply:"what if" and "If only". What if/If onlyWhen you have a goal worth achieving, you will needto achieve breakthroughs.Breakthroughs that take you outside of your comfortzone and going outside your comfort zone is fearful. So what can you do to ensure that you create thenecessary breakthroughs that will lead to your dramatictransformation?And we have to conquer two enemies: “What if” and “IfOnly”And each requires you to do two things:Take courageGet off your ‘but’ Take courageLet me share a brief personal story:Known as the Swiss Wall, La Chavanette at Avoriaz isone of the most dangerous ski slopes in the w

Let me start by telling you that I have found the secret tosuccess is not a 20 step process. It's not even a ten-step journey.No, not even seven steps to success. It's three steps.Seriously. After all this time and experience I've stumbled uponthe secret to success, and it is a three step process! That's it,just three. And it's not going to be a secret for long. But beforeyou get overly excited it's not a shortcut, nor is it a silverbullet. But it is a simple three step process.Why are there No Shortcuts?As I look back on my life, I finally begin to see apattern emerging.You see, if you looked at my CV (resume for those of youpreferring American English), it's rather difficult to make senseof all the, rather odd, directions my career appears to havetaken.The term "chef" is a little grand for myfirst real job. More chief pot washer and floor scrubber than chefexactly.If you already know me, then you almost certainly know that myfirst career was as a chef. Well, perhaps the term 'chef' is alittle grand for my f

It was 4.30 on a cold and wet morning and I was choking on thestench of thick layers of years old grease behind the deep fatfryer and I was ecstatically happy as I scrubbed and cleaned theonce white tiles back to their original gleaming brightness.It was my first day on my first proper job and I would soon bedelegating this filthy work to some other poor sap who similarlywanted to become a chef de cuisine. In the meantime, my job was toscrub, peel, haul, carry, chop, clear and clean it all upagain.The head cook (for in the mid 1970's we had few "Chef's" as thatwas far too French and suggestive of "haute cuisine") had agreed totake me under her wing and teach me how to prepare the only famousdish to come from England and clogged the arteries of its workingclasses: The Great British Breakfast.Putting talent in perspectiveTalent is often misunderstood. Businessleaders are obsessed with finding it, keeping it and banking theirsuccession on it. They recruit the top students from the bestuniversities, promote them

Motivation is chemistry.That feeling you call motivation is to do with the dopamine inyour brain, specifically the increase in dopamine in your “nucleusaccumbens” is the brain’s feedback for predicting rewards. Dopamineis known as a neurochemical of pleasure, and sure, dopamine makesyou feel good, so why can we also get a spike of motivation intimes of great stress? Indeed, why are some people motivated tojump off suspension bridges? Dopamine is the neurochemical associated with pleasure but itsreal role is in motivation[/caption] The role of dopamine goesbeyond our feelings of pleasure; it performs its task before we obtain the rewards. Dopamine’s actual job isto encourage us to act to achieve or avoid something.  To act or to avoid? Motivation can be encouragement toact or to run awayMany successful golf players (and business leaders) aremotivated by their dissatisfaction with their performance. It canbe a very powerful motivator. You would expect someone who is thusmotivated to improve their game to be sim

He who stays latest is working hardest.It's 10 O Clock as you turn the lights out that you switched onthat morning as you leave after a 16 hour slog of a day. Grabbing aquick bite as you run for the train home knowing that the kids willbe fast asleep by the time you get there. Another day inparadise.At least you can relax easily at home knowing what a hard workeryou are. Thinking of all you have accomplished today in themistaken belief that effort equals results.You could be suffering the busynessdelusion.Being too good at your job might reducethe perception of the value you are giving!I worked for a French company for a while some years back. Inspite of their reputation for taking incredibly long lunch breaks,French companies often display what I call a very macho culture.It's essentially based on being seen to be busy and activelyinvolved.There was essentially, a competition to be first into the officeand last out of the door at night. And, at a minimum, arriveearlier than the boss, and leave after he had l

"Change is the only constant" goes the refrain. There would be little need for change if people were happy to stay the same as they are now. You know that change is uncomfortable. It doesn't matter how big or small the change is; it's how uncomfortable that change makes you feel. For some, difference is something to be avoided. If they appear to go along with the required change, it is because they (perceive that they) have no choice, For others, they'll actively seek change. Staying the same is boring, they need change, they need to learn. They are incomplete if they are not learning to be better. Some people initially resist transformation but accept it after time or practice. For these individuals the transformation has to be proven to be valuable. And there are those who initiate change, sometimes just for the sake of change. And change often fails because of your discomfort with change. How can I change an organisation if I don’t like change myself?Try a little experiment with me. Fold your arms in front

Jeff sat on a bar stool at the front of the room. He had no slides, no props, just sat and talked. Within minutes, he had everybody in the room on the edge of their seats eagerly nodding and ready to follow him wherever he went.None of us in the room had met Jeff before. In fact, none of us had a clue who he was. This quiet, unassuming man simply walked to the front and sitting on the bar stool began to speak and captivated everyone.Jeff shared why some adverts worked, and some fell flat. How some adverts tapped universal appeal, and others neglected to do so.The good news is that you don’t need to spend millions of dollars on creating a fantastic TV advert to influence people. The great news is that you can easily tap into the four universal appeals.And I'll come to those four universal appeals in a moment.You'll remember in the triangle of influence that the motivation to change is the result of the evaluation of the personal benefits gained and the personal cost in the resources required to achieve a speci

Have you set yourself a SMART goal and still not achieved it? Goal setting, we know is a powerful tool in helping us focus on a specific objective and put our energy and resources towards achieving it. But did you know that human beings align themselves to achieving their goal in one of four ways? And that the way you align your energy and resources to achieving your goal can be the determinant as to whether you achieve success or not? What is it about those people who set big, stretching goals for themselves and get there without the fight that the rest of us seem to face? Even something as simple as making sure everything is properly organised and filed and those minutiae are dealt with. All, effortlessly… or at least that's what it looks like. I recall my Godfather shared a story about swans gliding along the river, elegant and poised. No trace of the furious effort beneath the water as they paddled furiously against the current in search of a morsel of bread I had thrown. Is this the secret of those who s

A few weeks ago I recorded a podcast about the Power of Trust to Succeed and many people wrote and asked why it is that you can do something with the very best intentions but find that it backfires.It seems that it is very easy to lose someone's trust but oh so difficult to gain it back.Think of trust as a wallet full of cash.I know that it's rare to have such a thing, but imagine, OK?Say I have a couple of thousand bucks in various bills in my trust wallet. Every time I do or say something that causes you to lose faith in me, to lose your trust, for whatever reason, is like asking you to take whatever amount of cash out of my wallet.Of course, being a normal human being, you'll take the 100 dollar bills first.If, foolishly I hurt you in some way again, you'll take another chunk from my wallet. A third time and you'll probably take the wallet and empty it.Now I have no trust with you. Is there any way I can influence you if you don’t trust me? Of course not.[player]If you do not trust me, the only way I can g

It was 4.30 on a cold and wet morning and I was choking on the stench of thick layers of years old grease behind the deep fat fryer and I was ecstatically happy as I scrubbed and cleaned the once white tiles back to their original gleaming brightness.It was my first day on my first proper job and I would soon be delegating this filthy work to some other poor sap who similarly wanted to become a chef de cuisine. In the meantime, my job was to scrub, peel, haul, carry, chop, clear and clean it all up again.The head cook (for in the mid 1970's we had few "Chef's" as that was far too French and suggestive of "haute cuisine") had agreed to take me under her wing and teach me how to prepare the only famous dish to come from England and clogged the arteries of its working classes: The Great British Breakfast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.joyatwork.coach

What's the difference between coaching, mentoring, counselling, training and managing?Let's, however, take a look at the main similarities and differences, as this may be helpful for you in establishing the style you would prefer someone works with you.There is considerable overlap between these development approaches with each having a performance, direction, support or personal well-being focus in the context of the organization, your career or your whole life.Improving performance is largely about developing your job skills (competences). Whilst developing your soft skills (competencies) is better served through direction and support. Developing your character is best served through supporting your development and a focus on your personal well-being.You will see that there are overlaps indicated in the diagram. Perhaps more so with the growth of 'lifecoaching' which has filled a niche in developing you in your life whilst not being therapy or counselling. What is mentoring?In spite of its origins in Greek

What helps distinguish leaders and managers is about control and, quite literally, how "hands-on" you are.If you have ever learned to play the game of golf, the chances are that you grip the club tightly.After allthis is basically holding onto a stick that you will swing through the air and hit a ball. Allowing the club to "follow-through' - if you don't hold on tight, the club might just go as far as the ball.I appreciate that you may have never played golf, but you can liken this alsoto the tight grip of the reins of a horseto controlling your dog on a very short leashto holding on tight to your child's hand New golfers have to learn how to 'let go' - to relax their grip. If a tight grip is a ten on a scale, we want a 4 out of 10. The same is true of leadership and the way we hold on to our people. Hold on too tight (micromanage) and people have little freedom to use their own skills and strength. Hold on too tight to the club, and it is the golfer doing all the work.So the question is: "who should be doing