Tag: Self-Awareness
How to Manage Uncertainty as a Leader
COVID 19 has put the business world in a spin. Leaders in many organisations are navigating unknown and very unpredictable waters, whilst also having to maintain positive morale among team members. It can be anxiety-causing in itself but believe it or not the best defence comes in the way of the mind. The ancient yogis would say we can’t control or predict the future but through our actions, we can influence outcomes. Rather than posturing for predictability and trying to control outcomes, try building the life skill of managing your mind to consciously choose your actions and so create new…
Read How to Manage Uncertainty as a LeaderYour Difference Is Important
Africa gave birth to me, England raised me and Australia adopted me almost 25 years ago. What this means is that I blend the best of eastern wisdom traditions with the rigour of western science. I have come to believe that my ethnicity and my refugee experience are the core of whom I am and, as this gets reflected more and more in my work, I have realised that this approach strengthens my difference in the market. But it was not always like that for me. As a migrant I wanted to blend in so badly that I softened my…
Read Your Difference Is ImportantWould You Earn Less In Exchange For Meaningful Work?
9 out of 10 people are willing to earn less money if they did more meaningful work… Interesting isn’t it? In our society, we often equate success with external factors like the cars we drive, the houses we live in, the clothes we wear and how much we earn. Studies have shown that, as long as we earn enough to provide for our essential needs, any amount above this does not increase our happiness. So what does this mean for an organisation? In an ever-changing environment where nothing is predictable, making the link for your employees between their work and…
Read Would You Earn Less In Exchange For Meaningful Work?Mindfulness In The Office
Imagine for a moment that the agenda for your next team meeting started with a “mindful moment”. As you walk towards the meeting room, you are confused. You don’t recall seeing this on the agenda in the past. What does it mean? You become nervous. What did you need to do (that you have not done) to prepare? What is a mindful moment anyway? You sit down and notice others pointing to that agenda item as your manager walks in and begins to chair the meeting by asking everyone to close their eyes and take 3 deep breaths. What would…
Read Mindfulness In The OfficeHow to get the best out of your team – Create a Leadership User Manual
Back in my banking days, I joined a team in which I was given a one-page document by a very senior leader, entitled “how to get the best out of me”. The document included a list of ways in which he worked, what he expected from his team members and how he would support me and my team. It was a bold move. Some people might even call it arrogant if they didn’t take it for what it was, which was simply giving me a tool which took the personality guesswork out of a new environment. I thought it was…
Read How to get the best out of your team – Create a Leadership User ManualWhy using our strengths leads to career success and happiness
If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather than dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities. Barbara Bush In the world of business and careers, we’re often asked to differentiate ourselves from others. Surprisingly, people are often reluctant to look at their strengths and how they can effectively use them to stand out in the crowd. Instead, the focus is often on their weakness and what they need to do to improve them. This is partly due to how our brain is wired, stemming from…
Read Why using our strengths leads to career success and happinessSelf-Awareness – A Critical Tool in Effective Leadership
Self awareness is our capacity to stand apart from ourselves and examine our thinking, our motives, our history, our scripts, our actions, and our habits and tendencies. Stephen Covey A client once asked me how he can develop self-awareness. His vulnerability in recognising the need to develop this skill was both courageous and imperative in his leadership journey. Often leaders are asked to focus on how they lead others but the real leadership journey needs to begin with how we lead ourselves and to do this, we need to be aware of our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and actions. We often…
Read Self-Awareness – A Critical Tool in Effective Leadership