‘It took me a while to find a leadership coach I wanted to work with, and I feel incredibly lucky to have come across Michael, who has the right mix between personable but professional and supportive but honest feedback. At first I knew there were areas I wanted to work on, but I couldn’t put my finger on what they were. Michael not only helped me identify these areas, but then grounded and rooted me in my own values, strengths and purpose which has helped realign me with my own goals and direction. “
Executive Leadership Coaching – Summar Hammam Testimonial
‘It took me a while to find a leadership coach I wanted to work with, and I feel incredibly lucky to have come across Michael, who has the right mix between personable but professional and supportive but honest feedback. At first I knew there were areas I wanted to work on, but I couldn’t put my finger on what they were. Michael not only helped me identify these areas, but then grounded and rooted me in my own values, strengths and purpose which has helped realign me with my own goals and direction. “
What Are The Best Leadership Assessment Tools?
What are the best leadership assessment tools to assist you in becoming a better leader? Understanding your strengths and areas of development as a leader is the first step.
Talking Leadership With Jack Waddell From Own Your Success
I love to talk about leadership! It was a pleasure to chat with Jack Waddell from Own Your Success as part of the Own Your Success podcast series. There are so many things that a leader needs to be across and aware of, even before considering their own behaviour.
I was asked a relatively simple question – what is the most important leadership trait that a leader can possess right now? ?
Of course – the answer could have been Vision, Purpose, Integrity, Professionalism or Responsibility. It could have been Humility, Empathy, Teamwork, Communication or Confidence. Any of those are important traits for a leader.
At this moment though, my most important leadership trait – CURIOSITY.
I know, this isn’t normally at the top of the list of leadership qualities. Who are we kidding, it isn’t normally on the list of the top 25 traits!
If you have the time, take a moment to hear why on the podcast, and why I believe CURIOSITY is a base behaviour for so many other important leadership qualities (like Purpose, Communication, Empathy and Responsibility) that are needed for 2021 / 2022.
To listen to the podcast, click HERE or on the Image below
#leadership#leaders#curiosity#leadershiptraits#leadershipskills#leadershipbehaviours#IMLD#developingleaders
Getting The Balance Right With Difficult Conversations
Getting the balance right with difficult conversations can take some effort. Confession time: Sometimes my explanations are nowhere near as good as the explanations of the leaders and managers I am working with.
That was the case yesterday.
The Emerging Leaders Program Workshop 8 was all about overcoming FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) in having a difficult conversation and not be overly empathetic to our team. The NICE acronym (Nothing In Me Cares Enough – To Pull You Up) was used / created, and I thought I had made a beautiful link between the feeling of uncomfortableness you experience in an aircraft varying pitch with the uncomfortableness of having a difficult conversation.
Then the truth bomb in the image was shared by one of the leaders I was working with.
If the FEAR and uncomfortableness of a conversation outweighs the benefits of having it, then it won’t happen. ? Simple yet highly effective!
So as leaders, we can increased our chances of having a meaningful, difficult conversation in two ways:
? Increase you thoughts on the perceived benefits of having the conversation (the benefit for the person, for you, for the business, for the team), and / or
? Decrease the fear and trepidation of having the conversation (it is real or imagined?, can you practise saying it with others)
A huge thank you to the leaders and Managers of the Emerging Leaders Program at Summer Foundation Ltd (in particular Alecia Rathbone and Joanne E Mear for the opportunity) – it has been a pleasure working and sharing with you this year – and really looking forward to the next workshops in 2022!
P.S. Great thought Nicholas K. – I hope the image did it justice.
#developingleaders #emergingleaders #difficultconversations #IMLD
Related Articles:
Do You Avoid Difficult Conversations?
Leaders Push Through The Discomfort Of Difficult Conversations
Related Programs
Looking to develop the skills of your leadership team? Consider one of the following IMLD leadership programs:
Executive Leadership Coaching – Stuart Smith Testimonial
‘It took me a while to find a leadership coach I wanted to work with, and I feel incredibly lucky to have come across Michael, who has the right mix between personable but professional and supportive but honest feedback. At first I knew there were areas I wanted to work on, but I couldn’t put my finger on what they were. Michael not only helped me identify these areas, but then grounded and rooted me in my own values, strengths and purpose which has helped realign me with my own goals and direction. “
Do You Avoid Difficult Conversations?
Do you avoid difficult conversations? What are the conversations that you dread? Are they awkward pay conversations with the boss? Standard / accountability conversations with your team? Interviews? Performance management? Are they as awkward as the image below (apologies – do you know how hard it is to find a difficult conversation image without someone yelling? ?♂️?)
Many people struggle with difficult conversations. They either:
? Avoid them (just pretend it didn’t happen)
? Stress over them (make them much bigger that they have / need to be)
? Get caught up in the moment (let the emotion of the situation take over)
? Say something they didn’t want to say (often due to the emotion, but also because of what the other person might have said), and
? treat like it is a 100% win / lose battle (when even 65% would be OK)
Today’s Diploma of Leadership & Management workshop is all about the art and science of having a difficult conversation.
I must admit, this is one of my favourite workshops. Not because I love having difficult conversations (I dislike them just as much as anyone!), but because of the changes in emotions and confidence experienced by those that do the workshop.
This workshop breaks down your side – your 51% – of the difficult / crucial conversation, and introduces the DRIFT model for separating the important things that need to be said by you in the conversation. It also explores how to deal with the other 49% – the others persons reaction – and how to stay on track as well as listen.
As I said, one of my favourites!
If this type of workshop sounds useful for you or your team, get it touch! IMLD offers this workshop both as part of the Diploma, and also as a targeted group session for teams and businesses looking to build their skills.
#leadership#management#people#team#crucialconversations#difficultconversations#IMLD#developingleaders
How Does Executive Coaching Actually Help Leaders?
Is executive coaching actually worth it? With all the talk in recent times of small business leaders and leaders / managers working with coaches (or executive coaches), what are the actually benefits? What difference can working with an executive coach have for you, your leadership, your team or your business?
Accountability – A Cornerstone of Effective Leadership
Accountability is a cornerstone of effective leadership. I am very grateful to the team at Housing Hub and Summer Foundation Ltd and to the participants who attended the Accountability workshop on 11 Nov 2021.
It takes something to challenge your leadership, your team, your business and yourself when discussing accountability, and considering the questions:
? What does it take to hold others to account?, and
? What does it take to hold yourself to account?
I am so thankful to Alecia Rathbone and Joanne E Mear – you are both amazing people to work with. The leadership and care you have shown to your business and team in the last 18 months is highly valued. A huge thanks as well to the members of the Emerging Leaders Program who not only helped shape this workshop, but delivered your own sessions as well.
It has been a pleasure to work with you all and I look forward to continue to work together in the future developing your high performance team culture and leadership dynamic.
#leadership #leaders #culture #accountability #team #IMLD #developingleaders
Related Articles:
Leaders Inspire Others To Dream, Learn, Do and Become More
Great leaders inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. A wonderful quote! John Quincy Adams was onto something – almost out of touch with the time and well before his contemporaries in society.
True leaders give their teams the opportunity to:
? dream big and fulfil goals – both their and the business,
? take opportunities to learn and grow – and provide opportunities to learn and grow – both from each other, internally and externally
? motivate, encourage, drive and sometimes push to do more than expected, and become more efficient and effective, and
? develop skills (both specific and related to leadership) to a level that the individual might not have thought possible.
I would humbly add one addition:
? Care more. If you actions inspire others to care more – for the business, for a cause, for each other’s welfare, for your own personal and psychological safety and wellbeing – you are also a leader.
In the space I get to work in of executive coaching and leadership development, watching a leaders ‘care more’ – about their work, about their people and what they are seeking to build – is one of the purest joys.
Thanks for sharing Leadership First – one of my favourite quotes – and one with a hell of a standard to live up to!
Are You Looking To Be The Type of Leader That Inspires Others?
The Institute of Management & Leadership Development has a range of leadership programs and workshops designed to help you develop your leadership skills and strengths, no matter where you are starting from. Take a look at the programs and workshops that might suit you:
Emerging Leaders Leadership Program
Supervisor / Team Leader Leadership Program
Diploma of Leadership & Management
Related Articles
The 7 Questions To Ask When Hiring An Executive Coach
Building a relationship with an executive coach is all about trust. Trust in their expertise, trust in their ability to tailor their knowledge / content to you, trust in their ability to help you achieve results. When choosing an executive coach to work with, you want to make sure that you are going to get results!
In an unregulated industry, it is very easy to get caught up in the hype of a savvy sales pitch or a professional looking website from a prospective executive coach. But there are some simple questions to ask that can differentiate the good from the average, the true partner in developing your skills as a leader as opposed to an expensive waste of time and effort. So we put together 7 tips to help you find your best executive l coach to work with someone worthy of your trust.
1. What is Your Experience as a Leader?
During my first meeting or call with a potential client, I have found that most leaders don’t know what to ask to determine if I am the ‘right fit’ for them. Often they are looking for someone who they feel comfortable with and have the right chemistry. While that is certainly important, there are many other things you can ask to get the right leadership coach for you. Here are 7 key questions you can ask a potential coach to determine if they are effective and more importantly, the right coach for you.
This might seem obvious, but many consultants calling themselves executive coaches (or executive leadership coaches) have actually never lead people in a team. For all of the learning and reading a person has done, nothing can substitute having experience in a leadership role – making decisions, counselling / coaching and performance managing team members, holding other accountable for results, setting a clear vision – all of the things that you have to do as a leader. Do you want someone who has learned from a book, or someone who has learned what works and what doesn’t from their own trials and experiences?
Ask:
- ‘What experience have you had leading a team?’
- ‘What industries have you worked in and for how long?’
- ‘What was you toughest experience as a leader managing people?’
2. What is Your Own Coaching Style?
Many leadership coaches follow a formula, a step-by-step guide to coaching that they have learned through an institute, school or other coach. Having a system or a process is important – but you don’t want to work with someone who can’t adjust their format / process / style to meet your immediate needs. If you want to work on a pressing issue that impacts you right now, you shouldn’t have to wait for Session 7 to discuss what you need right now.
In addition, have they developed their own lessons from experience? An effective executive coach has learnt from what they were taught, adapted from their experience and developed their own material. Would you rather work with a leadership coach that can adapt to your needs and discuss an appropriate lesson from personal experience, or someone that needs to refer and check with the book?
Ask:
- ‘What models do you use to aid your coaching?’
- ‘Can you outline the type of lessons / learning we can cover?’
- ‘Have you written your own models / lessons from experience?’
Listen to how they discuss their work and consider the following questions for yourself:
- ‘Does this sound like it will aid in my development as a leader?’
- ‘Will this person’s style compliment my own’
3. Who Else Would You Recommend?
Deciding on an effective executive coach is a personal preference – you have to feel comfortable that the person will work with you, guide you, encourage you as well as challenge you. If you decide that the persons style doesn’t suit you, can they / will they recommend another executive coach more suitable? An effective executive / leadership coach knows that they don’t appeal to everyones style and that fit is important. An effective executive coach in the industry will personally know several other effective executive coaches of different styles that they can refer you to. Anyone that can’t is looking more for the sale and less for your welfare and development.
Ask:
- ‘If you aren’t my best fit as a coach, who else would you recommend and why?’
4. What Recommendations and Success Stories Do You Have?
This question seeks to get past the fancy website and the sales pitch. An effective executive coach will have many recommendations from previous clients that are happy with the work that was completed, and even happier to tell others about it. Look to the person’s website for testimonials and see what they have said about the process, where they started and what they learned.
LinkedIn – A Trusted Resource
Look up some of the testimonial names on LinkedIn – are they real people in leadership roles? Do they work for the person ? (I know, yet several coaches I sought for myself had a small number of reviews, and those were from peers, not clients). Look up the reviews of the business as well as the leadership coach on Facebook, Google reviews and alike – can you find recommendations?
If the person doesn’t have 20 or 30 clear and identifiable recommendations or reviews, they haven’t yet proven themselves as an effective executive coach. It is also important to separate the executive coach from the business – while the business may have many reviews for their stable of coaches, the one in front of you may not. Also ask if you could speak to a previous client about what they got from the coaching process. There is nothing wrong with this! An effective executive coach will not only be able to provide you with names, they will have at least 5 clients they could willingly provide you the phone / contact details of to discuss their coaching.
To be safe (and sure):
- Check their website or LinkedIn profile for 20 to 30 recommendations and reviews
- Check reviews and people giving them are real and not from their own business
- Separate the reviews of the business from the specific coach
Ask:
- ‘Can I speak to one or two of your previous clients to discuss what they learnt?’
5. What Resources and Tools Do You Have at Your Disposal?
This is a broad question, and it is seeking to understand the depth of knowledge of the executive coach you will be working with. An effective leadership coach talks about their field of expertise – either publicly in keynote speaking or webinars, online through videos or tutorials, or written in blogs / posts and articles.
Take some time to read, listen or watch what they talk about and see if it resonates with you. Does this person talk about leadership / leadership skills / executive coaching in a way that appeals to you? If you can’t find your chosen executive coach speaking about the topic of leadership in at least one of these mediums, walk away. Effective executive / leadership coaches have a body of work that should be easy to find and demonstrate their understanding of the topic.
In addition, ask to review or discuss their coaching outcomes documents and their confidentiality policy – it should be clear and easily understood. You want to know before you undertake a coaching process who the information you discuss is going to be shared with, how long notes are kept and what the records process entails.
Review:
- Their website for articles, tutorials and videos
- Look for Youtube or Vimeo videos speaking on the topic
- ‘Google’ their name and search for things like ‘leadership articles’
Ask:
- ‘Where can I find articles or videos of you discussing and explaining leadership and / or coaching?’
- ‘Can I have a copy of your Coaching Outcomes documents?’
- ‘What is your policy on confidentiality’
6. What Leadership Assessment Tool Do They Use?
An effective executive coach / leadership coach will use some form of leadership assessment tool to assess the level of skill / behaviour you have at present, and highlight how they will help you develop from that baseline. If they don’t, they will often be guessing and probing in your first couple of coaching sessions – which is OK – but should you have to wait for them to learn about you when they can do it more effectively?
There are a myriad of effective tools in the marketplace, just make sure that the tool provides useful information for you in its own right – it should be in plain language and discuss leadership behaviours. It should also measure behaviours that can develop and grow, that you can easily relate to specific behaviours to improve. The tool used should be more than a personality test, which are often generically written (4 types, 4 colours etc) and not designed to change over time.
Ensure the tool being used can be used again in several months time so that you can have a tangible measure of growth – after all, ‘what isn’t measured, isn’t done’. Most effective leadership coaches can provide you with a PDF of a standard report from their chosen leadership assessment tool, and many will provide an assessment / short debrief as part of their introductory process.
Ask:
- ‘What leadership assessment tool do you use?’
- ‘Can I have a copy of a standard / example leadership report’
- ‘Do you offer an assessment prior to committing to a coaching contract / process’
7. How Will You Challenge Me (and Yourself)?
While rapport and connection is very important through a coaching process, an effective executive leadership coach is not your best friend. While they will encourage you and cheer you on through your successes, they also need to be able to hold you to account for behaviours that aren’t helping you succeed and challenge your thinking and actions.
An effective leadership coach understands the difference between what you want to hear, and what you need to hear. They won’t be cold and emotionless – an effective leadership coach will discuss your development needs clearly and specifically, identify a path to develop and grow and guide / help / push you towards action to address shortfalls. Don’t get me wrong, coaching can be a fun process! But fun is a welcome by-product; learning and growth is the main objective.
Further, ask about their own coaching process. An effective executive / leadership coach knows that they don’t have all of the answers and are developing and growing themselves. They will have experienced the process of coaching for themselves, they understand the impact, the sticking points in their own development and can discuss it clearly with you. If your chosen coach doesn’t believe in the coaching process, why should you?
Ask:
- ‘How will you challenge me to develop my skills?’
- ‘What is the process if we disagree on a way forward?’
- ‘Do you have a coach at present?’
- ‘What did you learn through your coaching process?’
Through asking some or all of these questions, you will be able to make an informed decision about your coach being the ‘right fit’ for you. Not only will you know if the person in front of you is an effective leadership coach, but if they are the right leadership coach to assist you in growing and developing as a leader.
Looking to Work With An Executive Coach or Executive Leadership Coach?
The Institute of Management & Leadership Development has worked with hundreds of small business owners, supervisors, team leaders, managers and senior executive to develop their leadership skills through Executive Leadership Coaching. Not only do we have some fo the best coaches in the business, but as stated in the article, we know many other highly effective Executive Coaches that we can recommend if we don’t quite ‘click’.
If you aren’t sure, why not complete our Velocity Leadership CheckPoint? The 25 minute questionnaire and 1 hour debrief of your results will not only provide you with a greater understanding of your strengths and areas of development, it gives you an hour to ‘try before you buy’ and assess the Executive Coach working with you. We havre great faith not only in our coaching process, but also int he ability fo our coaches to adapt their style / process to meet your immediate needs.
Other Useful Articles on Determining an Effective Leadership Coach:
What Do Executive Coaching Clients Say About The Coaching Process?
Want To Know How To Avoid Working For An Incompetent Leader?
Can you avoid hiring an incompetent leader? ? While the term ‘incompetent’ sounds harsh, the reality is that poor leadership is a root cause of poor performance and culture within teams and businesses – and the behaviour that causes it is often overlooked until too late.
The costs of hiring a leader that is more focussed on self, doesn’t achieve outcomes and creates negativity are enormous – both on the team (that often leave), the peers (that get frustrated or leave as well) and the business (which is damaged by poor results and negative/toxic culture).
In his HBR article ‘How to Spot an Incompetent Leader’, Tomas Chamurro-Premuzic states that there are 9 questions you could ask to determine whether you are potentially hiring an incompetent leader. The premise is that incompetent leaders are often narcissistic, and rather than hide their narcissism, this type of leader will often embrace (and revel) in their narcissistic tendencies.
Here are the 9 questions:
1️⃣. Do you have an exceptional talent for leadership?
2️⃣. Would most people want to be like you?
3️⃣. Do you rarely make mistakes at work?
4️⃣. Are you blessed with a natural charisma?
5️⃣. Are you able to achieve anything you want, just by putting your mind to it?
6️⃣. Do you have a special gift for playing office politics?
7️⃣. Are you destined to be successful?
8️⃣. Is it easier for you to fool people, than for people to fool you?
9️⃣. Are you just too talented to fake humility?
Is it that simple? Ask these questions and check in with the responses? I must admit, I haven’t ‘field tested’ these questions myself (the author has), but when I think of the incredibly poor, incompetent leaders I have worked for in the past (who also happened to think they were fantastic leaders by the way), I can imagine them answering them in a particular way.
As well as asking these questions, another simple way to avoid working with an incompetent leader is get them to complete a leadership self-assessment, such as the Velocity Leadership CheckPoint. Leadership assessment tools such as these help identify strengths and weaknesses in leadership behaviours, and provide teams and senior leaders with an understanding of the development they may need to assist in developing a leader further. An effective debrief of tools such as this can provide senior leaders with an understanding of the types of behaviours that leadership skills sets will bring – as well as the consequences for negative behaviours.
Have you worked for an incompetent leader? What impact did they have on you and your business / business culture?
#leadership#leader#people#culture#business#hiring#team#IMLD#developingleaders
How Do You Spot An Incompetent Leader Before You Work For One?
How do you spot an incompetent leader before you work for one? Or worse, before your promote one to wreak havoc on your business? ?♂️
So many of us have worked for a poor leader in the past (and I sympathise with those working for a poor leader now) – but how can you spot a poor / incompetent leader before you work for one?
As written in the HBR Article ‘How To Spot An Incompetent Leader’ , the author Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic states ‘the essence of incompetent leadership is easy to define: it is a function of the detrimental effects a leader has on their subordinates, followers, or organisation.’
The HBR article focusses on the understanding between competence and confidence – a greater focus on competence is more likely to produce a good leader, whereas an over-reliance on confidence (not the best indicator of leadership skill) can produce poor leaders. This is also a trait over-represented in men compared to women.
How can you avoid promoting or hiring an incompetent leader?
There are a few simple ways I have identified in working in this space in the last 20 years:
Culture
1️⃣ Look at the culture of the team they currently lead. The cultures of teams are often the product of the values and behaviours of their leaders – if the team is ‘off’, there is a good chance it is due to the leaders behaviour.
Leadership Assessment
2️⃣ Get them to complete a comprehensive leadership assessment. Understanding the strengths and skills of the leader is important, not only so you can determine if their strengths and weaknesses suit your culture, but also to help determine what development activities you may need to assist them in. Using a good tool like the Leadership Circle or the Velocity Leadership CheckPoint can assist greatly in determining strengths and skills.
Attitude to Learning
3️⃣ What is their attitude to leadership coaching and training? In my experience, the worst / incompetent leaders have a narcissistic streak that results in a ‘I already know it all’ attitude, and they are unlikely to accept any form of training for themselves. The best leaders almost always seek further coaching / training to develop their skills.
As the article highlights – ‘it is easy to be seduced by incompetence’. That said, the tools and options are there if you want to look and ensure that you hire and work with competent rather than incompetent leaders. That little bit of research could make the world of difference to your team, your business and your culture.
Have you worked for an incompetent leader? What impact did it have on you or your business culture?
#coaching #leadership #leadershiptraining #incompetentleaders #IMLD #developingleaders
Related Articles:
Can You Admit When You Are Wrong?
The 5 Leadership Behaviour That Drive Great Business Cultures
The Standard You Walk Past Is The Standard You Accept
They say that ‘the standard you walk past is the standard you accept’. The principle that follows is that you shouldn’t walk past a poor standard (in your business, your team, your life) – you should take responsibility for it and do something about it.
What is Exoneration in the AIR / BLEEDS model? It is exactly the opposite. It is becoming aware of behaviour or task that isn’t at the correct AND walking right past it, behaving as if the behaviour didn’t happen. This isn’t a case of not seeing it or having your head ‘buried in the sand’, it is choosing to ignore the behaviour and letting it go.
Exoneration is more prevalent than you think in business and life.
You don’t have to look very far in either State or Federal politics to see exoneration at work.
Someone is known to have committed a crime, a rort, an improper behaviour – and there are no actions against the behaviour and there are little consequences. The person doing it takes no responsibility, and the leader / boss does not hold them to account – and the improper behaviour continues because it has been tacitly approved. Exoneration is hope that the behaviour will be ignored and others will forget about it.
Exoneration can have a huge negative impact on a business – just as much as the other BLEEDS components of Blame, Excuses, Leniency or Defence. When a standard is walked past by a leader – you tell every other person in the organisation that it is OK.
Why do people exonerate others for poor behaviour? In my humble opinion, it is often down to fear. Fear of consequences, fear of a difficult conversation, fear of being seen as ‘management’, fear of not being liked and probably most often – fear of being ‘called out’ for exactly the same behaviour.
What can you do if you thin you might be exonerating others rather than holding to account?
1️⃣ Get very clear on what standard you want to uphold in your organisation / business. State very clearly what they are, and why they are important to you.
2️⃣. Hold yourself to those standards – and be very clear and upfront if you miss them. One of the key reasons people exonerate others is because they find themselves wanting in the same area and don’t want to be seen as a hypocrite – so they let both people (themselves and the other) off.
3️⃣ Be clear on the consequences of actions in advance.
If you would like to know more about exoneration – how to set, develop and communicate standards as well as hold yourself and others to account, send me a message. Setting clear standards and behaviours for yourself, your team and your business is not as hard as it might seem.
#exoneration#standards#leader#business#people#management#team#IMLD#developingleaders
Related Articles:
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Responsibility. Are You A More Responsible Or Accountable Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Blame. Does Blame tarnish Your Leadership Ability?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Leniency. Are You Too Lenient As A Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Excuses. Is Your Leadership Hampered By Your Excuses?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Exoneration. The Standard You Walk Past Is The Standard You Accept?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Defence. Can You Admit When You Are Wrong?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Shame. Shame Is A Common Leadership Behaviour – Is It One of Yours?
Is Your Leadership Hampered By Your Excuses?
?♂️ Are you an excuse maker? Is your leadership hampered by the excuses you make?
Do you have an excuse maker in your team?Are you told supposedly ‘legitimate reasons’ for things not getting done, but they just sound like excuses? ? Do you challenge them? Or do you hear them and look like you accept them – only to be annoyed that you ‘swallowed’ the excuse later? ?
Excuses are the bane of my existence. Not just the ones that I hear others say to cover for work / expectations that hadn’t been completed, but because of the excuses that I hear in my own head – the ones that I tell myself for work not being completed how / when I wanted it done.
Excuses are one of several ways in which teams / leaders underperform against the AIR / BLEEDS model – the others being Blame, Leniency, Exoneration, Defence and Shame.
Excuses can have a 3 fold negative effect on your team and business:
1️⃣. You lower your standards – particularly if you ‘accept’ your own excuses.
2️⃣. You lower the standards of your team. Accepting non-legitimate reasons for incomplete / lower standard / late work
3️⃣ You allow further excuses to breed. Having accepted an excuse once, you set yourself up to have to accept the same excuse again – or from others (setting a precedent).
Several leaders I have known have been told they were inconsistent (myself included) – not through intention – but by having to correct for excuses that were used too often / taken too far. While I / we may have seen that a ‘boundary’ had been crossed – the rest of the team just saw behaviour being accepted, followed by very similar behaviour not being accepted – inconsistency.
?. How do you get past excuses / deal with excuses in your workplace?
1️⃣. The first step to is acknowledge them for what they are – in your behaviour and in others – and you might be first place to start.
2️⃣. Make clear – to yourself and your team – the standards that you will accept and the standards you won’t.
3️⃣ Understand that ‘the standard you walk past is the standard you accept’. Excuses are often used because they are often accepted – many leaders are unwilling to challenge excuses – they hear them and rather than saying something, walk away and get annoyed about it later.
Is this a problem for you / your business? What impact are excuses having upon your business?
#leaders #business #work #team #developingleaders #IMLD
Related Articles:
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Responsibility. Are You A More Responsible Or Accountable Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Blame. Does Blame tarnish Your Leadership Ability?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Leniency. Are You Too Lenient As A Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Excuses. Is Your Leadership Hampered By Your Excuses?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Exoneration. The Standard You Walk Past Is The Standard You Accept?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Defence. Can You Admit When You Are Wrong?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Shame. Shame Is A Common Leadership Behaviour – Is It One of Yours?
Does Blame Tarnish Your Leadership Ability?
Does blame tarnish your leadership ability? Do you work (or have you worked) for a ‘blamer’?
Few behaviours look as bad for a leader or manager as blame. It can be detrimental to the team, and to our own credibility – yet for many, it can be a default behaviour under pressure and stress.
Blame is one of the 6 inefficient or ineffective behaviours of the AIR/ BLEEDS model that leaders can display when they are not at their best. The BLEEDS behaviours are:
? Blame
? Leniency
? Excuses
? Exoneration
? Defence
? Shame
Why discuss this? Because awareness of your default behaviours under pressure and stress result in you being less likely to spend time there! Sharing your defaults with your team also mean they are less likely to hold these behaviours against you, or have permission to ‘check in’ with you to assist in getting you back to a more positive, efficient and effective state of mind.
Discussing default behaviours with your team can be a very powerful to establish and build trust – but it takes some knowledge and a degree of vulnerability – you are sharing some of your less desirable behaviours. But it is done to create a positive outcome.
The more effective states for leaders are when we are in a space of:
? Accountability
? Intention
? Responsibility
To be effective, accountable and responsible leaders, it is worth look at our behaviours – both good and bad – particularly when under pressure and stress. Our behaviours impact us, our team and our business – they are an incredibly important aspect of leading others.
What is your default behaviour under pressure and stress?
Do you blame?
Do you make excuses?
Are you too lenient on others?
If you want to learn about your leadership behaviours and what you can do to impact them, reach out via DM.
#leadership#leaders#team#business#executivecoaching#IMLD#developingleaders
Related Articles:
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Responsibility. Are You A More Responsible Or Accountable Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Blame. Does Blame tarnish Your Leadership Ability?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Leniency. Are You Too Lenient As A Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Excuses. Is Your Leadership Hampered By Your Excuses?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Exoneration. The Standard You Walk Past Is The Standard You Accept?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Defence. Can You Admit When You Are Wrong?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Shame. Shame Is A Common Leadership Behaviour – Is It One of Yours?
Diploma of Leadership and Management – Cohort 3, 2021
Well we timed that badly, didn’t we? ? First day of ‘freedom’ in Melbourne and we planned day 1 of our new Diploma of Leadership and Management cohort!
Despite the desire (and request) for margaritas before lunch (which I might add seems like a great way to facilitate a Diploma program ? ) we kicked off the new program with a bang, starting with the workshop ‘Lead and Manage Team Effectiveness’.
While this workshop is quite broad in topic, it is filled with some fantastic gems of practical knowledge and tips for leaders and managers, including:
? Discovering the values that are important to you when leading,
? Your communication style and how it impacts others,
? Your Team Expectations Checklist (essentially your ‘likes and dislikes’) ❤️❤️❤️ This topic is rarely discussed or aired, and is absolute gold for new leaders or leaders of new teams,
? The important of networking and sharing skills and knowledge,
? The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, and
? The experiential activity ‘red and blue game’ to test team dynamics and decision making.
A wonderful new group of participants who I am looking forward to working with for the next 9 months! This is the 3rd cohort of the IMLD Diploma of Leadership & Management this year, and each groups knowledge and skills seems to build upon the last. To the members of the senior leadership team at LyondellBasell that made this happen (including Mitchell Killeen, Ray Egan and Lee Hartwell) – thank you for the opportunity to develop the leadership skills and behaviours of your future leaders.
If developing your leadership skills – or the leadership skills of your team – is important to you, consider the Diploma of Leadership and Management.
Building Trust Is An Essential Part Of Leading A Team
Building trust is an essential part of leading a team, and being part of a team. But have you ever thought:
? What does it take to build trust with me?
? What does it take to break my trust?, and
Probably most important with teams
? What does it take – what would you have to do – to rebuild my trust?
I love this quote from Brene Brown. Trust isn’t built in the big, sweeping gestures or in the speeches delivered enmasse – it is developed in the small moments between people that happen every day of the week. In thew same vein, building trust can be built in the tiny moments – it can be lost in those tiny moments as well.
Have you thought about what it takes to build and break trust with you? Frankly, if you don’t know what it takes to build, break or rebuild trust with you – how would the members of your team know?
Building trust is about more than being honest (the default answer most managers give when asked the question) – there are a number of ‘time moments’ each day as Brene Brown mentions, that have an impact.
Take a moment and share with your team:
? What behaviour(s) build trust with me?
? What behaviour(s) break my trust, and
? What does it take to rebuild my trust?
You can go further and ask your team members the same thing. When two of my favourite authors on leadership – Brené Brown and Patrick Lencioni – have trust as implicit in their models and organisations, it is worth looking at.
#leadership #team #trust #trustbuilding #IMLD #developingleaders
Related Articles:
What Does It Take To Build Trust In Your Team?
Leadership Is All About Team Trust & Performance
Personal Responsibility and the AIR/BLEEDS Model
We do love a model at IMLD – and this is one of our favourites! The AIR / BLEEDS model – focussing on your personal responsibility and your ability to hold others to account – accountability. This is often an area of weakness for leaders (particularly new leaders), needing to maintain the standards for others as well as themselves.
The AIR / BLEEDS model provides an insight into where you may struggle to hold yourself or others to account when under pressure or stress – and what it looks like – a measure of your personal efficiency.
When under stress, pressure or just ‘under the pump’, are you responsible, accountable and delivering clear intentions, or do you:
? Blame others?
? Lenient on actions where you should be firmer?
? Excuses for your behaviour or that of others?
? Exonerate behaviour (pretend it didn’t happen when you know it did)?
? Defend your actions or behaviour when you know it should change?
?Shame yourself for your actions you know should be better?
In truth, as humans we do all of these behaviours at different times and circumstances. But in our experience, you will normally have a ‘go to’ behaviour when under stress.
Knowing what this is and what it looks like – and what you can do to get out of it – is essential for good leadership. Great leaders share some of these behaviours and what it looks like with their teams, so they can assist in identifying and assisting in changing the behaviour – which takes trust.
A powerful little model with many nuances and reflections for the lead to consider! If you would like to know more about the AIR / BLEEDS model or own personal leadership, responsibility or accountability, please reach out.
#leadership #leaders #experience #developingleaders #executivecoaching #coaching #IMLD
Related Articles:
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Responsibility. Are You A More Responsible Or Accountable Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Blame. Does Blame tarnish Your Leadership Ability?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Leniency. Are You Too Lenient As A Leader?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Excuses. Is Your Leadership Hampered By Your Excuses?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Exoneration. The Standard You Walk Past Is The Standard You Accept?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Defence. Can You Admit When You Are Wrong?
AIR/BLEEDS Series – Shame. Shame Is A Common Leadership Behaviour – Is It One of Yours?
Is Your Leadership Behaviour Focussed On Urgent Or Important?
Is Your Leadership Behaviour Focussed On Urgent Or Important? Are you hooked on the thrill of the urgent? Do you spend most of your day ‘fire fighting’ rather than doing what you know you should?
If so, welcome to the very human condition of focussing on urgent rather than important.
Also welcome the Eisenhower decision matrix, and the 120 seconds that can change the way you work.
120 seconds – that is all it will take to change your day. 2 minutes to check – have you fallen into the ‘urgent and important trap’? Are you in control of your day or are your urgent tasks controlling you?
Recent changes to work arrangements have taught us anything, is that how we structure our time is actually more flexible than many of us thought (and that many things touted as both urgent and important were neither, and often ‘ended up’ here because of poor planning and last minute rushing).
One of the hardest transitions for supervisors and team leaders (and many small business owners as well) is transitioning time used from the Urgent / Important Box to the Not Urgent / Important Box. For those used to the thrill of urgent, this can be difficult to do – particularly those that have valued their constant availability to their team. Non Urgent / Important tasks include those important tasks due in a week or two, the coaching of team members, the planning of strategy. That stuff that gets pushed aside for urgent – then either gets rushed or not done at all.
Discussions on task management, time management and how you complete urgent versus important tasks are features within our Executive Leadership Coaching as well as our Diploma of Leadership & Management and Emerging Leadership Programs.
120 seconds – 2 minutes – take it now to see where you can take control of your time today to do something important.
#leadership #coaching #developingleaders #timemanagement #leader#manager
Related Articles:
Are You A More Responsible Or Accountable Leader?