Successful leadership requires an understanding of the relationship between ‘Be’, ‘Do’ and ‘Have’.

Your right at the top, the leader of the organisation. Or maybe that’s your aspiration.

Who are you as a person and why does that even matter?

What about the team around you, who are you as a leadership team and why does that matter?

How did you become a leader, were you prepared for it? What about your team?

This is about advanced influencing for leaders …

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We Need to Talk About Transformation

Everyone’s talking about ‘transformation’. It seems like hype to me; is it ethical to sell ‘transformational’ benefits?

What does it even mean?

I think “We Need to Talk About Transformation” … coaches and all professionals.

I borrowed the title from one of my fav films – “We Need to Talk About Kevin” – a great watch though harrowing.

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Is your team leading ‘on purpose’?

Without a clear purpose leadership teams unwittingly cause confusion, drift and division.
“We are working in silos” is a common refrain.
The team was established for a reason, there was a purpose but it’s not evident now.
It needs to rediscover its purpose and lead on purpose. But how?
What’s the purpose of this leadership team?

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“We need a strategy for that.”

What do you mean by strategy?
Few leaders I work with seem to agree and yet it is a major part of the tool kit.

How have we gotten here?
Want to join a group to explore strategy, this might be useful …

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Five top tips for construction job interviews

They asked for my top five tips to ace a job interview.

This got me thinking about the interviewer. Are you trying to get the best out of the applicant or are you testing them to see how they are under pressure?

Here’s my top tips to ace it.

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Relationships matter – here’s why

Dysfunction, hassle, nonsense – it’s endemic. People don’t notice it. It’s how it is. It’s all they have ever known.
I’m an outsider. I see it.
There is an obsession with all things technical and departmental – it makes leaders smaller. I think it’s sad.
When the focus changes to relationships great things start to happen.
Jim gets it.

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Talking things up? Stop trying to delude yourself and us

People seem to be talking things up everywhere.

Times are tough, fair enough. But constantly talking things up doesn’t work if you are a leader, and talking things down is a culture killer. I’m going to explain why.

There’s also a ‘get real’ alternative for real leaders

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“Johnny is useless, he needs coaching”

We all have “blind spots” – things we are unaware of, opportunities to make better for us or become better.

Coaching is useful.

Here I explain what coaching is and is not and how to find an experienced and qualified coach.

Spot the Industry blind spot …

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Cleaver book review

This one is a bit different. Not written by me.

My Deep and Deliberate Delegation book sells best in the USA. I don’t know why, maybe they ‘get’ the need?

Occasionally, Americans invite me to speak on the subject – early November is my next gig.

My host Todd Stone of The Cleaver Company wrote this book review to introduce my talk. Here it is in full …

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Recommended reads: books about working better with people

People ask me for recommended reading lists. They know I read lots of books about leadership and management and people.
I seem to write a reading list every three years. Here’s my latest one.
If you are interested in giving your best and getting the best from people then this may be useful for you.

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