Posts Tagged ‘Leading’

Comparisons are often made as to whether the private sector is better than the public sector. Having had the opportunity to work in both, I believe that there are some unique challenges of leading in the public sector.

So what are my top 5 unique challenges?

1. Size

A vast number of public sector organisations are huge compared to a lot of private sector organisations. As a result, making what can even seem like a small scale change can require huge amounts of co-ordination across the many different parts.

2. Politics

Whether it is right or wrong, the reality is that politics and the political agendas have a huge impact on what public sector organisations do or don’t do.

3. Media Attention

Rarely a day passes by without a story about one or more aspects of the public sector being reported. The balance often tends to lean towards the bad rather than the good news stories, which naturally creates less appetite for balanced risk taking.

4. Range Of Stakeholders

While most organisations have people who take an interest in them, few have the vast proportion of the population contributing to the organisation directly in financial terms. As a result, the public obviously have a huge say in what does or does not happen.

5. Negative Perceptions

There may have been a time (although I doubt it) when public servants took it easy and spent time drinking tea. These days however this is just not the case and in my experience people give much more than could reasonably be expected for the rewards they get.

The Bottom Line

Leading in the public sector brings with it some unique challenges and is not for the faint-hearted.

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. People want to see results.
2. People want to be effective and want to do well.
3. People want to be kept in the picture about what is happening and what is on the horizon.
4. People want to be appreciated for what they are doing and are trying to achieve.
5. People want feedback on how they are doing.

So what other top tips would you add to those in team leadership roles?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. For more information click here

I guess if you are reading this blog post, you are either a leader, an aspiring leader or someone with a real interest in leadership. So what questions do you need to think about when determining whether you are a leader or aspiring leader?

1. I am the type of person who makes things happen.
2. I see opportunities to take things forward within the organisation.
3. I influence the opinions and actions of others in a positive way.
4. I actively look for ways of helping others to achieve more success.
5. The people that are drawn towards me are highly motivated and success orientated.
6. I provide ideas that help the organisation.
7. I am generally positive even in the more challenging times.
8. When I make commitments, I generally follow through on them.
9. I am an ambassador or stand up for the organisation I work for.
10. I genuinely believe in myself.

At the end of the day, there are many things that contribute to an effective leader and this list should give you a useful start point in determining your leadership potential.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. For more information click here

While doing one of my regular sessions at the gym recently it occurred to me that there were many things that we can learn about leading and managing from the way we approach and what we do when it comes to working out.

 

So what are the key things that we can learn about leadership and management success from our gym workouts?

 

We need to have a goal

 

Most of us decided to join the gym for a specific reason.  It might have been to lose weight, build our stamina, help manage our stress levels, fun or just to maintain good health.  If we want to achieve success as a leader or manager we need to have clear goals.

 

Start small and build from that point

 

I can remember when I first ever went to the gym about 10 years ago.  The training plan I had was focused on doing a little bit on a range of exercises.  I did not try and jump straight to wild challenges in terms of times on the cardio machines and the weights I was lifting.  When new in post as a leader or manager, don’t try to go for glory from the outset, focus on achieving some easy wins.

 

It’s a long term project

 

When you start something new, especially exercise, you tend to find that you get pretty dramatic improvement initially, you plateau and then seem to struggle to get up to the next level.  As a leader or manager chances are that you will make some quick improvements and during the first couple of months it can feel like you are on the crest of a wave.  However, what you are really looking for is sustained success over the long term, so view leading and managing as a long term project.

 

We all need to do maintenance

 

When working out we know that it is important to do our stretching if we are to avoid injury or damage.  Most managers and leaders started in a particular professional discipline.  Even if you have a broader role now, it is vital that you maintain your knowledge and keep your skills up to date through continuing professional development.

 

 

Bottom Line – Just like working out, your aim as a manager or leader is to achieve long term sustained success.  So what do you need to start focusing on to achieve more success?

 

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to be successful managers and leaders.  For more information about his Services and Programmes click here

You have just heard the good news that you have secured your first leadership role.  You probably feel a combination of elation and possibly even a bit of apprehension.  So what are my 5 quick tips for transitioning to leadership?

 

Quick Tip 1:  Do some research

 

As the new leader you need to quickly get a handle on the organisation or part of the organisation you are going to be leading.  It is vital that you get to understand a bit about the history, the strengths, the opportunities, your peers and your team to name just a few areas.  Make the time to do this as it will be time well invested.

 

Quick Tip 2:  Create a plan

 

You will probably have lots of areas that you could potentially tackle but what you want to try and create a plan of action that gets you some early wins while laying foundations for longer term success.  A scatter gun approach is rarely the most beneficial way to go as the new leader.

 

Quick Tip 3: Make listening the core component of your communication

 

When someone new arrives or is arriving it creates a degree of uncertainty in those that are going to be impacted.  It is tempting to think that you can step into the job with the blueprint to sort out all of the things that are not working so well.  In practice this rarely works.  People, especially those who have been with an organisation for a significant period of time can offer great insights, if you are willing to make the time to listen.

 

Quick Tip 4: Regularly remind yourself that the role is different

 

It is easy and sometimes highly tempting to forget that you are in a different, more senior role with new demands and expectations.  Make a point of reminding yourself of this regularly to avoid the trap of falling into old ways of working and behaving.

 

Quick Tip 5: Expect it to be a struggle

 

It takes time to adjust to any new role and this is even more important to remember when you are stepping into your first leadership role.  Chances are you will have gone from a situation where you are top of the tree at your current level to being at the bottom at the next level.  If there is no challenge or struggle you are either not truly stepping into the new role or you are in a job that you are over qualified.

 

Bottom Line- Your first leadership role will require you to make a major transition.  So what steps are you taking to set yourself up for success?

 

 

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to be successful managers and leaders.  For more information about his Services and Programmes click here

 

We commonly hear that people are seeking challenge in the work place.  Without doubt, your success as a leader you will be greatly influenced by your ability to bring out the best in others.  So as a leader what can you do to grow people?

Tip 1: Create the right environment

As the leader you can either create an environment where you encourage people to prosper and contribute or one where you keep everything fixed.  Which do you think would be more motivational for your people?  If you want people to grow, create the working environment where they can.

Tip 2: Set a vision and encourage others to do the same

So often in organisation’s people focus on what’s not possible to achieve.  In reality no matter the situation there are always possibilities available.  Clearly articulate your overall vision and encourage others to come up with their ideas on how they can make it happen.

Tip 3: Make some investment

When times are tough in organisations, developing people is often the first thing that is removed from the budget.  If the organisation is truly stuck for cash this might well be a necessary short term action.  However, as a leader, seek ways of providing opportunities for developing others.  Even low cost group events can make a big difference.

Tip 4: Provide opportunities for shadowing

If you have up and coming and talent in the organisation, why not provide them with opportunities to shadow someone at a more senior level for a day or even half day.  This can be a really effective way of giving someone the real opportunity to get some insights into a more senior level role.

Tip 5: Create a system of mentoring

Mentors are essentially experienced people who have achieved what you want to achieve and help you achieve it. They act as advisors, buddies and supporters who help others to get where they want to.

Bottom Line – There are many advantages from talent retention, to motivation of growing your people.  So what steps could you take as a leader to get better at growing your people?

We all probably have our own views about leadership.  While it is true that we might all have slightly different views, I wonder if you are falling into the trap of believing 5 of the most common leadership myths.

Leadership Myth 1: Leaders are born

Now I don’t know about you but I have yet to hear about a newborn that was blessed with the leadership gene.  Sure certain qualities help when it comes to leadership but these are developed rather than being acquired at birth.

Leadership Myth 2: You need to be mean

You might have a perception that being a success in a leadership relies on you being the tough guy or gal.  Yes you need to be resilient and be able to stand your ground from time to time.  You might even need to quite tough at times.  However, being mean is a sure-fire way to leadership failure rather than success.

Leadership Myth 3: Success is all about having the opportunity

While having a great academic record might give you a head start, don’t fall into the trap that if you didn’t have the opportunity to go to college or university you cannot get into leadership.  For example, I left school at 16 with minimal qualifications.  I started going to college while working and was able to climb the career ladder from Accounts Clerk to Finance Director.

Leadership Myth 4: You can take your foot off the gas

Moving into leadership for the first time is the biggest career step you will take.  If you think that when you reach this level you have made it and can take your foot off the gas, you are in for a shock.  Truth is when you move into leadership you need to invest even more in your continuing development as you are having to deal with many new and different challenges.

Leadership Myth 5: You need to keep collecting qualifications

Research suggests that your level of intelligence (IQ) will take you so far in your career but it is your interpersonal and social skills (EQ) that really determines your success.  If you are considering taking additional qualifications, ask yourself what difference they will make.  It may be that investing in developing you skills and qualities through coaching or short courses will provide better results.

Bottom Line – Moving into leadership is a major step.  So what myths are you buying into that are getting in the way of achieving leadership success?

To be a successful leader it is vital that you are aware of your strengths and use them effectively.  While this might appear to be easy, we all have to a greater or lesser extent blind spots that get in the way of success.  So what are 7 common blind spots that can hinder your progress as a leader?

1. Needing to be right
2. Being overly ambitious with goals
3. Being too narrowly focused
4. Expecting too much from others
5. Self rather than organisational interests
6. Looking good at all costs
7. Unable to accept mistakes

If you are to achieve the career and personal success you desire, you need to be alert to your blind spots.  So what blind spots might be getting in the way of your success?

1. Adapting to changing circumstances
2. Bringing out the best in others
3. Taking balanced risks
4. Taking responsibility
5. Giving credit to others

What would you add?

How often have you heard people say that some people are just born leaders? 

While some people might have some attributes that can help them to more easily make the transition to leadership, truth is leadership skills can be developed.

There are a number of ways of doing this:

1. Going on a course
2. Getting a coach or mentor
3. Shadowing a senior person
4. Reading books
5. Reading e-zines
6. Listening to podcasts
7. Taking a formal qualification

Top Tip: Don’t buy into the myth that leaders are born