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Shackleford
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Shackleford
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Explore the essence of leadership presence. Learn how to balance credibility and relatability to become a transformational leader. Gain insights into authentic communication and the role of executive coaching in leadership development.
Reflecting on Leadership Presence: Have you ever stopped to consider the impact your physical presence has on your leadership effectiveness? It's not just about the words you speak. Your physical demeanour, the energy you exude, and how you're perceived by those around you play a pivotal role. Insights from a Discussion: I recently delved into a thought-provoking conversation about the nuances of leadership presence. The takeaway was profound: effective presence transcends hierarchical positions. It's about:
This balance is the essence of a transformational leader. Consider: Beyond Executive Coaching: Leadership presence is more than a mere communication skill. It's about values and emotions that influence our thoughts and behaviours. Authentic Communication: This is a key leadership competency. It involves building genuine relationships, transparent communication, attentive listening, providing constructive feedback, positive conflict management, and influencing others for collective, not personal, gain. Enhancing Your Leadership Presence: Reflect on how you currently engage with and connect to your team. Understanding the broader benefits of executive coaching can be transformative. Executive coaching isn't just about improving individual skills; it's about fostering an environment of continuous growth, open communication, and collective success within your organisation. Executive presence is a key skill in leadership development, essential for inspiring confidence in various roles - be it subordinates, peers, or senior leaders. It's a skill that can be cultivated and is increasingly critical as one ascends the corporate ladder. Key learnings for enhancing executive presence include:
If you're interested in deepening your understanding and practice of effective leadership, consider exploring the world of executive coaching. It's a journey toward not only personal advancement but also toward uplifting your entire team. Master the art of sustaining organisational culture in the era of remote work. Uncover key insights on virtual team cohesion, transparent communication, and the role of executive leadership in maintaining shared values and beliefs digitally.
In an era where remote work has become the norm, the challenge of sustaining and transforming organisational culture is more pressing than ever. This reality raises a provocative question: does the traditional approach to corporate culture falter in a remote environment? Our comprehensive guide delves into this challenge, offering strategic insights and practical solutions for leaders navigating the complexities of a digital workplace. In the Remote Work Revolution, leaders face the daunting task of not only maintaining but also revitalising organisational culture from a distance. This shift is not simply procedural; it requires a fundamental rethinking of how we cultivate connections and uphold shared values in a digital world. To effectively traverse this landscape, advanced strategies are necessary:
These approaches aim to enrich organisational culture, proving that physical distance need not create an emotional divide. At the heart of a robust organisational culture, even in a digital era, are shared values and beliefs. Leadership plays a critical role in this cultural transformation. Leaders who embody and promote these values are key to managing the challenges of remote work. A Harvard Business Review article from 2021, “WFH Doesn’t Have to Dilute Your Corporate Culture,” discusses how the pandemic-accelerated trend towards remote and hybrid work models impacts organisational culture. It highlights the significance of executive coaching in this transition, with findings such as:
Key considerations include:
Today’s businesses face unprecedented change due to digitisation, talent mobility, globalisation, and intense competition, leading to widespread organisational transformations. However, these transformations often struggle to succeed due to cultural and leadership challenges. Organisational culture and leadership are pivotal in increasing the likelihood of successful transformations. Traditional corporate values often resist change, indicating a need for a cultural shift. Leadership, particularly, is instrumental in fostering cultural change to support transformation agendas. Effective leaders at all organisational levels, who embrace and demonstrate the necessary values, can guide teams through transformative processes. The concept of Intelligent Leadership® highlights the importance of nurturing a leader’s heart, mind, and soul to create exceptional leadership and cultural capabilities within an organisation. As a leader or organisation, how are you addressing the challenge of maintaining or transforming your organisational culture in this remote landscape? Managing up is key communication skills that can propel career growth into leadership roles.
Have you ever wondered why ambition and hard work, while crucial, aren't always the keys to ascending to the top of the professional ladder? This question often surfaces in the realm of executive coaching, where the nuances of leadership communication style play a pivotal role. I recently had the privilege of coaching an individual who embodied ambition and dedication. We'll call him John. John's objective was crystal clear: he aimed to reach the C-suite - he currently sits at the VP/GM level of a functional area within a division of his large organisation. However, like many driven individuals, he encountered a significant obstacle — his communication ‘style.’ While John was direct and to the point - a key advantage in his early years of progress through his career, this approach sometimes overshadowed his preferred/organic style, as he has gotten more senior this is creating barriers rather than impact as before. During our sessions, we dug deep into the subtleties of effective leadership communication. It was not about changing John's message, but about refining how he delivered it. One breakthrough moment came when we discussed a specific incident. John had presented a well-thought-out strategy at the quarterly planning session, but it was met with resistance. Upon reflection, we realized it wasn’t the strategy that was the issue, but rather his delivery, which hadn’t taken into account his audience's perspectives and concerns. He could not comprehend how the obvious, delivered with evidence and accuracy, directly and to the point did not resonate. This led us to explore 'managing up' — a concept that revolves around understanding and adapting to the communication styles of those at a higher level of responsibility in the organisation. We unravelled the common assumptions and expectations surrounding leadership, uncovering that effective leaders are not just directors known for decision making and direct outputs but connectors who consider the ‘domino effect’ of both strategic and tactical decisions and considerations. My executive coaching journey with John showed something profound yet simple: the essence of leadership is not just in what you say, but in how you say it (how well your message resonates). Striking a balance between assertiveness and empathy of the whole and who is in the whole is crucial. It ensures that your vision is shared, considered neutrally and embraced, not just declared. This balanced approach can significantly transform your style to one of influence, fostering stronger trust and more meaningful connections within your team and with those senior to you - and this is how ‘gravitas’ and ‘presence’ develop. As a leader or executive coach, it's essential to understand the profound impact of clear and effective communication, especially during robust displays of disagreement during challenging times. A key aspect of this is not just conveying the 'what' and the 'how,' but also, and perhaps more importantly, the 'why' and ‘how’ behind decisions and actions. This approach is not just a matter of transferring information but an exercise in influence, motivation and leadership. When addressing teams or clients, especially in high-stakes situations, it's common to focus on what needs to be done and how to do it. However, without addressing the journey to 'why,' and why itself there's a risk of leaving them unmotivated and disconnected from the purpose of the task or strategy. People naturally seek a reason for their actions, a purpose that goes beyond the execution of tasks. Providing this reason in a compelling yet humble and confident manner can be the difference between a plan that is enthusiastically embraced and one that is met with indifference. Effective communication in leadership and executive coaching involves a blend of empathy and persuasion. Empathy allows you to understand and address the perspectives and motivations of your audience. In a sense it's about stepping into their shoes and considering how the decisions or changes affect them. Persuasion, on the other hand, involves presenting your message in a way that convinces your audience of its value, and this is where explaining the 'why' becomes crucial - and the why does not always mean the best commercial case dominates - a nuance every emerging leader from a functional area needs to adjust to. To enhance communication skills in leadership and coaching, consider these key strategies:
By integrating these strategies into your communication, you not only convey information effectively but also inspire and lead more effectively. So, I turn the question to you: What are your strategies for effectively 'managing up'? How do you ensure that your communication style is not just heard but also resonates with your leadership goals? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Culture stems from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate". This generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultures can be "understood as systems of symbols and meanings.
In the vast landscape of business, one element has proven to be the well studied bedrock of success and longevity--organisational culture. To truly understand the significance of corporate culture, we must delve into its history and origins, tracing its evolution through time. The Roots of Organizational Culture: The concept of organizational culture emerged in the 20th century, primarily attributed to social scientists seeking to comprehend the dynamics of groups and institutions. Edgar Schein, a renowned organisational psychologist, laid the foundation for the study of culture within organizations. His work emphasized the shared beliefs, values, and behaviours that shape the essence of a corporate entity. Fast forward to the present, and corporate culture has become a linchpin in shaping and executing strategic initiatives. It serves as the invisible force that guides decision-making, defines the company's identity, and establishes a common language among employees. Aligning organisational culture with strategic goals ensures a cohesive and motivated workforce, fostering innovation and adaptability. The influence of culture on a company's bottom line is profound. A positive and inclusive culture cultivates employee engagement, leading to higher productivity and creativity. Moreover, a strong sense of purpose embedded in the culture contributes to employee retention, reducing recruitment costs and promoting institutional knowledge. On the flip side, a toxic or misaligned culture can lead to a host of issues. Employee dissatisfaction, high turnover rates, and internal conflicts can impede productivity and innovation. Ultimately, a company's profitability is intricately tied to the health of its culture. Examining successful companies reveals a consistent pattern—the integration of a robust culture into their corporate DNA. Industry giants like Google, known for its innovative and collaborative environment, and Zappos, celebrated for its commitment to customer service, exemplify how a well-defined culture can drive success. Saying it in your vision and mission statements is NOT enough - it needs to be lived amongst the team. Creating and nurturing a positive organisational culture requires intentional efforts from leadership. Open communication, transparency, and a commitment to shared values are crucial components. Employee involvement in shaping the culture, coupled with continuous assessment and adaptation, ensures its relevance and effectiveness. A strong organisational culture is an imperative - see the significant investment in vision, mission, goals, values etc that people and culture teams embark on almost every 3 years. But defining, assessing and executing on the culture throughout the operating model and behavioural operating model is a work in progress, because culture is only as good as those tasked with modelling it - often leadership. The history of organisational culture intertwines with the evolution of business practices, emerging as a key determinant of corporate success. Recognising culture's pivotal role in shaping strategy, driving profitability, and enhancing performance is essential for companies aspiring to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape. By fostering a culture that aligns with strategic objectives, organizations can unlock their full potential and navigate the complexities of the modern corporate world. Do you agree? Have you ever found yourself at a career crossroads, grappling with a decision that’s as daunting as it is thrilling?
Picture this: a seasoned professional, known for their love of risk and transformation, weaving through the tapestry of their career. This isn't just any journey—it's a vivid mosaic of triumphs, setbacks, and bold leaps into the unknown. Think of the time they turned a project failure into a learning summit, or how they bravely switched industries, igniting a new passion. Now, they're warming the seat of an interim senior role, standing at a pivotal crossroads. It's not merely a career step; it's a deep dive into their own fears and aspirations, a chance to break personal barriers and paint the canvas of their future. In our careers, we often find ourselves in a labyrinth of decisions, each path winding around endless pros and cons. How do we find our way out? It's by probing the shadows of uncertainty, by confronting the very things that make us hesitate. Imagine untangling a complex knot inside your mind, aligning each thread with your core values and long-term aspirations. When faced with a career-defining choice, like committing to a high-stakes role, we need more than just a list of benefits and drawbacks. We need to document our goals, engage in soul-searching conversations, and grant ourselves the grace of thorough contemplation. Remember, even under the pressure of a ticking clock, every decision deserves its moment of mindful pause. But executives are often isolated - particularly the higher up they go. This is harder to do at an executive level due to the lack of inputs and guardrails in the form of other people to offer perspective. An article by Harvard Business Review on "How to Overcome Executive Isolation" discusses the challenges executives face due to isolation and offers strategies to address it. Executive isolation can compromise leadership effectiveness, decision-making, and overall well-being. This isolation isn't the same as chosen isolation; it's about the dissatisfaction associated with it. About 50% of CEOs feel isolated, and 61% believe it hinders their job performance, impacting their health and well-being. Ways to address executive isolation:
These strategies aim to reduce isolation, improve decision-making, and enhance overall leadership effectiveness. Reflect on a moment when you stood at such a crossroads in your career. What was the decision, and how did you navigate it? |