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Availability Heuristic: The Cognitive Bias that will Hold You Back

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Availability Heuristic: The Cognitive Bias that will Hold You Back

The human mind, a marvel of complexity, is not immune to biases that shape our perceptions and decision-making processes. One such cognitive bias that significantly influences our judgments is the availability heuristic. Coined by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, this mental shortcut refers to the tendency of individuals to rely on information that is readily available rather than seeking out all relevant data when making decisions. This can result in skewed perceptions and erroneous judgments, impacting various aspects of our lives.

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The Availability Heuristic Unpacked

The availability heuristic stems from our tendency to gauge the likelihood or importance of an event based on the ease with which instances or examples come to mind. If something is readily available in our memory, we tend to perceive it as more common or relevant, regardless of its actual frequency or significance.

Consider a leader assessing potential risks in a project. If recent instances of project failures are vivid in their memory, they might overestimate the probability of failure, even if those failures were outliers. This bias can shape not only our perceptions of risk but also influence choices in hiring, strategic planning, and resource allocation.

Implications in Leadership

In the realm of leadership, the availability heuristic can play a crucial role in shaping how leaders perceive and respond to various situations. Leaders, like anyone else, are susceptible to the allure of information that is easily accessible, often leading to skewed perspectives and suboptimal decision-making.

Imagine a company grappling with a decision to invest in a new technology. If a leader recalls a high-profile failure of a similar technology implementation from the past, they might hesitate despite current evidence suggesting success. This hesitation, driven by the availability of negative experiences, could hinder progress and innovation.

When developing leaders, it is crucial to acknowledge and address the availability heuristic to foster better decision-making. By cultivating a culture of critical thinking, encouraging diversity in perspectives, and promoting data-driven approaches, leaders can mitigate the influence of this cognitive bias.

Mitigating the Availability Heuristic

Recognising and mitigating the impact of the availability heuristic is crucial for effective leadership. Here are strategies to counteract its influence:

  1. Diverse Information Sources: Actively seek diverse perspectives and information sources. Encourage team members to present various viewpoints, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of a situation. When there is a greater wealth of information to draw from, the more effective we become at taking insight into action.
  2. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Rely on data and analytics rather than memory alone. Implement systems to collect and analyse relevant data, reducing the reliance on anecdotal evidence.
  1. Critical Thinking Training: Invest in leadership training programs that enhance critical thinking skills, including systemic thinking. These programs can equip leaders and teams with tools to challenge biases and think more analytically.
  2. Pause and Reflect: Encourage a culture of values based leadership. Implementing a deliberate pause before making critical decisions allows for reflection and reduces the influence of impulsive judgments based on availability. By centering on values, leaders can make decisions consistent with their principles rather than being limited by their access to information.
  3. Scenario Planning: Engage in scenario planning exercises to anticipate various outcomes. Effective leadership development equips leaders with the ability to face a range of challenging situations. By exploring multiple scenarios, leaders can prepare for various possibilities, reducing the impact of biassed thinking.

The availability heuristic poses a significant challenge in leadership, potentially skewing perceptions and leading to suboptimal decision-making. However, with the right strategies and leadership training in place, this cognitive bias can be mitigated. By cultivating a culture of critical thinking, fostering diversity of perspectives, embracing data-driven decision-making, and engaging in scenario planning, leaders can make more informed and less biassed decisions. This not only benefits the individual leader but enhances the overall effectiveness and success of their organisation. Therefore, understanding and addressing the availability heuristic is an indispensable aspect of leadership development.

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Top Habit Building Tips from James Clear and Adam Grant

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Top Habit Building Tips from James Clear and Adam Grant

Habits play a significant role in our daily lives, shaping our routines, productivity, and ultimately our success. Two prominent authors and thought leaders in the field of habit building are James Clear and Adam Grant. With their extensive research and insights, Clear and Grant have provided valuable tips for mastering the art of habit formation. In this article, we’ll delve into their top habit building strategies to help you make positive, lasting changes in your life.

1. The Power of Small Wins (James Clear)

James Clear, author of the bestselling book Atomic Habits, emphasises the importance of focusing on small wins. Clear suggests that breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable steps can make the habit building process less daunting. By celebrating these incremental successes, individuals stay motivated and are more likely to stick with their habits.

Clear introduces the concept of the “2-Minute Rule,” which involves starting with a habit that takes just two minutes to complete. For developing leaders,  aiming to cultivate a habit of offering constructive feedback to their team members may appear overwhelming: when should feedback be given, how should it be worded, how will the team members react?

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To apply the 2-Minute Rule, you could start by dedicating just two minutes each day to reflect on a single team member’s performance. Make a note of one area where the team member excelled and one area where they can improve. This simple practice can over time blossom into a meaningful habit of providing regular, balanced feedback, thereby fostering a culture of continuous improvement and development within the team. It’s a small, practical step that can make a significant difference in the leader’s effectiveness and the team’s overall performance.

2. Social Accountability (Adam Grant)

Adam Grant, organisational psychologist and bestselling author of Originals and Think Again, emphasises the role of social accountability in habit building. Sharing your goals and progress with friends or family members can be a powerful motivator. When you involve others in your habit formation journey, you create a support system that holds you accountable and encourages you to stay consistent.

Grant’s research shows that individuals who publicly commit to their goals are more likely to follow through.  Having the support of others making similar efforts can also provide a sense of community and belonging, which further boosts motivation to keep going. Utilising this strategy, creating habits as part of leadership development training can be made more effective by involving a mentor or peer group for support and accountability. By incorporating accountability into their habits, individuals increase their chances of long-term success.

3. Make It Obvious (James Clear)

Another tip from James Clear is the idea of making your desired habits more obvious. He suggests that environmental cues and visual reminders can help reinforce your habits. For example, if you want to read more books, place a book on your bedside table;  or if you want to exercise more, place your exercise shoes somewhere you will see them regularly. These visible cues serve as constant reminders, making it easier to stay on track.

Clear also recommends using habit-tracking apps or calendars to mark off each successful day. By tracking your progress, you’ll build a visual representation of your habit formation, which can be highly motivating. Visualising your progress can also help you identify patterns and help to create sustainable behaviour change.

4. Insight into Action (Adam Grant)

Having insights and knowledge about habits is only part of the equation; taking action is what creates lasting change. Adam Grant highlights the importance of translating insights into action  to build sustainable habits. Instead of simply reading about different habit building strategies, individuals need to put them into practice consistently.

Leadership training provides a structured approach to developing key skills and can offer practical tools to help leaders embed new habits into their routines. This includes techniques for goal setting, time management, and feedback provision, all of which contribute to effective habit formation. By incorporating habit building strategies into leadership training, leaders can more effectively translate their learning into action, leading to lasting change and increased effectiveness in their roles.

5. Reflection and Self-Awareness (James Clear and Adam Grant)

Both James Clear and Adam Grant emphasise the importance of self-awareness and reflection in the habit building process. Regularly assess your progress and adjust your strategies as needed. Identify what’s working and what’s not, and be willing to make changes accordingly. This self-awareness allows you to refine your habits and stay on the path to success.

Building and maintaining habits is a lifelong journey, and the insights from James Clear and Adam Grant can be instrumental in your quest for self-improvement. Their practical advice, such as focusing on small wins, making habits obvious, implementing intentions, and utilising social accountability, can empower you to create lasting changes in your life. By combining these tips and embracing flexibility and self-awareness, you can develop effective habits that lead to personal and professional growth. 

Remember that habit building is not about instant transformation but about consistent effort and progress over time.  The adage, ‘most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years’ applies to habit formation as well. By focusing on gradual, sustainable changes, you can achieve remarkable results in the long run. So start small, stay consistent and enjoy the journey of building habits that will enhance your leadership skills and contribute to your overall success.

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Empowering Teams to Drive Change Sustainably

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Empowering Teams to Drive Change Sustainably

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and ever-evolving market dynamics, the ability to drive sustainable change has become paramount for organisations looking to not only survive but thrive. The key to navigating this dynamic landscape often lies within your own teams, the lifeblood of any organisation. Empowering these teams to spearhead transformative change is a challenge many leaders face. To address this challenge, it’s essential to blend high-performance team training, effective leadership strategies, and the conversion of insights into actionable habits. In this article, we will explore these critical elements and provide insights into how to leverage them for empowering your teams to drive change sustainably.

High Performance Team Training: The Foundation for Sustainable Change

High performance teams are the bedrock of any organisation’s success. They are not just collections of individuals but a cohesive unit that transcends the sum of its parts. The first step in empowering teams to drive change sustainably is to invest in their development. High performance team training is not a one-off activity but an ongoing process that should be ingrained in the organisational culture. Here are a few key principles to consider:

 Clarity of Purpose

Teams need to understand the ‘why’ behind the changes they are expected to drive. A clear sense of purpose and direction provides the motivation and focus needed for sustainability.  As leaders, it’s essential to articulate the big picture and tie it back to the team’s role in achieving it. This clarity of purpose creates alignment and fosters a sense of ownership among team members.

Collaboration and Communication

Effective communication is the lifeblood of high performance teams. By fostering an environment of open, transparent communication, teams can share insights and feedback freely. This also ensures that individuals don’t fall into making decisions based on their own availability heuristic – the mental shortcut of relying on information that is most readily available rather than a comprehensive review of data or evidence, which can lead to biassed decision-making. Collaboration and communication are essential for identifying potential roadblocks, brainstorming solutions, and aligning on the best course of action.

Skills Development

Team members need to be equipped with the knowledge and tools required to drive change effectively. Engaging in development programs that focus on leadership skills, problem-solving, and adaptability are essential components of high performance team training. By investing in your team’s professional growth, you are setting them up for success and empowering them to take on new challenges with confidence.

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Taking Insight into Action through Habit Building

Change often fails not because of a lack of insight but because of the inability to translate that insight into action and habitual behaviours. Habits are the building blocks of sustainable change. Here’s how to turn insight into action through habit building:

Small Steps, Big Impact

Habit building plays an instrumental role in implementing high performance team training. It starts with making small, consistent changes in behaviour that, over time, become automatic, deeply ingrained routines. These habitual behaviours often have a compounding effect that leads to significant improvements in performance.

 Consistency is Key

Sustainable behaviour change is not about making a few changes once in a while; it’s about consistently taking the right actions. Encourage teams to commit to daily or weekly habits that align with their goals. Tools like the Actionable Habit Builder can help individuals stay on track and hold themselves accountable to their team. These small, consistent steps will lead to significant results over time.

 Feedback and Iteration

Regular feedback loops are essential. Teams should be encouraged to reflect on their actions, learn from their mistakes, and iterate on their habits. Taking the time to regularly check-in on your progress helps in understanding what is working well and what is challenging about sticking to your new habit. It allows you to identify opportunities to practise new behaviours and ensures that habits evolve and adapt as circumstances change.

Effective Leadership Strategies: The Key to Empowering Teams

While high performance team training forms the foundation, effective leadership strategies are essential for empowering teams to drive sustainable change. Leaders have a significant impact on team dynamics, motivation, and performance. Here are some key strategies that leaders can adopt:

Leading by Example

Leaders must lead by example and embody the values and behaviours expected of their teams. They should be open to feedback, collaborative, demonstrate resilience, and be able to adapt to change themselves. By modelling the desired behaviour, leaders set the tone for the team culture and create a sense of trust and credibility.

Empowering Decision-Making

Leaders should empower team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This not only fosters a sense of autonomy but also allows for diverse perspectives and ideas to be considered. By empowering decision-making, leaders demonstrate trust in their teams and encourage creativity and innovation.

Coaching and Mentoring

Effective leaders act as coaches and mentors for their teams. They provide guidance, support, and development opportunities that help team members reach their full potential. This is especially important in times of change when individuals may feel uncertain or overwhelmed.

Fostering a culture of high performance within teams is not a straightforward process, but rather a strategic journey, centred around clarity of purpose, collaboration, communication, skills development, and feedback. Transforming insight into action through habit building is critical in driving this change and anchoring it within the team. Ultimately, it’s the effective deployment of leadership strategies that truly empowers teams, motivating and inspiring them to embrace change, take ownership, and strive for excellence. Hence, investing in leadership training at all levels within the organisation is a crucial step towards achieving sustainable growth and success.

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The Role of Feedback in Executive Coaching for Behavioral Change

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The Role of Feedback in Executive Coaching for Behavioural Change

Executive coaching has become an integral component of leadership development in today’s fast-paced, competitive business landscape. It provides a tailored approach to personal and professional growth, helping high-level executives refine their skills and become more effective leaders. At the heart of this transformative process lies feedback. In this blog, we’ll explore the vital role of feedback in executive coaching for behavioural change, uncovering its significance, and understanding how it drives positive transformation.

The Power of Self-Awareness

Effective executive coaching begins with self-awareness. Leaders must first recognise their strengths, weaknesses, and behavioural patterns to identify areas that need improvement. When assessment and profiling tools are utilised, the individual is better equipped to understand their impact on others and how it can influence their leadership style. However, self-awareness alone isn’t enough to create lasting change. It requires understanding the underlying causes of certain behaviours and addressing them through targeted interventions. This type of feedback plays a pivotal role in developing self-awareness. It provides valuable insights that executives might not see themselves, serving as a mirror reflecting their actions, communication, and decision-making.

Feedback, whether from the coach, peers, or subordinates, serves as a reality check, highlighting the gap between how executives perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others. This divergence often presents the first step toward sustainable behaviour change. It helps executives acknowledge their areas of growth, motivating them to take action.

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The Importance of Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback is the cornerstone of executive coaching. It involves providing specific, balanced, and actionable insights. For behavioural change to occur, feedback must be detailed and solution-focused. Vague or overly critical feedback can lead to frustration and resistance rather than growth. It is the role of the coach to deliver feedback that inspires reflection, promotes accountability and empowers executives to take ownership of their development.

Coaches are skilled at delivering feedback in a way that promotes understanding and encourages change. They help executives see the impact of their behaviour on others and the organisation. This form of feedback acts as a catalyst for change, enabling executives to connect the dots between their actions and their effectiveness as leaders. By providing a safe and judgement-free environment, coaches facilitate growth and create a sense of psychological safety that encourages executives to take risks and try new ways of leading. Often coaches can provide live, real-time feedback to coachees based on their own experience during the coaching process. This helps coachees understand behaviours they exhibit, sometimes outside of their awareness. It also enables them to apply change strategies in a practical way.

Establishing Trust

While feedback is crucial for behavioural change, it can also be damaging if not delivered in a constructive and trustworthy manner. Harsh or personal criticism can lead to defensiveness, avoidance of feedback, and even resentment towards the coach or the process itself. Without trust, executives may struggle to receive feedback openly and act on it, hindering their growth and development. Trust is fundamental in the executive coaching relationship. Executives must trust their coaches to provide honest, unbiased feedback, while coaches must trust that their clients are committed to change. This trust is built on the foundation of open and transparent feedback exchanges. 

When executives feel that the feedback they receive is objective and genuinely aimed at their development, they are more likely to embrace it and take action. A trustworthy coaching relationship ensures that feedback is well-received, and it encourages a collaborative environment where both the coach and the executive work together towards behavioural change.

The Habit Building Process

For behavioural change to be sustainable, it must become ingrained in one’s habits. This is where the role of feedback becomes crucial. As changes are implemented, ongoing feedback allows for continual refinement and improvement. It provides executives with a clear understanding of their progress, highlighting areas where they have achieved success and identifying areas that may require further attention.

By providing consistent feedback, coaches help executives stay accountable to their development goals, promoting the creation of new habits. These habits become ingrained through repetition and reinforcement, ultimately leading to lasting behavioural change.

Encouraging a Growth Mindset

Feedback in executive coaching isn’t just about highlighting areas for improvement; it also plays a crucial role in fostering a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that one’s abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. When executives receive feedback that emphasises growth and development rather than fixed traits, they are more likely to embrace change and put in the effort required to improve.

Coaches play a significant role in framing feedback in a growth-oriented way. They help executives see setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth, encouraging resilience and perseverance. In this way, feedback becomes a powerful tool for shaping a more adaptable and forward-thinking executive.

Customised Coaching

No two executives are alike, and their development paths should reflect their unique needs and circumstances. Feedback allows for the tailoring of coaching strategies to fit the specific requirements of each individual. By understanding an executive’s strengths and weaknesses through feedback, coaches can create personalised coaching plans that address their unique challenges and goals.

This customization ensures that executives receive coaching that is highly relevant to their specific circumstances, maximising the likelihood of behavioural change. Feedback guides coaches in selecting the most appropriate coaching techniques and tools to suit each executive’s development journey.

Tracking Progress

Feedback is not a one-time event in executive coaching; it is an ongoing process. It serves as a tracking mechanism for progress. Regular feedback sessions provide executives with visibility into their development journey, allowing them to see the positive changes they’ve made and where further adjustments are required.

By keeping executives informed about their progress, feedback offers motivation and reinforcement. It validates the efforts put into behavioural change and provides a sense of achievement, further fueling the desire for continued improvement. Ultimately, feedback acts as a compass for executives on their leadership development path, ensuring they stay on course and continue to grow.

In the realm of executive coaching, feedback is the linchpin that drives behavioural change. It facilitates self-awareness, builds trust, and encourages a growth mindset. Constructive feedback, when delivered with care and precision, acts as a catalyst for transformation, enabling executives to refine their skills and become more effective leaders.

Through the feedback process, executives can set and track their goals, receive personalised coaching, and measure their progress. It is a dynamic, ongoing exchange that keeps the executive-coach relationship robust and the commitment to change unwavering.

Key Take-Aways

  • Executive coaches play a crucial role in providing constructive feedback that acts as a catalyst for behavioural change.
  • Trust is essential in the executive coaching relationship, and it is built on open and transparent feedback exchanges.
  • Feedback plays a vital role in establishing new habits through consistent reinforcement and accountability.
  • A growth mindset is fostered through feedback that emphasises development over fixed traits.
  • Customisation of coaching plans based on feedback allows for tailored development paths that maximise the likelihood of success.
  • Feedback serves as a tracking mechanism for progress, providing executives with motivation and validation of their efforts towards change.
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How The Leadership Sphere Takes Insight into Action

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How The Leadership Sphere Takes Insight into Action

Leadership excellence is a goal that many individuals aspire to achieve. It requires not only the right skills and competencies, but also a strong commitment to continuous growth and development. However, despite investing time, effort and resources into leadership programs, many organisations struggle to see tangible results from their leaders. Incorporating habit building strategies into leadership development programs can take insight into action and support leaders in achieving their full potential with real and sustainable behaviour change.

The Role of Habit Building Strategies

Leadership development programs, whether they are in the form of workshops, seminars or online courses, provide individuals with valuable knowledge and skills. They expose leaders to new concepts and ideas, challenge their thinking and help them see things from a different perspective. 

Where these programs are most effective is in taking insight into action and helping developing leaders implement what they’ve learned into their daily interactions, behaviours, and practices.   While leaders may leave a workshop feeling energised and motivated, without consistent practice and reinforcement, they are likely to revert back to their old ways of thinking and behaving. This is where habit building strategies can make all the difference.

Habit building strategies involve intentionally practising new behaviours until they become automatic. They help individuals turn insights into action by creating a consistent and structured approach to behaviour change. This is particularly important in leadership development, as leaders are often expected to adopt new ways of leading and managing their teams.

One of the key tools The Leadership Sphere includes in all of our programs is the Actionable Habit Builder. It effectively combines the power of goal-setting and habit building to create a personalised framework for sustained behaviour change. The Actionable Habit Builder helps leaders identify specific behaviours they want to adopt, set realistic goals, and track their progress. This allows them to focus on one behaviour at a time, breaking it down into small, achievable steps that gradually become ingrained into their daily routine.

The Role of Executive Coaching

While habit building strategies can be implemented individually by leaders, they are often more effective when supported by an executive coach. Executive coaching involves working with a trained professional to identify and achieve specific goals related to leadership development. Coaches can provide valuable guidance and support in implementing habit building strategies, and hold leaders accountable for their actions.

Executive coaching also allows for personalised development plans that cater to the unique needs of each leader. A coach can help identify areas for improvement and create a tailored plan that incorporates habit building strategies to address these areas. This individualised approach can lead to significant and sustainable changes in leadership behaviour.

So, why is it important to incorporate habit building strategies in leadership development? The answer lies in the impact on leadership excellence. Leaders who have strong habits of reflection, goal setting, and intentional practice are more likely to consistently demonstrate effective behaviours. These behaviours can have a ripple effect throughout the organisation, creating a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.

Moreover, habit building strategies also help leaders to develop resilience and adaptability. As they practise new behaviours regularly, it becomes easier for them to adjust and pivot in response to changing circumstances. This is particularly crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment where agility is essential for success.

Incorporating habit building strategies in leadership development is crucial for achieving leadership excellence. It allows leaders to turn insight into action and create lasting behaviour change. Executive coaching can also play a significant role in supporting leaders on their journey towards continuous growth and improvement. By implementing these strategies, organisations can develop a strong pipeline of effective leaders who are equipped to drive success and adapt to ever-changing business landscapes. So, it is important for organisations to not only invest in leadership development programs, but also in supporting leaders in building habits that drive excellence. Overall, the combination of development programs and habit building strategies can lead to a powerful and impactful leadership journey.

Key Takeaways

  1. Habit Building Strategies are Essential: They turn insights into actions by creating a consistent and structured approach to behaviour change. This is crucial in leadership development as leaders are expected to adopt new ways of thinking and leading.
  2. The Role of Executive Coaching: Executive coaching supports leaders in implementing habit building strategies effectively. Coaches provide guidance, accountability and help in crafting personalised development plans.
  3. Impact on Leadership Excellence: Strong habits of reflection, goal setting, and intentional practice can result in effective leadership behaviours. These behaviours can influence the entire organisation, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.
  4. Resilience and Adaptability: Habit building strategies help leaders develop resilience and adaptability, allowing them to adjust easily to changing circumstances. This agility is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment.
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How to Create Sustainable Behaviour Change

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How to Create Sustainable Behaviour Change

Have you ever found yourself inspired by a motivational talk, a self-help book, or a compelling article on personal development? You feel a surge of motivation and enthusiasm, vowing to make significant changes in your life. Yet, as time goes by, that initial burst of energy wanes, and you find yourself slipping back into your old habits and routines. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Creating sustainable behaviour change is a challenge faced by many, but it’s not insurmountable. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to turn insights into action and create lasting transformations in your life.

Understanding the Nature of Behavior Change

Before diving into strategies for sustainable behaviour change, it’s essential to understand the complexity of human behaviour. Behaviour change is not a linear process; it involves a multitude of factors, including motivation, habits, environment, and emotions. People often struggle with behaviour change because they focus solely on motivation and willpower, neglecting the other critical components.

1. Start with Self-Awareness: The first step towards creating sustainable behaviour change is self-awareness. Take the time to reflect on your current behaviours, habits, and patterns. Identify the areas in your life where you’d like to see improvements. Leadership assessment and profiling tools can be useful in gaining a deeper understanding of yourself and your motivations. Remember, self-awareness is an ongoing process, and it requires honesty and openness to yourself.

Assessment & Profiling

2. Create Realistic Habits: Once you’ve identified your desired changes, break them down into smaller, achievable habits. Rather than focusing on a distant goal you hope to reach in the future, hone in on the habits and regular practices you can put in place to get you there. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explains that small changes in behaviour lead to significant transformations over time, compound interest in a way.  It’s the systems and daily practice that you put in place that create the outcome not the “goal” or end result. 

3. Understand Motivation: Motivation is the driving force behind behaviour change, but it’s not a constant. It can fluctuate, making it crucial to understand your sources of motivation. Are you motivated by external factors like praise and rewards, or is your motivation intrinsic, driven by personal values and passions? Recognising your motivation sources can help you maintain your commitment when things get tough.

Taking Insights to Action: Strategies for Sustainable Behavior Change

Now that you have a foundational understanding of behaviour change, let’s delve into practical strategies to turn insights into action and create lasting change.

1. Cultivate Habits

Habits are powerful drivers of behaviour. Whether positive or negative, habits shape our daily lives. To create sustainable behaviour change, focus on cultivating positive habits. Start by:

  • Identifying Trigger Points: Recognise the situations or cues that trigger you to engage in your new habit or that trigger the habit you are trying to break. Create the triggers that drive the new behaviour. These should be obvious and hard to ignore, such as a set time of day, a specific location, another activity, or a certain emotion.
  • Consistency is Key: Consistency is crucial when forming new habits. Set a specific time and place for your new habit, and stick to it daily. Over time, it will become second nature.

2. Create a Supportive Environment

Your environment plays a significant role in shaping your behaviour. To make sustainable changes, modify your environment to support your goals:

  • Surround Yourself with Positivity: Surround yourself with people who support your goals and share your vision. Often, our desire to belong overpowers our desire for change. By seeking out others with similar aspirations, you create a supportive network to help you stay on track.
  • Make It Easy: Make the desired behaviour as easy as possible. Adapt your environment to encourage the habit you’re trying to create. If you want to read more books, keep a book on your bedside table, or download audiobooks for your commute.

3. Build Resilience

No matter how motivated you are, there will be setbacks along the way. Building resilience is crucial for sustaining behaviour change:

  • Expect Setbacks: Understand that setbacks are a natural part of the process. Rather than viewing them as failures, consider them opportunities for growth and learning. For developing leaders, it is important to look at the leadership skills that are required to build resilience and overcome setbacks.
  • Seek Support: Don’t be afraid to seek support when facing difficulties or making new commitments to growth and change. Whether it’s a mentor, coach, or a support group, having someone to help hold you accountable and guide you through challenges can be incredibly valuable.

4. Monitor and Track Progress

Regularly monitoring and tracking your progress is essential for successful habit building:

  • Keep a Journal: Maintain a journal to record your daily progress and reflect on your journey. This can help you identify patterns, triggers, and areas for improvement.
  • Use Technology: There are many apps and tools designed to help you track your goals and habits. Whether it’s a habit-tracking app, or a goal-setting platform, leverage technology to stay accountable. Successful leadership development programs will incorporate habit building and tracking technology to support the growth and development of their leaders beyond the program.
  • Embrace a Manual Approach: Don’t discount a simple star chart! Yes, we are adults but there is a real satisfaction that comes from a visual representation that you have achieved what you set out to do. Whether that is completing your workout, alcohol free day, meditation, the team check in, or taking time to read.

Creating sustainable behaviour change is a challenging but rewarding journey. It involves self-awareness, habit cultivation, environmental modifications, resilience building, and progress monitoring. Remember that setbacks are a natural part of the process, and self-compassion is essential.

The key to turning insights into action is consistency and determination. Be patient with yourself, stay focused on your motivations, and adapt your strategies as needed. Over time, your insights will transform into lasting behaviour change, and you’ll find yourself living a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

So, what are you waiting for? Start your journey today, armed with these strategies, and watch as your insights evolve into sustained, positive action in your life.

One final tip, choose one thing at a time.  What is the one small thing you can start right now that you know will have a lasting impact over time. People often overestimate what they can do in a week or a month and grossly underestimate what they can achieve in a year of consistent, regular and small changes. Think big, act small, you will be surprised at the outcome.

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Mastering the Art of Ethical Leadership

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Mastering the Art of Ethical Leadership

Before we dive into the content, I want to acknowledge the complexity of being an Ethical Leader.  

  • Ethical, relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these. 
  • Leadership,the action of leading a group of people or an organisation. 

Simple definitions but both of these concepts contain grey areas, blurred lines and serious consideration to do well.  

The art of ethically leading people, maintaining customer and staff satisfaction, managing commercial requirements, complying with legal obligations, and creating a positive and safe culture can be challenging.  There are times when there  is conflict between a decision, what is morally right, what is best for your people and best for the business.  The privilege and sometimes pain of juggling all of these  priorities can build up. 

Operating as an ethical leader will have a resounding impact on your team, but it is not always easy.  

As businesses strive to make a positive impact and build trust with their stakeholders and clients, we feel that mastering the art of ethical leadership is essential and acknowledge that it is not always easy. This article dives deeper into what it means to be an ethical leader and offers practical tips and strategies to enhance your leadership skills. From fostering transparency and integrity to promoting diversity and ethical decision-making, below  we explore the key pillars of ethical leadership.

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Key Pillars of Ethical Leadership and How To Incorporate Them

Ethical leadership is about more than just adhering to the rules and regulations – it’s about promoting a culture of trust, integrity, and fairness. To become an ethical leader, it’s important to understand the key pillars of ethical leadership and how to incorporate them into your practice. 

Trust & Transparency are fundamental to ethical leadership. To incorporate these values, leaders must communicate openly and honestly, share information as often as possible (to the right people at the right time), and admit their mistakes. Creating an environment where team members feel safe speaking up and sharing their thoughts can encourage trust and transparency. 

Diversity & Inclusion are about respecting, valuing, and embracing the uniqueness of every individual. Leaders can incorporate these values by promoting a culture of acceptance, where everyone’s ideas are listened to and considered. It’s also important to proactively seek out diverse perspectives and implement fair policies that do not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, or other factors. 

Ethical Decision Making requires leaders to make choices that are consistent with the company’s values and ethical principles. To improve ethical decision making, leaders must provide training that helps employees understand and navigate ethical dilemmas. They should also encourage ethical behaviour and hold themselves and others accountable for their actions. 

Integrity & Authenticity are about leading by example. Leaders can incorporate these values by staying true to their beliefs, acting ethically even when no one is looking, and being genuine in their interactions. Leading with integrity and authenticity encourages others to do the same, fostering a culture of ethical behaviour throughout the organisation.

Developing trust and transparency is key to creating an ethical and successful business. Leaders must strive to build relationships with stakeholders that are based on honesty, respect, and mutual understanding. This includes being open about the company’s strategies and goals, communicating clearly, and responding quickly to questions or concerns.

External Focus: 

Why Does Ethical Leadership Matter in Business Today?

Ethical leadership is now more important than ever in the business world. In a time of heightened public scrutiny, businesses are expected to operate with honesty and integrity, while also taking into account the needs and interests of all stakeholders. Consumers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders are increasingly aware of unethical business practices and as a result, they are demanding higher standards from companies and their leaders. The challenge this presents to businesses is how to balance commercial interests with ethical concerns.

“When organisations demonstrate that they are practising ethical leadership, it can be hugely beneficial for their individual and collective reputations.”

The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Individual and Business Reputations

Perhaps the most prevalent example of how this challenge affects organisations is in its impact on both individual and business reputations. In the current climate, ethical leadership has become a key factor in determining the success of businesses. When organisations demonstrate that they are practising ethical leadership, it can be hugely beneficial for their individual and collective reputations. 

On an individual level, ethical leadership reflects positively on a leader’s personal brand, which can open up opportunities for career advancement. Leaders who demonstrate strong ethical values can develop a positive reputation that can be beneficial both professionally and personally. A leader’s ethical behaviour can create a lasting impression on stakeholders, which in turn can lead to greater trust and respect from the public. Conversely, a leader who fails to uphold ethical norms can suffer severe reputational damage, potentially jeopardising their career and personal credibility. 

One example of unethical business practices impacting businesses was in 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, operated by BP, suffered a catastrophic explosion, resulting in one of the largest environmental disasters of all time.  BP was criticised for cutting corners on safety measures, leading to the explosion, loss of lives, and 4.9 million barrels of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. This unethical decision had severe financial and reputational consequences for BP including a drastic drop in their share price, and being made to pay billions of dollars in compensation. The reality is, unethical behaviour can have serious consequences for businesses – both reputational and financial. Companies involved in misconduct face the risk of hefty fines, bad publicity, legal actions, boycotts from customers, and the loss of investors’ trust. Ethical leadership doesn’t have to be as complicated as it sounds – the controversy faced by BP shows us what not to do, but ethical leadership can consist of small, daily actions, not just periodic and on a large scale.

Businesses that uphold ethical leadership principles are seen as trustworthy entities, attracting a loyal customer base, dedicated employees, and potential investors. The company’s reputation for ethical conduct can differentiate it from competitors, particularly in industries where customers are becoming increasingly conscious of corporate ethics. However when businesses fail to exhibit ethical leadership, they may face reputational damage, which could result in loss of consumer trust, reduced employee morale, and decreased profitability. Therefore, ethical leadership is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity for businesses that want to thrive in today’s increasingly socially conscious marketplace.

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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.

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Mastering the Art of Ethical Leadership

What Makes a Great Ethical Leader? A Guide to Ethical Leadership Practices

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What Makes a Great Ethical Leader? A Guide to Ethical Leadership Practices

Ethical leadership plays a crucial role in shaping the culture and success of organisations. Leaders who embody ethical principles and values have the power to inspire and motivate their teams, fostering a positive work environment and driving long-term success. In today’s highly competitive business landscape, the importance of ethical leadership cannot be overstated. Organisations that prioritise ethical leadership are more likely to attract and retain top talent, build trust with stakeholders, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth.

Ethical leadership is characterised by a strong moral compass and a commitment to doing what is right, even in the face of adversity. Ethical leaders demonstrate integrity, honesty, and transparency in their actions and decision-making processes. They hold themselves accountable to ethical standards and set a positive example for their teams. By leading with integrity, ethical leaders create a culture of trust and respect, where employees feel valued and empowered to do their best work.

Key Characteristics of an Ethical Leader

  • Integrity: An ethical leader consistently demonstrates honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour. They adhere to a strong moral code and make decisions based on what is right, rather than what is expedient. Their actions align with their words, and they do not compromise their values for personal gain.
  • Humility: Ethical leaders recognize that they are not infallible and are open to feedback and learning. They acknowledge their mistakes and take responsibility for them. By showing humility, they create a safe environment where others feel comfortable admitting their own shortcomings and growing from them.
  • Empathy: Ethical leaders understand and care about the well-being of their employees. They actively listen to their concerns, provide support, and show understanding. By being empathetic, ethical leaders foster a sense of belonging and create a culture of inclusivity and support.
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Developing Leadership Capabilities

Leadership training programs provide valuable opportunities for individuals to develop the necessary skills and capabilities to become ethical leaders. These programs focus on enhancing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and decision-making abilities. By participating in leadership workshops, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of their values, strengths, and areas for improvement.

One effective approach to leadership training is through workshops that provide practical exercises and real-life scenarios for participants to analyse and discuss. These workshops simulate challenging leadership situations, allowing participants to apply ethical principles and practice decision-making in a safe and supportive environment. Through interactive discussions and feedback sessions, participants can enhance their ethical reasoning skills and develop a clear understanding of the impact their decisions have on others.

“Organisations that prioritise ethical leadership are more likely to attract and retain top talent, build trust with stakeholders, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth.”

The Power to Influence and Foster an Ethical Organisational Culture

Ethical leaders have the power to influence and motivate others to uphold ethical standards and create a positive organisational culture. By setting a strong example and consistently demonstrating ethical behaviour, leaders inspire their teams to follow suit. Ethical leaders communicate their values and expectations clearly, ensuring that everyone understands the importance of ethics in the organisation.

To become an ethical leader, one must adopt certain practices that align with ethical principles. Here is a guide to ethical leadership practices:

  • Lead with Integrity: Always act in alignment with your values and hold yourself accountable for your actions. Be transparent and honest in your dealings with others.
  • Communicate Effectively: Listen actively and encourage open dialogue. Communicate clearly and concisely, ensuring that your messages are understood by all.
  • Build  a Culture of Trust: Build trust within your organisation by being fair, consistent, and reliable. Encourage collaboration and value diverse perspectives.
  • Make Ethical Decisions: Consider the ethical implications of your decisions and their impact on all stakeholders. Seek multiple perspectives and consult your team where possible  before making important choices.
  • Empower and Motivate: Provide your employees with opportunities for growth and development. Encourage autonomy and recognize their achievements. Create a supportive environment that fosters creativity and innovation.

Examples of Ethical Leadership in Action

  • Patagonia: Patagonia, an outdoor clothing and gear company, is widely recognized for its commitment to ethical leadership. The company’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, has built a culture that prioritises environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Patagonia’s leaders actively engage in environmental activism and take steps to minimise the company’s ecological footprint. By aligning their actions with their core values, Patagonia’s leaders have created a strong ethical brand that resonates with employees and customers alike.
  • Microsoft: Under the leadership of Satya Nadella, Microsoft has undergone a significant cultural transformation, placing a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Nadella has been vocal about the importance of creating an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and can contribute their unique perspectives. Microsoft’s leaders actively promote diversity initiatives and have implemented programs to foster inclusion, such as unconscious bias training and mentorship programs for underrepresented groups.

The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Organisations and Society

Ethical leadership is a fundamental driver of organisational success and societal progress. Leaders who prioritise ethics create a culture of trust, integrity, and accountability. This, in turn, leads to increased employee engagement, customer loyalty, and stakeholder trust. Organisations that embody ethical leadership principles are more likely to attract and retain top talent, build strong relationships with customers and stakeholders, and achieve sustainable growth in the long run.

Ethical leadership goes beyond organisational boundaries. It has the power to inspire positive change in society by setting an example for others to follow. It is a critical component of successful organisations and a catalyst for positive societal change. Ethical leaders influence not only their immediate teams but also the broader community and society as a whole. Their actions ripple outward, shaping societal norms and driving progress towards a more ethical and just world.

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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.

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What Makes a Great Ethical Leader? A Guide to Ethical Leadership Practices

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Building a Culture of Ethics and Transparency

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Building a Culture of Ethics and Transparency

A workplace culture that upholds ethical standards and embraces transparency is not only essential for maintaining a positive reputation but also for fostering trust and loyalty among employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders. In this article, we will delve into the significance of building a culture of ethics and transparency within organisations and explore practical steps to achieve it.

Defining Ethics and Transparency

Before delving into the details, let’s first establish what ethics and transparency mean in the context of business culture. Ethics refers to a set of moral principles and values that guide an individual’s or an organisation’s behaviour. An ethical culture ensures that decisions and actions are based on honesty, fairness, integrity, and respect for all stakeholders.

Transparency, on the other hand, involves openness and the willingness to share information, both positive and negative, with all relevant parties. Executive coaching is a powerful tool for organisations to help senior leaders improve their transparency and communication with their teams. Transparent organisations communicate openly about their policies, practices, and performance, creating an environment of trust and accountability.

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The Importance of an Ethical and Transparent Culture

Trust and Reputation: Building trust is the bedrock of any successful organisation. A culture of ethical leadership and transparency fosters trust among employees, customers, and investors, which, in turn, enhances the organisation’s reputation.

Employee Engagement: Employees are more likely to be engaged and committed when they work in an ethical and transparent environment. When they feel that their organisation is honest and treats them fairly, they become more motivated to contribute to its success.

Attracting Top Talent: Organisations with a strong ethical and transparent culture attract top talent seeking to work in an environment where their values align with the company’s values.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance: An ethical culture helps ensure that an organisation complies with all legal and regulatory requirements. By operating transparently, companies can avoid legal troubles and maintain a clean track record.

“A diverse workforce brings with it different perspectives and skillsets, creating an environment that encourages innovation and creativity.”


Steps to Building a Culture of Ethics and Transparency

  1. Lead by Example: Building an ethical and transparent culture starts at the top. Effective leaders must embody the values they want to promote throughout the organisation. When employees see their leaders consistently making ethical decisions and communicating openly, they are more likely to follow suit. Organisations where there is a leader as coach for ethical standards also encourages employees to ask the right questions when making decisions.
  1. Clearly Define Ethical Standards: Develop a comprehensive code of ethics that outlines the organisation’s values and expected behaviour. Communicate these standards regularly and ensure that all employees understand and embrace them.
  1. Training and Education: Ethical decisions are not always easy, train and expose your teams so they are equipped to deal with these when they arise. Use real-life scenarios to help them understand the importance of ethical decision-making. Leadership development training can help ensure that leaders are equipped to promote an ethical and transparent culture.
  1. Reward Ethical Behaviour: Recognise and reward employees who demonstrate exceptional ethical conduct and transparency. Positive reinforcement reinforces the desired behaviours across the organisation.
  1. Transparent Communication: Share the decision-making process with your team. Or ethical dilemmas that you are facing so when they are faced with their own, they are ready to deal with the challenge? 
  2. Involve Employees in Decision-Making: Encourage employee participation in decision-making processes. When employees feel their voices are heard, they are more likely to support the decisions made by the organisation.

Creating an ethical and transparent culture in any organisation requires strong leadership, clear standards, ongoing education and training, rewards for good behaviour, open communication, and employee engagement. Senior leaders must lead by example to inspire trust among all stakeholders. Providing senior leadership development can help ensure that those at the top have the skills necessary to promote a culture of ethics and transparency throughout their organisations. Ultimately, a strong ethical and transparent culture not only enhances the organisation’s reputation but also contributes to a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Get in Touch to Find Out More

If you want to learn more about ethical 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.

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The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Society

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The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Society

In recent years, ethical leadership has become a crucial aspect of the corporate world, emphasising the significance of moral values, integrity, and transparency in decision-making processes. However, the influence of ethical leaders extends far beyond the confines of the business domain, permeating other spheres of society. Ethical leaders possess the ability to positively shape society by championing ethical practices, promoting inclusivity, and advocating for social justice. In this blog, we will delve into the broader implications of ethical leadership and explore how exemplary leaders can drive meaningful change across various sectors.

Ethical leadership is not just about adhering to moral principles but also about inspiring others to do the same. Ethical leaders demonstrate integrity, transparency, empathy, and humility in their actions, fostering a culture of trust and respect within their organisations. Beyond the business context, these qualities are essential in creating positive change in society.

The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Society

Promoting Ethical Practices

Ethical leaders not only uphold moral standards within their organisations but also encourage stakeholders to do the same. By emphasising transparency and ethical conduct, these leaders foster a culture of responsibility that extends to customers, suppliers, and competitors. When ethical practices become the norm, society benefits from increased trust and reduced corruption.

One striking example of promoting ethical practices is demonstrated by Paul Polman during his tenure as CEO of Unilever. Polman made sustainability a core focus for the company and set ambitious goals, such as eliminating deforestation from the company’s supply chain and reducing its environmental footprint. His approach not only positively impacted Unilever but also set an example for other companies to prioritise sustainability.

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Advocating for Inclusivity and Diversity

Ethical leaders understand the significance of inclusivity and diversity in building a stronger society. They ensure that their organisations embrace people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, leading to more innovative and compassionate solutions. Beyond the workplace, these leaders become advocates for inclusivity in society, challenging systemic barriers and biases.

Promoting inclusivity within an organisational culture can extend beyond the workplace in numerous ways. A diverse workforce brings with it different perspectives and skillsets, creating an environment that encourages innovation and creativity. The presence of different backgrounds and experiences also helps organisations better understand the needs of their customers, resulting in more effective products and services.

“A diverse workforce brings with it different perspectives and skillsets, creating an environment that encourages innovation and creativity.”


Developing an Ethical Mindset and Taking Action for Change

Ethical leadership begins with developing an ethical mindset. Leaders must actively cultivate self-awareness, empathy, and humility. They should constantly evaluate their decisions and actions to ensure they align with ethical principles. Moreover, ethical leaders should encourage these values within their teams and organisations, fostering a culture that prioritises integrity and compassion.

To create a broader impact, ethical leaders must not be afraid to take action. By leading by example, they inspire others to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of positive change in society. Leadership assessment tools can be invaluable in helping leaders develop an ethical mindset. These tools provide feedback from different stakeholders, providing insight into how others perceive the leader’s behaviour and decision-making processes. By raising awareness of ethical leadership principles, these programs can positively shape society by inspiring more leaders to become champions of ethics and justice.


The Power of Ethical Leadership

Ethical leadership is not confined to the boundaries of the business world. It transcends industries and domains, making a profound impact on society at large. Ethical leaders who champion ethical practices, promote inclusivity, and advocate for social justice contribute significantly to shaping a better world.

By upholding moral values and acting as beacons of integrity, ethical leaders inspire individuals, organisations, and even governments to prioritise the well-being of all. Leadership development programs can play an important role in cultivating ethical leaders. These programs should equip individuals with the skills and knowledge to lead ethically and focus on topics such as effective communication, decision-making processes, and corporate social responsibility. Their commitment to doing what is right creates a domino effect of positive change that extends beyond their immediate sphere of influence.

As we move forward, it is imperative that we recognize the power of influence, ethical leadership and strive to cultivate these qualities within ourselves, high performance teams, and communities around us. By doing so, we can collectively shape a more compassionate, just, and sustainable society for generations to come.

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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.

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The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Society

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The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Ethical Leadership

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The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Ethical Leadership

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In the context of ethical leadership, empathy plays a pivotal role in decision making. Leaders who can empathise with their employees, customers, and stakeholders are more likely to make choices that prioritise the common good rather than purely pursuing short-term gains. When leaders recognize the potential consequences of their actions on others, they are motivated to act in ways that are fair, just, and aligned with their organisation’s values.

Ethical decision making requires a consideration of the ethical implications of choices. Leaders with high emotional intelligence can put themselves in the shoes of those affected by their decisions, allowing them to view the situation from multiple perspectives. This empathy-driven approach can lead to solutions that benefit not only the bottom line but also society and the environment, fostering a culture of responsible and ethical behaviour within the organisation.

Self-Awareness and Authenticity

Self-awareness is another fundamental aspect of emotional intelligence in ethical leadership. Leaders who possess self-awareness are in tune with their emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values. This awareness enables them to lead authentically and make decisions that align with their principles, even in challenging situations.

Leaders who lack self-awareness may inadvertently allow personal biases and emotions to influence their decisions, compromising the ethical integrity of their choices.When leaders can recognize their potential biases and actively work to mitigate them, promoting fairness and ethical decision making. This can also help leaders build their power to influence and inspire others to think critically and ethically.

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Emotional Regulation in Ethical Dilemmas

The ability to regulate one’s emotions is essential for ethical leadership. Leaders often face challenging situations and ethical dilemmas that evoke strong emotions. Emotional intelligence helps leaders manage their feelings effectively, preventing impulsive reactions that could lead to unethical behaviour.

In the face of adversity or conflicting interests, emotionally intelligent leaders remain composed and level-headed. This emotional regulation allows them to consider the ethical dimensions of the situation and make well-considered decisions rather than succumbing to the pressure of the moment.  Leadership development training is a crucial step in developing emotional intelligence and ethical leadership skills. Through reflective practice, participants can better understand their own emotions and recognize their impact on decision making. They are better equipped to navigate through tough choices while upholding their ethical standards and organisational values.

“By consciously cultivating emotional intelligence, leaders can lead authentically with consideration of the broader consequences of their actions and create an environment that puts people and planet before profits.”


Interpersonal Skills and Building Ethical Cultures

Effective communication and interpersonal skills are paramount for fostering an ethical organisational culture. Leaders with high emotional intelligence excel in building trust, open communication, and collaboration within their teams. When employees feel valued and heard, they are more likely to share their concerns and ideas openly, including potential ethical dilemmas they encounter.

By encouraging open dialogue and promoting psychological safety, emotionally intelligent and developing leaders can create an environment where ethical issues can be addressed proactively.This allows for early detection and resolution of ethical concerns before they escalate into major problems.


Long-Term Vision and Sustainable Ethical Leadership

Emotional intelligence helps leaders adopt a long-term perspective when it comes to ethical decision making. While short-term gains might be tempting, emotionally intelligent leaders understand the importance of sustainable practices that benefit both the stakeholders and employees in the long term.

Leaders with high emotional intelligence consider how their decisions today will impact future generations. They are more likely to prioritise long-term investments that not only generate profits but also promote ethical principles, such as employee engagement and social responsibility. By making decisions that take into account the interests of all stakeholders, emotionally intelligent leaders create a foundation for sustainable and ethical leadership.

By consciously cultivating emotional intelligence, leaders can lead authentically with consideration of the broader consequences of their actions and create an environment that puts people and planet before profits. This is essential to creating a more equitable, sustainable world.

5 Key Take-Aways

1. Empathy and ethical decision making go hand-in-hand; leaders with high emotional intelligence are more attuned to the needs and concerns of others.

2. Self-awareness allows for authentic and principled leadership, which helps promote fairness and ethical decision making.

3. The ability to regulate emotions is essential for navigating challenging situations while maintaining an ethical approach.

4. Effective communication and interpersonal skills help foster an ethical organisational culture and open dialogue about potential ethical dilemmas.

5. Long-term vision is key for sustainable and ethical leadership; emotionally intelligent leaders prioritise decisions that benefit both stakeholders and employees in the long term.

Get in Touch to Find Out More

If you want to learn more about ethical 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.

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The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Ethical Leadership

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Innovative Approaches to Leadership for a New Era

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Innovative Approaches to Leadership for a New Era

Innovative approaches to leadership will be essential for organisations that want to stay ahead in the modern era. By leveraging new technologies, understanding the changing landscape, and putting people first, leaders can create an environment that is conducive to success.  Having a clear understanding of their own leadership style and how it needs to adapt for this new era is also essential in order for them to remain relevant and effective in their roles.

By staying informed and taking the time to invest in development initiatives, leaders will be able to successfully lead their organisations forward as they enter into this new era.

Understanding How Technology is Changing the Way We Lead

Technology is rapidly changing the way that leaders are able to lead in the modern era. The digitalisation of business processes, communication, and data collection has enabled leaders to be more effective and efficient in their roles than ever before.

Advances in artificial intelligence are making it possible for leaders to quickly process large amounts of data and identify patterns that can inform effective decisions. Automated processes can also be used to streamline routine tasks, freeing up leaders’ time to focus on strategic initiatives.

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How do Leaders Stay Ahead of the Curve?

Leaders who want to stay ahead of the curve and use tech-driven solutions in their leadership style can do so by constantly researching and understanding the industry trends in technology. By keeping up with new developments and innovations, leaders can be better equipped to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by these advancements.

Senior leadership training is also important for ensuring that leaders are able to help their teams to effectively integrate the use of new technologies into their daily operations. Being early adopters of new technology can create a competitive advantage and help to put organisations ahead of the curve. Employees gain exposure to novel systems and tools, which can broaden their skill sets and make them more adaptable to future technological advancements. This establishes an organisational culture of continuous learning that can enhance team performance and resilience of the business overall.

“Not only is it important to be aware of the changing landscape in terms of innovation and technology, but leaders also need to stay informed about the ethical implications of their decisions.”

Gain Insights About their Teams and Themselves

Leaders need to be aware of their own personal leadership style in order to understand how they can best adapt to the changing landscape. By utilising assessment and profiling tools, leaders can develop an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as well as the nature of their interactions with others. Tools such as the HBDI® also help leaders to understand the thinking preferences of their team members which can be useful in knowing how to best inspire and motivate them in adopting new technologies and approaches.

Leaders also need to be open to new ideas and willing to take risks. A culture of experimentation is important for encouraging employees to come up with creative solutions and innovate the way things are done. Leaders should provide guidance and support without stifling creativity, in order to cultivate an environment that encourages exploration and risk-taking within a safe space.

Not only is it important to be aware of the changing landscape in terms of innovation and technology, but leaders also need to stay informed about the ethical implications of their decisions.

Put People First

Putting people first and embracing ethical leadership is essential for creating a successful organisation in the modern era. Empowering employees to make decisions, listen to their ideas and take their feedback seriously are all essential components of ethical leadership. This encourages an environment of trust and respect which helps to foster collaboration and creativity.

Leaders should also be cognizant of the ethical implications of leveraging technology, and ensure that any solutions implemented are in line with the organisation’s core values. By taking the time to understand how technology can be used responsibly, leaders can create an ethical framework for their teams to abide by and use as a guide when making decisions. This ensures that everyone is working towards the same goal and directing their efforts towards achieving positive outcomes for all stakeholders involved.

The new era will require adaptive leadership and agility in order to stay ahead of the curve. Leaders must understand their own leadership style as well as technological trends that are impacting organisations today. Leaders should also invest in training initiatives for themselves and their teams so they can leverage tech-driven solutions effectively. It is important for them to embrace ethical practices and put people first in order to create an environment where collaboration, creativity and innovation thrive. With these approaches taken into consideration, leaders can successfully navigate this rapidly changing landscape while achieving positive outcomes for both employees and stakeholders alike.

Key Take-Aways

1. Understand your own leadership style and how it needs to adapt for this new era

2. Stay informed of technological trends that are impacting organisations today

3. Invest in training initiatives for yourself and your team on leveraging tech-driven solutions effectively

4. Embrace ethical practices and put people first in order to create an environment where collaboration, creativity and innovation thrive

5. Be open to new ideas and take risks in order to create a culture of experimentation and innovation.

Book a Consultation

If you want to learn more about future-focused 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.

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Leading Through Uncertainty: Adapting Your Leadership Style for the Future Workplace

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Leading Through Uncertainty: Adapting Your Leadership Style for the Future Workplace

Leadership in the modern workplace is a challenge, as the world around us continues to change and evolve. One of the best ways a leader can succeed in this ever-changing environment is to embrace change and adapt their leadership style in order to support their team. By embracing change, a leader can foster an environment of growth, innovation, and forward-thinking. Leading through change requires understanding the potential for disruption, and having a plan in place to manage it. It also involves recognizing that some of the traditional management techniques may no longer be effective and need to be adjusted or replaced with new approaches.

The Importance of Understanding Your Leadership Style

Understanding your leadership style is essential for leading effectively in the modern workplace. Every leader has their own unique set of skills, strengths, and weaknesses, and recognizing these can help them better understand how to lead their team in times of uncertainty. By understanding their style, developing leaders can identify which strengths they should focus on and leverage, and which weaknesses they should work on developing.

A leadership assessment can be a useful tool for identifying your leadership style, as it provides feedback from team members and colleagues about how they perceive the leader. From this assessment, leaders can gain valuable insights into how their style affects the team and make appropriate changes where needed.

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Embracing Flexibility in Leadership

A leader who can anticipate change and adjust their approach accordingly will be better equipped to guide their team through uncertainty. Having a flexible leadership style means being open-minded, being willing to try new approaches, and being willing to make changes when needed. It also involves understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leading a team, and that each situation calls for a different approach.

Understanding different leadership styles has numerous benefits, especially when leading through uncertain times. By having an understanding of multiple leadership styles, a leader can better recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each style and be better equipped to make decisions in uncertain circumstances. A leader who understands multiple leadership styles can quickly assess which approaches are better suited for various situations and can adjust their style to ensure the team reaches its goals.

“Effective leaders must be willing to take risks and make mistakes without compromising their values and principles.”

Leading High Performance Teams

Creating a high performance team requires leaders to recognize that in order to foster an environment of growth, collaboration, and innovation, they must be open to trying different approaches. It is important for leaders to create clear roles for each team member, delegate tasks accordingly, and provide feedback on performance. Additionally, leaders should ensure that there is an open and honest dialogue between team members to maximize collaboration.

Assessment and profiling can be a powerful tool for leaders looking to understand the needs of their team.  This information can help a leader develop strategies to ensure that everyone is contributing in meaningful ways. According to Gallup, companies that focus on leadership development and assessments have 9% higher employee engagement levels than organizations that do not prioritize leadership development. By embracing change and understanding different leadership styles, a leader can successfully guide their team through uncertainty.

Leaders must be prepared to make difficult decisions during times of uncertainty, while still taking the time to listen to the opinions of their team. They must also be willing to take risks and make mistakes without compromising their values and principles. Future focused leadership ensures that teams are prepared for whatever lies ahead. This could include embracing a new or different technology, encouraging team members to learn new skills, or even creating new business models that take advantage of changing market conditions.

The key to successful future-focused leadership is to remain open-minded and flexible.  By doing so, they can create a workplace that encourages growth, innovation, and success in the years to come.

Three Take-Aways

1. Understanding your personal leadership style is essential for leading effectively in the modern workplace.

2. Embracing flexibility in leadership can help leaders guide their team through uncertain times.

3. To create high performance teams, leaders should understand the needs of their team and create an environment that encourages growth and innovation.

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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.

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Leading Through Uncertainty: Adapting Your Leadership Style for the Future Workplace

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

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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.

Learn more about our Assessment and Profiling Tools

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.

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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.

Let us help you find what you’re looking for!

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

3 Ways Coaching Can Help Leaders Connect With Their Teams

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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.

Learn more about Executive Coaching

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.

Book a Consultation

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.

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3 Ways Coaching Can Help Leaders Connect With Their Teams

human centred leadership

Are You a Human Centred Leader?

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Are You a Human Centred Leader?

As a human centred leader, your focus is on understanding and meeting the needs of the people you work with. You value empathy, compassion, collaboration, and communication. You strive to create an environment of trust and respect. Human centred leaders are open to feedback and input from their peers, colleagues and employees. They are willing to take risks and think outside the box to find solutions. They operate under a leadership style that seeks to understand the full scope of their team’s needs and challenges, and develop creative strategies to solve them.

Effective leaders are focused on fostering an environment of growth and leadership development for their team members. They provide access to resources that enable learning and experimentation in facilitation of that growth.

They recognize the importance of self-care and well-being, and they understand that when their team is healthy, it is more productive. Empathy is one of their greatest leadership skills. They are able to put themselves in the shoes of their team members and show compassion for their struggles. They strive to create a positive work environment where employees feel safe, respected, and empowered.

Cultivate Self-Awareness

A successful human centred leader must cultivate their own self-awareness. They need to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the emotional needs of those around them. By understanding themselves, they can better connect with the people they are leading. Self-awareness enables leaders to respond effectively to challenging situations and understand how their words and actions influence their team.

Assessment and profiling can reveal valuable insights about an individual’s personality, including strengths and blind spots. Senior leaders should use this information to identify opportunities for improvement and incorporate them into their leadership development.

Leaders who practise self awareness and openly hold themselves accountable for their actions, are able to overcome challenges with greater success. They do not pretend to hold all the answers and so, they more readily seek and accept the help of others.

Learn more about our Assessment and Profiling Tools

Engage in Open Dialogue

When leading with empathy and compassion, it is important to create an environment where open dialogue is encouraged. This means allowing everyone to speak their truth and share their opinions without fear of judgement or criticism. It is also important to remember that everyone’s voice matters, regardless of their title or level in the organisation.

Senior leadership training can provide leaders with the skills they need to lead effectively. These programs often include personal assessments, group discussions, and experiential learning activities. They can help leaders understand their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the emotional needs of those around them.

Establishing a culture of trust is necessary for effective open dialogue and building strong communication skills throughout human centred organisations. Senior leaders need to be able to share information openly, listen attentively, and be responsive to their team’s needs. This helps create an environment where everyone is on the same page and can communicate effectively to work towards common goals while mitigating conflict.

“Strong leaders must be able to identify potential tensions between team members and provide support during difficult conversations.”

Encourage Collaboration

Effective leaders understand the need for building collaboration skills within their team. They recognise the power of different perspectives and strive to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing their ideas.

Leaders need to actively seek out opportunities for collaboration, whether it’s during brainstorming sessions or inter-departmental planning meetings. They should also ensure that team members are empowered to take initiative on projects and engage with other departments to move forward.

One of the most important leadership skills is the ability to recognise when different perspectives are needed and how best to foster collaboration. Strong leaders must be able to identify potential tensions between team members and provide support during difficult conversations.

Leadership assessment tools can be useful in determining a leadership style that is best suited to an individual’s personality and skill set. Such tools can help emerging and senior leaders understand how their behaviour affects their teams, as well as identify areas for improvement.

Human centred leadership requires a commitment to understanding how emotions and perceptions shape workplace dynamics. Leaders who practise self-awareness and open dialogue, while encouraging collaboration, will ultimately be more successful in leading their teams. By developing leadership skills and equipping themselves with the necessary tools, they can create an environment of trust, respect and collaboration within their organisation.

Book a Consultation

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.

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Are You a Human Centred Leader?

Human Centred Organisations

How to Build Human Centred Organisations

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How to Build Human Centred Organisations

In order to build a human centred organisation, it is important to first understand what that means. A human centred organisation is one in which the employees’ needs are put first. This can be done by creating an environment in which the employees feel comfortable and safe to express themselves, and are given the opportunity to do so. You need to provide employees with the resources they need in order to be successful, both professionally and personally. Human centred development can help to improve employee productivity and satisfaction, as well as reducing staff turnover. An effective leader must be willing to listen and learn from their employees in order to create a truly human centred organisation.

Create Better Experiences for Employees and Clients

Creating better human experiences is about understanding people and their needs. It’s about designing products, services, and spaces with those needs in mind. It’s about being empathetic and taking the time to understand what makes people happy, what stresses them out, and what makes them feel fulfilled.

This is true both for how you interact with your team members and how they interact with one another as well as clients. Encourage your team to be empathetic towards customers and each other. Teach them the value in diverse perspectives and how to see things from other points of view. This will help them create better experiences for everyone they come into contact with.

It’s no secret that happy employees lead to happy customers. When employees feel valued and supported, they in turn are more likely to go above and beyond for the people they serve. Your leadership style and interactions with your employees should set the example for what is expected in how they communicate with one another and with clients. Creating a human centred organisation isn’t just good business strategy, it’s the right thing to do.

Learn more about Leadership Excellence

Promote Continuous Learning

One of the best ways to build resilience is through continuous learning. When you’re constantly learning new things and developing your leadership skills, your mind becomes more flexible and adaptable. You’re able to cope with change and challenges more easily, and you’re less likely to get discouraged when things don’t go as planned. It also equips high performance teams with the capabilities they need to be more resilient and effective at overcoming challenges.

Employees should be encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to develop skills and expand their knowledge. This can be done through formal leadership training courses or high performance team programs. Informal methods such as mentorship, coaching, and job shadowing can also have a significant impact on their career development.

Embedding leadership skill development at every level of the business is one of the key ways to build a more human centred organisation. Creating a culture of learning encourages team members to think of themselves as lifelong learners, which helps them to adapt to change more easily and handle challenges more effectively.

“Creating a culture of learning encourages team members to think of themselves as lifelong learners, which helps them to adapt to change more easily and handle challenges more effectively.”

Encourage Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is a key ingredient in high performing teams. It is understanding that you won’t be punished for taking risks or making mistakes. It’s about feeling safe to be yourself, and it’s something that an effective leader knows needs to be cultivated.

Being able to create a psychologically safe environment is one of the most important leadership skills needed to be an effective leader. Individuals and teams must feel comfortable sharing their ideas, even if they’re not sure if they’re ‘right.’ It also means being open to hearing feedback, as well as giving it in a way that is constructive and helpful. By establishing these norms, leaders can encourage their team members to take risks and be themselves, which ultimately leads to better performance.

The best high performance team programs help leaders to establish psychological safety within their teams. They also provide teams with the communication skills and leadership training to hold space for one another, themselves. When team members have the capability to listen deeply and give feedback with intention, they create the conditions for psychological safety to naturally emerge. As a result, the well being of each individual will come before the task at hand, and the team will be able to achieve a human centred organisation.

To be an effective leader and build human centred organisations, you need to be able to understand and relate to people. You need to know what motivates them, what makes them tick, and how to efficiently manage and communicate with them. Learning to do so will have a positive effect on your leadership development as well as the career development of your team.

The key to all of this is understanding that your employees and clients are the most important asset to your business. As such, you need to build a work environment and culture that is conducive to their success. This is one of the most important leadership skills you can develop. Leadership training courses often focus on techniques and best practices for managing people but neglect to mention the importance of putting people first in leadership. When you have a human centred approach to your leadership style, it creates a positive knock-on effect throughout the organisation.

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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.

Let us help you find what you’re looking for!

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How to Build Human Centred Organisations

Human Centred Leadership

The Benefits of Human Centred Leadership

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The Benefits of Human Centred Leadership

Human centred leadership is a style of leadership that focuses on the needs of people, rather than profits or other measures of success. For an organisation to experience long-term growth, everyone must work together effectively. Prioritising the well-being of team members is essential to being an effective leader.

When it comes to developing leaders, organisations often focus on task-oriented training. However, this type of training neglects the people skills that are essential for being an effective leader. People skills are just as important as task-oriented skills, and should be given equal attention in leadership development coaching.

4 Ways Human Centred Leadership Benefits Organisations

Job Satisfaction

In recent years there has been a steady increase in the desire for fulfilling and personally gratifying work. People want to feel as though the work they do has a meaningful impact both for themselves and in the world. When it comes to creating a human centred workplace, developing leaders is key to success. Leaders who focus on the satisfaction and enrichment of their team members are more likely to create a workplace where people feel motivated and engaged. Not only does this lead to increased productivity, but it also reduces staff turnover rates.

Curates Inclusivity

In order for an organisation to grow and be successful, it is essential that everyone within it feels valued and included. Human centred leadership and a growth mindset is one that embraces diversity and recognises the value of each individual. This is especially important in today’s workplace where there is a greater need for inclusivity. Senior leaders with a growth mindset who value the diverse perspectives and voices of each team member, leaders can create an environment where everyone feels supported and respected. This sense of belonging leads to increased motivation and productivity.

“Leaders who take a human centred approach to leadership development are more likely to create organisations that are democratic and inclusive, and that respect the rights of all people.”

Builds Psychological Safety

Fostering psychological safety is one of the most important leadership skills needed in human centred cultures. By establishing trust and mutual respect, coaches can help create an environment where team members feel comfortable taking risks and sharing new ideas. Leadership development coaching can help build psychological safety by providing a space for employees to share their thoughts and feelings openly. This open communication can help break down silos within the organisation and encourage creativity and innovation.

Improves Decision Making

Organisations are only as good as the decisions that their leaders make. Good decision making requires effective problem solving and critical thinking skills. Leaders who focus on the needs of their team members are more likely to make decisions that are in the best interest of the organisation as a whole. This is because they are able to see the potential impact of each decision on the people within the organisation.

Developing leaders requires a human centred approach. This means that the focus is on understanding and meeting the needs of individuals, rather than applying the same methods to everyone. A senior leader needs to be able to relate to people at all levels, and this can only be done by taking a human centred approach.

To ensure that their organisation meets the needs of the community they serve, Down Syndrome Victoria established an Advisory Network that includes several members with Down syndrome. Their mission is to be advocates for others with Down syndrome. Having courageous and authentic conversations is an important part of the way Down Syndrome Victoria operate at every level of their organisation and together with TLS, we have an opportunity to continue this journey by working together and further enhancing the quality of the internal and external voice of the organisation.

When leaders take a human centred approach to leadership development, they are more likely to engage in practices that are ethical and sustainable. Leaders who take a human centred approach to leadership development are more likely to create organisations that are democratic and inclusive, and that respect the rights of all people.

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small to large organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and executive 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.

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The Benefits of Human Centred Leadership

Why Leaders Matter in Teams

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Why Leaders Matter in Teams

Think about the best team you’ve ever been a part of. What made it so great? Chances are, the team had at least one leader who was able to bring out the best in each individual and create an environment where everyone could succeed. In today’s business world, teams are more important than ever – and leaders are essential for success. They play an important role in setting the tone for teams and ensuring that team members are fulfilling their roles. Leaders offer guidance to all members of the team, keeping morale high and motivating workers to perform well.

Instil a Culture of Excellence

Leaders play a critical role in talent development and the success of senior leadership teams. They can help identify potential leaders within an organisation and provide guidance and support to help them reach their full potential. Leaders also play a key role in setting the tone for a team and fostering a positive culture of excellence. When leaders exhibit honesty and integrity, they serve as role models for team members and help create an environment of trust. This is essential for any team that wants to achieve success.

While organisational culture is driven by the people within it, leaders play a key role in shaping that culture. They can help create an environment that is conducive to innovation, creativity, and high performance. Leaders also have the ability to motivate and inspire team members to achieve their best. When leaders are effective, they can help teams reach their full potential and accomplish great things.

“While organisational culture is driven by the people within it, leaders play a key role in shaping that culture.”

Inspire High Performance

Leaders are integral to maintaining morale and inspiring high performance in teams. When leaders are effective, they can help teams to achieve their potential and reach their goals. However, when leaders are ineffective, they can create disharmony and conflict within teams, leading to lower levels of productivity and performance. It is therefore essential for leaders to receive the development and training they need to be effective in their roles. Without this, they will struggle to lead their teams effectively and may even do more harm than good.


If you want your team to perform at its best, it is essential that you invest in developing your leadership skills. Leading teams training can provide leaders with the tools needed to leverage the strengths of their teams and how to harness them to increase performance. This type of training can be extremely beneficial for leaders, and can make a big difference to the effectiveness of their team.

Leaders are essential to the success of any team. They establish the culture of the organisation and inspire their direct reports to achieve their goals and reach higher performance. Leadership development programs are useful for developing strategies to create a culture of excellence and inspire high performance in team members.

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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.

Let us help you find what you’re looking for!

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Why Leaders Matter in Teams

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Why Diversity is Important for High Performance

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Why Diversity is Important for High Performance

In bringing individuals together from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, high performing teams offer a broader range of perspectives when it comes to approaching challenges. For this reason, it is important to prioritise diversity when developing high performing teams. Cultivating well-rounded teams creates opportunities for individuals to learn from and about one another, enhancing their personal and collective performance.

Encourages Creative Innovation

If your team is struggling with performance or has reached a point of stagnation, introducing a fresh perspective may help to get them back on track. Diversifying the work styles and thinking preferences of your team can inspire new ideas and encourage innovation. The HBDI® can be a useful tool in understanding the thinking preferences of your team members, the impact it has on their role and how it affects the way they work together. Used as part of leadership development training, teams learn to recognise different thinking preferences and how to use their understanding of them to work more effectively. When teams are able to draw on the capabilities of each style of thinking, problem-solving discussions become more productive as you ensure that the issue is considered in all aspects. This approach often results in more creative thinking and holistic solutions.

One of the challenges of leading high performing teams is establishing a team with a balance of complementary skills and abilities. By broadening the talent pool to include individuals with varied backgrounds, you can harness the talents and experiences that come with different worldviews. This encourages teams to challenge their thinking and expands their collective knowledge and capabilities.

Improved Employee Retention

For companies that operate in a global marketplace, and those that aspire to, having a diverse range of cultures represented within the workplace exposes teams to the nuances of an international market. In advocating for workplace inclusivity you create a much more accepting environment. Teams with greater intersectionality often experience higher levels of camaraderie and cooperation. Such traits are necessary when training to drive performance. Without them, teams tend to lack engagement, motivation, and productivity.

Companies with higher diversity in the workplace are perceived as being more inclusive of different attributes and perspectives. This abstract, yet vital trait can provide your team members with a tangible sense of acceptance and worth. Employees who feel accepted and valued are more likely to be happier in general and desire to stay with your company for a longer period of time.

“Companies with higher diversity in the workplace are perceived as being more inclusive of differing attributes and perspectives.”

Building a diverse workplace allows you to bring out the best in your employees and empowers them to meet their full potential. High performing team programs that engage individuals in a greater range of perspectives, improves their ability to work cohesively and face challenges. Your workplace will benefit as a result, by encouraging innovation, job satisfaction, stronger connections, and better performance.

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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.

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Why Diversity is Important for High Performance

2022 Leadership Trends

3 Leadership Trends to Take into 2022

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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.

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3 Leadership Trends to Take into 2022

online training programs

What Leaders are Doing to Combat the Great Resignation

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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.

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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.

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What Leaders are Doing to Combat the Great Resignation

Personal Values

The Importance of Understanding your Personal Values

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The Importance of Understanding your Personal Values

For many individuals today, fulfillment in their work is a driving factor in their decision to take on a leadership role. The same is true of those in existing leadership positions. We often hear directors and hiring managers discuss a person being the ‘right fit’ for a role. What we hear discussed less often, is whether or not a role is the right fit for the individual. You may have the talent and capability to perform well in a leadership role however, when the company’s values do not align with your own, it can be difficult to engage with not only the work, but also your team.


Understanding your Personal Values

Getting clear about what your personal values are can help to provide guidance in what it is that you are looking for in a company that you want to work with. Our values indicate what is most important to us and what motivates us to achieve greatness. A personal values assessment helps to identify our most strongly held beliefs. This understanding will give you a greater insight into whether or not you would feel satisfied working for a particular company. When their values do not align with yours, you may face resistance in attempting to implement strategies. While the company you work for defines policies and certain rules, it is your own values and priorities that determine your personal leadership strategy and how it will be achieved. 

Better Working Relationships

People who share the same values as those they work with are much more successful in achieving results compared to those with conflicting values. Having shared values doesn’t necessarily mean that you will share the same opinions as others, but it does mean that you share similar goals and intentions. Discovering your team and personal leadership values helps to build more effective working relationships. Sharing connected values enables individuals to more easily relate to one another, communicate ideas more effectively, and overcome difficulties much faster.

More Committed Employees

When an individual’s personal values are aligned with those of the company, their motivation and engagement with the work increases. They know that their contributions are important to the overall success of the organisation, and so are more dedicated to performing at their highest potential. Senior leadership assessment can be a useful part of the hiring process to determine how an individual will support the company’s vision and values. The alignment of individual and company values leads to greater success for both parties because their priorities are each focused on achieving the same end result. 

Better Decision Making

Our values are what contribute most to the decisions we make. Developing leadership excellence teaches us that it is important to draw on our personal experiences and beliefs in order to lead more effectively. A clear understanding of our values allows us to make better decisions in the face of uncertainty. When faced with difficult choices, asking ourselves which option most aligns with our values and what we are striving to achieve can be a guide towards the choice with the greatest chance at success.

Leadership assessment tools are integral when training for leadership excellence. They afford us the opportunity to reflect on the things that matter most to us and how they affect the way we lead. For individuals, understanding your personal values lets you know that the decisions you make are in service of your goals. Organisations also need to have an understanding of the personal values of their employees to ensure that overall growth and success can occur. 

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.

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The Importance of Understanding your Personal Values

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How Coaching Leads to Excellence

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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.

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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.

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How Coaching Leads to Excellence

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5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

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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.

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5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

High Performance

3 Steps to Building High Performance

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3 Steps to Building High Performance

A strong relationship between leaders and their team can make a significant impact on productivity and performance. There can be little doubt that great leaders produce better business outcomes. When it comes to leading high performance teams, actively seeking opportunities for improvement is what ensures and maintains their success. 

Understand your Leadership Style

Effective leadership stems from a great self-awareness that means leaders are able to continuously improve business relationships and push for exceptional results. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all have preferences in the ways in which we lead others. Becoming cognisant of what our preferences are, and how this forms our personal leadership style, allows us to implement business strategies that are more effective. When we know ourselves better, we are able to leverage leadership excellence to drive performance.


Advocate for Innovation

Developing high performance in teams can be as simple as challenging them to think more innovatively. The success of many high performance teams is often due to their ability to come up with new ideas and creatively solve problems. Leaders of such teams are willing to experiment and take risks in order to reach higher levels of achievement.  Building effective teams along with real leadership is one of the most important drivers of organisational success. A strong capability to innovate in service of their goals enables teams to outperform expectations by delivering exceptional results.

Engage Learning with Experience

Performance training programs are continually proven to be more effective when the lessons are then applied on the job. Too often, we will engage in shorter workshops or seminars but fail to incorporate the lessons in practice. Effective leaders develop their leadership in action; discovering strategies that drive performance, and learning from mistakes. In order to inspire lasting changes in the performance of others, leaders need to make a deliberate effort to display changes in their own behaviour.

The success and growth of any business is largely dependent on the implementation of strategy by leaders and the performance of their teams. Great executive leaders understand the necessity of leadership development training for building high performance at all levels of their organisation. Developing our leadership style and implementing our learning to push for innovation leads to stronger, more outstanding performance. 

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.

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3 Steps to Building High Performance

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The Tools of Human Synergistics

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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.

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The Tools of Human Synergistics

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The DiSC Profiles

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The DiSC Profiles

The Everything DiSC® profile personality assessment provides insights and strategies for improving working relationships, resulting in a collaborative workforce with an elevated organisational culture. Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness. These are the four personality profiles of the Everything DiSC personality testing suite. Each distinctive profile is designed to help participants better understand themselves and others.

(D) ominance

People who fall into the Dominance personality profile tend to be confident and outspoken. They place an emphasis on accomplishing bottom line results and ‘seeing the big picture.’ Though people in this quadrant can be viewed as demanding or assertive, they will often be willing to face challenges and take action. Being competitive in nature, they are able to leverage their creative thinking to overcome opposition. As leaders, they are pioneering, resolute, and focused on achieving results. 

(i) nfluence

Influential personality types are able to shape their environment and persuade others though their enthusiasm, optimism, and trusting natures. They prioritise relationships and collaboration as motivators to reach team goals. i style leaders engage their teams by generating excitement and enthusiasm for projects. They will often take on the role of coach or counsellor due to this ability. The perception that they are charming and supportive people aids their proficiency in influencing others in their leadership.

(S) teadiness

The person who falls within the Steadiness quadrant may have difficulty in adapting to sudden changes, though they value collaboration and consensus driven problem solving. They aim to cultivate harmony and stability while striving for team accomplishments. Leaders with the Steadiness personality profile do not seek recognition for personal achievements. Instead, their humility drives them to favour cooperation. They will be supportive of others and use their influence to help them reach their fullest potential. 

(C) onscientiousness

Conscientious leaders largely value quality, expertise, and competency in themselves and their teams. They can be extremely detail-oriented and may find it difficult to delegate tasks. Despite this, they are disciplined in providing high-quality results through careful analysis and planning. Their conscientiousness drives a curiosity to attain new skills and knowledge. Critical thinking plays a significant role in their ability to provide objective feedback and in challenging the status quo to achieve better results.

Each Everything DiSC profile is designed to help participants better understand themselves and others. Gain insights on why we behave and perform the way we do, that is based on over 40 years of research. Leverage these insights to improve communication and organisational skills in all areas of the business. From engaging each individual to building more effective relationships, teaching managers successful leadership skills to tackling workplace conflict, there is an Everything DiSC profile to deliver strategies and insights.

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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.

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The DiSC Profiles

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Actionable Conversations Explained

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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.

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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.

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Actionable Conversations Explained

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Striving for Excellence

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Striving for Excellence

Organisations who achieve regular success have leaders who understand the importance of constant growth. They know that to reach their goals, they must rely on their direct reports to bring their purpose and vision into fruition. To do this, they establish strong personal relationships with their team and support them in their development. 

Purpose Clarity

Great leaders know that success begins with defining the purpose of the work you do. Understanding why it matters, and more specifically, why it matters to you. Leadership development programs help participants to understand themselves better both personally and professionally. Through the use of leadership assessment tools, their sense of purpose can make itself known. To achieve leadership excellence, you must be passionate about your purpose and able to communicate it with your team in ways that will inspire others in working towards the same purpose. 

Embrace Vulnerability

The scope of what leadership looks like has had a significant shift from being purely authoritative to now requiring the development of personal relationships. The research of Brenè Brown places vulnerability at the centre of daring leadership. The Dare to Lead™ Program, based on her work, encourages participants to embrace vulnerability in order to form stronger personal connections with others. When we lead with authenticity, we foster a culture of trust that results in better communication, collaboration, and success.

Empowering Leadership

Training for leadership excellence teaches participants to lead others through empowering them to reach higher levels of performance. Empowered employees have greater autonomy in their day-to-day tasks and have more creative problem-solving skills. In organisations where empowerment is common, company loyalty is also higher. This creates a sense of community where individuals are more willing to volunteer for additional assignments and assist one another. Both of which contribute greatly to improving overall performance. 

Ongoing Improvement 

Even the highest performing teams and organisations understand the benefits of reviewing their best results. Developing leadership excellence is an ongoing endeavour. There is value in revisiting past success in order to determine what worked well and how it might further be improved in the future. Providing access to leadership training programs ensures that you and your team are knowledgeable of the most recent trends in your field. This gives you a competitive edge and allows you to remain at the forefront of your industry. 

In the pursuit of leadership excellence it is important to first define your purpose and share your passion with your team. A leader’s success is often measured by the performance of their team, so empowering them to perform at their best will have significant benefits for you both. Leadership excellence is a continually moving target that requires you to have an invested interest in your own development and the growth of your team’s capabilities. 

In what ways to strive for excellence in your leadership?

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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.

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Striving for Excellence