Influencers

  Two years of consulting with one company. Two years of training and coaching their leaders. And last week, I told the leadership team, “It’s time for you to fly alone.” Cue the replies: “I wouldn’t still be working here if it weren’t for your training.” “You’ve made this company a better place for everyone; the impact you have had is hard to even put into words” “The lessons you’ve brought into our business, helping us become more self-reflective, take ownership of our people, and build on our coaching skills, will stay with us for a long time”   They get it. They’ve seen what happens when leadership development isn’t just a tick-box exercise, but a journey which interrupts unhelpful … Read more

  So you’re in a position of leadership and *hopefully* you’re chuffed about it. **CHEERING FOR YOU** What you don’t anticipate are the sheer volume of (super common) difficult situations you’re presented with. The ones that truly make you wonder, “How the heck do I navigate this one?!” Would you believe me if I said that – in its most simplistic form – there is one 2-part approach to them all? If you’re curious to know what that is, I’ve made a snappy 3-minute video sharing a handful of the most common ‘HOW DO I TACKLE THIS?!’ situations and the solution that applies to all of them. You can watch it here. (Short on time? No worries, play the video … Read more

  I’ve been asked over and over and over again… “Jo! I don’t know if/when my company will bring you in to develop our leaders. But I am ready to do your training now! How can I join as a solo leader?” That’s right! People are waking up. They don’t want to be part of the swarms of leaders who trudge through a treacle of friction for 10 whole years before they get shown how to get the most out of themselves, and their teams. (Yes, 10 YEARS! That’s how long *most* leaders are in their role before they get any gold-standard leadership training… SCANDALOUS) If this is you, I have an invitation to make. **TRUMPETS** We’re inviting individual leaders … Read more

  Do you know what we make time for? Things we consider to be important. It’s a no-brainer, right? “If I see the value in doing this thing… I’ll do it” Or, more importantly… “If I understand what I’ll get out of doing it (and I want that outcome for myself)… I’ll do it” Sort of like when you ask your teenager to set a 7am alarm, ready for school. You’re often faced with all of the Kevin and Perry grunts. Yet… Tell them that if they want to [INSERT SOMETHING COOL HERE THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO DO] then they have to set a 7am alarm and get themselves ready to go at the crack of dawn… You know … Read more

If talking and hearing about football does for you what spreadsheets do for me, then feel free to look away now. If you follow football, even vaguely, you’ll be aware that the Women’s Football World Cup has been taking place in Australia and New Zealand, featuring the UK’s Lionesses managed by Sarina Weigman in the final this Sunday. I’ve just been listening to Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4 where Anita Rani was interviewing the former Lioness Ellen White, top female goal scorer and a key part of the European Cup Champions team last year. The chat was all about the England Manager Sarina Weigman and what makes her such a successful leader.  I was driving while I was listening … Read more

I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at a client’s Leadership Summit in Macedonia this month.  They take leadership seriously; a full week for all leaders away from the office to focus solely on leadership and building the right culture.  This is a company who understands the importance of strong leadership and the risks of not intentionally building the right culture.  Brilliant cultures don’t happen by accident, they are intentionally nurtured, built and maintained. Establishing a fabulous culture which both attracts talent AND holds on to that talent is one thing, keeping it like that is like pushing a ball uphill – take your eye off the ball for a moment and you’ll go backwards quickly. I based … Read more