Do you get excited about motivating your team? Do you love to get up in front of the crowd? To rally the troops? You might have the Working Genius of Galvanising.

I am spending a number of episodes running through the Working Genius model: It is a self-awareness model which helps you understand what brings you joy and energy in your work. Being a model that directly correlates to the work process, it helps us and our teams become more productive at work.

The Genius of Galvanising is about rallying and motivating people, often around projects, ideas or initiatives. People with the gift of Galvanising derive joy and energy from inspiring and persuading others to take action to get things moving, even if it involves convincing them to rethink or change their plans. Galvanising is relatively easy to identify as it is an observable and often public activity. The benefits of this genius include nurturing people’s excitement about potential by building energy and momentum around a program or idea. 

What people with the Genius of Galvanizing tend to think and say:

“Come on everyone; this is a huge opportunity.”

“Let’s get going.”

“Are we all on board with this?”

“Does everyone here understand why we need to do this?”

What others think and say about people with the Genius of Galvanizing:

“He’s got so much energy and passion for what we’re doing.”

“She can’t hide her excitement.”

“He’ll stir up momentum when we need it.”

“You can always count on her to get us going.”

I have the genius of galvanising and so I find it brings me joy to galvanise, to rally people, to build teams, to create unity in teams. I remember spending time with one particular leader years ago. This leader was incredibly good at getting things done, she was a real servant leader. But she couldn’t delegate or invite others to help. It really frustrated me. Now perhaps there is some growth for her in this too. However the Working Genius has helped me to see that galvanising is going to come very naturally for some and for others it will cause frustration and angst. 

So if you have the genius of galvanising, make sure you use it to rally your team and bring energy to your workplace. Perhaps you are a team leader and you don’t have the genius of galvanising. It is ideal here, to find someone who does have the genius of galvanising within your team and leverage their genius to ensure your team is feeling energised in their work. 

Steve Jobs likely had the Genius of Discernment. When visiting Xerox, he spotted unused technologies like the mouse and graphical interface and immediately felt they were the future of computing. He returned to Apple and incorporated them into the early Macintosh. Jobs often said he didn’t come up with many ideas, but he had a gut feeling about what would work—this is the essence of Discernment.

I am spending a number of episodes running through the Working Genius model: It is a self-awareness model which helps you understand what brings you joy and energy in your work. Being a model that directly correlates to the work process, it helps us and our teams become more productive at work.

The Genius of Discernment is about making good judgments based on instinct and intuition. It involves recognizing patterns and evaluating ideas without relying on data or expertise. People with this genius thrive on assessing whether an idea is sound or needs refinement, finding joy in making decisions that shape great outcomes.

People with Discernment often think and say things like:

“Now, that’s a great idea.”

“This isn’t going to work.”

“Tell me more about your proposal; I think you’re on to something.”

Others often say about them:

“Ask her. She always seems to have the best advice.”

“He has uncanny intuition. I trust his gut.”

However, there’s a shadow side. Confident Discerners can become brash or dismissive, quickly shooting down ideas that aren’t fully developed. This can cause tension in teams or relationships. When used wisely, Discernment helps refine untested ideas into something truly valuable.

If you have the Genius of Discernment, don’t be quick to dismiss ideas outright. Instead, ask thoughtful, discerning questions. This will reveal if an idea needs to be abandoned or developed further. Through this process, you not only contribute to the idea’s improvement but also make the person presenting it feel valued, fostering collaboration.

If this reminds you of someone, they might have the Genius of Discernment. Next time you’re refining an idea, seek out a healthy discerner—they’ll help you hone it into something great.

Have you found yourself with a team member who is not performing because of fear and anxiety? Have you had a team member who you struggled to lead because they were dealing with anxiety?

Before I go further, let me clarify. I’m not here to teach you professional techniques for dealing with extreme anxiety. It’s important as leaders to understand our boundaries and refer on when necessary.

If you are trying to support someone who is facing anxiety, coming at the issue head on often won’t work. Let me explain. When we are dealing with anxiety or any overwhelming emotion, our frontal cortex, our reasoning brain ceases to operate well. When someone offers advice we find ourselves unable to properly process and it often causes anger and frustration for both persons.

The first and most helpful thing for a person in such a state is to recognise the anxiety. A simple comment like, ‘This project is causing you a decent amount of anxiety. Is that right?’ Or ‘I’ve seen a change in behaviour, and I want you to know I see you and I am here to support you’. When a person realises they have an ally it helps the anxiety valve start to release.

The next best step at this point is to ask questions. ‘What is it about this project that has you feeling anxious?’ ‘Is there anything at home contributing to what is happening?’ ‘Are you finding it difficult relating to someone on the team?’ ‘Are you concerned that you won’t finish the project on time?’ By asking questions you are encouraging them to move back to a reasoning state and it gives them a sense of control. This is vital.

If the answer to one of your questions is ‘no’. That’s fine, you haven’t bombed out. You have gained clarity on the issue and you are offering the person an opportunity to think through what is really happening within them.

The clarity you gain may help you understand what you can do to support them practically. Or the opportunity to talk things through may give your team member the clarity of mind to start working productively again.

In our society we are not taught to ask questions. So few of us are good at genuinely asking questions and listening. It is a skill you need to learn as a team leader. If you’re keen to learn more, contact me, I’d love to coach you, so that you can better coach your team.

Leadership often comes with a fair share of anxiety, whether it’s stepping into a high-stakes meeting, delivering a critical presentation, or making tough decisions under pressure. For many executives and senior leaders, these moments of anxiety can undermine confidence and performance. However, groundbreaking research by Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and Harvard Business School professor, offers a practical and accessible solution: power poses.

Amy Cuddy's research, which she shared in her TED Talk "Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are," has resonated with millions around the world. With over 25 million views, her talk is one of the most listened to TED Talks ever, underscoring the universal relevance and appeal of her findings.

Cuddy's research centers around the concept of "power poses" — expansive, open postures that individuals can adopt to influence their own feelings of confidence and reduce anxiety. The idea is simple yet powerful: by adopting a body language that signifies power and dominance, even for just two minutes, we can trick our minds into feeling more confident and less stressed. This is because our body language not only communicates to others but also sends signals back to our brain about how we feel.

One of the most famous power poses highlighted by Cuddy is the "Wonder Woman" pose, where you stand tall with your legs apart, hands on hips, and shoulders back. Another effective pose is standing with your arms stretched wide open or raised above your head. These poses are in stark contrast to low-power poses, which involve closed, constricted postures, like crossing your arms or hunching over.

The science behind power poses is rooted in hormonal changes. Cuddy's studies revealed that after holding a power pose for just two minutes, participants experienced an increase in testosterone (a hormone linked to confidence) and a decrease in cortisol (a hormone linked to stress). This hormonal shift helps individuals feel more powerful and less anxious, providing a valuable tool for leaders facing challenging situations.

For executives and senior leaders, implementing this strategy can be particularly beneficial. Before entering an anxiety-inducing meeting or delivering a high-stakes presentation, taking a moment to adopt a power pose can set the stage for a more confident and composed performance. This simple practice can help in projecting a strong leadership presence, making it easier to navigate high-pressure scenarios with poise and assurance.

Leadership anxiety is a common challenge, but it doesn't have to be debilitating. By leveraging Amy Cuddy's insights on power poses, leaders can harness their body language to boost confidence and reduce anxiety. So, the next time you find yourself on the brink of a nerve-wracking meeting, take a few minutes to stretch out, stand tall, and let your body tell your mind that you are ready to conquer whatever comes your way.

Alright, here’s a statistic straight from my own research. And if you think it's off, feel free to send me a letter of objection! 100% of leaders will experience some level of anxiety at some point in their careers.

Over the years, I've met hundreds, if not thousands, of leaders, and whenever the topic of leadership anxiety arises, not a single person has told me they've never experienced it.

Here is my disclaimer: I work with leaders who want to empower their people - so I have not spent a lot of time with leaders who don’t care for their people. The leaders who value what I bring are leaders who understand that the team will create so much more together rather than individually. They genuinely build and create workplaces that people thrive in. If you are one of these leaders then I suspect you are nodding your head as I say, 100% of leaders will experience a level of anxiety at some point in their lives.  

I remember when as the chief decision maker I was working with a board who came to believe I was too progressive for what they wanted. Meeting after meeting we could not reach consensus. So many within the organisation loved the fresh perspective I brought, but the board did not. That was a really difficult period of my life and I had to deal with significant leadership anxiety. That is certainly not the only fear I have felt as a leader. I share it so if you are going through an anxious period - understand that you are not alone. 

Last week, I spoke about how I keep a note on my computer called ‘anxiety’. Today I am sharing two more insights to help you deal with any workplace fear you might encounter. 

Number one: make sure that you talk to a mentor, a close friend or a counsellor. I have a support network of great people I know I can call to download.  And I do. The encouragement of these people enables me to see different perspectives. I really couldn’t be a leader without the support of close friends, family and professionals in my life. If you think that it is a sign of weakness that you would reach out to a friend to talk, well, maybe it is. But if you check the diary of the most successful people in business and politics you will find that they all had multiple someones they could talk to; a coach, a mentor, close friends and counsellors. 

And number two: if you have a faith, I encourage you to bring God into the equation. Quoting St. Paul we read, ‘be anxious for nothing, but in everything make your requests known to God and the peace of God will consume your heart and mind in Christ Jesus’.  Prayer and meditation is so good for bringing peace and calm. It reminds me that God is in control, and I really believe that God is active in answering our prayers.  Even if you don’t regularly pray, give it a go, I believe our Creator loves to hear from us.

If you’re feeling anxiety, we can overcome it together, it doesn’t have to overwhelm you. I believe you are leading where you are to bring life, joy and empowerment to those around you!  And the anxiety you might be feeling or might one day feel doesn’t need to stop you in your tracks. If you’re looking for a coach to help you achieve your goals, to reduce your anxiety, give me a call.

The next couple of podcast episodes are on a topic that I hear about from leaders regularly but only when we really know each other. Fear. 

Fear is not something that leaders like to talk about and yet, the deeper that I come to know leaders the more I realise this is a regular emotion for leaders.

I have had to deal with my own fears and anxieties as a leader and see that any leadership role comes with pressure which leads to fear or anxiety. The questions that go through a leader’s mind are endless.  And when we let them, they can overwhelm us and that is when the anxiety starts controlling our lives.  If we are being controlled by anxiety, we don’t move forward, we stay put where we are.  We don’t reach for our aspirations.

However when we master our fears, when we can face our anxieties then we can move beyond them, we can continue leading with confidence even if we don’t feel ready.  We can recognise our trigger points and find ways to work around them.

If this is a topic that you want to explore more, I want to point you to an excellent podcast led by Steve Cuss. Check out stevecusswords.com.  Steve has spent the last 16 years considering how to Manage Leadership Anxiety, largely because he realised how much he had to deal with it himself.  

Steve’s research has found that leaders are confronted with between 30 to 70 triggers that lead to anxiety.  Triggers like the need to be appreciated, concern for how our work is affecting our health, or avoiding difficult team members, fear of burning out, fear of something happening to children or loved ones.  

Now coming to understand that many of us deal with such trigger points is liberating for me. I realise I am not alone.  I am not the only one who feels fear. So today I am going to offer a single suggestion to help you deal with your fears.

I keep a note on my computer and every time I feel anxiety, I write the thought or question which is causing me fear. Why and how does this work? It is effectively the same concept as journalling which many psychologists recommend. It enables you to name the fear and then gives you capacity to understand it is there without it becoming a debilitating force within your emotional capacity. Now that I have named it and thought it through, it no longer has a binding hold on me.  

I hope you are enjoying a season in which you are not dealing with anxiety. But if you are, understand that you are not alone in what you are experiencing, and as you face your anxieties and work through them you are becoming a more authentic, effective leader. What you provide to others and your organisation as a leader who empowers is vital to a strong and healthy workplace.

If I came to you and said I could help you earn significantly more than you are earning now by improving one thing, would you be interested? People with high emotional intelligence, or EQ, earn up to $29,000 more per year than those with lower EQ! That’s worth considering, right?

I want to share a personal example: Some time ago, one of my team wrote a 7 page letter to the board where I was working with a whole bunch of things I was doing wrong and effectively asked them to fire me. You can imagine, it didn’t make me feel great. I asked the chair of the board if they would be a mediator for the conflict resolution meeting. He was a wise man and knew that mediation was a good step.

I didn’t feel great about all the accusations. It would have been very easy to have walked into that meeting and said to the team member, ‘you have no idea what you are talking about, you’re out of line.’

I didn’t. I gathered my nerves, I asked the team member to go through the issues. And despite the bubbling anger, and frustration, I aimed to calmly listen and respond only when absolutely necessary. Once the team member had said all she needed to say, I gave a recap and then asked if she would appreciate responses to these things. She did. I responded to every one of the accusations, sharing as much about my decision making processes as I could without sharing sensitive information. I named some of the emotions she was experiencing and apologised for causing her angst and thanked her for being willing to discuss these issues with me. By the end of the meeting which was over 2 and a half hours, that team member gave me a hug and thanked me.

If I had reacted to my emotions or the emotions of my team member, that meeting would have ended very differently.

By being actively aware of your emotions and others; by fostering an environment of empathy and respect, you can inspire your team to work more harmoniously, to enjoy work more, to have positive work relationships and where a person has a positive environment they will be more productive, loyal and will strive towards greater output. 

Here are some clear steps you can take to increase your emotional intelligence:

Develop Self-Awareness: Reflect on your emotions and behaviours. Understand what triggers your reactions and how your emotions affect others. If you haven’t heard them already, the last ten episodes of my podcast are all a part of a self-awareness series. There are some great tips here. 

Learn to Pause Before Responding: Take a moment to reflect before reacting, especially in stressful situations. This can prevent impulsive reactions and help you respond more thoughtfully. This is certainly one I need to work on!

Listen to Understand: Focus on truly hearing what others are saying, rather than planning your response. This builds trust and respect.

Practice Empathy: Make an effort to see things from others' perspectives. Welcome diverse viewpoints and strive to understand them.

Seek Feedback: Ask for constructive feedback from your team and peers to understand how your behaviour impacts others and where you can improve.

Until next week, keep leading with self-awareness and purpose, and watch as your EQ—and your success—soars.

The first couple seasons of Ted Lasso were fantastic! In season 1 there are even some great lessons about leadership. And the writers seemed to find a way to keep it real and comedic at the same time. 

However this morning I want to use the part of the story throughout season 2 where Ted finds himself curled up in a ball in the middle of a game with what appears to be an anxiety or fear issue. He starts going to see the team counsellor. It is a difficult process for him.  He has spent time with counsellors in the past and it sounded like it went badly.  Towards the end of one of the episodes the counsellor tells Ted (excuse the language), ‘The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off!’

This is a misquote from the biblical passage in John chapter 8 when Jesus says, ‘You will know the truth and the truth will set you free’. Nonetheless, there is some good to learn from this misquote.

Coming to grips with the truth of who I am is perhaps one of the most difficult and frustrating journeys I have embarked on. See, when I am blissfully unaware about how people might feel intimidated or dismissed by me, it can be easier than facing the truth, seeing the reactions of others, owning what I have done, apologising, dealing with how another feels and then putting in the effort to unlearn my bad characteristics.

Learning about our strengths is incredibly uplifting. And so it should be! Self-discovery of our weaknesses and growth areas; this is difficult. This is the point here: 

When I accept and embrace the truth of my strengths and my weaknesses, when I learn to grow through it, when I surround myself with people who complement my weaknesses, I find myself liberated. The truth of who I am really has set me free. Even if I did have to be pissed off first!

Not only do I find freedom in truth, there are a whole bunch of knock on effects. I become more humble because I recognise that I have weaknesses like everybody else. It is easier to have compassion for others who are reacting out of weakness, because I have been there too. I become more accepting of various personality traits, because I recognise that all personalities have strengths and weaknesses.

And when it comes to my strengths? I recognise, value and am appropriately proud of my strengths and know the importance of maximising these and using these gifts to help others. 

I encourage you today to notice the characteristics that make you great! And I encourage you to know your shadow sides. When we hold that tension well we lead out of humble strength.

When it is all said and done. When Jesus talks about learning the truth that will set us free, He is referring to Himself. He is the ultimate truth. See I believe that Jesus is the one who created me, and therefore He knows me better than anyone. Therefore there is no one better suited to helping me achieve accurate self-awareness. My hope for you is that you would lead from greater self-awareness today.

I find myself looking in the mirror and telling myself that my bum is too big all the time!

Actually that is probably not one of the thoughts I have towards myself. But, self-talk is a challenge for all of us at times. I may not talk to myself in front of the mirror, but there have been many times when I have told myself that I am not good enough. We convince ourselves that we don’t deserve to lead. Have you listened to that voice of fear or those thoughts that you don’t measure up?

To lead others effectively, we must believe in ourselves. We need to understand who we are accurately and have the courage to move forward, especially when everyone else is waiting for someone to take the first step. Leadership, by definition, involves being the first to act, and this requires stepping out of our comfort zones. This courage comes from a healthy self-understanding, which is undermined by negative or inaccurate self-talk.

Consider this example: Many people often say they are terrible with names. Have you ever said that? Some time ago, I decided to stop making such statements. Recognising how valued people feel when their names are remembered, I began telling myself that I am good with names. The result? I now frequently receive compliments on my ability to remember names.

Here are a few strategies to help you transform your self-talk:

1. Seek Positive Reinforcement: Invite a close, trusted friend for coffee and explain this exercise to them. Ask for their honest but positive feedback on the areas where you struggle. Write down their affirmations and keep this list handy. Refer to it whenever your self-talk turns negative.

2. Find Affirmation in Faith: If you have a faith, look for affirming thoughts in your religious texts. The Bible, for instance, is full of positive messages: "Be bold," "Fear not," "Be strong and courageous," "Be anxious for nothing," and "Let the joy of the Lord be your strength."

3. Continue Your Self-Awareness Journey: The better you understand yourself, including both strengths and weaknesses, the less likely negative self-talk can distort your perspective. Respecting your abilities and limitations helps keep self-talk realistic and positive.

4. Practice ‘Mirror-Talk’: Although it might sound humorous at first, there is substantial research supporting the effectiveness of positive affirmations spoken aloud to oneself in the mirror. Say things like, "I'm great at sales!" or “I am confident!" or "I am making a valuable contribution at work!"

I encourage you to start being positive in your self-talk today. Try these methods and observe the difference it makes!

The Coronavirus Pandemic might seem like a thing of the past, but its impact lingers. Many people I talk to took it in stride, but a lot of others struggled with their mental health. Personally, I found the isolation tough and had some really difficult days. I started doubting my vision: "Is my dream too big?" "Can I really do what I love and still provide for my family?"

During those times, my wife was my rock. She encouraged me and spoke words of life and courage. It made me realize that we all doubt ourselves sometimes. That's when the importance of having a supportive community really shines.

Think about it like this: one draft horse can pull just over 3,500 kg on its own. But put two draft horses together, and they can pull over 10,000 kg. It's amazing how much more we can accomplish with the support of others.

When you're feeling down or doubting yourself, having a good team or community around you is crucial. With the right people encouraging you, you can achieve so much more than you would alone.

But here's the thing: many of us hesitate to reach out when we're struggling. We feel like a burden or think we're not worthy of someone else's time. However, consider how you feel when someone asks for your help. Don't you feel valued and honored to assist? By reaching out, you're giving others the chance to be your support, which is a privilege. It helps you recover faster and feel better.

Secondly, it's important to foster a culture of encouragement within your team. A generous, supportive environment boosts productivity, unity, and loyalty while reducing burnout and turnover. When we value and uplift each other, we can tackle bigger challenges and achieve greater results.

Nurturing relationships goes beyond just getting things done. It's about maintaining everyone's well-being. Strong, supportive relationships help us stay whole and healthy, allowing us to overcome self-doubt and adversity together.

So, next time you’re feeling unsure about yourself or your path, remember the power of community. Reach out, lean on your team, and encourage a culture of support and positivity. By doing so, you'll find that you can achieve far more than you ever thought possible. And in turn, you'll be helping others do the same. We're all in this together, and together, we can thrive.

I’ve burnt out!

No, not right now. Early in my career, I often felt burned out every six weeks. It was a relentless cycle of hard work, little sleep, and neglecting self-care, leading to physical sickness, stress, and a sense of being overworked. Eventually, I realised that the problem wasn't my job; it was my lack of self-care.

John Maxwell and psychologist Dr. Les Parrott discuss self-care in their book "25 Ways To Win With People." They highlight the importance of being in a healthy place to effectively lead others. On the other hand, Jack Welch emphasises that good leaders prioritise the success of others. Some may see these ideas as conflicting, but I believe they complement each other. Taking care of ourselves enables us to lead selflessly and support others' success.

Now, let's differentiate between self-coping and self-care. Coping is a reactive response to emotional and physical challenges, like having a glass of wine to deal with job stress or binge-watching a favorite show for a break. While coping mechanisms are okay, they don't truly recharge us or ensure long-term well-being.

On the other hand, self-care is proactive and addresses our needs before they become overwhelming. It involves recognizing that difficult days happen and prioritizing our mental, spiritual, and physical health. Self-care entails actions like planning a morning run for physical fitness, ensuring adequate sleep, setting aside time for prayer and reflection, and practicing self-discipline in eating habits. The key distinction is that self-care is about taking active steps, not just reacting to stress.

Patrick Lencioni’s work proves that Working within our Genius plays a significant role in preventing burnout. When we operate in alignment with our natural strengths and passions, work becomes more fulfilling and less draining. It allows us to excel in tasks that energize us, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction. By understanding and leveraging our genius, we can create a work environment that nurtures our well-being and resilience, making us less susceptible to burnout.

A quick disclaimer: I'm not a psychologist, so if you're experiencing burnout, seeking professional help is crucial.

Today, I encourage you to make one sustainable change toward active self-care. Whether it's committing to regular exercise, improving sleep habits, practicing mindfulness, or setting boundaries at work, choose something that nurtures your well-being. My hope is that by prioritising self-care, you'll not only improve your own life but also create opportunities for growth and success for yourself and your team in the future.

Over the past couple of weeks, we've been diving into the concept of leveraging your genius within leadership contexts. I strongly believe that exceptional leadership isn't tied to a specific genius but rather to the ability to harness one's unique strengths effectively. In our previous episodes, we delved into Wonder, Invention, and Discernment. If you haven't caught up on those discussions yet, I highly recommend doing so to get a fuller picture. Today, let's explore three more geniuses: Galvanising, Enablement, and Tenacity.

Galvanising individuals are like the heartbeat of a team, infusing energy and passion into every project. They excel at rallying teams around ideas and keeping everyone engaged. If this is your genius, embrace your role as the team's cheerleader, but also remember to stay grounded in reality. Acknowledge challenges transparently and use your natural energy to drive progress while fostering a sense of unity and purpose.

Now, let's shine a light on the often-underestimated genius of Enablement. People with this genius are adept at spotting potential roadblocks and swiftly resolving them. They ensure smooth workflow and enable their teams to perform at their best. If Enablement is your strength, leverage it to streamline processes and empower your team members. However, be cautious of taking on too much and inadvertently stifling others' growth by doing their work for them.

Moving on to Tenacity, individuals with this genius are driven by results and excellence. They are meticulous about meeting standards and deadlines, ensuring projects are completed successfully. If you resonate with Tenacity, harness your drive to keep the team focused and accountable. But remember, leadership isn't just about tasks; it's also about valuing and nurturing relationships within the team.

In essence, effective leadership isn't about fitting into a specific mold but rather about embracing and maximizing your unique strengths. Whatever your genius, ether your genius lies in Galvanising, Enablement, Tenacity, or another area altogether, lead authentically and with purpose. Don't hesitate to tap into the diverse talents of your team members to complement your own skills and address any gaps.

By fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment, you create an environment where everyone's genius is valued and utilised to its fullest potential. This inclusive approach not only drives success in projects but also cultivates a sense of fulfilment and growth among team members.

Do you love coming up with ideas? Or do you find yourself frustrated because someone you know keeps coming up with ideas and you wish they’d stop?!

I am spending a number of episodes running through the Working Genius model: It is a self-awareness model which helps you understand what brings you joy and energy in your work. Being a model that directly correlates to the work process, it helps us and our teams become more productive at work. 

Now, if your friends and colleagues call you an ideas man. Or if you find that new ideas excite you, you may have the genius of invention.

The Genius of Invention is about coming up with novel ideas and solutions to problems and address issues. Invention involves creativity and original thinking, often with little direction. People with this genius are confident and inspired by a problem that has no apparent solution, and they derive energy and joy from getting the opportunity to take a first crack at coming up with a new idea. The benefits of this genius are generally well-understood in society, and include anything related to innovation, novel thinking, and original problem-solving.

These are the sorts of phrases that people with the Genius of Invention tend to think and say:

“Hey, I’ve got an idea.”

“What about this?”

“Here’s something that might work for you.”

“Please let me try to come up with a solution for that.”

If you know a person with the Genius of Invention you might say:

“Where does she come up with these ideas?”

“He always has a new idea or solution, even if we don’t ask for one.”

“She’s so creative. She’ll think of something new.”

“He’s a genius.”

Every genius has shadow sides. If you have the Genius of invention you need to watch out for the following. Make sure that you make it clear to people when you are simply ideating. As an inventor, you get excited by ideas for ideas sake. People without this genius may confuse you as saying, ‘I want you to implement this and this and this.’ I have spent time with a few teams who were practically burnt out because their inventor team leader would give them heaps of ideas without a discernment process and they tried to implement everything. This doesn’t end well. Secondly, you need to be aware that not all of your ideas will be great. If you have the genius of invention, make sure you give people the space to help you discern which ideas are good and which ones aren’t. 

If you have the genius of invention, enjoy practicing your genius every day! Maybe you need a journal so you can spend time inventing. Get excited by your ideas and don’t fall into the trap of feeling any failure if you don’t follow through on every idea - the joy for you comes in the ideating. If you know someone who has the genius of invention, encourage them in their ideas, and understand that not all their ideas should be implemented, but instead help inventors to discern which ideas are great.

In last week's podcast, I emphasised the importance of leading from your geniuses. If you haven't already, I recommend checking it out before diving into this episode. Today, I'll continue exploring the question of which genius is most suited to senior leadership, drawing from Patrick Lencioni's Working Genius philosophy. My view is that no single genius is inherently more suitable for senior leadership than others. What truly matters is leading from your unique design. So, let's delve into three of the geniuses—Wonder, Invention, and Discernment—and how they apply to leadership. We'll cover the remaining geniuses next week. If you haven't taken your Working Genius Assessment yet, please reach out; I’d love to assist.

For those operating from the genius of Wonder, your ability to ask profound questions is invaluable. Your knack for seeing things differently makes individuals feel deeply valued and understood. Harness this genius to inspire your team, encouraging them to explore new perspectives and stay adaptable in a dynamic environment. However, be mindful of balancing curiosity with focus on tasks at hand.

The Genius of Invention embodies innovation. If this is your genius, you're constantly generating ideas. While not every idea may be feasible, think of pioneers like Thomas Edison whose relentless pursuit of invention transformed our world. Your role is to keep ideating, especially when facing uncertainties, to keep your team's innovative spirit alive and problem-solving capabilities sharp. Be aware that not every one of your ideas is going to be a winner. If your team is healthy then you should be receiving some knock back to some of your ideas.

Discernment, on the other hand, filters and refines ideas from Inventors. Your gut instinct helps discard impractical concepts and polish viable ones. Collaborating effectively with Inventors ensures the best ideas surface, guiding your company toward focused growth. As a leader, ensure your discernment doesn't come across as dismissive; instead, use it to steer your team in the right direction while valuing diverse perspectives.

My takeaway for you this week is simple yet crucial: Embrace and cultivate your Working Genius. Whether it's a core strength or an area of growth, leverage the geniuses within your team to drive collective success. Tune in next week as we explore the remaining three geniuses and their impact on leadership dynamics.

I was recently talking to a team leader who was struggling in their role. They noticed a colleague who was excellent at gathering people and energising them. People always seemed to be enthusiastic and motivated when interacting with this person. However, this leader didn’t feel that people responded to them in the same way and so the natural inclination was to try to replicate the traits of this other.

I explained that it sounded like their colleague had the Working Genius of galvanising. It is part of their DNA to bring people together and mobilize them. Instead of trying to become like their colleague, I suggested we reflect on their own geniuses and how we could capitalize on their geniuses? How do we best lead from how we are uniquely created. Additionally, we explored how to champion and utilize their colleague’s genius of galvanizing in a way that benefits everyone involved.

Here’s my takeaway for today: When we understand and operate from our own geniuses, we lead more naturally, people are more likely to follow us, we have greater energy for our work, our teams feel more at peace, we make better use of our team’s talents, people feel more valued, our teams enjoy their work more, and everyone is more productive.

I am often asked which geniuses better serve a senior leader. My belief is that no genius serves a senior leader better than another. All of the geniuses are valuable. A senior leader is most capable when they understand their unique, God-given geniuses and operate from them.

Over the next few weeks, this podcast will explore the elements of the Working Genius and how each genius applies to leadership. This week, my takeaway for us is this: As we become more self-aware, we should come to a greater appreciation of ourselves and our strengths. We should also aim to better understand our frustrations and weaknesses. By approaching our leadership from a place of contentedness in ourselves, we can better recognize and value others’ geniuses. We should applaud and appreciate their differences, seeing them as complementary to our own skills.

May we find ourselves less threatened by others' geniuses and instead ascribe greater value to what they bring to the team. By fostering this mindset, we create a more inclusive, supportive, and productive environment where everyone’s unique talents are utilized to their fullest potential. This approach not only enhances our leadership but also improves team dynamics and overall success.

Dr. Tasha Eurich, an organisational psychologist and best-selling author, has pioneered groundbreaking research shedding light on the intricacies of self-awareness. One of her key insights challenges conventional wisdom: instead of fixating on the elusive "why," Dr. Eurich advocates for the potential of asking "what?"

Traditionally, the quest for self-awareness involves delving into the depths of our psyche to uncover the root causes behind our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. We tirelessly ask ourselves, "Why do I feel this way? Why did I react like that?" However, Dr. Eurich's research suggests that this approach may not always yield the results we are seeking. In her book, "Insight," she emphasises the importance of shifting our focus from "why" questions, which can lead to rumination and self-criticism, to "what" questions, which prompt action and self-discovery.

So, what exactly distinguishes "what" questions from "why" questions? "What" questions are future-focused and action-oriented. Instead of dwelling on past mistakes or dissecting our motivations, they propel us toward constructive solutions and behaviour change. For instance, rather than asking, "Why did I fail to meet my goals?" one might ask, "What steps can I take to improve my productivity?" This subtle shift in perspective fosters a proactive mindset, empowering individuals to take control of their circumstances and chart a course toward personal and professional fulfilment.

Moreover, "what" questions cultivate a growth-oriented mindset conducive to learning and adaptation. By reframing challenges as opportunities for growth and exploration, individuals can navigate setbacks with resilience and optimism. Dr. Eurich's research underscores the transformative impact of adopting a growth mindset, highlighting its correlation with enhanced performance, creativity, and well-being.

I can tell you from personal practice and experience that this change in mindset propels me forward every time I apply it. I am naturally introspective and have typically asked the ‘why’ questions far too much. But the more I apply the ‘what’ questions to my own situation I work towards my future goals instead of getting stuck in internal questioning. This week, as you consider the things that go well and those that don’t, ask the questions, ‘what could I do to relate with that staff member better?’ ‘What could I have changed in that sales pitch to have won that contract?’ ‘What do I need to do to see more momentum within my business or my team?’

Would you believe that research shows only ten to fifteen percent of leaders are as self-aware as they believe they are? Ten to fifteen percent! 

Tasha Eurich and her team studied nearly five thousand people to find out what self-awareness is and the results were fascinating.

They found that there are two types of self-awareness. Internal and external.

Internal self-awareness is the understanding of self. This is incredibly valuable. As a persons awareness of their values, feelings and behaviours increase so does their ‘job and relationship satisfaction, personal and social control and happiness.’ Equally this increase relates to decrease in anxiety, stress and depression.

The Second category is external self-awareness. This relates to how accurately we understand the way that those around us see us. Those who can accurately define this are ‘more skilled at showing empathy and taking others’ perspectives. For leaders who see themselves as their employees do, their employees tend to have a better relationship with, feel more satisfied with them, and see them as more effective in general.’

And if I have high internal self-awareness, do I also possess high external self-awareness?  Unfortunately the research suggests this relationship is not easily defined. We can be highly aware in one and not the other, or we can be highly aware of both.

The other fascinating part about this research which surprised me, is that the more senior a leader becomes, the less likely they are to be truly self-aware in both categories. Here’s why. A good leader who is both internally and externally self-aware is likely to receive greater opportunities. However as we develop greater experience, we place greater value on our own experience and less on others. Equally the greater power we yield leads to our followers being less willing to give us honest feedback. Both these natural aspects of becoming more senior, lead to decrease in opportunity for self-awareness. Unless, key word here, ‘Unless’ the more senior leader increases his or her efforts to stay open, humble and to receive feedback from their team, board or trusted mentors and coaches.

I have included a link in the description for a simple and free test you can do to help you understand how your internal and external self-awareness align. I encourage you to check it out. And make sure that you listen to my podcast next week, when I talk through what we can practically do to increase our internal and external self-awareness.

When we talk about leadership, we typically think about aspects of leadership external to self - the person we are leading or the task we are doing.  But the leaders I have enjoyed following the most, are leaders who really know who they are. They understand their strengths and use them. They understand their weaknesses, they don’t try to hide them, but instead seek out people who are strong in those areas.  They use their self-awareness to change how they lead according to what a situation requires, and they use this self-awareness to better relate with their teams in a way that their team mates personally understand.  Self-awareness is probably one of the greatest tools a good leader can cultivate.

Simon Sinek, famous for his book, ‘Start With Why?’ says, ‘The ability to look at one’s self is critical.’  ‘The ability to look at one’s self is critical.’

Now, I thought I was incredibly self-aware.  If someone asked my younger self if I knew who I was, I would naturally answer, ‘Of course! What a stupid question!’  But, actually now as I gently push the age spectrum a little further, I am coming to understand that I have a whole bunch of blind spots. How do I know I have blind spots?! I know this because the more that I seek genuine feedback, guidance and help from people I trust, the more I learn. I am learning more now in my 40s than I ever did as a young person because I am more open to hearing from trusted people in my life.

You know, I think Socrates had it right when he said, “Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they’re fools, and fools who think they are wise”. 

With a few years under my hat I am learning that good self-awareness requires regular re-visitation. I regularly re-visit the self-awareness tools - Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, Strengths finders and the Working Genius are but a few different profiles you can check out.  

I have put a few links in the description of this post.  I encourage you this week to take one of these tests.  A better understanding of self will help you feel more confident in who you are, in your leadership and in your relationships with your team. 

If you are interested in learning more about yourself and how to lead better from who you are, contact me.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

https://www.amazon.com/Personality-Plus-Understand-Understanding-Yourself/dp/080075445X

https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths

https://www.workinggenius.com

Beatrice Chestnut is the author of the excellent book, the ‘9 types of leadership’. In a nut shell the book considers how our personalities as discussed within the Enneagram model affect our leadership. Chestnut helps us understand ourselves and those we work with better. As our self-awareness increases we are able to lead with greater insight, wisdom and understanding.

I started a new roll some time ago and once I’d signed the contract I reached out to my future staff to start building relationships before I started so we could hit the ground running. One of the staff asked a really insightful question. They said something like, ‘I see that you love leadership, so what is the most important trait of a good leader?’

My reply was, ‘self-awareness’. I went on to explain how this works out. If I don’t understand myself, my reactions, my tone of voice, my shortcomings and strengths, then how can I expect to be effective in leading others to be better understand themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, goals and values?

If I am self-aware then when we go through conflict, I think through my reactions and whether they were positive or negative. I am better positioned to ensure the relationship stays in tact, increasing productivity due to greater understanding of one another. If I am self-aware I understand my strengths and capitalise, whilst actively seeking others who will complement my weaknesses to ensure the workplace is well rounded.

Chestnut found significant anecdotal evidence that self-awareness increased productivity, increased happiness amongst employees. It enabled greater and more truthful communication, enabled less turn-around amongst staff and further even chief financial officers have regularly said that increased self-awareness made a significant and positive difference to the bottom line.

Over the next few weeks I am going to be considering a bunch of topics relating to self-awareness. I hope you are encouraged to spend some time thinking through, ‘what can I do today to become more self-aware?’  If you are unsure of where to start there are many books that can help you or contact me. A good executive coach asks good questions that will help you better discover your geniuses, you weaknesses and a path toward greater self-awareness.

Embracing continuous improvement focuses on embedding new approaches into the organisation's culture to ensure sustained success. Change is not a one-time event but a continuous journey. It's about fostering a culture that embraces adaptability and innovation. By instituting a change culture, leaders cultivate an environment where your team can thrive and grow towards long term sustainability and profitability no matter what changes around you.

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www.shanekuchel.com

@shanekuchel

shane@shanekuchel.com

The Greek Philosopher, Heraclitus, says, ‘Change is the only constant’. ‘Change is the only constant’. We may not like it, but change is happening when we are sleeping! It doesn’t matter what we are doing about change, the world is changing around us! So for you and me as leaders within our organisations, business, churches, and families, we need to ask ourselves if we are prepared to change. The work is not easy and Kotter’s 7th principal for change, ‘sustaining acceleration’, is where many change efforts are derailed.

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www.shanekuchel.com

@shanekuchel

shane@shanekuchel.com

In this episode I paint the picture: Could you live for days on end in a maze, not knowing if you are making any progress? John Kotter’s 6th principal, celebrating the small victories helps you and your team to rise above the day to day and to notice how far you have come and how far you have to go. It helps you to stay focussed on the change vision ahead.

Stay in touch:

www.shanekuchel.com

@shanekuchel

shane@shanekuchel.com

It was Easter this last weekend and there is no doubt that I am influenced by the leadership of Jesus Christ. So I decided that this episode would be about empowerment. In my opinion, there is no one who better empowered than Jesus. He is the ultimate example of empowerment. If you are seeking empowerment, check out the words of Jesus. He took the down and outers and created a movement that is the most influential throughout the world today. May you be strengthened and empowered today!

Stay in touch:

www.shanekuchel.com

@shanekuchel

shane@shanekuchel.com

I have always loved self-awareness tools. Actually, I believe the better we know ourselves the better we can lead others. What sets the Working Genius Tool apart is it’s simplicity. It is so simple that it can be implemented into teams in the matter of a few hours. And I have literally seen the difference in productivity and positive culture within a matter of minutes. It is an incredible tool. Over the next few weeks I am going to unpack each of the working geniuses. See if you can figure out your genius.

The first genius is Wonder.

The Genius of Wonder involves pondering and asking questions, contemplating the reasons why things are the way they are. People with this genius derive joy and energy from thoughtfully observing the environment around them and wondering whether there might be a different or better way. Compared to other geniuses, Wonder is not the most observable genius, because it is a mostly internal process. However, almost every new initiative, program or project begins because someone wonders. The benefits of this genius include asking big questions, prompting people to consider assumptions that may need to be questioned, and challenging the status quo.

When I have spent time with people with the Genius of Wonder they ask the best questions. They have this incredible way of dissecting the World with their questions. People with the Genius of Wonder love those brainstorming meetings where the questions of Why, how, who, where, and what are encouraged. 

Now, the genius of wonder is one of my working frustrations so I am not naturally inclined towards brainstorming. I always used to think it was a waste of time. However, the more time I spend considering the work process, I realise this genius is essential for a team to continue innovating. 

Think about any of the Change Management processes, There is not a single one I am aware of where it is not important to question how things currently are. Asking good questions and being honest with our answers helps us to improve and to innovate. The Genius of Wonder is an absolute gift to your team if you want to improve.

This week, spend some time thinking through whether you or one of the people around you have the Genius of Wonder. Do you love to ask questions? Do you spend time with your eyes closed asking how things could be changed? 

Or is it your frustration? Does the idea of brainstorming give you nightmares? Are you a person who just wants to get on with the job? If that sounds more like you, then Wonder is probably not one of your Working Genius. 

If Wonder is your genius. Then make sure you use it this week. If it’s not your genius, find it in your friends and colleagues and encourage them in their genius. 

Make sure that you jump in next week to find out about the genius of invention. And if you’re keen to find out what your Working Genius is.

Let me paint the picture for you. You come up with a brilliant idea. It comes directly out of a complaint from a client, you know how to fix it but it is going to require more than you can do by yourself. You go to your boss and share it. She says ‘no’. Demoralising right? Now, let me put the shoe on the other foot.  You are in the middle of a project, your team member barges into your office with a great idea, and you just don’t have the time.  You say ‘no’. Do either of those scenarios sound familiar?

Kotter’s 5th Principle for change is to Enable Action by Removing Barriers. The leaders in this scenario were creating barriers.  Where do you think these types of barriers lead?

Yep, you’re already thinking this through:

A demoralised team member.

Lack of productivity.

And if it happens repeatedly, team members will stop trying to innovate. The innovation wheels stop turning completely.

Now let’s take a step back. Because, you as a leader, know that there is often good reason for saying ‘no’. And you would be right! Elad Sherf and his colleagues write an excellent article in the Harvard Business Review which point out that many organisations are set up so that team leaders are not empowered to change.

If I as a leader am required to go through a significant process of approvals and meetings to change something, is it really going to be worth it? I barely have the headspace for my own projects. The more hurdles I must jump, the less inclined I am to empower my team to change as well.

Company reviews, KPIs and targets are all set up to keep us focussed on short term success.  So where is the space for change and thus possible failure? Where is the space in our organisations to dream, to innovate and to change?

So how can you change, when your team leader can’t change and our organisational structure doesn’t encourage change? How do you as the key decision maker encourage change when you feel the pressure to keep that bottom line positive?

If you are a business leader, you need to understand that if you don’t change, your organisation will cease to exist. If we don’t encourage innovation and failure our talent will leave. Change, failure, and mistakes because we are innovating are actually the things that are going to keep our bottom line positive. If that causes a bit of anxiety. Contact me and we can work on it together.

Or if you’re a part of a team, I want you to understand that your role is to lead up. Understand that organisational structures don’t encourage change, so don’t blame your team leader. Flick this podcast to them, print the HBR article I am referring to. Help them to understand the need for change without the blame games. When we start taking the ‘no’s personally and start blaming our leaders, we are on the road to our exit. In some situations that might be necessary, but I encourage you first to try to work things out. It is better for everyone.

Let me change direction, Leaders and managers are not the only barrier to change. A person may need upskilling, they may need extra resource, or help for a project. And when we as team leaders can provide these things, you are not only making the work possible. You are communicating that your team member is valuable. You are encouraging them to reach above their station. You are leading a person in a way so that when they lead, they will be a remover of barriers too.

Steve Jobs grew one of the largest companies in the world. He says, ‘It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.’ If you want your team to act smart, treat them like they are smart.

If this podcast hits home, call me. If you are a team leader, I offer executive one-on-one coaching packages that could help you over the next 10 months to create a strategy to get to where you want to go. If you are the key decision maker and are trying to make changes in your organisation and having no success. You need to call me. You understand your product, I understand people and I can help you to navigate your greatest asset, your people, so that your organisation can become more innovative, productive and agile.

In John Kotter’s research, he found that most leaders under communicate their vision by a factor of 10. To paint a picture, that’s like if I was to tell you, I went for a 10 hour hike the other day. I got an hour in, sat down, poured water on my head and congratulated myself for a job well done and walked back to the car! Does that make you think about your communication?

Last week on my podcast, I talked about Kotter’s 3rd Principal of change in which we must form a strategic vision.  Once it is formed, we can’t expect that the communication piece is going to be a one time town hall or leadership meeting.  We need to communicate the vision daily, at every chance we get.

‘We are going to work on this project, because it is going to help us achieve our vision of, dot dot dot.’

‘Yes, I love that you are going back to that client with that solution, it reflects our vision to become, dot dot dot.’

The more that the vision is fresh in your mind and the minds of your team, the more that we will remember it, respond to it and act according to it.

Further, communication isn’t just about what we say. In fact, what we say is going to mean nothing if we don’t walk the talk. Communicating our vision by re-ordering our own priorities and goals will get noticed. Continuing to do something which may not have immediate financial reward, but does have tangible links to your vision is going to help your team see that you are passionate about where your team is going. It will encourage greater engagement and productivity. And at the end of the day, it will create greater financial reward as well. Walking your talk is the greatest way to communicate your vision and excite people that they are a part of something that matters.

Remember:

Talk about your change vision as much as you can. It might not inspire someone today, but perhaps it will sink in tomorrow.

Address people’s concerns and anxieties. And don’t be dismissive. The issues our team are facing are real in their mind and when we show empathy, they are going to respond with loyalty and that extra push you’re hoping for.

Apply your vision everywhere you can. Tie every situation back to your vision. Make sure you clearly understand the answer to the question, ‘How does this project, this new hire, this staff reduction, this building programme help us to achieve our vision?

And most importantly, Communicate your vision by your actions. A leader who leads by example will see far greater engagement and buy in than someone who lives in their ivory tower.

I’m cheering for you! As you communicate your vision this week, May you find yourself well on the way to the peak of that hike!

Where are you going?! If you and your people don’t understand where you are going and why, you won’t get there! It makes perfect sense right? But, how often have we tried to achieve something without communicating exactly what we are trying to achieve?

John Kotter, change management guru, writes, ‘A useful rule of thumb: if you can’t communicate the vision to someone in five minutes or less and get a reaction that signifies both understanding and interest, you are not yet done with this phase of the transformation process.’  The updated time frame for 2024 is probably closer to 30 seconds!

I am in the process of starting a new business and it is an arduous journey, demanding full-time commitment to crafting a detailed business plan, financials, and establishing an online presence through a website. The introspective process of defining personal identity, passions, and value contribution has been time-consuming, intensifying the emotional toll. Amidst the challenges, there have been notable victories, yet the thought of giving up has lurked on the sidelines. The driving force behind perseverance lies in a profound understanding of the envisioned future and a steadfast belief in its worth. The commitment stems from a conviction that the endeavour can make a meaningful impact, ushering in positive change. I want to create a movement of self-aware, empathic, and purpose-driven leaders who will redefine history: ensuring that all humanity benefits.

So what are your next steps?

Set aside 30 minutes in your calendar to clarify your vision. If you want change, this is vital. Or if you have recently reconsidered your vision; close your eyes for 5 minutes, think through your vision and one thing you can proactively do today to work towards it.

Develop a road map, a strategy to achieve this vision.  Spend time with some people in your organisation, not just senior leaders, but people who will give honest feedback. Reconsider your vision together, look through some of your key strategies. Are they helping you achieve your preferred future?

Most importantly for your change effort, talk it through with the people who need to change to make it happen. They need to be excited with you for what is ahead.

There’s an ancient biblical proverb.. “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. Make sure you are actively putting yourself in a position to thrive.

Very early in my career I was a part of an organisation in which the key decision maker wanted to implement what I thought was a brilliant concept. However, I watched the organisation unravel because the key leader had not brought along some important stakeholders. Two influential people in the organisation didn’t like the idea and in the end created such discontent that the vision decimated us. People left in droves.

The second of Kotter’s 8 steps of change management is creating a powerful “guiding coalition”; it is about finding those in your organisation who are the natural leaders and using them to guide through change.

A guiding coalition is a team of people from all ranks who are on board and passionate about the change vision.  These people motivate their peers and spread good vibes about the change.  They are also the people who are going to drive the change itself.

Side note, if you are looking to implement an ongoing change management tool, I suggest a process such as “Agile”. However creating a guiding coalition is really helpful when you are wanting to make a big shift and you suspect there will be pushback. Maybe it is a cultural shift, perhaps you want two siloed teams to work better together. The point is that if you try to make the shift from top down, people might act like they are buying in because they have to, but it will likely leave everyone frustrated. If people from all levels of your teams are on board, they can be in the background listening to the concerns of others, reassuring and encouraging them to get on board. You are likely to see much more success.

Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist says, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’

How can you use this today?

As a team leader, you might have concerns that an idea for a project may encounter resistance, so consider engaging with influential individuals in your workplace whom you trust. Seek their counsel and explore the possibility of enlisting their support to navigate the project through potential challenges. Collaborating with trusted influencers can enhance the chances of success and foster a more favourable reception for your proposed initiative.

Or do you have a pain point in your organisation that you know is felt by others as well? Invest time tackling the issue together. Don’t play the blame game, think through some practical solutions together. It is much easier to achieve change together rather than alone.

Maybe you are frustrated with something in your family. Organise regular family meetings to talk through the journey of family life together.

Above all things, make sure you listen, really listen, you have more chance of moving towards your goals together.

This next few episodes are based on the 8 steps of change management’ by Dr. John Kotter. Being a model from the 90’s, there are plenty of updated models for day to day change management; so I rarely use Kotter’s 8 steps sequentially for change - but I find these principles so helpful in any change.

Kotter’s first principle is ‘create a sense of urgency’. Honestly, I have had to work hard to do this. I am your low friction guy - I don’t want to create stress in the workplace. However, I have learnt that people don’t change if they are comfortable. If we don’t realise the situation is bad and there is a better future available, we won’t change.  In the words of Kotter, we must ‘make the status quo seem more dangerous than launching into the unknown’.

Do you remember the ‘Blackberry’ phone? In September 2011, Blackberry held a massive twenty percent market share in phone sales. Business people loved the mini keyboards. However complacency set in and they failed to see the need to change their product. In just 5 years the company reduced in size by a whopping seventy five percent! Complacency, maintaining the status quo, or removing the friction can really hurt you. At some juncture, Blackberry undoubtedly reached a moment of realisation, acknowledging that something had gone awry, however they remained complacent.

Let me ask you. Do you have a frustration or pain point in your organisation, your family or your team? Can you sense the underlying unease, the haunting ache within that group? Imagine allowing that discomfort to persist for another week. Manageable, right? Now, stretch that timeline to five long years. Can you feel the weight of that difficult situation, the burden of that troublesome team member, or the despair of that downward trend sinking in? Hits close to home, doesn't it? If you're grappling with such a pain point, the realisation must be dawning on you — the pressing need to address it. Embrace the unsettling urgency, for within that discomfort lies the impetus for action, the catalyst for change.

So what can you do about it?

First, understand that complacency is your greatest enemy if you want genuine change.

Paint the picture for yourself and for your people. Help them to understand your current trajectory. Help them to see what you won’t achieve.

Make sure you communicate honestly. Don’t create false scenarios to create fear - this will only hurt your leadership and change efforts in the future.

If you have a personality that naturally wants to de-stress situations you might need to borrow someone else who can bring that sense of urgency and stress, or you may need to practise how you are going to create urgency in the mirror before you have that meeting.

If our exercise revealed a problem for you, act now. Without urgency change won’t happen. Talk to someone about it. Set time aside to think through possible solutions. Organise some coaching. Like the civil rights campaigner, Rita Mae Brown said, ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’

Let me tell you a story! I was starting a brand new job in an industry that I didn’t really understand. Ever felt like a fish out of water? I understood that my staff were severely disengaged and I was coming onto team to help them engage. Have you felt like you had no idea how to achieve the task ahead? I remember walking into the offices with my staff and seeing the glaring looks.  What are you doing here?

It wasn’t a positive start. I figured that if I was going to get anywhere I needed to create repore with these staff and the best place to start was to ask them their stories.  Boy, did I get their stories! Along with a few cuss words and plenty of anger. That first day was not a pleasant one.

Over the following weeks I spent more time listening and learning about my staff, about their roles, what they loved, what they hated and why they were disengaged.  I started asking questions about what they would like to see and how we could possibly get there.  One by one, those staff started coming around.

Fast forward a couple of years and my staff held a special morning tea for me. They shared a few secrets with me.

The morning that I walked into the office for the first time they had all arrived early and were discussing how they should leave. They had seen my Linkedin profile, they couldn’t understand why I should be their boss and they were ready to go. They had been mistreated up to that point as the result of a corporate takeover and they had had enough. However, then I took the time to listen to each one. I let them vent, and I didn’t try to Lord it over them. We became one of the most productive teams I have worked with. Our company started winning awards within our association for increased revenue. And if we use commonly accepted dollar figures for losing and re-training staff, simply listening saved that company, conservatively, $600,000.

The more that I listen to people, the more I realise how powerful it is. Can I suggest that as leaders, many of us have forgotten the art of listening. Myself included! I talk more than I should too! We need to learn to listen more. It might be the easiest way to save money in your business.

If you want to do some research on listening, subscribe to my Newsletter by the link in the show notes. I have a few extra great resources to help you become a better listener. Or if you are about to head into any meetings today, take some curiosity with you.  Be a listener.  I’m curious to find out how it goes!

To subscribe to my newsletter go to: www.shanekuchel.com/podcast. Make sure that you tell me you are keen on the extra listening resources and I will make sure to pass them on.

I remember walking through the halls of a new workplace and seeing a bunch of the values plastered over the walls.  It excited me to be working in a place where the values resonated with me. However it didn’t take me long to find out that one of the values, in particular, was not adhered to at all.  Have you ever found yourself in that situation? How did it leave you? Did you last long there?

When we find our actions or the actions of our workplace at odds with our proclaimed values, a very uneasy schism results. We find ourselves expending a lot of energy because internally, we realise that we are not acting with integrity.

Value Statements, along with our Vision and Mission can often get forgotten. Yet, Value Statements are so powerful for either the positive or the negative. They serve as the moral compass of our organisations, guiding us in the decisions we make and the paths we choose.

Our Value Statements set our culture. Always! If we live by them, they make us stronger; our employees and clients trust in us grows. Over time our brand and our products become trusted because, like the old saying goes, ‘we are practicing what we preach’.

Take the example of a company like Patagonia. Their commitment to environmental sustainability isn't just a marketing strategy; it's a deeply ingrained value. It influences their product design, supply chain decisions, and even their stance on social and environmental issues. This authenticity builds trust, not just with customers but with employees too.

One more reason that values are particularly important. Millennials and younger generations are becoming far more in tune with their personal values. And in a world where staff are increasingly moving jobs, you need to ensure your organisation is one that invites young people into a positive culture. If young people smell incongruence, they will be out of there. The cost of attrition and re-training is well documented. Some time spent making sure your values are true could seriously effect your bottom line.

If you are the key decision maker in your company I encourage you to find two or three of your team who you know will give you honest feedback and ask how they believe the companies values are affecting your business. If you are a parent wanting to lead your family, I encourage you to sit down with your family and talk about what values you share. If you are a team leader take 10 minutes at your next team meeting to discuss one of your values. Does your team agree with them? Is your organisation living up to these values? Are there any examples of incongruence? What could you do as a team to better live up to these values?

Make your values the cornerstone of your decision-making process. It's not just about what you achieve; it's about how you achieve it.

www.shanekuchel.com

@shanekuchel

There is so much confusion about Vision and Mission Statements! I have been confused more than once myself!  Why have two statements that seem to be the same thing?  Well, they may be similar but they are both incredibly important. If used well, they will help you to define two different parts of your journey.

A Vision describes where you are going.  It is that distant mountain peak that you are aiming for.  The Mission Statement is your ‘how’ in the day to day.  How will we achieve the Vision?

Let me share a real-world example. One of the companies renowned for its mission-driven approach is TOMS. Yes, they sell shoes - but their mission actually captures something greater.  It is this, ‘We’ve always been in business to improve lives’.  And to their credit they have stuck to this mission powerfully.  For every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair away. This mission isn't just a meaningless tagline; it's woven into the fabric of their business.

So, how does a mission statement impact your leadership or organisation?

Well, if it is not followed in your business then it communicates a lack of integrity to your staff, and your clients. There aren’t many examples of companies that are like this, because time shows that, generally, a lack of integrity will lead to a companies demise.

If it resonates with your customers and your staff it invites people to want to engage.  The mission statement of TED is ‘Spread Ideas.’ Super simple and people engage because they really do spread great ideas!

Finally, it will keep you focussed. My Mission statement is to ‘unlock the potential of individuals and organisations’. I love to see people growing and thriving. Sometimes it takes a big strategy, but sometimes it just takes someone to believe in you. Either way, I love the idea that my business is about unlocking your potential.

Remember, a clear mission statement is not just a document; it's a declaration of intent, a roadmap to a better, purpose-driven future. Until next time, keep leading with purpose, and may your mission guide you to success.

Something that really energises me is hiking! One of my favourite local spots, Bally Mountain, is a pretty significant climb - but the reward for reaching the summit is an almost 360 degree view of the Gold Coast. It’s breathtaking!

When I’m hiking I am reminded of vision because, a good vision is the end point for your journey. A good vision tells us where we are going; it inspires you, your team and your organisation; it tells your clients of the great things that are going to be achieved and importantly, helps your team determine a strategic path forward.

Here are three points that are important if you are creating or considering your Vision:

A vision is an idealised picture of the future organisation. I like to describe the vision as the end of the journey. The mountain peak that you are hiking towards, the exciting destination that you are travelling to. The hike up Bally Mountain is nearly 500 metres in elevation.  Yet, knowing that I am going to see that view at the top keeps me going.  A good vision helps you keep on going.

A vision should not be immediately achievable. A good example is World Vision International’s vision, ‘Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness’.  It is short, it makes it clear what World Vision seeks to do and it is grand in scope. It inspires me to think that this company wishes to end poverty for all children!

Your vision should express your reason for existence in a way that inspires you and your clients. I provide training and coaching for businesses. That is what I and a hundred others do. But “the why”, your purpose, is the most important part. I want to contribute to a movement of empowered, empathic, and purpose-driven leaders who will make a lasting impact around the globe. It speaks to deeper than what I do. It speaks to who I am and why I exist.

When a leader's vision is effective and strong, our people are motivated, they absorb the vision, and commit themselves to creating goals that work towards that brighter future. A great vision is also the best starting point for a strong strategy.  When your vision is strong, your strategy can become better defined too. A strong vision helps a leader determine the important and the not-so-important.

So today, consider your vision. Does it inspire you? Is it big enough? Does your vision energise you to reach for what seems impossible?

The first significant leadership role I had made an indelible mark on me.  I was looking after a rag tag bunch of muso's at my local church.  I was 13 years old!  And I am not sure that I really did a great job either! But somehow, I grew the team and helped us all to function well together well together. It was incredibly fulfilling as a young man to have such opportunity and responsibility.  My heartfelt thanks goes out to Richard Ansoul who was the visionary leader who believed in me and encouraged me to lead at such a young age.  He’s still in my life, cheering me on.

I’ve also had some significant failings in my leadership. Things said to team members that I wish I could take back. Ideas implemented that just didn’t work. Am I the leader who has everything together? No. Do I have all the answers? No! I have learnt far more from my failings than my successes.

If I compare myself to some of the greatest leaders, I have a long way to go. But, when I lead, I know that my people feel empowered and encouraged to go and lead in their own way. When I lead, the people around me start to feel a few inches taller. My people believe they can achieve more today than they did yesterday.

This podcast is designed to do something I believe I was created to do, to help you to do what you were created to do. Whether you are a small business owner, the head of your organisation, whether you want to lead your family well or are aiming for the C-suite, I believe in a brand of leadership that encourages and empowers our teams. I want to contribute to a movement of empowered, empathic and purpose-driven leaders; leaders who influence their teams not motivated by their own gain, but motivated towards a vision of a world left better because we have been a part of it, not worse. This is not about building my kingdom, it is about empowering you wherever you are.

I am undoubtedly influenced by Jesus. I believe He was the greatest leader who ever lived. One of his teachings reminds us that when we do the best with the little we have, we will be given more. Here is my hope and longing for you and me today. Wherever you and I find ourselves leading, my hope is that we would take what we have and dig in with everything we have! May we be people who inspire those around us to also lead and empower in a way that will not create divides in society, but build it up. May we lead in such a way that our teams and staff go home at night knowing that we want the best for them.  May we learn to lead a little better every day so that we would take those around us on a journey that leads us to places, and responsibilities that we never thought possible.

I couldn’t think of a better place to start this podcast than by answering the question, ‘Why? Why put all this time and effort into this?’ Because I want to see you: empowered and your business, your organisation, your family or team: thriving.

Join me on Tuesday mornings as we unpack Leadership in 180 seconds.

Contact me at www.shanekuchel.com

Your words create worlds.  Carey Nieuwhof, renowned podcaster says, ‘Leaders, your words create worlds’.

Nieuwhof has written an excellent article relating to the words spoken by Donald Trump and the ensuing assault on Captial Hill by his followers, and I whole-heartedly agree with this thought.  Trump might believe that his words did nothing, however I wholeheartedly agree that the incident on Capital Hill could have been avoided if Trump had spoken differently that day.  Leaders, your words create worlds.

As leaders it is important to recognise how powerful our words are, whether we like it or not.  Our words can build people up and tear them down.  Our words can decimate our marriages or bring healing to the conflict.  Our words will cause our teams to build culture, or squash our team members. 

Milgram’s famous experiment is a fascinating study that sought to understand why the German army so readily followed orders for genocide during World War 2.  The study sought volunteers who were paired up.  One person would be hooked up to electrodes and the other volunteer was told to electrocute the subject each time they answered a question incorrectly.  They had 30 shock buttons in front of them and each time a question was answered incorrectly they moved across the scale. The scale started at 15v and ended at 450v.  They were taught that levels of electricity above 300v were harmful for humans.  If the electrocuter ever questioned whether they should continue the leader of the experiment would encourage them to continue. Many persons doing the electrocuting reached 300v and an unbelievable 65% reached the full 450v.  

The end point of the experiment: Ordinary people are likely to follow orders given by an authority figure, even to the extent of killing or harming an innocent human being. Obedience to authority is ingrained in us all from the way we are brought up.

As much as words can be destructive they can also be life-giving. I remember struggling through a difficult time in life and a class mate in my MBA and well-respected leader in his field, took me under his wing.  He encouraged me and helped me to find my strengths and to put them into practise.  The words of this mentor and friend helped me to start to believe in myself and grow to be the person I am today.

Your words matter. Here are three things you cam implement today.

Firstly, If you are struggling with some difficult people at the moment we can learn from Abraham Lincoln who decided throughout his career to regularly write ‘hot letters’.  These were letters to people who had angered him. However he never sent them. It was an opportunity to get the frustration out without cutting someone else down. This helped Lincoln to measure which words were appropriate and which ones weren’t. 

Secondly, when you are feeling conflict arising, ask questions. Most conflicts and difficulty are the result of lack of relationship. If you’re struggling with someone, take them for a coffee and aim to listen more than you talk.  Find out about their story, find out about what is happening in their families or in their homes. You might find yourself with fresh perspective, and opportunity to resolve the issues in an increasingly productive way.

Thirdly, be intentional about using words to build others up.  Think through difficult conversations  before you have them, so that you can use them to move people forward rather than to keep them in difficulty.  Take the time to find good in others and communicate it.  A simple compliment can go a long way. 

I believe that good leadership builds community.  Good leadership seeks to restore, to create harmony, unity, vision, purpose and joy.  Let us be leaders who bring empowering words to those around us today.

Fear of rejection is something that many of us struggle with, especially in leadership roles where decisions are scrutinised and risks are high. But understanding how to manage and overcome this fear can make all the difference in how we lead and grow. Jia Jiang’s "100 Days of Rejection" and Dale Carnegie’s wisdom offer powerful insights into conquering the fear of rejection.

Jia Jiang, an entrepreneur, decided to tackle his fear of rejection head-on through a unique experiment he called "100 Days of Rejection." For 100 days, Jiang deliberately put himself in situations where he expected to be rejected, like asking for a "burger refill" or requesting to plant a flower in someone's yard. His goal was simple: to desensitise himself to the pain of rejection by facing it repeatedly.

What Jiang discovered was transformative. Instead of being crippled by rejection, he learned that it wasn’t as scary as he had imagined. In many cases, people were more open and receptive than he expected. Even when he was rejected, it didn’t sting as much because he had started to see rejection as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal failure.

Dale Carnegie’s famous quote echoes this idea, "Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear”. Carnegie believed that the best way to overcome fear, including the fear of rejection, is to confront it directly and consistently. By repeatedly facing the situations we fear, we begin to realise that they are not as terrifying as they seem, and we build the resilience needed to handle them with confidence.

For leaders, the fear of rejection can hold us back from making bold decisions, taking risks, or pursuing innovative ideas. But by embracing the lessons from Jiang and Carnegie, we can start to see rejection not as a barrier but as a stepping stone to growth. The more we expose ourselves to the possibility of rejection, the less power it has over us, and the more empowered we become to lead with courage and resilience.

In conclusion, fear of rejection is a common challenge, but it doesn't have to define us. By facing our fears head-on and practicing resilience, we can conquer rejection and lead with greater confidence and strength.

When I was little kid I grew up in the country and we had a big woodshed. I regularly played down there with friends.  However there were red-back spiders galore in that shed. Now, I’d been taught that Red Back Spiders were dangerous and to be careful. However, the more that my friends and I squashed them, the more that we realised that we were much bigger and uglier than they were and that those tiny little arachnids were nothing to be afraid of!

Years later, I woke up with a huntsman on my pillow sitting right next to my head where I was sleeping. It certainly gave me a start, but all those years as a little child squashing spiders helped me to very quickly realise I was not in real danger. Yes, I sat up quickly. Checked that my drowsy eyes weren’t deceiving me, I then opened my window and encouraged the spider to fly into the garden outside.

Now, fear can save our lives. I still feel a sense of fear when I see spiders because I understand that if I am bitten by some of them, I could end up very sick. If I didn’t have that fear, or if I ignored it, my time on Earth could be cut short. 

Fear is important. Sherlock Holmes on the Stan mini-series says, ‘Fear is wisdom in the face of danger’.  ‘Fear is wisdom in the face of danger’. 

Bringing us back to the application of fear in leadership. What should we do when we experience fear because we need to make that difficult phone call? What do we do when our revenue is not matching our costs and the fear is rising in our chests? What do we do when that deadline is looming and we know we won’t make it?

Before you do anything else, it is important to recognise your fear. What? Shouldn’t we spend less time focussed on fear and more time fixing the problem? Yes, we should. However if we don’t recognise the issue we may find ourselves disempowered from acting properly. We may find ourselves making the wrong decisions and in turn making the situation worse. 

See, our fear is there for good reason. The fear is there because there is some type of danger. I am fearing this conversation, because holding my staff member accountable is going to be difficult. Therefore, I think the conversation over carefully to make sure I communicate well. 

If the Profit and Loss statement is showing more red than we'd like, acknowledging the initial fear allows me to step back and consider the bigger picture. Is there a valid reason for this? Perhaps the additional marketing expenses are exactly what's needed, and I should stay the course. While there's risk if this trend continues too long, recognizing the situation helps me make informed and wise decisions in the face of uncertainty.

When we don’t recognise the emotions being stirred within us, we end up reacting out of our emotions. We storm into that team members office and create an even bigger mess. We make rash decisions about finances that will not serve our long term goals.

I hope you have enjoyed this series about fear and anxiety.  It is a real and relevant issue for us as leaders and for the people we lead.  Please comment or private message me if you have any other issues or thoughts that you would like me to cover in the future.  

In my podcast last week, I spoke of a time when I stuffed up as a leader and it led to difficulty, anxiety, lack of productivity and focus for my team. Make sure to check out last week’s episode if you would like to find out about the first two lessons I learnt. 

Since then I have had opportunity to implement the lessons I learnt, so here are two more lessons I have learnt because of that experience. As I have implemented these my teams have continued working towards our collective vision with greater vigour, purpose and intensity. 

First lesson this morning: ‘Be the first and be confidently’. 

How can my team navigate their own anxiety and difficulty if I am not willing to navigate the stormy seas myself? How will my team have those difficult conversations if I can’t model them in a healthy manner myself? Whether we like it or not, if we are leaders who want to move forward, there are going to be difficult projects, conversations and situations into which our staff are going to need to go. If we want to grow, we can’t let our teams stay in their comfort zone.  Inevitably when we leave our comfort zone, we need to navigate some fear.  Our people need to see us stepping confidently into those difficult situations. ‘Being the first and being confidently’ does wonders for the collective culture and levels of anxiety in your team.

The final thing I learnt from that season was the importance of accountability. How does accountability help with anxiety levels? Well, anxiety is fear of an unknown future. Good accountability communicates appropriate boundaries for us to work in.  It conveys that the tasks set are important to you as the leader and the organisation. It conveys that you have appropriate control. You as the leader have a good understanding of where things are up to within your team and you are keeping everyone moving in the same direction.  

Now, these things won’t change instantly. Listening to this podcast alone is not going to help you achieve these things. They will require regular evaluation and self-probing. Spend some time this week thinking about where you can move forward confidently and provide greater accountability for your team.

This week I am looking at the topic of dealing with fear within your teams. However, ironically, the answers I am about to give have nothing to do with changing your team, or the people, or the actions in your team. 

Let me tell you a personal story.

Early in my career I found myself leading a number of teams. I found myself under a lot of scrutiny. I was told that I was doing my job wrong from people who frankly had no idea. But, of course as a young leader, I tried to adjust, change, take on feedback and do things differently. It didn’t work out well. 

Perhaps the most difficult thing in that season was that my team started to show anxiety. Our productivity, focus and drive suffered. The reality is that I never managed to turn that situation around. 

I don’t know if you are like me, I have found that I learn far more from my failures than my victories.  

I look back on that season and recognise a number of things that I should have done differently.

Firstly, I needed to ‘find my why’. Within the context of fear and anxiety, our ‘why’ becomes the stake in the ground that helps us to stay focussed, it helps us to remain grounded, stable and strong in our purpose. When people were questioning the way I operated, I lost focus on my vision. I became wishy-washy. When I am sold on my why, when it is clear in my own head - I am stronger and I can better stay on course. I naturally keep my team focussed and progressing towards that goal. We stay focused on what matters. This strength is felt by my team. Finding my why and communicating that through my words and actions helps my team to remain strong.

Secondly, my team needed to see an appropriate level of vulnerability. Not the sort of vulnerability in which I fell apart with anxiety, nor the type of stone wall shielding them from every attack I received. This balance is often hard to achieve well. You can imagine what happens at the extremes. When I was falling apart, everyone started getting anxious too. When I stone walled everyone, we felt disconnected and unable to support one another. It is important to consciously walk that vulnerability line with your team.

In more recent times when I have focussed well on my vision and I have been appropriately vulnerable I have seen strength and focus that didn’t exist in earlier teams. Now, both of these things, ‘finding my why’ and ‘finding an appropriate level of vulnerability’ are not the sort of thing you can decide to do in the next 30 seconds. It takes significant time and work. Coaching can really speed up this process. Contact me if I can help you today.

CEO, author and key-note speaker, Shola Richards tells a story about a really difficult time in his life. In fact his despair led him to attempting to take his own life. After this happened, Shola was sitting with his Dad who gave this advice. 

Shola, be the buffalo and not the cow. 

Shola, be the buffalo and not the cow. 

He explained that when a storm approaches, the cow instinctively runs away, but as the storm overtakes it, the cow continues to run in the same direction, prolonging its time within the storm's grasp. In contrast, the buffalo charges directly into the storm. By confronting the adversity head-on, the buffalo shortens its time in the storm and emerges stronger and more resilient from the experience. Be the buffalo, not the cow!

I have been the cow. I have run away and I have found myself prolonging the uncertainty, the stress and the pain.  But, when I actively choose to face my fears I really have grown stronger and know I am capable of so much more.  

I once took on a role that required me to speak in front of large groups on a weekly basis. The nerves quickly set in, and the constant demand for public speaking started to wear on me, leading to anxiety. There were times when I was emotionally drained and felt like giving up. But I made a decision to confront my fears, to understand the root of my anxiety, and to push through. I knew that some of the people I was speaking to were critical of me, talking behind my back - They disliked both me and what I did. That was tough to handle, however, recognizing the source of my fear allowed me to overcome it. I chose to face my fears, anxiety, and challenges head-on. I committed to growing, leading, and moving forward even when I didn’t think I could. Like the Proverb of the Cow and the Buffalo, I decided to run into the storm and confront my fears, and in doing so, the storm made me stronger. In fact, I wouldn’t have the courage to record these podcasts today if I hadn’t faced those fears.

I want to encourage you. If you are in the middle of the adversity, the pain, the chaos, I understand at least the emotions you are feeling. You are made for a time such as this. You have got this. Take it one day, one step, one bite at a time. May you look back and see how much stronger you have become because you chose to face the adversity like the Buffalo.

Have you ever spoken to a leader who communicates something like: Why should I complement my staff for a good job? I’m paying them aren’t I? Isn’t doing a good job what people should just do?

Well, yes, they are correct. However, I want to consider two companies that I have been interacting with lately. One has a turnover of almost 20% each year. The other has only had people leave because they are geographically moving due to their family situations. In one, employee engagement is low. In the other, productivity, creativity and self-motivation is high. What is the difference between the two business owners?

Generosity beyond the pay package.

They actually both pay similar wages to employees. However the first company is led by a couple who don’t thank their team and show value for the things people do. The second owner recognises his staff as often as he can. The second owner has even put in place Rostered days off so his staff regularly get four day weekends and he gives all his staff 5 weeks annual leave. This business owner even told me recently, that he encourages his apprentices to go and find other work after their apprenticeship if they would like to. Some of them take him up on his offer and find other employment. Ironically, almost all of these people are back within 12 months because they realise just how good the workplace culture is at this organisation.

Leadership is not just about authority; it’s about the impact you make on others. The most influential leaders don’t just direct—they give. Leaders who give without expecting anything in return create deep connections and inspire loyalty. Whether it’s time, attention, or small gestures of appreciation, unexpected generosity can change the dynamics of a team.

Many leaders focus on what they can get rather than what they can give. But the most influential leaders understand that generosity creates trust, respect, and a sense of shared purpose. Giving doesn’t always have to be financial—it can be as simple as offering your time, mentoring someone without an agenda, or publicly acknowledging a team member’s contributions.

Think about the last time someone helped you without any expectation of something in return. How did that make you feel? These small, selfless acts create a ripple effect that fosters deeper relationships and inspires others to do the same. Research shows that workplaces with a strong culture of generosity experience higher engagement, retention, and overall productivity. When people feel appreciated, they become more invested in their work and their team.

Start small. Offer to help a colleague struggling with a project, celebrate someone’s success with a handwritten note, or simply take a moment to listen without distraction. Over time, these small acts compound into long-term influence, creating a culture of generosity and loyalty.

Most leaders feel pressure to always have the right answer. Society often equates strong leadership with unwavering confidence and knowledge. But the truth is, admitting “I don’t know” is one of the most powerful things a leader can do.

When a leader openly acknowledges uncertainty, it signals confidence rather than weakness. It demonstrates a commitment to learning and fosters an environment where others feel safe to share their thoughts and ideas. A culture that embraces curiosity and exploration often results in more creative problem-solving and innovation.

According to the research from Koeslag-Keunan and team published in the National Library of Medicine, teams led by leaders who embrace uncertainty perform better and innovate more effectively. Employees in such environments are more engaged, as they feel their contributions genuinely matter.

I have personally found that when I say, ‘I don’t know’ or when I seek the help of my team, two things happen:

My team feel a greater sense of worth, increasing their willingness to go the extra mile to implement the solution.

Secondly, I find that when it is time to give my team opportunities of leadership, they are much more willing and confident. They have already seen that they don’t need to know everything, they can ask questions, they have seen me and have come to realise that leadership does not mean you have reached perfection.

How ironic that three words which the majority of western society would not associate with leadership could actually have the most profound effect on the productivity and empowerment of your team.

The best leaders are lifelong learners. They seek input from their teams, consult experts, and make informed decisions based on collective knowledge. Rather than pretending to have all the answers, they leverage the wisdom of those around them.

So, the next time you’re faced with a question you don’t have an immediate answer to, resist the urge to fake it. Instead, say, “That’s a great question—I don’t know, but let’s find out together.” You’ll gain more respect and credibility. You will be empowering your team and helping them to understand that leadership is not about knowing everything, it’s about lifelong learning.

Work is about what we output right? So naturally it is very easy for us as leaders to focus predominantly on the ‘what’ of work—delegating tasks, monitoring deadlines, and measuring outputs—while ignoring the ‘who’. These teams become cogs in a machine, expected to perform without guidance or growth. And this approach does deliver short-term results, but it’s a recipe for burnout, disengagement, and high turnover in the long run.

Think about it: if all you do is delegate, you’re telling your team, “Your only value here is what you produce” and that’s demoralising. As Marcus Buckingham explains in his article “What Great Managers Do,” employees want to be seen as individuals with unique strengths and potential—not just as interchangeable workers.

Leaders who neglect relationship-building also miss out on the deeper benefits of knowing their people. They don’t see hidden strengths, they don’t understand team dynamics, and they definitely don’t foster loyalty. When problems arise, their team members avoid them, fearing blame or dismissal rather than seeking guidance.

Another hallmark of this poor leadership style is impatience. When team members struggle or fail, the terrible leader responds with frustration or exasperation: “Why can’t you get it right?” Mistakes are seen as failures, not opportunities for learning. Stanier points out in ‘The Coaching Habit’, great leaders approach challenges with curiosity, not criticism. They ask questions, like, “What’s the real issue here?” or “What can we learn from this?” Terrible leaders don’t ask; they just assume.

Now let’s pivot. Imagine a leader who appropriately balances task delegation and relationship-building and development. This leader invests time in coaching, helping their team grow professionally and personally. Instead of reacting with frustration, they demonstrate patience, creating a culture of trust and psychological safety. When team members mess up, this leader responds with empathy. All whilst supporting our teams to ensure we are achieving our goals together.

Great leadership is about guiding and empowering. So, here are the real questions: Are you building a team that feels valued and supported? Or are you delegating from a distance and missing the opportunity to grow together? Are you thinking about the long term health of your organisation and people? Or is your focus too heavy on the task?

This morning’s episode comes directly out of the ‘Shane didn’t get it right playbook’. In this particular incident, I had been working with one of my teams to test out a new product which was going to mean our events went to the next level. I didn’t think that anyone in my other teams would be concerned and so we went ahead and trialled it without communicating this to my broader team.

Well, I was wrong. When the broader team started finding out about it, there were concerns. Now because I invite feedback, one of my team came to me.  In this time I was able to apologise for my lack of communication and I was able to speak about how this product helped us to achieve our vision. Because there was good relationship, this team member was quickly appeased.

I then wrote an email to my teams, this took about another 30 minutes. I offered an emergency team meeting for anyone who wished to discuss it further. Very few attended this emergency meeting, however it was really beneficial for the concerned who came. This meeting took about another 30 minutes.

In the end, about 90 minutes of communication and my team came to understand the change and they understood how it was beneficial.

Communication is absolutely vital to good leadership and it doesn’t need to take a lot of our time and effort if we are proactive. Yet, it is not often the first thing we go to when we are facing problems within our teams. In fact, many of us shy away from the potential conflict and we site that it is because ‘we shouldn’t have to explain ourselves to our subordinates’, because it’s a ‘waste of time’, or ‘it shouldn’t concern them’. The problem here is that the longer concerns fester, the time required to fix relationships grows exponentially.

Here are a few things that you can do if you want to delve a little deeper:

Create a Communication plan when making change.  Be active, it doesn’t have to take much. But a plan will make sure you are communicating actively to all your stakeholders.

Be visible. Make it a priority to be available to listen and spend time with your people all the time not just when there are issues. When people feel like you are aloof, discontent grows in the ranks. This leads to unfixable issues and people who are less likely to communicate with you.

Acknowledge and encourage people’s emotions. I cannot think of a single time when an issue did not pull on a person’s emotions. Listening to and recognising these emotions goes a long way.

Make it a Dialogue. If someone has a concern, I always ask questions first. This helps me to answer the right questions rather than going off on my own tangents.

Finally, bring it all back to your Vision. Hopefully your team is with you because they believe in a shared vision. We are far more likely to move ahead even if uncomfortable, if we understand that the change is inline with our collective vision.

Hopefully today you can learn from my mistakes!  Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Change is a constant in leadership, yet how we respond to it shapes the culture, trust, and effectiveness of our teams.

As there often is, our personalities will determine how we react to change. Let’s consider these questions:

When you can see that a change in direction or project may be beneficial, do you hold off in favour of staying with the safe option? Is your mantra to ‘just stay with the tried and true’? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions you might have the Working Geniuses of Enablement or Tenacity, you may struggle with change and you may need to lean into how you can change more efficiently.

How about these questions: Do you find yourself excited when a new idea pops up? Do you feel like you love change? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you may have the Working Geniuses of Wonder or Invention. And the issue here is not that you experience change reticence, but that you change too quickly for your team to keep up.

As we consider change reticence, I want to remind us that leadership carries a dual responsibility.

First, it’s our privilege and duty to lead our teams safely through the metaphorical valley—the change required to move from one mountain top to the next, those changes and adversities that keep your organisation moving forward. As leaders we need to embrace being a calming, steady presence and providing a clear path forward when going through change.

Second, leadership by definition is moving towards a destination. Embracing change is an essential part of fulfilling our mandate to care for and lead our people. If we tend towards resisting change; resistance might feel like protection, but it often leads to stagnation. Instead, we need to model adaptability, showing our teams that growth and progress are possible even in turbulent times. Or if we tend towards changing at every whim we need to stay planted on our change course so that our teams can create some natural momentum.

So what’s your take away this week? I want to encourage you to spend some time on self-awareness. Do you find yourself reticent to change or too ready to change? Once you have answered this, then you can ask a second question: What do you need to do to help yourself and your team journey steadily towards your vision?

As you navigate your change journey, understand this. Change will necessarily challenge you and your team’s relationships. That’s ok. It is uncomfortable. But when we do it well, we also create a unit of people with increased trust, resilience and adaptability.

How confident are you in your ability to make good decisions—especially under pressure or when faced with uncertainty?

Every decision-maker falls somewhere along a spectrum. On one end, we have the ‘impulsive’—those who jump into decisions without much thought, relying heavily on intuition or gut feelings. On the other end, there’s the ‘paralysed’—those who overanalyse and second-guess, often struggling to decide at all. Neither extreme leads to consistently great outcomes, and most of us can lean one way or the other depending on the situation.

The goal is balance. A great decision-maker blends careful thought with decisive action, avoiding both extremes. So, how do we get there?

If you tend to make ‘impulsive decisions’, try slowing down the process by journaling. Write down the decision you’re facing and your reasoning behind it. This simple act can help you spot potential pitfalls, weigh options more clearly, and ensure you’re not just reacting out of habit or emotion. This is often where I sit when feeling anxious about making a decision. I feel like I just need to make a decision and live with it. However, I have learnt that sitting with the decision, writing some notes about both the decision itself, and why I am experiencing urgency help me to make better informed decisions.

On the flip side, if you’re someone who often feels ‘paralysed’ by overthinking, start keeping a ‘success journal’. Document the good decisions you’ve made in the past and the positive outcomes they led to. Reflecting on your successes builds confidence, helping you trust your ability to decide quickly and effectively when it matters most. Note here that it is not about your bad decisions. It is about finding the patterns which led to good decisions, that is what we are trying to find with a success journal.

I was coaching someone recently who was struggling with making an important decision because of the personal connection to the situation. As we thought through and questioned various aspects of the decision, the right thing to do became abundantly clear. So talking to your coach or mentor when struggling to make a decision is also very effective.

The decisions we make—whether big or small—shape our leadership and our lives. By finding balance and learning from both our tendencies and past experiences, we can approach decision-making with clarity, confidence, and impact.

If you want to delve further into making good decisions, I want to point you to an excellent resource called, ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman. This book talks through how our cognitive biases affect our decision making and how we can overcome these biases. It is insightful and will help you to understand your natural tendencies.

Today, we’re diving into a habit that crushes morale, smothers creativity, and drives good people out the door: micro-managing.

Before we continue, micro-management is a dirty word in leadership and yet the reality is it often comes from wanting to ensure things are done perfectly or by those who feel deep responsibility to ensure the outcomes are excellent.

Let me tell you a story. I spent some time with a team and the leader some time ago. The team were feeling incredibly disengaged. And there were rumblings within the team that close to 50% were close to resigning. Staggering numbers. Naturally the key leader knew he had to do something about it. I was asked to come and sort it out, and this is what I found. The team in question were responsible for setting up events and every time they did their leader would come through and adjust everything they had done, so that it was perfect. He thought he was doing a good thing. Unfortunately his team felt devalued and micro-managed.

This leader was a great guy, and he meant well. But his actions communicated, “I don’t trust you to get it right.”

Now, I know very few leaders who think that micro-managing is good. But, you may not be aware of your tendencies towards this. So, I encourage you to spend some time with your staff asking some well thought through questions.

Do I empower you?

Do you feel like you make decisions without coming to me for approval?

Do you feel frustrated by the way I work with you on projects?

And now, here’s the tricky part. Don’t just listen to their words. Listen to what their body language says. If they respond in ways which show honesty, great! However, if their words are saying one thing and their actions are, shifting in their seats, eyes darting, or avoiding yours as they answer, if they start fiddling, this is when you as a leader need to spend some time seriously contemplating how you lead your team.

Micro-managing is not an ‘on or off’ proposition. And I dare to say that all of us as leaders are likely to have some tendencies that err into micro-management. The better you can understand these tendencies, the more you can deal with them, the better you can empower your team increasing productivity.

And if you find yourself thinking that your tendencies are a little more than you can work on by yourself, find a good coach who can help you in delegation and empowerment.

Have you worked in a team where everything was overly policy driven? Did it feel like projects had to go through multiple hands, or that no one was willing to make a final decision for fear of what might happen if it failed? These are strong indicators of lack of trust.  See, trust is the cornerstone of every high-performing team. It is essential for stronger profits and better culture.

I remember working on a Board where we wanted to sell a small parcel of land. It should have been a very quick and easy process. However, contracts were written up and we would receive them back from the buying party and everything we had requested was disregarded. We would query, and rework. Over the phone, no problems! Easy, let’s get this done. And then the contracts would again disregard our requests. Now this process ended up taking longer than 2 years. Trust was completely lost between the parties, our chairman ended up burntout, we spent countless hours pouring over the documents. It was the biggest productivity waster I have ever seen. Lack of Trust is one of the greatest killers of productivity and profits.

Here’s a quick self-check:

Are your company values clearly defined and actively discussed in your workplace? More importantly, do people actively align with them or role their eyes when they are discussed?

Can you think of something you’ve done at work recently that you wouldn’t want to share with your team?

Do you hold yourself to the same—if not higher—standard of integrity as you expect from your team?

If you’re not comfortable with the honest answers to these questions, you might need to do some work here.

Stephen Covey’s The Speed of Trust illustrates how trust impacts not just relationships but also organisational success. When teams trust their leaders, they work faster, communicate more openly, and collaborate more effectively.

Trust is a choice leaders make daily. It’s choosing to show vulnerability, admit mistakes, and consistently align actions with words.

As we conclude, I ask you, who is to blame if you find yourself in a low trust environment? If you answered your team and leaders, you’re right. Building trust doesn’t happen in isolation. If you answered, yourself. You’re right. In fact, trust starts with yourself. If you don’t take responsibility for building a culture of trust it is highly unlikely to eventuate. More importantly, you are the trust factor that you can control the most. So working on your own self-trust, trusting others, and helping others to trust you, is the best way to increase trust in your team’s culture.

This week, take a moment to reflect: are you modelling the trust and integrity you wish to see in your team? Transparency starts with you. Let’s build trust together—one action at a time.

How well do you manage your emotions, especially in the thick of stress, and how effectively do you respond to the emotions of others?

Think about it—if one of your staff were asked to rate you in emotional intelligence, how do you think they’d score you? Here’s a scale to consider:

Do you hide your emotions at work, keeping everything under wraps?

Do you show your emotions in healthy ways, balancing transparency with professionalism?

Or does your team know every emotion you feel, every time you feel it?

Nelson Mandela offers a powerful example of emotional and relational awareness. During his 27 years in prison, Mandela faced severe mistreatment. Yet, instead of letting anger or resentment take over, he intentionally chose to build relationships with his prison guards. He spoke with them in their language, Afrikaans, and genuinely treated them with respect. This empathy and respect for others, in the face of what could have been, overwhelming emotions for oneself, didn’t go unnoticed. Over time, the guards began to respect him in return, and this reputation followed him long after he was released. When he later became President of South Africa, Mandela was renowned as a leader of integrity, using his influence to drive national reconciliation.

So, consider your approach: When a team member comes to you, highly emotional, what’s your immediate response? Are you creating a safe space for people to express themselves, or are they more likely to keep their concerns to themselves?

Take time to evaluate your own self-care practices too. Are you addressing emotions in healthy ways, or are you more likely to lean on self-medicating habits when things get intense?

Self-awareness and emotional intelligence aren’t just about understanding yourself—they’re about creating a ripple effect that strengthens trust, respect, and morale in your entire team.

When was the last time you spoke about your Vision with your team? Not in a presentation or some high-level meeting but in a way that connected to the task at hand?

Over the next few weeks we’re breaking down common pitfalls that hold leaders back and how to rise above them. Today, we’re talking about the importance of vision—or, more accurately, what happens when leaders forget about it.

Here’s the big question: Do you have a clear and compelling vision that inspires your team? Having a vision isn’t enough. I have found many companies where the vision statement has had money and time poured into developing something breathtaking and then it is added to the website and promptly forgotten by the team. What matters is whether it’s reaching and motivating your people.

Take a moment to imagine asking one of your team members about your vision. Could they recite it? Are they passionate about it? And more importantly than reciting words, do they understand how their work contributes to making the vision a reality?

There’s a powerful story about President John F Kennedy visiting NASA in 1962. He asked a janitor, “What are you doing?” The janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” I bet the NASA offices were amazingly clean too! That sort of connection to an inspiring vision will elevate joy, engagement and productivity.

So let’s reflect:

Are your team members merely checking off tasks, or do they see themselves as part of something greater?

What are you doing to make sure that each person knows their contribution to the vision?

Are you intentional about sharing your vision regularly, not just as words but in a way that resonates and empowers?

Spend some time today reminding yourself about why you are so passionate about your vision as well.