28Jul

Leading Difficult Conversations Is A Critical Skill For Leaders

When you need to have difficult conversations with someone, do you plan what you will say or do you wing it? Leading difficult conversations takes preparation and effort, it takes something even more to successfully navigate all of the permutations that a difficult conversation can include.
It was a pleasure to once again work with some of the leaders and managers of LyondellBasell Australia to work through how to lead and manage difficult conversations. As part of Workshop 7, participants had to prepare for a difficult conversation and then deliver it to the facilitator – with others listening, observing and providing constructive feedback. Daunting for some, extending comfort zones for many, and providing some amazing examples of how to raise difficult issues with team members with a balance of accountability, compassion and empathy.
No one really likes roleplays, but with solid content, clear outcomes and participants willing to treat activities as if they were live in the workplace, the learning (both from doing it yourself and from listening and observing others) is extraordinary.
It is a pleasure to work with leaders and managers that are willing to challenge themselves and learn from each other like this group do. Thank you also to the Dark Knight for making an appearance!

Leading Difficult Conversations Takes Practise

Leading Difficult Conversations is one of the newer units in the IMLD’s Diploma of Leadership & Management, a partnership with The College For Adult Learning.
Combining online learning with group facilitation and experiential roleplays, this workshop is all about practical skills for preparing and delivering difficult conversations with skill, accountability, empathy and compassion.
Well done to the team at LyondellBasell Victoria – this is not an easy Diploma unit and you delivered like stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #Diploma #IMLD #developingleaders

Need to Work on Your Ability in Leading Difficult Conversations?

At IMLD, being able to prepare, deliver and respond in difficult conversations is one of our specialities. It is a key skill for any leader or manager, and many people in positions of authority within a business (leader, manager, supervisor) struggle to deliver them effectively, or ignore them completely. We have several ways in which you can improve your ability to have a difficult conversation:

27Jul

Are you an Adaptable Leader?

To be an Adaptable leader, you display:

? Empowerment – you give over power and authority to your team to get things done,

? Interaction – you are enthusiastic with others and embrace new contacts and connections,

? Adaptability – you are able or willing to change in order to suit new or variable conditions,

? Influence – you have the ability to effect the character, beliefs, opinions and development of your team,

? Dependability – you elicit confidence and trust from your team, peers and clients.

26Jul

Are you an Altitude Leader?

? Effective Leadership Series Part 4: Are you an Altitude leader?

What does it take to be Altitude (Team Leadership) focussed in your leadership behaviours?

The IMLD leadership framework looks at 5 distinct leadership capabilities – Alignment, Awareness, Achievement, Altitude and Adaptability. Within each of these, there are 5 behavioural leadership traits,

To be an Altitude leader, you display:

? Accountability – you can hold someone accountable for their behaviours and actions,

? Active Listening – you fully concentrate on what is said rather than planning for your response,

? Verbal Communication – you articulate yourself clearly and have your instructions and explanations understood,

? Empathy – you can understand or feel another persons experience from their frame of reference,

? Constructive Feedback – you can praise and develop performance based on observations to address issues.

Altitude leaders are focussed on their team and team performance – they know they will fly higher when all members of their team are acting in unison and trusting each other to meet their personal and team objectives.

Are you an Altitude focussed leader? Do your altitude behaviours have a positive impact for your team? Want to find out? 

IMLD’s Velocity Leadership CheckPoint (VLC) provides you with clear scores against the 5 Alignment behaviours, as well as the behaviours of the other 4 leadership capabilities.

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipassessment #leadershiptools #coaching #executivecoaching #IMLD #developingleaders

Further Related Articles

23Jul

Are you an Achievement Leader?

? Effective Leadership Series Part 3: Are you an Achievement leader?

What does it take to be Achievement focussed in your leadership behaviours?

The IMLD leadership model looks at 5 distinct leadership capabilities – Alignment, Awareness, Achievement, Altitude and Adaptability. Within each of these, there are 5 behavioural leadership traits,

To be an Achievement leader, you display:

? Responsibility – you can hold yourself accountable for your behaviours and actions,

? Planning – you plan ahead, set milestones and adjust as necessary,

? Time Management – you know when and where you will do your best work using a finite resource,

? Attention to Detail – you can stay focussed to thoroughly and accurately complete a task,

? Problem Solving – you find solutions to difficult or complex issues and can utilise the skills of others to do the same.

Achievement leaders are thinkers and doers – they put thoughts into actions, understand the difference between quality and quantity time and focus on meeting targets and providing solutions.

Velocity Leadership CheckPoint

Are you an Achievement focussed leader? Do your achievement behaviours have a positive impact for your team? Want to find out? 

IMLD’s Velocity Leadership CheckPoint (VLC) provides you with clear scores against the 5 Alignment behaviours, as well as the behaviours of the other 4 leadership capabilities. To learn more, click on the link in the comments.

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipassessment #leadershiptools #coaching #executivecoaching #IMLD #developingleaders

Further Related Articles

21Jul

Are you an Aware Leader?

Effective Leadership Series Part 2: Are you an Aware leader?

What does it take to be aware in your leadership behaviours?

The IMLD leadership model looks at 5 distinct leadership capabilities – Alignment, Awareness, Achievement, Altitude and Adaptability. Within each of these, there are 5 behavioural leadership traits,

To be an Aware leader, you:

? Have Clarity – you factor in other perspectives and are not biased in your viewpoint,

? Are Self Aware – you have a conscious knowledge of your character, feelings and reactions,

? Have Confidence – you display self-assurance and understand your strengths and weaknesses,

? Are Assertive – you can stand up for your own and other’s rights in a calm and positive way,

? Are Personally Fulfilled – you are doing what fully develops your potential .

Aware leaders are conscious of their own feelings, behaviours and actions and the impact that it has upon others. They are quick to learn, focus more on lessons learnt than mistakes and have conviction in what they are doing.

Are you an Aware leader? Does your Awareness assist in the development of your team? Want to find out? 

IMLD’s Velocity Leadership CheckPoint (VLC) provides you with clear scores against the 5 Alignment behaviours, as well as the behaviours of the other 4 leadership capabilities.

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipassessment #leadershiptools #coaching #executivecoaching #IMLD #developingleaders

Further Related Articles

19Jul

Everyone Deserves To Work For A Great Leader

What does it take to be a great leader? Most would agree ‘ that everyone deserves to work for a great leader’, but many don’t. Many of us work for average or even poor leaders, more focussed on themselves that their team. But who decides what great leadership is in your business or industry?

The truth is, each business (and the culture within it) has a spoken and unspoken set of behaviours that define great leadership. More often than not:

? Poor leaders – are the only ones speaking (often about themselves)

? Good leaders – speak and listen (and are willing to learn as well as own mistakes)

? Great leaders – speak, listen and adapt their behaviours to the needs of their business and team.

Do you work for a poor, a good or a great leader?

If you are the leader, what will you do today that will make a positive impact for your team and its team members? Great leadership behaviours can start today

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #leader #developingleaders #IMLD

Want to Develop Your Great Leadership Qualities?

Do you know what impact that knowledge (or lack of) is having on your team and business?
If you would like to know what leadership strengths you can leverage further, get in touch to book in for a Velocity Leadership CheckPoint and debrief today.

15Jul

Great Leaders Are Humble Learners

‘Great leaders are humble learners’. We have an Emerging Leaders Program starting at Institute of Management & Leadership Development in about 3 weeks, and the first piece of ‘homework’ (I prefer ‘anchoring activity’ but I am fighting a losing battle) for all new participants is to tell all of their team that they are beginning a leadership learning program.

For many, this is a very hard thing to do.

We often have leaders that would like to keep their learning secret, wanting to keep a distance between themselves and their team, and not willing to share that they might need to learn something new, or God forbid, that they might not be the font of all leadership knowledge in their workplace.

We expect leaders to share their leadership learning journey with their team, because they ARE part of the journey. When leaders try a new tool, practice or behaviour, the team has an idea where it is coming from. The pros and cons can be discussed in the open, and it can be adapted and moulded to suit the team and the business culture. Without sharing, new behaviours aren’t understood, they are questioned, resisted or spoken about behind closed doors.

It takes a village (or a team) to raise the skills of a new leader, and it takes a humble learner to be one.

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leader #coaching #management #IMLD #developingleaders

Want to start your leadership journey? Do you know what your leadership strengths and weaknesses are?

Do you know what impact that knowledge (or lack of) is having on your team and business?
If you would like to know what leadership strengths you can leverage further, get in touch to book in for a Velocity Leadership CheckPoint and debrief today.

08Jul

What Is A Leaders Most Important Role?

What is a leaders most important role? Preventing drift. Preventing drift in our own personal leadership behaviour and ensuring that we don’t go ‘off track’, preventing our teams from drifting off our target and goals, preventing financial drift – so many of a leaders and managers role is about preventing drift! Leaders and teams that drift do not meet expectations, are inefficient and often ineffective in what they do. A team can drift off task easily – particularly in times of stress and if the team leaders struggles with difficult conversations.

What is Leadership Drift?

Drift is when you set a path, course, vision or purpose (whatever you wish to call it) and you start to move away (consciously or unconsciously) from what was planned or agreed. Drift manifests itself in a number of ways:
? Not being clear in the direction you, the team and the business are heading,
? Not getting ‘everyone on board’ and agreeing on the behaviours required to stay on track,
? Not being clear on the behaviours you want (and cheering them on!) and the behaviours you don’t (and correcting them quickly),
? Not walking the talk on your own behaviours and holding yourself to account (or letting others hold you to account)
? Avoiding small and awkward conversations on standards, goals and behaviours until they become large, difficult conversations (when you have ‘drifted’ well off track), and
? Not clearly communicating milestones, wins and near misses in performance.
To prevent drift, you have to have a clear understanding of your goals, your targets and the behaviours that you need to achieve them. You also have to have a willingness to interact and engage with your team daily, encouraging and praising good work (yes, even if it is ‘their job’) to stay on track, and coaching and correcting when you drift.

Without discussion and correction, or team behaviours can drift off target
A leaders most important role is the prevention of team and task drift

Is Your Personal Leadership Drifting?

Ask yourself a difficult question or two:
? Where has your performance drifted? What will you do to correct it?
? Where has your teams performance drifted? What has been your place in letting it happen? What little correction can you make today?
? Where has your business drifted? At the start of the new FY, what course can you set to correct it?
If drift is an issue for you, your team or your business, you know who to call.
#leadership #coaching #leadershipdevelopment #success #drift #IMLD #developingleaders

Do you know what your leadership strengths and weaknesses are?

Do you know what impact that knowledge (or lack of) is having on your team and business?
If you would like to know what leadership strengths you can leverage further, get in touch to book in for a Velocity Leadership CheckPoint and debrief today.

THE FIRST STEP IN YOUR LEADERSHIP JOURNEY – A LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT

Do you know the impact you have on your leader and / or team? Completing a leadership assessment tool to assess your leadership strengths and weaknesses is the first step that Carla took as part of her Emerging Leaders Program journey.

Velocity Leadership CheckPoint - Leadership Assessment Tool for Leaders
Want to Prevent Leadership Drift – The Velocity Leadership CheckPoint Is The Start Point

If you are unsure of your impact on your leader / team, perhaps you should complete the Velocity Leadership CheckPoint? 25 behavioural leadership traits, focussed in 5 distinct leadership capabilities – a ‘must know’ for any leader or team looking to drive high performance. If you haven’t completed the CheckPoint, get in touch with us today to arrange an appointment. Read through the comments and feedback from those that have – many say that it has had a profound effect on how they lead and perform within a team.

07Jul

Executive Leadership Coaching – Asaf Ziv Testimonial, Cardioscan

Wednesday is all about gratitude at Institute of Management & Leadership Development – a huge thank you to Asaf Ziv for your kind words regarding your recent Executive Leadership Coaching process. It was a pleasure to work with you to assist in achieving your goals! ❤️

A brilliant and genuine coach with a passion to help and listen. Michael empowers thought leadership through unbiased perspective while ensuring a comfortable space to express and bounce ideas. Even with the recent lockdowns, Michael created a virtual space where we challenged thoughts and ideas to improve outcomes through creative metaphors and examples in a humorous and engaging way. I was very much looking forward to our sessions together, bouncing ideas and challenges. He is very enthusiastic and dedicated(!) and always follows through, even beyond our scheduled sessions. I also really connected and enjoyed Michael’s distinctive approaches to visualising problems through aviation and his Air Force experience.

I would highly recommend Michael to any executive/manager wanting to enhance their senses and build on their managerial career forward. He has been a fantastic help in the last four months, and his commitment to helping me achieve my goals has been outstanding.

Asaf Ziv, CardioScan

If you are looking to develop your leadership skills, get your team back on track, build a team culture of high-performance, or just looking to work one on one on some of those ‘less confident’ issues , then book a confidential discovery call with me and let’s see how I can help.

To book go to: https://www.developingleaders.com.au/contact-imld/

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #success #coaching #IMLD #developingleaders

Executive Leadership Coaching

Focussed, personal, confidential, honest and practical – all words that have been used in testimonials to describe the Institute of Management & Leadership Development’s Executive Leadership Coaching. If this sounds like something that could be useful for you or a member of your team, get in touch with us today for a confidential chat about your needs.

The First Step In Your Leadership Coaching Journey – A Leadership Assessment Tool

Do you know the impact you have on your leader and / or team? Completing a leadership assessment tool to assess your leadership strengths and weaknesses is the first step that Bryony took in her executive leadership coaching journey.

If you are unsure of your impact on your leader / team, perhaps you should complete the Velocity Leadership CheckPoint? 25 behavioural leadership traits, focussed in 5 distinct leadership capabilities – a ‘must know’ for any leader or team looking to drive high performance. If you haven’t completed the CheckPoint, get in touch with us today to arrange an appointment. Read through the comments and feedback from those that have – many say that it has had a profound effect on how they lead and perform within a team.

05Jul

What does it take to build trust in your team?

What does it take to build trust in your team? Have you ever thought about what it takes to build trust with you? ?What does it take to break your trust? ? Importantly, from both a personal, leadership and team perspective – what does it take to rebuild your trust?

I agree with Simon Sinek – a team can be defined as a group of people who trust each other.

But what does it take to build trust?

What experiences need to be shared or what values / behaviours need to be agreed upon – to build that trust?

Many leaders assume that trust happens over time – and it can – but assuming it will happen is foolhardy. The other obvious problem with relying on trust taking time to build is – it takes time. It takes significantly less time to break trust – what has been earnt over years could be broken in a minute, with disasterous consequences for the individuals, the team and often the business.

So why do we speak about trust so much when it comes to team? ?

Because without trust, teams take longer to achieve things, often wasting their own and the businesses resources. In fact, without trust, small teams can work against each other for their own benefit but not for the common good. Individuals can work for their own benefit but not for the benefit of the team or business.

Why is building trust so hard?

Because everyone does not have the same trust tolerance or trust breaking points – if we did, trust would be simple to create and build. What one person may tolerate may be a ‘deal breaker’ for another when it comes to trust. When people come from different backgrounds, family experiences, work experiences, cultures, ethnicities and ages – we can’t assume that we all build and break trust in the same way.

Think about the friends, family, co-workers and team members that you trust. There is most likely a common understanding – a common set of values or behaviours that you have either consciously or unconsciously agreed upon. There will be a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ to certain behaviours – the ‘way we do it around here’. There will be common values that you share, and there will be ‘a line’ that should not be crossed without expected consequences.

If you want to build the type of team that Simon Sinek talks about – the ones that trust each other – then a starting point to get there is to have a discussion around what builds and breaks your trust. And it is more than honesty or not lying (a usual default answer).

Can trust be rebuilt with you?

A discussion on what it takes to rebuild trust is just (sometimes more) important than what it takes to build and break trust. Why? Because everyone makes mistakes. The question then is whether you will be judged for years for your actions or will you be forgiven and trusted again? In my experience, many small breaches started with someone not meeting someone else’s expectations – and they either didn’t know it or didn’t do anything about it. This includes the person who didn’t do what was expected apologising or correcting the mistake, and the person receiving not saying anything and holding a grudge. Such a simple action (which often happen daily in businesses) can result in a breach of trust that can last years between two team members. In fact, sometimes a lack of trust can last so long that the people involved can’t even remember what caused the lack of trust in the first place!

Whilst examples like that above ma seem trivial, they can prevent teams from performing efficiently and effectively. A lack of trust between just two members of a team can impact an entire teams performance. In fact, often when people talk about ‘a poor culture’ or a ‘bad culture’ within teams, it can often be based in a lack of trust between team members, or a lack of trust between the team and their leader / manager / supervisor.

Where to start with trust?

If you don’t know how to start a conversation like this, or would like someone to facilitate this conversation as part of developing your high performing team, you know who to call.

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #culture #trustbuilding #trust #IMLD #developingleaders