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4 Podcasts to Help you be a Better Leader in 2023

4 Podcasts to Help You be a Better Leader in 2023

Leadership is an essential skill to have in the 21st century. But it can be difficult to stay on top of all the new trends and strategies that are emerging. Fortunately, there are a number of great podcasts out there dedicated to helping you become a better leader in 2023. From interviews with influential leaders to deep dives into management theories, these four podcasts will help you develop your leadership skills and understand how best to lead others. So if you’re looking for ways to improve your leadership ability this year, tune in and get inspired!

What makes a job “good” – and the case for investing in people – TED Business, Warren Valdmanis

Investing in teams is critical for business success and can help an organisation thrive. The value of investing in a team lies in the fact that it allows organisations to develop both their existing employees and attract new hires. By providing resources for employees to improve their skills, advance their careers, and better collaborate with each other, businesses can increase efficiency and productivity.

Social impact investor Warren Valdmanis shares his research on what makes a job “good”, correlates to productivity, and helps to build better companies. He outlines four critical factors that contribute significantly to employee satisfaction, retention, and improves performance. He emphasises how investing in people-first practices are essential elements of a successful team.

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What’s Happening at Work, Dare to Lead™ Podcast – Brené Brown with Adam Grant & Simon Sinek

The ability to observe and understand trends is a critical skill for any leader. In the workplace, understanding and leveraging trends can help leaders stay ahead of their competition and make better decisions. Leaders must be able to recognise patterns, identify emerging topics of interest and develop strategies to capitalise on them.

In the first part of Brené Brown’s conversation with renowned leadership development experts, Adam Grant and Simon Sinek, discuss the disconnection between the data being researched and what is being practised in organisations. Their thought provoking insights are invaluable for any leader striving to be ahead of the curve.

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Reaching for Authenticity – Let’s Take This Offline: The Podcast for Everyday Leaders, Kishshana Palmer with Aiko Bethea

Leadership is an essential part of our society, and authenticity plays an important role in effective leadership. To make a difference within teams and organisations, it’s important that we learn to show up as our full selves, with genuineness and vulnerability.

Aiko Bethea, Senior Director of the Daring Way™ and Dare to Lead™ communities of Brené Brown Education and Research Group joins Kishshana Palmer, speaker, trainer and coach with more than 20 years of experience, to discuss the risks of performative authenticity, perfectionism in the workplace and how to overcome them to help us bring our best thinking, quirks and excellence to the work we do.

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Reaching for Authenticity – Let’s Take This Offline: The Podcast for Everyday Leaders, Kishshana Palmer with Aiko Bethea

It would be remiss of us if we didn’t include this episode of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, on which The Leadership Sphere’s own Phillip Ralph was a guest. Phillip and Zoë spoke about the unsolvable problems of leadership – a concept which refers to the challenges that leaders face, which no amount of knowledge or experience can or necessarily needs to solve.

In the episode, Phillip shares his thoughts on why it is so important that we encourage the development of leadership capabilities and empower people to take action where they are, regardless of formal titles. Get ready for an engrossing dialogue about the future of leadership with this episode!

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From understanding organisational health to investing in people-first practices and reaching for authenticity, these four podcasts have provided invaluable insights into how we can become better leaders. By listening to the experts who are on the cutting edge of leadership development, you will be able to stay ahead of the curve as a leader and create an environment that encourages growth within your team or organisation. With their help, you’ll be well prepared for whatever challenges come your way in 2023!

If you want to learn more about human centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

4 Podcasts to Help you be a Better Leader in 2023

Leadership Styles: What Works Best for You and Your Team?

Leadership Styles: What Works Best for You and Your Team?

When it comes to leading a team, there are a variety of different leadership styles that can be used. Understanding the pros and cons of each style can help you determine which one is the best fit for your particular needs and goals.

One popular approach is autocratic leadership, where the leader focuses on providing clear direction, often without consultation from the team. Autocratic leadership can be effective if you need to make fast decisions and take decisive action, but it can also lead to employees feeling undervalued and unengaged. Developing leaders should be conscious of this and ensure they balance authoritative instructions with valuing their team’s input

Why is it important to understand your approach to leadership?

No matter which leadership style you choose, it’s important to understand how it works and the potential impacts on your team. Different styles work in different situations and with different types of teams, so understanding their strengths and weaknesses can help you get the best results.

It’s also important to recognise that different people respond differently to different approaches, so it’s worth adjusting your style to account for individual needs and preferences. Doing so demonstrates a compassion in leadership that will help build trust, respect and motivation within your team. Understanding your leadership style helps you become a more effective leader, giving you the tools and resources to motivate, inspire and engage your team in the most successful way possible.

How can you determine your leadership style?

Every successful leader will have a natural leadership style that works best for them, even if they aren’t aware of it. It’s important to be aware of your approach to leadership and understand how an alternative style may be effective. Consider your own strengths, weaknesses and goals when developing a leadership style that works for you and your team.

It may also help to observe the actions and behaviours of other leaders, both in person and online. Look out for examples of different leadership styles in action and think about which styles could be beneficial in your own situation. Executive coaching may be able to help you with this as a coach can often act as an objective observer and provide invaluable insights.

There are a number of factors that contribute to identifying the leadership qualities that will determine your style of leadership. An assessment and profiling tool can assist your coach in determining how your own values, beliefs, behaviours and attitudes affect your ability to lead a team. With this information, your coach may work with you to devise a leadership development program to help you leverage those strengths and hone those areas of weakness.

“Understanding what works for you, and more importantly, why it works, is an important step towards becoming a successful leader.”

Knowing what works best for your team

Compassionate leaders understand that no single leadership style works in all situations. What is effective in one situation may not be as successful in another, so it’s important to be flexible and adjust your approach depending on the team dynamics at play. A good leader will assess their team’s strengths, weaknesses and goals and modify their style accordingly.

Leadership development coaching can help you identify the best approach for your particular situation and develop the skills to lead with confidence. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to set a clear vision and direction that motivates and engages your team. Taking a human centred approach to leadership can help you get better results from your team, while also creating a positive workplace environment. By being mindful of how different leadership styles can affect outcomes, you’ll also be better equipped to adapt and adjust when the situation calls for it.

Through a combination of coaching and leadership development training, you can identify the styles that are best suited to your own objectives and team. Understanding what works for you, and more importantly, why it works, is an important step towards becoming a successful leader. A growth mindset will help you learn from your experiences and use them to shape the way you lead in the future. By being self aware, adaptive and open to growth opportunities, developing leaders will be better equipped to handle any leadership challenge that comes their way.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

Leadership Styles: What Works Best for You and Your Team?

3 Ways Coaching Can Help Leaders Connect With Their Teams

3 Ways Coaching Can Help Leaders Connect With Their Teams

Connection between leaders and their team is of the utmost importance if any organisation wants to succeed. Strong relationships between a leader and their team enable more efficient decision-making, smoother communication, better productivity and higher morale. An effective leader should be capable of understanding their teammates and finding ways to bring out the best in them.

An executive leadership program and coaching can help them do this. Coaching can provide a platform for leaders to gain insight into their own behaviours and attitudes, as well as those of their team. It helps them become more self-aware and encourages honest communication that leads to a deeper understanding of the people they are leading. It is necessary for human centred leadership to be successful that leaders and their teams are able to connect in order to accomplish their goals.

Navigate Change

Coaching is a powerful tool for helping leaders navigate the complexities of change. It provides the space for senior leaders to explore their own assumptions and beliefs, to analyse and take stock of their team’s current situation, and to identify creative solutions and strategies for moving forward. By having an objective coach in their corner, leaders can gain greater clarity around the challenges they face and the opportunities that come with them. Coaches can help leaders become conscious of how their beliefs about change influences their leadership style, and create new behaviours that better serve their team.

People centric leaders who undertake executive coaching as part of their change management strategy can gain valuable insight into how their team is responding to the changes and identify areas of improvement. Executive coaches can also provide ongoing support while leaders are developing the skills and tools needed to effectively communicate the vision and objectives of change initiatives, while ensuring that all members of the team are on board with the direction it takes. Leaders who commit to executive leadership development  will strengthen their ability to lead through change and cultivate an organisational culture with resilient teams that are equipped to face future changes with confidence.

Develop Team Collaboration

Effective leaders who invest in coaching for themselves and their teams create an open culture where collaboration is encouraged, creativity is rewarded and everyone is empowered to contribute. This approach to leadership development can help leaders recognize and appreciate differences in perspectives, instincts and approaches that are critical for successful team collaboration. This can form a vital aspect of strategy development and decision-making.

Coaching also gives team members the opportunity to share ideas openly, take risks, and develop a sense of ownership over their contributions. Executive leaders who commit to coaching will create an environment of mutual trust and respect where all members feel comfortable working together to achieve their shared goals. When the collective communication skills of the team are improved, decision-making becomes more efficient and creative solutions to problems can be identified.

“With an experienced and objective coach by their side, leaders can develop the skills and strategies needed to foster connection with their teams and lead them to success.”

Foster their Professional Development

Leaders who use coaching as part of their leadership strategy can help foster individual and collective professional growth. Coaching allows leaders to provide targeted feedback that encourages team members to take ownership over their own development, while creating a safe space for them to reflect on their current skills and practise new ones. An executive leadership program can also help leaders identify areas of growth for each team member and create development plans tailored to their unique needs.

By providing opportunities for learning and development, senior leaders who commit to coaching can create an environment where team members are empowered to reach their full potential. This, in turn, will fuel the success of both the team and the organisation as a whole. Leadership coaching benefits teams and executive leaders by fostering collaboration, navigating change, and providing a platform to develop the skills necessary for achieving success.

Overall, coaching is an invaluable tool for senior leaders who want to foster connection with their teams, navigate change, and help their team members develop professionally. By committing to senior leadership training as part of their leadership development strategy, leaders can create a productive environment where collaboration thrives and individual growth is supported. With an experienced and objective coach by their side, leaders can develop the skills and strategies needed to foster connection with their teams and lead them to success.

If you want to learn more about human centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

3 Ways Coaching Can Help Leaders Connect With Their Teams

high performing teams

How to be a Better Leader: the Human Centred Approach

How to be a Better Leader: the Human Centred Approach

The human centred approach to leadership focuses on connecting with and empowering people so that they can contribute their best when working together. It is based on mutual respect, openness and trust, emphasising interaction as an essential element of success. Leaders who use this approach recognize the importance of creating an environment that supports and encourages team members, while also holding them accountable.

Provide and Encourage Accountability

Accountability is an important part of creating high performance teams. It encourages people to work together collaboratively, as everyone is held accountable for the success of the entire group. When team members are accountable for their actions, they take ownership of the results and are more likely to deliver quality work. As a leader, you should be clear about expectations for your team and hold yourself accountable as well. Set deadlines for tasks, create feedback loops, and give regular updates on progress so that everyone keeps their commitment to the project. Engaging in leadership development training can improve your team’s ability to create a culture of accountability and help you develop the skills necessary to be an effective leader. It provides the leadership skill development needed for high performance teams to operate effectively and with autonomy.

Dr. Brené Brown’s research into daring leadership explores the notion that “Clear is Kind, Unclear is Unkind.” In human centred workplaces, it is necessary to provide clarity, structure and boundaries while still allowing for autonomy. In the Dare to Lead™ leadership training course, based on Brown’s research, teams learn to create safe environments where people can take risks and be vulnerable. Leaders are taught how to coach and facilitate meaningful conversations that foster a culture of trust, mutual respect and courage. This allows team members to grow their self-awareness and empathy, enabling them to develop a people first approach to the way they lead.

Aligned in Purpose

Aligning purpose is an essential part of the human centred approach to leadership. Having a clear and compelling purpose provides direction and meaning, allowing you to focus your efforts on achieving it. A shared sense of purpose reinforces collaboration and collective effort while increasing motivation and employee engagement. This can be achieved through communication: listening to and connecting with your team, understanding their needs, and expressing the importance of the mission. Communication skills are vital for engaging and inspiring people to join you in achieving the purpose. As a leader, you should also make sure that your team members feel like they can contribute to the success of the project. Allow them to express their own ideas and opinions, and recognize their efforts along the way. By encouraging creativity and ownership, you will create a strong sense of purpose for your team that is motivating and rewarding.

High performance teams that are aligned in their purpose have an edge in today’s business world. They can achieve success more quickly and efficiently, while providing a positive working environment. Leaders who take a human centred approach to leadership create these kinds of teams and foster lasting relationships with their team members, allowing them to reach their highest potential. By taking the time to understand people and provide effective guidance, you can become an effective leader with a clear sense of purpose that motivates and inspires.

“The world of business changes quickly, and leaders must adjust their strategies and approaches to ensure that the team remains on track for success.”

Be Flexible and Adaptable

Leadership is an ever-evolving process, so it is important to be flexible and adaptable. The world of business changes quickly, and leaders must adjust their strategies and approaches to ensure that the team remains on track for success. A human centred approach encourages leaders to listen to feedback, ask questions and make adjustments when necessary. By being flexible and adaptable, you can foster collaboration and collective effort while increasing motivation and employee engagement.

Flexibility in human centred development can also mean making the human needs of your team a priority. Creating psychological safety in the workplace is essential, so make sure to provide resources and support for team members when they need it. This includes providing high performance team training and building a culture of open communication where employees feel comfortable speaking up and taking risks without fear of repercussions. By creating psychological safety in the workplace, leaders can empower their teams to achieve great things together.

Being a better leader requires practice, patience and a willingness to learn. By taking the time to understand people and provide effective guidance, you can become an effective leader with a clear sense of purpose that motivates and inspires. With the human centred approach, you can create high performing teams that are successful in achieving their goals quickly and efficiently.

The best high performance team programs focus on developing and enhancing the human centred leadership skills needed to create successful, sustainable teams. By focusing on alignment of purpose, providing clear accountability, and fostering open dialogue through coaching and facilitation, team leaders can create a culture that allows their team members to reach their highest potential. With this approach, leaders can ensure that their people are engaged and inspired while they work together to achieve the mission.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

How to be a Better Leader: the Human Centred Approach

The Top Reasons to Implement Human Centred Leadership in Your Business

The Top Reasons to Implement Human Centred Leadership in Your Business

Many people think that leaders are born, not made, but this is not the case. Leaders can be developed through training and practice. There are many different techniques that can help you become a better leader. One of the most important things to remember is that leadership is about serving others. When you put the needs of others before your own, you will be able to inspire them to follow your lead.

Build High Performance Teams

Building high performing teams is an essential part of implementing human centred leadership in any business. Teams that are highly effective and motivated can bring businesses to the next level, and when managed correctly, can produce great results that benefit both the team members and the organisation as a whole.

Human centred leadership encourages leaders to take the time to get to know their teams, understand their needs and goals, and create an environment that allows them to perform at their best. This can include providing high performance team development training to support their growth, providing flexible working arrangements to ensure their well-being, and offering leadership that is focused on people rather than tasks.

The result of having an effective team can be seen in improved productivity, better communication, higher quality work being produced, and a more positive general atmosphere in the workplace. Additionally, with human centred leadership teams are empowered to take initiative and think creatively which can help to solve difficult problems quickly and efficiently.

Create a More Inclusive Workplace

We understand that a single work style cannot benefit everyone equally, whether they work in person, remotely, or hybrid. The challenge is to find a balance between each person’s work style and the organisation’s structure. Human centred leadership helps to create a more inclusive workplace by ensuring that the needs of all team members are respected, and that everyone is given equal consideration.

This form of leadership allows for diverse forms of communication and collaboration between employees, enabling them to get input from each other quickly and efficiently. Additionally, it helps to foster an environment of trust which makes it easier for team members to speak up and share their ideas.

Leading teams requires more than just technical skills; it requires the ability to understand people and create meaningful relationships with them. Human centred leadership training programs help to develop this understanding, allowing managers to better tap into the skills and knowledge of their team members, resulting in better problem solving and more effective decision making. By creating a workplace that is open to all opinions, businesses can develop a team that is collaborative, innovative, and highly successful.

Human centred leadership is an important skill set for any leader. By developing leadership skills that promote inclusivity, building high performing teams and creating a more inclusive workplace, managers can create a positive work environment that allows all team members to grow and reach their potential. This in turn leads to higher levels of productivity, better communication and more effective decision making for the business as a whole. Implementing human centred leadership can have a profound effect on the success of any business.

If you want to learn more about human centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

The Top Reasons to Implement Human Centred Leadership in Your Business

human centred leadership

The Power of Human Centred Leadership

The Power of Human Centred Leadership

Human centred leadership is a powerful tool for driving effective change in any organisation. It puts people at the centre of its focus, empowering them to take ownership and responsibility for their own actions. This creates an environment where staff can positively contribute to organisational culture and success. Through nurturing relationships with employees, human centred leadership enables businesses to create authentic, meaningful relationships with their people.

Leadership training is an important part of human centred leadership. It provides staff with the leadership skills and knowledge they need to effectively contribute to the organisation. Training programs should be tailored to meet the specific needs of the organisation and its employees.

Promotes Effective Change Management

Human centred leadership helps organisations to make effective changes. By understanding the needs of their employees and helping them to get involved in change initiatives, effective leaders can ensure that organisational changes are more successful. People centric leadership also encourages good communication between staff members and managers, meaning that meaningful conversations can take place about any proposed changes and concerns or issues can be aired.

This helps to build a high performance culture and makes change management processes smoother. Human centred leaders also recognise the importance of creating an environment where employees can take risks and be creative, which can drive innovation and progress. When senior executives operate with leadership styles that put the needs of the people first, employees feel valued and respected, which can lead to increased motivation and productivity.

Develops Meaningful Workplaces

Organisations that adopt a people centric approach have workforces that feel empowered and valued. By taking the time to really understand and connect with their employees, they can create meaningful workplaces where everyone feels comfortable to bring their unique skills and experience. This helps to improve communication between all levels of the organisation, leading to a stronger sense of unity and collective responsibility.

One way to embed a people first mindset throughout your organisation is to provide leadership development training to all employees that focuses on the importance of building relationships, understanding people’s motivations and creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to achieve their goals. By engaging employees in these kinds of leadership training programs, organisations can create a powerful culture of collaboration and mutual respect that is essential for any successful business. Human centred leadership has the potential to unlock high performance and organisational success.

“Leadership development is an essential tool for driving change and success in human centred organisations.”

Increases Job Satisfaction

A human centred workplace that positions the needs and well being of its people above profit is more likely to have employees that report a higher level of job satisfaction. Understanding that they are cared for on both a personal and professional level, employees in these kinds of organisations feel appreciated and respected, leading to greater motivation and engagement.

It can be critical to the success of your organisation that high potential talent are placed in a leadership training program that provides them the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and further their growth. As employees are more likely to stay with an organisation that invests in them, this can lead to increased retention rates which has many positive implications for any business.

The strengths of leadership training programs for human centred organisations are many. Staff who receive leadership development feel more empowered and motivated to take ownership of their work. They are better able to contribute to the overall success of the organisation, and create a positive work environment

Leadership training programs help to build relationships between employees and management, creating a more open, trusting workplace culture. This can lead to increased innovation and creativity, as well as improved performance. Taking a human centred approach to leadership  can also result in higher job satisfaction and retention rates, as employees feel respected and valued for their contributions. Overall, leadership development is an essential tool for driving change and success in human centred organisations. With this kind of leadership style at the wheel, organisations have greater potential than ever to achieve success.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

The Power of Human Centred Leadership

leadership development

The Importance of Executive Coaching

The Importance of Executive Coaching

In order to be an effective leader, it is important to have compassion. Compassion allows leaders to understand and connect with the people they are leading. When people feel understood and connected, they are more likely to trust their leader and be willing to follow them. Leaders with compassion are also better able to handle difficult situations and emotions. They are able to stay calm and handle problems in a constructive way. Compassion makes for a better leader and a more successful team.

One of the best ways to develop compassionate leadership is through executive coaching. Coaching can help leaders learn how to be more effective communicators and better problem-solvers. When leaders make the effort to become the best they can be, the teams they lead become more successful.

Develop Compassionate Leadership

The necessity of exhibiting compassion in leadership is important for developing leaders to understand. It is essential for maintaining morale within the workplace as well. It also allows for creativity to develop. When a senior leader demonstrates compassion, it builds trust and respect from those they lead.

Being able to connect with the person or people on a deeper level in turn allows for more effective communication and coaching conversations. It also allows for a leader to better understand what is going on with their team or direct reports. This helps to create a company culture where relationships are not built purely on hierarchical lines.

Executive coaching can help developing leaders learn how to be more compassionate in their interactions with employees. Coaching can help build the leadership skills needed to be able to read and understand the emotions of others, and respond in a way that is supportive and helpful. This can create a more positive and people centric work environment, where employees feel appreciated and supported.

People First Growth Mindset

Effective leaders who are dedicated to achieving success for their team will have a growth mindset. They are more willing to learn and take on complex challenges, and will often take on a people first leadership style. When leaders focus on meeting the needs of their direct reports and supporting their growth, team performance greatly improves.

A coaching style of leadership is one that asks questions and provides guidance, rather than giving direct orders. The mental health and wellbeing of their team is a high priority for compassionate leaders. They understand that happy and healthy team members are more productive.

People first leaders know that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and they focus on helping their team members grow in their areas of development. They utilise their coaching skills to work through mistakes with their employees to find solutions, treating them as opportunities for leadership development and improve performance.

“The mental health and wellbeing of their team is a high priority for compassionate leaders. They understand that happy and healthy team members are more productive.”

Assist in Implementing Change

Implementing change can be difficult, but it is often necessary in order to improve an organisation or individual’s performance. Executive coaching can be a valuable tool in helping individuals or groups to implement change successfully. Coaching provides support and guidance, and helps to keep everyone on track. It also helps to ensure that the changes that are made are sustainable.

When senior executives and managers are equipped with the leadership skills required to take a human centred approach when leading through change, they are able to create a vision, communicate it effectively and motivate others to achieve it. This enables organisations to successfully navigate through difficult times and emerge stronger.

Leadership development is not only beneficial during times of change, but can also be helpful in maintaining a high level of performance over time. Organisations that want to achieve long-term success need to have a coaching culture in place. Coaching helps individuals and organisations to continuously learn and grow, which is essential for success in today’s rapidly changing world.

Leadership is a complex topic, and there are many different styles that can be effective. What is most important is that established and developing leaders understand the needs of their team and provide support in order for them to grow. Leadership development coaching helps individuals or groups to successfully implement change. Through compassionate leadership and a focus on putting people first, organisations can create a positive and productive work environment where employees feel supported and valued. This in turn helps to improve performance and long-term success.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

The Importance of Executive Coaching

High performance team

Why Human Centred Leadership Matters for Teams

Why Human Centred Leadership Matters for Teams

In order to be successful, teams need a human centred leader. This means that team leaders must be able to see things from the team members’ perspective and understand their needs. Only then can the leader help the team work together effectively and achieve success.

There are many benefits to having a human centred leader at the helm of a team. Team members are more likely to feel valued and respected if their leader takes the time to see things from their perspective. This in turn can lead to improved morale and greater motivation among team members. A human centred leader is better able to identify and address conflicts within the team, ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goal.If you want your team to be successful, it’s essential that you take a human centred leadership approach. By doing so, you’ll be able to create a positive and productive environment where everyone can thrive.

Better Decision Making

When you take into account the individual needs of each team member, you create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and able to contribute fully. This open exchange of ideas allows everyone to share their thoughts and ensures that there is a comprehensive understanding of the challenge being faced. By understanding the entire system, your decision will be based on the entirety of the issue instead of what is merely affecting you and your current needs. Whether you want to make a better decision or solve a problem: factoring in all aspects makes your eventual choice more sustainable.

The same approach is needed in high performance teams. Not only to ensure that problems are solved holistically, but to also consider varied perspectives. In order for the team to make better decisions, each individual must feel that their voice is being heard. Feeling as though you are being listened to and your opinion matters will not only increase motivation but also trust – two essential elements of a high performing team.

Supports Data Driven Choices

Data should never be ignored, but it is important to understand that data alone cannot solve all your problems. In order for data to be useful, you need to first identify what you are trying to achieve and then consider how best to collect and use the data. Emerging leaders should be aware of the importance of data and how it can be used to improve their decision making and team culture.

Additionally, when you frame the data through a holistic lens, you can start to see patterns that would otherwise be missed. This allows you to not only make better decisions, but also understand the consequences of these decisions. It also means that team members will have a better understanding and greater buy-in to changes that are made through these choices.

Increases Job Satisfaction

The role of a team leader is to create an environment where each team member feels comfortable and can contribute their best ideas. When team members feel that their opinion matters and they are able to contribute in a meaningful way, they are more likely to be motivated and productive. Feeling valued and supported by their leader will increase trust, another essential element of a high performing team.

A human centred leadership style is focused on putting people first. This is one of the most important things you can do when leading teams to improve team dynamics. The largest contributing factor to improved team performance is the level of satisfaction each person feels within their role. Providing opportunities to undertake a high performance team training course, demonstrates your commitment to your team’s success and their personal development. This will have a positive impact on job satisfaction and motivation, as team members feel supported in their role.

“When team members feel that their opinion matters and they are able to contribute in a meaningful way, they are more likely to be motivated and productive.”

Improves Team Connectedness

In high performance team dynamics, it is important that team members are able to form strong relationships with one another. This is particularly needed in remote teams or in organisations that don’t require a large amount of in-person interaction. When leading teams like this, the onus is on the leader to help create opportunities for connection and bonding.

This can be an integral component of developing leadership skills that allow you to lead teams more effectively. Holding regular check-ins, informally during meetings or in one-in-one settings, creates opportunities for individuals to share their personal stories and experiences. This instils a sense of closeness and connectedness within the team, which is essential for improving team performance and creating a more positive organisational culture. A connected team is also more likely to be resilient in the face of adversity. This is because team members are more likely to support and help one another when things get tough, which in turn leads to greater success.

A leadership training program can provide established and emerging leaders with the opportunity to learn and develop the skills needed to be more effective. Being focused on putting people first is one of the most important things you can do when leading teams. This will have a positive impact on job satisfaction and motivation, as team members feel supported in their role.

If you want to learn more about human centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

Why Human Centred Leadership Matters for Teams

human centred leaders

Being a Human Centred Leader

Being a Human Centred Leader

In order to be an effective leader, it’s important to have a deep understanding of human nature. After all, it is people who make up organisations, and people are not always rational or predictable. In order to create a positive and productive work environment, it’s essential to understand the motivations and needs of the people you’re leading.

People first leadership is essential for creating a positive and productive work environment. Human centred leadership starts with putting people first, valuing their contributions, and listening to their ideas. It’s also about being authentic and genuine, and treating people with respect and consideration. By doing this, you can create a positive and productive work environment that is centred around people rather than profits.

In a world that is becoming increasingly digitised and automated, it’s more important than ever to lead with humanity. Here are a few ways to do so:

Be Authentic and Transparent

People can sense when you’re being inauthentic, and it will only undermine your credibility as a leader. Share your values with your team and act in accordance with them. In doing so, your team develops a deeper understanding of who you are as a leader and what you stand for.

Authentic leadership is about being genuine in your interactions with others. It means behaving in a way that is true to yourself, and being open and honest with your team. By setting this example, you encourage your team to do the same. This type of communication creates a more positive and effective work environment.

Show Empathy and Connect with Your Team

Your team will be more engaged and motivated if they feel like you understand and care about them as people. Leadership development training can help leaders and managers to create an environment in which everyone feels valued. Take the time to get to know your team members, and show them that you care about their lives outside of work.

When it comes to empathy in human centred leadership it’s all about understanding your team members as people. This will help build mutual trust and create a more engaged and motivated team. This will also help you to become more effective in building an adaptive leadership style, as you will know what makes your team members tick.

Be Supportive

Your team will need your support to reach their full potential. Offer encouragement and praise when they do well, and be there for them when things get tough. Showing that you care about their success will help them feel motivated and appreciated, and ultimately make them more likely to stick with the team in the long run.

It’s important to be there for them both mentally and emotionally. Developing leadership skills that focus on emotional intelligence can help you better understand and support your team. This can lead to a more positive organisational culture, where people feel appreciated and supported. Senior leaders with strong emotional intelligence skills are also better able to manage difficult conversations, provide constructive feedback, and resolve conflict effectively.

“Your employees are your organisation’s and brand’s greatest ambassadors. Creating a nurturing and positive organisational culture helps you to affect real change by involving team members at every level.”

Be a Role Model

You can’t expect your team to follow your lead if you’re not setting a good example. Be the kind of leader you want them to be, and lead by example in everything you do. If you want your team to be honest, act with integrity. If you want them to be hardworking, lead by example and put in the extra effort yourself. Your team will take their cue from you, so make sure you’re setting a good example in everything you do.

Being a role model is one of the most important skills you can have as a leader. It is important that leadership development training programs focus on this skill, as it is essential for setting the right tone for the team. When you lead by example, you show your team that you are committed to the same goals and values that they are. This creates a sense of unity and purpose within teams.

Stay Curious

One of the most important aspects of adaptive leadership is the ability to remain curious and not assume that you hold all of the answers. Leaders who are curious are always learning and looking for new ways to improve their team. They are always exploring new ideas and trying to understand the world around them. This curiosity helps them stay open-minded and innovative, which is essential for leading in today’s rapidly changing world.

Being curious also allows leaders to connect with their team members on a deeper level. Learning about the lives and aspirations of the people in your team allows you to leverage their collective knowledge and ideas. It also opens opportunities to further their development and engage them in a training program. This will help you stay ahead of the curve and lead your team to success.

Be Self-Aware

Leaders who are self-aware know their strengths and weaknesses, and are able to openly acknowledge them. They are also able to understand their own emotions and how they’re affecting their behaviour. This enables them to manage their reactions better, and ultimately leads to more constructive interactions with their team members.

It allows leaders to be more mindful of their actions. When leaders are aware of their own emotions, they can better understand how they’re impacting others. It can also help them to recognise when the emotions of others are affecting their behaviour and allow them to extend empathy with them. Adaptive leaders who are self-aware make better decisions, have stronger relationships with their team members, and are ultimately more successful. If you’re looking to further your leadership development training, then self-awareness should be one of your top priorities.

Organisations that cultivate and promote a people first environment often reap the benefits of a more engaged, motivated and productive workforce. Your employees are your organisation’s and brand’s greatest ambassadors. A large portion of your credibility will stem from the way your employees speak about the company. Creating a nurturing and positive organisational culture helps you to affect real change by involving team members at every level. Adaptive leadership that focuses on human centred values will go a long way in promoting a healthy, happy and thriving workplace. You will see high rates of retention and advocacy from your employees when you lead with humanity.

If you want to learn more about human-centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

Being a Human Centred Leader

Human Centred Leadership

5 Characteristics of Human Centred Leadership

5 Characteristics of Human Centred Leadership

In order to be an effective leader, it is important to have a deep understanding of human nature. Leaders who are able to put themselves in other people’s shoes and see things from their perspective are more successful than those who do not.  Leaders who are human centred are also more effective at motivating and inspiring others.

Purpose is Aligned Throughout the Organisation

When an organisation puts people at the centre, everyone is working together to achieve common goals. This happens when business objectives, capabilities, and customer needs all come together. Purpose alignment is especially important for human centred leadership. When leaders are able to align their decisions with the organisation’s purpose, it creates a sense of unity and common goal among employees. This makes it easier for employees to understand what they’re working towards and gives them a sense of ownership in the company. When employees feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves, they’re more likely to be productive and engaged in their work.

When it comes to senior leadership training, one of the most important things to focus on is purpose alignment. This means that leaders need to be able to understand and articulate the organisation’s purpose in a way that everyone else can understand and buy into. Leaders also need to be able to create strategies and make decisions that support the organisation’s purpose.

Value Diversity

Where the alignment of an organisation’s purpose promotes unity and focus, it is equally important to recognise that each member of a team or organisation is an individual. No two people will be motivated in the exact same way. Different people will react to different things more readily, have varied emotional responses, and based on their individual perspectives, they will see and experience the world in unique ways. The organisation’s leaders must be aware that from different people’s points of view, the route to the set destination can look very different. Drawing on diverse opinions, can allow you to view challenges from a range of perspectives , and as such, develop more effective solutions.

It is important to create an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their honest perspectives, without fear of judgement or reprisal. This way, you can tap into the collective wisdom of your team and make better decisions. Assessment and profiling tools can be useful in identifying the unique strengths and weaknesses of each team member. This information can then be used to create more effective teams, by matching people with complementary skill sets.

Encourage Autonomy

The key to encouraging autonomy is trust. Leaders need to trust that their employees are capable of doing their jobs well, even when they’re given the freedom to do things their own way. This can be a difficult thing for leaders to do, but is often one of the greatest strengths of leadership. It’s important to remember that when you trust your employees, they’re more likely to trust you.

Encouraging autonomy doesn’t mean that you need to let people do whatever they want, whenever they want. Rather, it’s about giving people the freedom to choose how they work best. This might mean letting them set their own schedules, work from home, or take on new projects that interest them. It’s about giving people the space to be creative and explore new ideas.

“Developing leadership skills that focus on how you interact with others allow you to build relationships, resolve conflict, and create a positive work environment.”

Make Development a Priority

One of the most important things that human centred leadership does is focus on development. This means that leaders are always looking for ways to help their employees grow and develop their skills. They’re always looking for new opportunities for their employees to learn and expand their abilities.

Leadership assessment tools provide insights into an individual’s development needs. This information can then be used to create development plans that target those specific needs. One of the best ways to develop your employees is to give them opportunities to lead. This might mean letting them take on new projects, giving them more responsibility, or sending them to leadership training courses. Leaders need to trust their employees enough to let them step up and take on new challenges.

Focus on Building Soft Skills

One of the most important things that human centred leadership does is focus on developing soft skills. These are the skills that allow us to interact effectively with other people. They include communication, empathy, vulnerability, and compassion, among others.

Soft skills are often seen as secondary to hard skills, but they’re actually just as important, if not more so. Hard skills are those that you need to do your job, but soft skills are the skills that you need to interact effectively with other people. Developing leadership skills that focus on how you interact with others allow you to build relationships, resolve conflict, and create a positive work environment.

Leaders need to focus on the development of their own soft skills, as well as their employees’. This can be done through training, coaching, and mentorship. It’s also important to create an environment that encourages the development of soft skills. This might mean having regular team meetings where people can share their thoughts and feelings openly, or creating a policy of open communication.

Human centred leadership is all about putting people first. It’s about focusing on the needs of your employees. Leadership assessment tools can help to identify their areas of growth and development. It’s about creating a positive work environment where people feel valued and respected. If you want to be a successful leader, these are the things that you need to focus on.

In order to create a model of human centricity, leaders within the organisation must first understand the importance of purpose alignment and diversity. They must also be aware of the value of autonomy and trust. Once these things are understood, leaders can begin to put into place systems and structures that encourage and support human centredness. The goal is to create an environment where employees feel like they can be themselves, contribute their best ideas, and work towards a common goal. When this happens, the organisation as a whole becomes more effective and productive.

If you want to learn more about human-centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

5 Characteristics of Human Centred Leadership

Leadership

Putting People First in Leadership

Putting People First in Leadership

Most of the discussions around leadership focus on what leaders can do to be more effective. While this is certainly important, it’s also crucial to understand what leaders can do to put people first. Some of the most effective leaders are those who make a point of putting their team members’ needs ahead of their own. They realise that their success depends on the collective success of their team, and they work hard to ensure that everyone has what they need to achieve results.

Building a Personal Connection with Teams

A personal connection between leaders and teams can have a number of benefits. When leaders take an interest in their team members and get to know them on a personal level, it makes them feel appreciated and valued. This can boost morale and increase productivity and engagement. A personal connection can also help build trust and strengthen relationships. When team members trust their leader, they are more likely to be open to new ideas and willing to take risks.

Taking a human centred approach to leadership focuses on building this connection so that leaders understand what drives and inspires their teams. When leaders have this knowledge, they are able to better implement change.  Leaders who put their team’s needs first are also more likely to retain employees and decrease turnover.

If you want to be an effective leader, it’s important to put people first. Focus on building trust and strong relationships with your team. Take an interest in their lives and what motivates them. When you do this, you’ll create a more positive and productive work environment.

“People first leadership is about more than just putting employees’ needs ahead of your own – it’s about understanding how those needs fit into the bigger picture.”

The Impact of People First Leadership

People are integral to successful organisations because they are the ones who make things happen. Leaders may set goals and provide direction, but it’s the employees who put in the hard work to ensure those goals are met. In a high performance culture, each individual’s efforts contribute to the success of the organisation as a whole. This is why it’s so important for leaders to put their team’s needs first.

Equally, when organisations wish for their senior leaders to implement change, they have far greater success when those leaders are invested in driving the change. In order to do this, they must be equipped with a complete understanding of the direction being taken by the business. They must also understand why this change is taking place and how it will help to facilitate organisational growth.

This type of transformative leadership requires an appreciation for both the organisation’s goals and the team’s needs. People first leadership is about more than just putting employees’ needs ahead of your own – it’s about understanding how those needs fit into the bigger picture. Leadership training should, therefore, equip senior leaders with the skills they need to take a human centred approach to their work. This will enable them to create lasting change within their organisations.

Effective leadership is not just about what a leader can do themselves, it’s also about putting people first. When leaders focus on their team members’ needs and take an interest in them as individuals, it builds trust and strengthens relationships. This type of leadership can have a number of benefits for organisations, including increased productivity and morale, and decreased turnover. In order to create lasting change within an organisation, senior leaders must be practised in putting their people first. Leadership development training should equip them with this ability so that they can better understand their team’s needs and how they fit into the bigger picture.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

Putting People First in Leadership

human centred learning

What is Human-Centred Leadership?

What is Human-Centred Leadership?

Human-centred leadership is a style of leadership that focuses on the needs of the people being led. This type of values-based, authentic leadership, puts the people being led first. Traditional leadership styles, on the other hand, often focus on the needs of the leader or the organisation. This can lead to a top-down approach that doesn’t always consider the needs of those being led.

The Limitations of Traditional Leadership Styles

Traditional leadership styles often rely on power and control. They can be autocratic, and they often involve a lot of rules and regulations. This type of leadership can often be more concerned with the bottom line than with the people being led. This can lead to a work environment that is not always conducive to creativity and innovation.

Relying on traditional methods of leadership can often result in stagnation within a business or organisation. People first, adaptive leadership is needed to create and maintain strong relationships with your employees. Without it, you may experience a higher turnover rate and negatively impact employee satisfaction and productivity.

What is Human-Centred Leadership?

Human-centred leadership is about building relationships and trust, and it’s based on the belief that people are the most important asset in any organisation. This type of leadership style is about empowering people and giving them the resources, leadership skills training, and support they need to be successful.

“Human-centred leaders demonstrate empathy with their teams. They prioritise the needs of team members and create an environment where everyone can thrive.”

Developing leadership skills that address the needs of the team, rather than the desires of the leader,  is essential to creating a successful and sustainable organisation. Human-centred leaders demonstrate empathy with their teams. They prioritise the needs of team members and create an environment where everyone can thrive.

The ability to empathise with others is an important skill for any leader. When you are able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you can better understand their point of view. You understand their feelings and emotions, and you can relate to them on a personal level. This can help you to connect on a deeper level to build stronger, trusting relationships with your employees and to create a more positive work environment.

Empathy is also essential for creating change. When you understand the needs and wants of your employees, you can create a vision that resonates with them. You can develop strategies that meet their needs, and you can implement policies that they will support. Leadership development training can help build trust among employees by creating an environment where everyone is heard and respected. When employees feel like they are part of the decision-making process, they are more likely to trust the leader. Leaders who are open to feedback and who are willing to listen to their employees are more likely to be successful.

If you want to learn more about human-centred leadership and how The Leadership Sphere can help you to develop your leadership skills, contact us today. We offer a range of services, including executive coaching, team development, and leadership development training. We can help you to create a more positive work environment and to develop the skills you need to be a successful leader.

What is Human-Centred Leadership?

executive coaching

Why High Performance Teams Need Coaching

Why High Performance Teams Need Coaching

Senior executive coaching is needed in high performance teams because it helps individuals and the team as a whole achieve their goals. Executive coaching can help individuals learn new skills, develop strategies, and improve their performance. Coaching can also help teams stay focused on their goals and work together effectively. Executive coaching can be a valuable tool for high performance teams to reach their potential and achieve success.

Understanding Core Values

When it comes to high performance team development, having a set of core values can be incredibly beneficial. These values help guide team members and keep them on track while they work together. When everyone on the team shares the same core values, it creates a sense of unity and purpose. This can be extremely helpful in achieving success as a team.

It’s important for team members to understand and embrace the core values of the team. This way, they will be more likely to act in accordance with them and work towards the team’s goals. If there is a conflict between an individual’s personal values and the team’s core values, it can create tension and hinder progress.

Ultimately, it is up to the team leader to ensure that everyone is aware of the team’s core values and that they are acting in accordance with them. By doing so, the team can stay focused and achieve their goals.

Leverage and Elevate Existing Strengths

When it comes to high performance teams, it’s important for everyone to be able to contribute their skills and strengths. This way, the team can work together effectively and reach their goals.

In order to leverage these skills and strengths, the team leader should take the time to understand each individual member’s strengths. This can be done through interviews, senior leadership development, or assessments. Once the team leader has this information, they can begin to put it to use.

For example, if one team member is good at coming up with ideas, the team leader can assign them projects that require creativity. Or, if another team member is good at organizing and planning, they can be put in charge of tasks that need to be completed efficiently.

By developing leadership skills and leveraging the team’s existing strengths, the team can work together more effectively and achieve more success.

“Developing leadership skills and leveraging the team’s existing strengths, the team can work together more effectively and achieve more success.”

Build More Productive Relationships

Leaders sometimes build relationships with people who are only like themselves rather than expand their social circle. This can limit their effectiveness. Leadership coaching helps you see the tendency in yourself and provides strategies to work against it, including making you more aware of your own assumptions about people who don’t share similarities with you. Furthermore, they give guidance on how to establish strong working relationships with a wider variety of individuals.

In order to build more productive relationships, team leaders need to be aware of their own biases and assumptions. They should also take the time to get to know people who are different from them. By doing so, they can learn new things and expand their perspective.

Building more productive relationships can be beneficial for the team as a whole. High performance team development requires team members to work together effectively. If team members have strong relationships with each other, they will be more likely to cooperate and achieve success.

Foster a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed. People with a growth mindset see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. They understand that effort leads to success, and they are always looking for ways to improve.

A coach can help individuals foster a growth mindset by providing guidance and support. They can also help people understand how to overcome challenges and setbacks.

Fostering a growth mindset is beneficial for high performance teams because it helps team members see failure as an opportunity to learn. It also helps them understand that effort leads to success. By fostering a growth mindset, the team can achieve more success.

High performance teams need coaching in order to achieve success. An executive coaching program can help team members understand and embrace the team’s core values, leverage and elevate existing strengths, build more productive relationships, and foster a growth mindset. By doing so, the team can stay focused and achieve their goals.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

Why High Performance Teams Need Coaching

leadership strategy

How to be a Leader that Others Want to Follow

How to be a Leader that Others Want to Follow

It’s not enough to simply be in a position of power or authority. To be a truly effective leader, you need to be someone that others are naturally drawn to and want to follow. So how can you become that kind of leader?

The first step is to develop a deep understanding of what leadership means. It’s not about bossing people around or having all the answers. Leadership is about setting a clear vision, inspiring and motivating others to achieve collective goals, and being able to work together as a team. There are many different leadership styles, but the best leaders are those who are able to adapt their style to the situation and the people they are leading. To do this, you need to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, and be comfortable with who you are as a leader.

Be Authentic

People can spot a fake from a mile away, so it’s important that you be genuine in your leadership role. This means being true to yourself and your values, and not pretending to be someone you’re not.  If you’re not comfortable with public speaking, for example, don’t try to be a motivational speaker. Be honest about your weaknesses and work on improving them. At the same time, highlight your strengths and use them to inspire others.

Authentic leadership stems from  self-awareness. If you’re not aware of your own motivations, values and strengths, it will be difficult to be a leader that others can trust. Senior leadership coaching allows leaders the opportunity to dedicate time to discover the values that consciously or subconsciously underlie their leadership style. Once you have a good understanding of who you are, you can start working on being the best leader possible.

Be Transparent

Leaders who are open and honest with their team members are typically more respected and trusted. This means holding themselves accountable and sharing when they have made mistakes. Not only does doing so result in strengthened team relationships, it also provides learning opportunities for leaders while helping their teams avoid making those same mistakes.

When you undertake coaching for senior leaders, you gain deeper insight into your personal story and how it informs the way you lead. This type of leadership development coaching can provide leaders with the ability to leverage those insights in ways that inspire and motivate their teams.

“Personal and professional growth is important to everyone, so it’s important that leaders encourage their team members to continue learning and developing.”

Encourage Growth

Personal and professional growth is important to everyone, so it’s important that leaders encourage their team members to continue learning and developing. This means offering help and guidance when needed, but also letting team members take the lead when they’re ready. High performance training programs can provide teams with the skills and tools necessary to fulfil their highest potential. Affording them such opportunities shows that you trust and value their capabilities, which in turn motivates team members to do their best work.

As a leader, it’s also important that you continue to grow and develop. This not only keeps you sharp and up-to-date, it also shows your team members that learning is a lifelong process. Undertaking leading teams training can help you build on your existing skills and knowledge, and learn new techniques that you can apply in your role.

Show Courage

Leaders who are afraid to take risks often find themselves stuck in the status quo. But in order to move forward, sometimes risks need to be taken. This doesn’t mean being reckless, but it does mean having the courage to try new things and stand up for what you believe in, even when it’s not popular.

Executive leadership must be courageous in order to be effective. Showing courage can inspire others to do the same, and it allows you to set the tone for your organisation. When faced with difficult decisions, don’t be afraid to make the tough call. Your employees will respect you for it, and it will ultimately help your business succeed.

A leader that others want to follow is someone who is authentic, transparent, and encourages growth. They are also someone who shows courage in the face of difficult decisions. If you can be these things, you will be a leader that others respect and admire.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

How to be a Leader that Others Want to Follow

What to do When Your Team Isn’t Performing

What to do When Your Team Isn’t Performing

It’s tough to be a leader when your team isn’t performing. You may feel like you’ve tried everything to get them back on track, but nothing seems to be working. There are an infinite number of factors that may be affecting team performance. Understanding your team is often key to understanding the issue and how to overcome the challenges they face.

Filling Competency Gaps

Competency gaps can have a negative impact on organisational performance, as they can lead to a lack of skilled employees who are able to meet the demands of the organisation. Talent development can help to identify and fill competency gaps, by providing employees with the opportunity to enhance their skills and abilities. By offering development and training opportunities, businesses can ensure that they have the right mix of skills and abilities to meet their organisational needs.

Succession Planning

Succession planning is a key part of talent management, as it ensures that there is a pool of skilled and qualified employees who are able to take on leadership roles in the event of turnover or retirement. When leadership development programs are provided to individuals at all levels, not only does performance increase in the short term, it sets both them and the business up for future success.

“When senior leaders involve their teams to implement positive change, employees become more engaged with the work and experience higher job satisfaction.”

Employee Retention

Employee retention is a challenge for many organisations, as it can be difficult to keep talented employees from leaving. Talent management can help to improve employee retention by providing opportunities for growth and development. Leading teams training increases engagement within senior leadership teams as well as their own direct reports. When executives and other senior leaders involve their teams to implement positive change, employees become more engaged with the work, experience higher job satisfaction, and are less likely to seek external opportunities.

Talent management is about more than just hiring and firing employees. It is also about providing employees with the opportunity to grow and develop their skills, and supporting them in their career journey. By investing in talent management, organisations can create a pipeline of leaders and managers, and can also improve employee engagement and retention.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

What to do When Your Team Isn’t Performing

5 Ways to Improve Your Team’s Performance

5 Ways to Improve Your Team’s Performance

There are countless factors that affect performance, and as many methods of gauging the direct impact of those factors. For teams to reap the full benefits of performance assessment, leaders must first establish a set of criteria by which performance can be measured. Identifying and assessing only those factors that are a high priority to your team, allows you to address the most pressing concerns first. In focusing on a select few elements of performance, a much more accurate picture of their impact can be seen.

Right People in the Right Role

High performing teams are composed of individuals who fit seamlessly together. Their skills and capabilities complement one another, allowing them to support each other in achieving common objectives. There are a number of tools that can help in assessing a team’s ‘best fit’. Whether that focus is on individual styles of thinking or approaches to work, the key to both team and organisational success lies in the ability of people to work effectively together. This can only occur when individuals understand their unique contribution and apply those insights to enact change.

Align Your Values

Leadership development training is most successful when teams understand the values that drive them as both individuals and as a  group. Doing so enables leaders to recognise the factors that limit performance and prevent them from reaching their full potential. A team with strongly aligned goals and values are able to make better decisions and overcome challenges far more effectively.

“A team with strongly aligned goals and values are able to make better decisions and overcome challenges far more effectively.”

Create Accountability

The best leadership assessment tools provide teams with the opportunity to reflect on their past performance and identify areas that have limited or contributed to their success. This can be a self-assessment or peer review of performance – ideally, a combination of the two methods is recommended to reveal a more comprehensive and unbiased insight. By holding themselves accountable, teams become better at identifying strengths and leveraging them for greater performance outcomes.

Building Competencies

Identifying key strengths and limitations provides a basis from which teams can further develop their skill sets. Measuring your team’s current capabilities against their aspirational performance goals enables you to concentrate development efforts in the areas that will result in the most benefit for the team and the organisation in the long-term.

Building Effective Goal Setting

When it comes to assessing for high performance, it is useful to set specific targets that can be measured over time. These are different to aspirational performance goals that typically are worked  towards over longer periods of time and where success is measured by progress made. Specific targets are often tied to current projects and have a stricter time frame. Incorporating both types of goal setting can give your team a more tangible measure of performance as they progress towards those aspirational targets.

When looking to improve team performance overall, it is important to understand the current position your team is in. Determining if individuals are in their optimal role, aligned in their values, and regularly measuring their progress can have a significant impact on performance and success. High performance team programs must always begin with an analysis of the current status quo, even when we may already be aware of existing issues. It is only by doing so that we can understand the way forward in a complete and sustainable manner.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

5 Ways to Improve Your Team’s Performance

The Impact of Executive Coaching

The Impact of Executive Coaching

The Impact of Executive Coaching

Even in good times when businesses are booming and employee engagement is high, senior executives face a lot of pressure. Not only are they tasked with setting the direction of the organisation, but they must also foster commitment to the team so that the organisation can move forward successfully. However, in an era of turbulence or rapid change, leader responsibilities  become  more complex. In such challenging times, inspiring leaders are needed more than ever.

Executive Impact

When a company is experiencing a period of uncertainty, prioritising executive coaching can be an important step in overcoming difficulties. During times of change, the strategic decisions they make affect the direction of the business. Engaging in an executive coaching program  provides leaders the opportunity to better manage stress and their own mental health in the face of uncertainty. This allows them to improve their decision making and effectiveness.

“Prioritising executive coaching can be an important step in overcoming difficulties.”

Executive coaching programs are also an effective means for leaders to grow in their personal development. A newly appointed executive may benefit from being mentored by someone with experience in a similar position, as they are becoming familiar with the role. Coaches offer support to individuals, often resulting in increased confidence,  resilience, and leadership excellence.

Team Impact

Coaching for leadership excellence has a far reaching impact across the entire organisation. Executives who engage in leadership development programs enhance their ability to lead with clarity and better prepare them for overcoming challenges. This extends to their teams, allowing them to regain focus and energy to succeed.

A leadership training program that involves team coaching, can greatly increase their cohesion and productivity. Teams are able to build better relationships and develop innovative solutions. Team coaching mitigates miscommunication and conflict by providing a dedicated space for individuals to share their ideas, thoughts, and experiences. To successfully achieve organisational goals requires a team-focused approach. Coaching allows teams to identify and overcome obstacles as a group.

“Build stronger, more resilient teams that are all to support the goals of the organisation.”

Executive coaching is an investment that benefits far beyond the individual who receives it. Their experience with coaching provides them with the skills to better lead and grow their team’s success. By affording coaching opportunities to teams as well as individuals, you build stronger, more resilient teams that are able to support the goals of the organisation.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

The Impact of Executive Coaching

The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

Coaching has become the top desired skill of leaders by both employers and direct reports. The ability to motivate and inspire others is a key factor of most effective leadership styles. When successfully applied, coaching can boost intrinsic drive, and encourage teams to take calculated risks and make innovative decisions.

Coaching vs Managing

When it comes to managing teams, emphasis is more often placed on being directive and providing specific instructions. This is useful when certain tasks require a procedural approach, though issues can arise when this is applied to all operations. The expectation for employees becomes one that seeks permission before taking action, even if this has not been the manager’s intention. It is simply inefficient.

“Coaching focuses on collaboration and empowerment.”

Coaching for leadership excellence is a much more effective leadership style as it focuses on collaboration and empowerment, rather than instruction. The leader as coach will guide their teams towards solutions instead of providing answers. When leaders implement executive coaching skills, efficiency increases, resulting in higher levels of productivity and quality.

Key Coaching Skills

Listening
Listening is one of the most powerful tools that many managers often under-utilise. Effective coaches and leaders understand the importance of ensuring that the voices of their team members are being heard. They learn through leadership development training, that by listening to their direct reports, their personal relationships become stronger, they communicate with clarity, and performance and innovation increases.

Motivation
Leaders of successful teams make a conscious effort to provide space for members to operate self-sufficiently. Executive coaching programs help leaders  to unlock the potential in others to drive engagement and improve performance. Great leaders are capable of inspiring passion in others that encourages them to push boundaries and achieve greater results.

“Great leaders are capable of inspiring passion in others that encourages them to push boundaries and achieve greater results.”

Feedback
How a leader provides feedback has a large impact on their team’s receptiveness to it. Clarity in feedback is integral to growth for both individuals and teams. It is one of the most important executive coaching skills for leaders to implement. Providing feedback is a coaching opportunity that equips recipients with a clear basis from which to further develop their skills.

Effective leaders are able to combine their management abilities with their coaching skills. They understand how both skillsets are important to building successful teams and leadership excellence. Doing both will help you make the most of your employees. They will be happier, more engaged, and more productive.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

The Importance of Performance Management

The Importance of Performance Management

Businesses need effective performance management to align their employees, resources, and systems with their strategic goals. While the components of a good performance management system are straightforward, integrating them into a company’s fundamental operating system can be difficult. Performance management processes, both formal and informal, aid in this effort.

Individual Growth

The perception of performance management is often negative and can be seen as a tool to correct poor performance. While that can be the case, seizing regular performance management as an opportunity to recognise an individual’s achievements increases motivation while enhancing job satisfaction. This is frequently shown to result in further high performance results and employee retention

These discussions can also be an opportunity for individuals to illustrate their contributions, as well as convey their desire for advancement and growth prospects. Leadership development training for individuals is not only an investment in their career, for employers, it also allows them to identify strengths and provide opportunities for them to excel in those areas.

Organisational Growth

High performance team management allows leaders to reinforce alignment with company goals and ensure that key targets are achieved. Conflicts between teams and leaders can be significantly reduced through effective performance evaluation procedures. Beyond performance, roadblocks, strengths, and areas for improvement can be discussed to dissolve frictions. This builds trust and clarity  that fosters a positive workplace environment while contributing to increased performance.

“High performance team management allows leaders to reinforce alignment with company goals.”

Ongoing, organisational success is a direct result of the collective efforts made by high performing teams. By engaging teams in leadership development programs, they are better able to overcome challenges that may be preventing them from achieving their objectives.

High performance development is important at all levels of a business for both individual and organisational growth. Growth strategy that includes the implementation of leadership courses for individuals and teams, increases engagement and performance. This results in sustainable success and consistently high performing results.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and high trust organisation.

The Importance of Performance Management

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

Businesses that cultivate a high performance culture experience consistently higher levels of productivity and success. The teams that perpetuate this culture are made up of highly dedicated, skilled, and hyper-aligned individuals. Communication and connectivity are paramount in their ability to deliver strong results time and again.

Stronger Personal Relationships

High performance teams are often defined by their ability to collaborate effectively in service of common goals. Investing time to foster personal connections among team members has a direct impact on productivity. Team development training can help to increase trust, making it possible for these connections to form. Building authentic relationships within teams allows them to speak openly and honestly about successes and can work through challenges or conflicts without fear of developing animosity.

One of the largest contributors to building strong, trusting relationships is vulnerability. An in-house Dare to Lead™ program provides the opportunity for individuals to share their personal experiences and address the specific challenges they face as a team.

“It takes both vulnerability and courage to be ourselves…”

It takes both vulnerability and courage to be ourselves, often especially in the workplace where the expectation to be ‘professional’ usually means we avoid personal topics of conversation. Industry leading teams know that to be successful, they must be able to trust one another both personally and professionally. Their strong personal relationships support innovation, collaboration, and performance.

Ongoing Development

High performing teams achieve outstanding results consistently because they establish a culture of learning and development. They adapt when faced with challenges, and look for ways to improve practices. Teams become more productive and effective when they are given the opportunity to expand their knowledge. When leading teams of high performance, it is important to provide such opportunities to ensure that your team is prepared with the right skills to overcome them.

The best leadership training your team receives will not be limited to a one-off occurrence. Immersive development that integrates into daily practices, will ensure that newly acquired skills are reinforced. As the business and industry evolve, it will be necessary for teams to further build upon their skillsets in order to continue to produce high performance. The ongoing development of any team is integral to maintaining their high levels of success.

What makes high performance teams stand out is their collective dedication to their goals. Far from indicating a stoic or robotic environment, leaders of high performance teams work hard to encourage personal connection and ongoing development. The success of their team is dependent upon how well they are able to collaborate and solve problems. Engaging in a leadership development program can help individuals build this into their leadership style and create a more positive and productive workplace.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

Leadership development programs

3 Steps to Build Adaptive Leadership

3 Steps to Build Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive leadership is required in managing the response to any crisis. The pandemic that has affected businesses over the past 2 years has made this clearer than ever. The constantly changing business landscape means that we will continue to be faced with unexpected challenges that can often demand swift resolution. To build an effective adaptive leadership style, there are several skills leaders need to ensure success.

Preparation

When faced with crisis and uncertainty, it is important to consider what the effects on your operations could be. Anticipating what your future needs will be in less than optimum circumstances, allows you to prepare strategies to help you mitigate potential negative impacts. Executive leadership training can help participants develop this aspect of adaptive leadership through real-world and simulated experiences. This also reduces the potential for being caught by surprise and making decisions rapidly that may not be sustainably successful. 

Communication

Effective change management is determined by the support of direct reports and their ability to implement new practices and strategy. It is the responsibility of leaders to ensure that changes are communicated unambiguously to all employees. This may even mean holding frequent discussions to answer questions and provide clarity prior to the initial implementation.  Reiterating strategy as part of day-to-day operations, instills it in actions, making transition smoother and more successful. 

“It is the responsibility of leaders to ensure that changes are communicated unambiguously to all employees.”

Accountability

One of the most difficult challenges of change management is evaluating the progress and success of new initiatives. Incorporating senior leadership development as a part of the change management strategy provides the opportunity to regularly review progress. Necessary adaptations can be made to practices that aren’t achieving the desired results. By holding ourselves and others accountable, the potential damages of ill-fitting strategies can be mitigated and replaced by improved actions.

The ability to adapt as a leader and as a business is one of the most important skills needed to succeed in a constantly shifting business environment. Leadership development programs enable individuals and teams to establish the skills and tools to build their adaptability. Familiarising yourself with a wide range of leadership styles is an important aspect of executive coaching. It allows us to draw on a larger skillset and overcome challenges by assessing them from a variety of perspectives.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

3 Steps to Build Adaptive Leadership

2022 Leadership Trends

3 Leadership Trends to Take into 2022

With the year’s end now just weeks away, many of us are reflecting on how a second year amidst a pandemic has affected business, and how we can further build our best leadership practices within this new status quo. Which trends have proven most effective? What changes are we still struggling with? How will we cope with future challenges?

Adaptive Leadership

What were once unprecedented challenges, are now something we now consider an everyday part of life. An adaptive leadership style has been a key factor in reaching this stage. The ability to overcome unexpected challenges is one of the most important skills for leaders to develop. When teams and businesses are met with unfamiliar difficulties, they turn to their leaders to provide stability. Learning to drive change management can help leaders to navigate through periods of uncertainty.


Positive Company Culture

Remote and hybrid working will continue to disrupt workplace operations, even as we adjust to our ‘new normal.’ Reinforcing a positive workplace environment is one of the most important actions we can take to ensure that remote team members do not become isolated or ostracised from the rest of the group. Senior leadership development provides participants with the tools required for combating the specific challenges of leading virtual teams. As leaders, we must be particularly cognisant of incorporating emotional support for all team members as the business landscape is reshaped.


Succession Planning

Executive leadership development is becoming a higher priority for many businesses as a means for ensuring organisational success. Leaders who coach other individuals in leadership, and companies that offer leadership training programs to their high potential talent, see an increase in both employee retention and productivity. This allows businesses to build their vision for the future into current practices, making them much more successful.


The impact of COVID-19 has greatly altered the way in which we operate and lead businesses. This is sure to continue as we once again begin to disrupt the practices we have gotten used to. The prevalence of change within all industries is the driving force behind innovation and growth. As we’ve seen, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of adaptive, cultural, and developmental leadership trends for enduring uncertainty, as well as laying the foundation for success in the future.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

3 Leadership Trends to Take into 2022

online training programs

What Leaders are Doing to Combat the Great Resignation

The global pandemic and increased time spent working from home, has given us all the opportunity to reflect on the importance of developing a positive work-life balance. For many, this reflection has affected the way they think about their career and even question the value of work in their lives. Dubbed the Great Resignation in the US, COVID-19 has seen millions of people from all levels of the workforce make the decision to leave their jobs. Experts believe that this trend will begin to affect Australian businesses as recently reported on the ABC, Buckle Up, The Great Resignation is heading Australia’s way.Even as more and more organisations return to the office, there is a hesitancy from many individuals to do so. This is leading to them seeking reduced responsibilities or exiting from the workforce altogether.

How can organisations retain top talent?


Communication is Key

The necessity of adapting to remote operations has shown employees that flexible working conditions are not only possible but sustainable over the long term. Accommodating for more remote operations comes with its own set of challenges for leaders of such teams. A development training program that focuses on leading virtual teams can address the specific challenges of communication, the use of technology and team well being that affect them can be a great asset. 

The success of virtual teams hinges upon their ability to communicate effectively over a variety of mediums where an instenaious reply is not guaranteed. This means that information and ideas must be presented with careful clarity in order to avoid misunderstandings. Establishing a communication plan that includes providing regular feedback on performance, is integral to ensuring that all team members understand their role and how they are contributing to achieving objectives. 

Embrace New Technology

The ability for remote teams to exist is thanks in large part to the advancement of technology over the past century. Where office spaces were, and often remain, necessary in order for employees to have access to computers and tools required to get work done, it would be difficult to find a home today that doesn’t have at least one working computer. The prevalence of modern technology has meant that businesses are no longer limited to hiring exclusively local talent. Similarly, high potential employees are able to seek opportunities with companies with interstate or international offices without having to relocate.

Virtual leadership development has seen a significant increase over the past two years. Many companies prefer to have their training programs delivered this way as it is less disruptive to daily operations. The accessibility of online training programs also makes it possible for a greater number of participants to be included. Companies who actively provide opportunities for remote employees to develop and progress in their careers are far more likely to retain those high performing individuals who will go on to drive the business forward. 

There has been a great culture change in attitudes towards the importance of mental health in recent years. This has certainly been particularly prevalent since the beginning of the pandemic. Today’s workforce places a higher value on job satisfaction over job security than has previously been seen. The onus is on employers to provide fulfilling and flexible workplace environments in order to entice employees and garner loyalty.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and high trust organisation.

What Leaders are Doing to Combat the Great Resignation

leading teams

How Coaching Leads to Excellence

Executives have understood the benefits of coaching in achieving personal goals for decades, and we are now seeing these benefits extend towards teams as well. Coaching as a leadership style can be much more effective with today’s workforce than traditionally authoritarian leadership. The value of coaching has become increasingly important to individuals and organisations as a whole for enhancing team performance and achieving success. 

Develop a Strategic Plan

To successfully reach the goals you set out to achieve, you need to develop a strategic plan. This is true both of personal, team, and organisational goals. The strategic plan is your road-map that guides you towards specific targets and milestones. Senior leadership training and coaching can be useful tools for identifying those targets, as well as the skills you and your team will need to achieve them.

The path to achieving success may rely on the integration of a leadership development program to mitigate challenges caused by potential skills gaps. Team coaching for leadership excellence can help to embed new skills to drive change as well as provide a safe space to discuss real-time results and conflict. This ensures that difficult conversations are constructive, allowing for problems to be resolved sooner, and performance to increase.

Coaching Leadership

In high performance teams, the role of the leader is more often one that supports rather than manages. The leader as coach is responsible for maintaining team focus on goals and outcomes, while individuals ensure day-to-day tasks are completed. A leadership excellence program enables executives to better coach, grow and develop people within their team while simultaneously improving performance. This allows for more manageable accountability for both leaders and direct reports.

Executive leadership training improves organisational performance when delivered across all levels of a company. The skills you embed in current teams and existing leaders does not only result in increased short-term performance. High potential talent and individuals who will become future leaders gain integral skills needed for elevated positions, contributing to their personal, as well as company growth.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and high trust organisation.

How Coaching Leads to Excellence

team development

5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

The business landscape of today has seen a significant shift in focus towards company values and workplace culture. In order to be seen as an employer of choice for current and potential employees, leaders must take up the challenge to create such environments. High potential talent are striving to build their careers with organisations and leaders who center people development in their business growth. Senior leadership training can play an integral role in developing the traits that skilled employees are looking for.

Improve Interpersonal Relationships

Workplace culture is defined by the people within them. The culture is only as strong or impactful as the personal connections between individuals. It is particularly affected by the relationship between leaders and their direct reports. Leaders who engage in executive leadership coaching often discover that their self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and emotional literacy improve alongside the tactical skills they set out to achieve. These ‘soft-skills’ are some of the most important for building strong interpersonal relationships. 

Leading Change

These connections become increasingly important during times of change or transition. The benefits of executive coaching allow leaders to develop more effective change-management capabilities. When faced with uncertainty, employees require support, communication, and consistency. Meeting those needs through implementing coaching skills has many trickle-down benefits as executives, leadership teams, and their direct reports build stronger roadmaps through change that not only preserve, but enhance performance.

Gain a Competitive Advantage

Establishing a coaching culture within your organisation creates space for growth and innovation that attracts clients and employees alike. Supported development of high potential employees is desirable for individuals building their careers, while reducing turnover and retaining top talent. 

Improve Goal Orientation

Individuals often seek an executive coaching program to help them better define and achieve their career goals. The coach’s role is to assist the individual in identifying what is preventing them from reaching those goals. Strategies are then created to work towards overcoming obstacles and filling any skills gaps that may be contributing to their stagnation. In building these skills, participants can considerably reduce the time taken to achieve success.

Become a more Effective Leader

Effective leadership is the result of strong working relationships and the ability to inspire and influence behaviour. Developing leadership excellence helps leaders to connect teams to their vision, that then translates into successful action and performance. For this to occur, long-term goals must be clearly defined and regularly communicated. Consistent focus on the larger objectives mitigates delineation, allowing for continual progress to be made.

The most successful organisations utilise coaching for leadership excellence to motivate high performance at every level. Personal connections, as well as a connectedness to business strategy, creates an environment that allows innovation and people to flourish. Top performers are retained who will go on to lead future high potential talent, and propel the business forward.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

human synergistics

The Tools of Human Synergistics

The Tools of Human Synergistics

Increasingly, the idea of the workplace ‘culture’ has become an important part of what makes an organisation attractive to both employees and customers. At its core, the workplace culture is the shared behavioural norms and expectations that influence the way individuals approach their work and how they interact with one another. Many organisations will espouse some philosophy of what their ideal culture looks like. The way their people act however, may not fall in line with those ideas. This is the difference between the ideal and the lived, or current cultures. Determining your organisation’s ratio can help you to identify key areas to improve overall performance at the individual, group, and organisational level.

Individuals

Effective individuals are aware of how their own thinking influences their outlook, their response to others, and the impact of their behaviour on those around them. The Life Styles Inventory™ enables individuals to discover new ways of thinking and behaving to improve their interpersonal relationships. By identifying how their actions are supporting or detracting from being able to provide quality performance, participants learn to better cope with stress and change. 


Leaders can take this even further as they shape the culture by role modelling behaviours that influence the ways that others operate in their work and interactions. The Leadership/Impact® and Management/Impact™ surveys measure leadership effectiveness and can help to identify the relationship between how you lead and the impact it has on the behaviours and performance of others. By assessing a leader’s actual impact, specific leadership strategies can be devised to meet that of their desired impact. 

Groups and Teams

Through highlighting factors that both help and hinder performances teams are empowered to change the way they operate and behave. The Group Styles Inventory™ provides a valid and reliable measure of how people in groups interact and work together to solve problems. Participants are given a safe opportunity to talk about their behaviour and have in depth conversations to identify their impact on group performance. Engaging in conversations that matter, teams are able to improve individual ability to work collaboratively. 

Organisations

Organisational performance is directly impacted by the organisational culture. As with leadership, the impact of organisational culture is a dual measurement of the Organisational Culture Inventory and the Organisational Effectiveness Inventory. Both of these instruments work together to provide a complete picture of the behaviours and factors that drive the culture. They monitor and manage culture over time and continually identify targets for change to enhance strategy implementation. This is important because of the ways culture influences how the business strategy is executed and how effectively it adapts to operational changes.


Managing a high performance culture is one of the most important tasks of any senior executive, regardless of the size of the organisation or industry you are in. A partnership with The Leadership Sphere enables you to develop leadership capability in a way that creates value through leadership effectiveness. We can help individuals, groups, and organisations to understand the value of constructive thinking and behaviour to make them more effective.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

The Tools of Human Synergistics

actionable conversations

Actionable Conversations Explained

Actionable Conversations Explained

Actionable Conversations™ are an innovative training platform that connects individuals to organisational objectives and enhances team culture. Engaging in meaningful conversations establishes better relationships and leads to lasting, measurable change. This is achieved through the powerful combination of authentic conversation, technology, and insight-driven data. It is a three stage process that happens on the job, around the real issues your people are currently working through. Investing just one hour a month develops: stronger leaders, individual skills, and enhances team culture.

Three Levels of Actionable Conversations™


SUSTAIN

Sustained, social learning helps to reinforce key principles in ways that contextualise them within the bounds of day-to-day responsibilities. It is supportive of real-world application that takes learning out of the ‘classroom.’ This enables participants to understand the practical effectiveness of what they are learning and how it applies to what they do. By putting lessons into immediate practice, their retention for the material is heightened and becomes ingrained in an ongoing routine.

SCALE

You are able to cascade key concepts by leveraging live sessions and engaging in better conversations that improve your relationship with your teams. It reinforces learning through teaching. Were it possible for every individual employee to attend development training, many of us would surely jump at the opportunity. However, this is not practical in today’s fast-paced working environment. To truly make changes sustainable throughout an organisation, it is up to those who do attend to pass on the knowledge to the entire team. Not only does this reinforce the learning for themselves, but they are able to build it into the culture and onboarding programs so that current and future employees also experience the benefits.

SYSTEM-WIDE

It is a cost effective way to get all stakeholders across key information while quickly and easily translating organisational objectives into relevant actions at an individual level. As we’ve already discussed, lasting change only occurs when each individual is engaged and committed to putting those changes into action. Success in this is determined by each person’s willingness to engage in discussions that lead to meaningful problem solving. These conversations must seek to provide tangible and actionable steps that can be followed, measured, and reviewed when necessary.

Actionable Conversations™ are a way for teams to connect with each other to address concerns and concepts that help them to engage in meaningful problem solving and create lasting change. It is a platform that improves workplace effectiveness by building better relationships and measurable behaviour change.

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and high trust organisation.

Actionable Conversations Explained

building a high performance culture

5 Ways Leaders Influence Performance

5 Ways Leaders Influence Performance

It is necessary to make use of leadership excellence to drive performance and success over the long term. Many high performance teams are capable of operating independently of direct leadership. Though to truly reach their highest potential, there must be a guiding presence who can assist them in accomplishing greater feats. It is the responsibility of team leaders to inspire and motivate others to outperform expectations by delivering critical business imperatives. 

Encourage Collaboration

A defining characteristic of the best high performance teams is their ability to work collaboratively in service of common goals. Leaders who foster an environment that encourages and relies on collaborative processes, will see consistently successful results in the work their team produces. High performance training programs help teams to establish stronger trusting relationships and to provide clarification on team purpose. This establishes a basis on which strategies and processes can be built. 


Avoid Shortcuts

As companies grow, most executive leaders look for ways to streamline processes without sacrificing quality or performance. Efficiency in productivity can be extremely beneficial, though it can sometimes lead to the creation of shortcuts that do little for maintaining high performance. To combat this phenomenon, leaders must establish clear expectations that can not easily be misunderstood. Leading high performance teams requires exceptional communication so that each individual understands where they are heading and how to get there. 

Be Exceptional Decision Makers

The self-sufficiency of high performance teams is often seen as one of their many beneficial qualities. The role of leaders of high performance teams is that of guide, ensuring that their path to success remains clear. Often this means that they are there to provide answers and make decisions when the team is unable to do so. In developing leadership excellence, individuals are taught to recognise and solve important challenges. Being able to make the right choices for their team is a key marker of the best high performance team leaders.

Show Commitment

Leaders who do not openly display their commitment to their teams, should not expect others to commit to them or their vision. If you are not willing to dedicate your own efforts towards achieving the very goals that you set out, how can you expect your team to do the same? High performance team leaders provide much needed support to those they are asking to realise their vision. In doing so, they create a culture of belonging within their team. Establishing personal connections can have a positive impact on the team’s emotional well-being, productivity, and performance.


Nurture Growth

One of the best, and most direct, ways for leaders to improve performance is to actively advocate for the growth of their team’s skills. Developing high performance teams fosters a sense of loyalty that employees often will reciprocate by making a greater effort in their performance. The quality of work is much higher in teams who share a mutual appreciation with their leaders, than in teams led through fear or intimidation. 

The influence of positive leadership actions can not be understated. Inspiring leaders who understand the complexities of their team and how they operate as a unit will be able to see a greater increase in performance and productivity. By demonstrating their commitment to the growth of their team and being clear communicators, they foster a culture of collaboration and success. 

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

5 Ways Leaders Influence Performance

executive coaching

Developing a Coaching Culture

Developing a Coaching Culture

When it comes to coaching in support of professional development, a coaching culture is one that takes what has been taught in development programs and continues to prioritise learning outside of a formal setting.  In building a coaching culture, it is important to remember the impact that emotion and mental health play in performance. Leaders who coach, as opposed to manage, their team will see a greater improvement in performance and success. 

Coaching vs. Managing

Many management styles of leadership tend to focus on task delegation and optimising work practices in order to achieve as much as possible. While this is great for the bottom line, it is not always so great for our employees. The pressure to reach certain targets can often lead to poorer performance and unsatisfactory results. When individuals fail to meet expectations, a manager may reassign them to another project, leaving the cause of the issue unresolved. 

A coach will instead take the time to work through mistakes with individuals to give them a better understanding of what has gone wrong. This allows them the opportunity to develop the skills needed to perform their task correctly while remedying their mistake. It addresses the issue directly without punishing the individual. One of the positive effects of executive coaching on culture is that it establishes an environment that builds high performers by allowing them to gain valuable experience. 

Coaching to Lead

When leaders develop a coaching strategy, team performance improves due to increased engagement and personal relationships. Using leadership and coaching tools for cultural change is the most effective way to increase team performance. Leadership coaching uses a combination of formal feedback reporting and honest communication to establish trusting relationships between leaders and their teams. By developing their own coaching skills, leaders establish a precedent of continual development and education. 

Executive coaching helps leaders understand their strengths and work towards achieving their personal and professional goals. By employing these same techniques in their leadership practices, a culture of coaching naturally develops. To make skills development a sustainable component of an organisation, establishing leaders as coach rather than manager is necessary. When leaders become educators, the autonomy and productivity of teams improves. 

Establishing a coaching culture can have a significant impact on how your organisation approaches skills development. It shifts the role of leaders from being directive and task oriented, to being much more of a mentorship. Teaching your leaders how coach skills build teams that are more independent and collaborative. Coaching reduces the fear of failure and builds confidence in individuals that allows them to take more risks and become more innovative. 

What coaching strategies do you employ to promote skills development?

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and high trust organisation.

Developing a Coaching Culture

executive coaching services

5 Coaching Skills all Leaders Need

Coaching Skills all Leaders Need

Many of the best leaders also act in the role of coach for their teams and company. It is a critical position that requires the implication of both assertive and passive management techniques. Leaders who have worked with executive coaches themselves, understand that individuals do not always need direct instruction in order to perform well. There are a number of coaching skills that leaders who wish to develop and inspire their teams in achieving their goals, may learn to include in their own management practices.

Offer Support

For leadership development programs to be successful, participants should be placed in an environment that provides support and encourages honesty and vulnerability. Being equally as vulnerable with participants, demonstrates a leader’s commitment to developing a coaching culture that reduces power imbalances which may make individuals hesitant to share their personal experiences. When adopting a coaching style of leadership, a mutual level of trust must be established to allow the person who is being coached to feel confident in making significant decisions.

Provide Guidance

The best leadership coaches understand that their primary role is to guide others through the decision making process without imposing their own agenda. Executive coaching programs are most effective when a collaborative relationship is established. The coached individual should be given the permission to dictate the focus of the coaching session. Let them decide which goals to work on and even methods for improving. Experienced coaches will of course be able to provide knowledgeable advice on a number of topics, but for the participant to get the most benefit, they must be afforded the opportunity to make the ultimate decision for themselves. 

Encourage Reflection

For most people, personal and professional growth occurs when they are able to reflect on their past experiences and are open to learning from them. By analysing what has worked well and what has not, leaders and potential leaders develop a deeper understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. Assessment tools like the Hogan 360º Report are often used prior to beginning executive coaching programs to provide a clear indication of which areas the participant most needs to improve. Regular reflection should be a component of the ongoing coaching sessions as a means of tracking the individual’s progress. Using tools like the Actionable Habit Builder provides further support to help the person who is being coached to reflect in their own time privately, and this tool also allows the coach to post comment, challenge and encourage along the way.

Growth Culture

In a culmination of the above three skills, establishing a culture of growth within your organisation can result in a more open and collaborative team. What we have so far discussed can be focused on singular instances where decisions need to be made or mistakes have occurred. By coaching the individual through a mistake rather than punishing them, you provide them with an opportunity for growth. When you conduct leadership coaching for cultural change, you create an environment that reduces fear of failure and encourages experiential learning. 

Adaptive Communication

One important and effective coaching strategy that leaders should engage with is that of adaptive communication. This means knowing when to be active or direct in your approach, and when to back off and let the coachee take the lead. Communication is the most versatile coaching and leadership skills at your disposal. Passive communication like listening and asking questions, help coaches to understand concerns and receive information. Active communication is used to move processes forward and to deliver feedback. 

 

Incorporating coaching skills into other leadership styles can have a greatly positive impact on individuals within a company. Using coaching skills to develop high performers and potential leaders creates a workplace culture that demonstrates a value in gaining experience as a means of education. The organisation becomes an environment where learning and development is built into day-to-day practices, and mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth.

 

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

5 Coaching Skills all Leaders Need