When people complain about meetings, it's usually about how they are run rather than the meeting itself. Ineffective meetings often end up leading to even more meetings. Being able to plan and run an effective meeting is a core skill for any leader. Recognising the three key stages in any meeting...

We face change every day of our lives. In leadership roles it can be hard to know how to handle ongoing change and uncertainty. When change occurs one of the criticisms leaders might face is that they're constantly moving the goal posts. In this video we explore the differences between plans and ...

No doubt you’ve watched a video or listened to a podcast or audio book at double speed. Our ability to still absorb information when it is coming at us twice as fast is quite amazing. But surely there’s a drop off in how much we’re actually taking in. Well, according to a recent study published i...

Feedback and coaching are two core skills that all leaders need. However, we can often confuse the goals of feedback and coaching. As a result, we may be unclear about the type of conversation we’re having, confusing those we are speaking with. In this video we explore when to use feedback and co...

Some have described rudeness and incivility in our workplaces as an epidemic. I’m sure each of use can share anecdotal stories of angry and rude people. These examples do tend to stick in our minds. But is it really an epidemic? In a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, researche...

Researchers Kyle Brykman and Danielle King found that leaders play an important role when it comes to resilience, particularly within teams. They studied 48 tech startup teams to identify what made a difference when it came to resilience and learning. They found a key element in team resilience i...

It’s natural to be fearful of difficult conversations. We often become caught up with the downside risks - that we will damage the relationship or create even more challenges. However the best leaders become more and more comfortable with difficult conversations the more they practice. Learn more...

As organisations are increasingly needing to become more innovative, research suggests that humour may provide part of the answer. Learn about three practical tips for incorporating humour into the way you lead.

It’s no secret that people hate performance reviews. They are one of those 'must do' activities that both managers and team members tend to dislike. In this video we explore a regular one-on-one meeting format that can help address the challenges of performance management and engagement.

Autonomy is recognised as one of the core motivators people have in the workplace. With greater freedom and control over the way we perform our work comes higher levels of motivation and commitment. Research suggests that greater job control also improves our health and reduces our likelihood of ...

Leadership habits are important. We all have routines and disciplines that either help or hinder our leadership impact. The good news is that leadership is a set of skills and behaviours that we can all learn and develop. Leadership is what we do every day that helps us to achieve results through...

“Practice makes perfect”, at least that’s how the old saying goes. In fact, you’ve probably also heard that 10,000 hours of practice makes you an expert. While the general principle is right, that practice is an essential part of becoming an expert, the exact number of hours is at best arbitrary....

We’ve all had moments when we feel like we’ve let others down. They can really play havoc on our well-being and productivity. So how do we best respond in those moments? Research demonstrates that a little self-compassion goes a long way. In this video we explore the three components of self-comp...

In a world that’s unpredictable, creativity is more important than ever. But we often treat creativity like it’s an inherited skill - something you’re either born with, or not.  Does that then rule the non-creative types out? Or can we make ourselves more creative? In this video we explore five w...

Research reveals that investing in the development of our people increases employee retention, even when they gain skills that can pay more. Learn more about the research and how to apply it with your team.

There is plenty of stress around at the moment. As leaders, managing ongoing and acute stress effectively for ourselves and our teams is essential. Few things spread faster than the negative emotions associated with stress and fear. In this video we explore one practical way to reduce stress for ...

If you have a stressful job chances are you already know that exercise will help. Exercise reduces stress. But research also demonstrates that the stress we experience at work reduces our desire to exercise. In this video we share four ideas to increase and make the most out of exercise.

There are many reasons why people don’t delegate. Perhaps they are worried about quality of the results. Or they just don’t have the time to delegate. Many have had bad experiences with delegation going wrong in the past. However, effective delegation is at the core of great leadership. The rate ...

Mindfulness has seen dramatically increased popularity in recent years, particularly within Western organisations. And why not? Mindfulness has repeatedly demonstrated lots of personal benefits for individuals. As a result, mindfulness almost automatically appears in leadership development traini...

How do you think about failure? For most people, failure is something to be avoided at all costs. However, failure and mistakes are an essential part of learning. In fact, if we want to learn and develop, we definitely need more productive failure - failure that pushes us forward and leaves us be...

I am sure that you have needed to work with a defensive person before. Perhaps they just didn’t want to hear some feedback that is being provided. Or they quickly blamed others when something went wrong. Maybe they were resistant to new initiatives and changes. In this video we discuss three ways...

Stretch goals are incredibly popular for individuals and organisations. But are they effective? It depends on two key conditions. Learn more about the right time to set a stretch goal for yourself and your team.

What we think about people has an impact not just on how we personally perceive them, but also on their actual behaviour. In this video we explore five ways to challenge our thinking and demonstrate belief in others' potential.

It’s a classic challenge - How do we lead others through times of uncertainty when we’re not clear ourselves? Perhaps our industry is going through significant change. Or perhaps you report into a leadership team that hasn’t provided a clear strategy and direction. We can’t just make things up - ...