• MENTORING others who want to achieve what you already have achieved.
• MOTIVATING and inspiring others.
• MAKING the complex simple.
• MAKING time to provide regular feedback.
• Running effective MEETINGS.

What else would you add?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

Well I took the plunge and created my first video blog post today on the topic of getting the best from teams.

Obviously this is a new challenge for me and I would really value your comments and feedback

If you have enjoyed the video I invite you to sign up here for my free weekly leadership and management success tips at

• LEADING by example and being a role model.
• LEARNING from your mistakes and setbacks.
• LETTING others take balanced risks.
• Avoiding LETTING the LITTLE things distract you.
• Not LOSING your temper when under pressure.

What else would you add?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

• KNOWING what you do best.
• KEEPING things in perspective.
• KEEPING your people motivated and inspired.
• KICK-STARTING new initiatives and leading from the front.

What else would you add?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

• Making JUDGEMENT calls even when you don’t have all of the information.
• JUSTIFYING your position when you believe it to be right.
• Playing to your strengths when you JOIN a new team.
• Suspending JUDGEMENT when brainstorming.

What else would you add?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

• INITIATING change.
• INDUCTING new members of the team successfully.
• INTEGRATING new acquisitions into the organisation.
• INVESTIGATING problems fully before taking decisions.
• INCLUDING people in developing your vision and strategy.

What else would you add?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

• HELPING others to achieve success in their careers.
• HOLDING people to account for what they have agreed to deliver.
• HAVING clear outcomes that you want to achieve.
• Managing the HAZARDS that stop the organisation from moving forward.
• HONESTY in the way you communicate with others.

What else would you add?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

Read one of the many excellent leadership books and you might think that it is a breeze. The reality is quite different.

So what are some common leadership myths that you need to avoid?

Myth 1: Leaders are born

Truth is we are all born and I am not aware of any distinction being made at birth so don’t buy into this way of thinking. If you do, you are sunk before you get started.

Myth 2: There is a right or wrong style

We all have our natural preferences or what I call ‘default style’. At the same time, the type of leadership style that you adopt depends on the circumstances you face. Be willing to adapt your style to fit the circumstances.

Myth 3: You need to be charismatic and an extrovert

Being a bit of an extrovert might help but people are generally good at looking below the surface. Truth is some of the most successful leaders in some of the biggest organisations are introverts. Again, don’t buy into the mindset trap.

Myth 4: You need to be smart

Yes, you need a certain level of intelligence but that in itself is not enough. What you do need to be smart about is how you invest your time and energies and to know the impact you have on others. Build all of your competencies, not just your IQ.

Myth 5: You need to be the fountain of all knowledge

Gone are the days when, as the leader, you know everything in detail. After all, that’s not what you are employed to do. What’s important is to recognise where you are weaker and then build a team around you with complementary skills.

The Bottom Line

If you want to prosper as a leader, make sure you don’t limit yourself by buying into some of the common myths.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

Success as a leader can be challenging to achieve. While skills, experience and knowledge all help, qualities are important too.

So what five qualities are essential to succeeding as a leader?

1. A genuine interest in others.
2. Self awareness and a clear understanding of your own strengths and limitations.
3. A commitment to developing the leaders of the future.
4. Drive and persistence to keep going even when the going gets tough.
5. Set and adopt personally high standards.

What else would you add to the list?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

1. Focus on listening rather than multitasking.
2. Don’t jump to snap judgements.
3. Clarify understanding by summarising periodically.
4. Pay attention to body language as it may give clues to disconnects between what is being said and what should be being said.
5. Acknowledge the other person’s feelings, especially when handling difficult staff.
6. Don’t let your own need to be right or have the last word get in the way of listening.

What else from your experience would you add to the list?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here