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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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Building a Culture of Ethics and Transparency

The Difference Between Values Based and Ethical Leadership

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The Difference Between Values Based and Ethical Leadership

Leaders have a huge impact on the success of their organisation, and the decisions they make can have far-reaching implications. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on values based and ethical leadership – two approaches that are becoming increasingly important in order to create a successful business environment. Both of these approaches can help organisations achieve greater success as they foster trust, loyalty, and collaboration among team members. By understanding the differences between values based and ethical leadership, leaders will be equipped to make informed choices that will ultimately benefit both themselves and their employees.

In this article, we explore:

  • The Difference Between Values Based and Ethical Leadership
  • The Need for Ethical Leadership
  • How Organisations can Build Ethical Leadership

The Difference Between Values Based and Ethical Leadership

Values based leadership is a type of management style that seeks to instil core values into the workplace and encourage employees to align their behaviour and decisions with those values. It focuses on creating a culture where people make decisions based on principles, rather than personal gain or career advancement.

Ethical leadership is a form of management that seeks to promote ethical behaviour and decision making in the workplace. This style of leadership emphasises fairness, trustworthiness, respect for individuals’ rights, and the importance of social responsibility. It is closely linked to values based leadership in that it encourages people to make decisions in line with their core values. However, ethical leadership goes further by explicitly addressing the need for a less subjective view of ethics. An important element of ethical leadership is the understanding that decisions should be made in a way that takes into account the needs of all stakeholders — from shareholders to customers and employees.

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The Need for Ethical Leadership

As organisations continue to navigate the complexities of the 21st century, ethical leadership is becoming increasingly important. Ethical leadership serves to ensure that decisions and practices within an organisation are guided by a sense of morality and integrity. This is especially pertinent as advances in technology have made it easier for unethical behaviour to occur. Avoiding  unethical behaviour requires organisations to proactively incorporate ethical practices into their decision-making processes, resulting in greater trust, transparency and success throughout the organisation. By promoting ethical leadership, organisations can create an environment where individuals are encouraged to make decisions that benefit the organisation and their community as a whole, rather than their own interests.

Ethical leadership is important for employees because it creates an environment of trust, respect and fairness. Such an atmosphere can also inspire confidence in employees, leading to better collaboration and productivity.

How can Organisations Build Ethical Leadership?

Here’s how you can build ethical leadership in your organisation:

Start With Values

To build an ethical leadership culture, organisations should start by creating a shared set of values that all team members are held to. Refer to them often and make them a part of the way the business runs, especially when making decisions that affect everyone. Your employees and clients will be more likely to trust and respect the organisation if they see these values upheld consistently.

Emotional Intelligence Matters Most

Organisations should also focus on developing leaders who demonstrate emotional intelligence, which can help promote ethical leadership. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence are better able to empathise with different points of view and consider the impact of their decisions on others. They understand that trust must be earned and maintained, and are better equipped to build relationships with employees and foster an environment of collaboration. By investing in leadership training programs, organisations can ensure that their ethical leadership culture is upheld throughout the organisation.

Role Model the Change

The quote “Be the change you wish to see in the world” is often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most influential figures in India’s struggle for independence and a renowned advocate for nonviolent resistance. Although Gandhi may not have used these exact words, the phrase encapsulates his philosophy and approach to social and political transformation (what he actually said is shown below). The sentiment is the same – you can’t expect others to change if you don’t.

Gandhi said,

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi believed that individuals have the power to initiate change by embodying the principles and values they wish to see in the world. He emphasised personal responsibility and the need for individuals to align their actions with their ideals. Gandhi’s approach to social change was rooted in the belief that true transformation begins within oneself and radiates outward to influence others and society at large.

It is a call to action, urging individuals to take responsibility for creating positive change in their own lives and communities. It reminds us that change begins with our own actions and attitudes and that by living our values, we can inspire and influence others to do the same. This quote has become a powerful mantra for personal growth, social activism, and leadership, resonating with people seeking to make a difference in the world.

Where to From Here?

Values based leadership and ethical leadership are two distinct but closely related concepts. Values based leadership focuses on creating a culture where people make decisions based on principles, while ethical leadership emphasises fairness and social responsibility. By understanding the differences between the two and leveraging the ways in which they are connected, organisations can create an ethical leadership culture that will inspire employee engagement, trust and collaboration. This ultimately leads to greater success for the organisation as a whole.

Book a Consultation

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 Difference Between Values Based and 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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Innovative Approaches to Leadership for a New Era

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Cultivating a Culture of Innovation: Future-Focused Leadership in Action

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Cultivating a Culture of Innovation: Future-Focused Leadership in Action

Innovation is essential to the success of any organisation. It requires leaders who can think strategically and plan for the future. Leaders must also be able to motivate their teams, create an environment that encourages creativity, and foster a culture of innovation within their organisations. With the right approach and mindset, leaders can cultivate such a culture and set their organisation up for long-term success.

Provide Resources to Support an Innovative Culture

Leaders must have the right resources at their disposal in order to cultivate an innovative culture. This includes access to the latest technology, research, and guidance. Offer training programs that discuss best practices and modern techniques for leading teams. They can also provide access to industry experts and specialists who can offer advice on how teams can stay ahead of the curve. These training programs should equip future leaders with the knowledge they need to identify opportunities for innovation and take advantage of them.

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Empowering team members is an integral part of cultivating a culture of innovation and fostering future-focused leadership. In a landmark study conducted by Google called Project Aristotle back in 2015, researchers found that psychological safety, which includes feeling safe and trusted, was the most important factor influencing team performance. Their discovery that teams with higher psychological safety were more likely to take risks, share ideas, and engage in innovative problem-solving continues to be proven so in organisations today.  It is important for senior leaders to ensure that their teams have the tools, skills, and autonomy they need to be successful. By providing team members with a sense of ownership over their work, leaders can inspire more creative problem-solving and better ideas.

Leaders can take a number of steps to ensure their teams are empowered to be successful. One is providing adequate training and support for team members. Developing leaders should make sure that team members have access to the right resources they need to do their job effectively, whether it’s additional technology or specialised knowledge. Senior leader development can also help ensure that team members have the skills they need to lead. This could include helping them develop better communication and collaboration techniques, or teaching them how to delegate tasks more effectively.

“When leaders are willing to invest in their teams by encouraging experimentation and creativity, it sends a message that their team members have a valuable voice and can contribute meaningful ideas.”

Implementing Innovative Ideas

Many organisations will often make claims that they are encouraging of creativity and innovative ideas. When it comes to fostering future-focused leadership, however, it’s important to ensure that teams are actually able to take their ideas and turn them into action. Leaders should create an environment where team members can experiment with different approaches and test out methods without fear of reprimand, judgement or failure. Even through unsuccessful attempts, teams can learn from their mistakes and find more effective solutions in the future.

When it comes to leading teams, it’s also essential to create a culture of trust and collaboration. Implementing innovative ideas fosters trust in leadership by creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and collaboration. When leaders are willing to invest in their teams by encouraging experimentation and creativity, it sends a message that their team members have a valuable voice and can contribute meaningful ideas. This helps build trust between the leader and team members, as each individual feels like their contributions are valued and appreciated.


Fostering a culture of innovation and future-focused leadership starts with senior leaders creating an environment that encourages creativity. This includes providing team members with the resources they need to succeed, such as access to industry experts or specialised leadership development programs. Leaders must also empower their teams by giving them autonomy over their work and building trust through collaboration. By implementing innovative ideas, senior leaders can create a more positive atmosphere for their teams and set them up for long-term success in any organisation.

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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Cultivating a Culture of Innovation: Future-Focused Leadership in Action

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Collaboration or Competition? The Evolving Dynamics of Leadership in the Era of Gig Economy and Automation

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Collaboration or Competition? The Evolving Dynamics of Leadership in the Era of Gig Economy and Automation

The rise of the gig economy and automation has transformed the way we work and the dynamics of leadership. Traditional hierarchical structures are giving way to more flexible and agile forms of organisation. As a result, leaders are faced with a fundamental question: Should they foster collaboration or encourage competition within their teams and organisations? The answer lies in understanding the evolving landscape and embracing a new paradigm that combines the best of both worlds.

The gig economy, characterised by the prevalence of short-term contracts and freelance work, has brought about a significant shift in the employment landscape. Workers are increasingly seeking flexibility and autonomy in their professional lives. This trend challenges traditional notions of leadership based on strict hierarchies and top-down decision-making. Future focused leadership requires adapting to a more fluid and decentralised environment.

Collaboration

Collaboration has emerged as a key driver in this new era. In a gig economy, teams are often composed of individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds, brought together for a specific project or task. Effective leaders recognize the value of harnessing the collective intelligence and expertise of their team members. By fostering collaboration, leaders create an environment that encourages knowledge sharing, innovation, and problem-solving.

Collaboration also promotes a sense of belonging and engagement among team members. In a gig economy where workers may not have long-term job security, building a strong sense of community becomes crucial. When employees feel valued and supported, they are more likely to be motivated and committed to their work. Collaboration allows leaders to create a culture of trust and cooperation, leading to higher levels of employee satisfaction and productivity.

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Competition

However, competition cannot be disregarded entirely. In a world where automation is becoming increasingly prevalent, workers are constantly adapting to stay relevant. Leaders must encourage a healthy level of competition that pushes individuals to strive for excellence and continuous growth. Competition can fuel innovation and drive individuals to perform at their best without compromising the team’s ability to work together. 

Moreover, competition can be leveraged to encourage individuals to develop their unique skills and capabilities. In a gig economy, where workers are often hired based on their specialised expertise, competition can motivate individuals to differentiate themselves and stand out in a crowded market. Leaders can leverage their organisation against external competitors by providing opportunities for professional development, recognising and rewarding outstanding performance, and creating a culture that embraces healthy competition.

“Competition can fuel innovation and drive individuals to perform at their best without compromising the team’s ability to work together.”

Finding a Balance

The key lies in striking the right balance between collaboration and competition. Rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive, leaders should adopt a hybrid approach that integrates the best aspects of both. Collaboration can be fostered through open communication channels, cross-functional teams, and shared goals. At the same time, healthy competition can be encouraged by setting challenging targets, providing performance-based incentives, and recognising individual achievements.

Adopting this hybrid approach requires a shift in leadership mindset. Leaders must move away from the traditional command-and-control model towards a more facilitative and empowering style. They should focus on building relationships, fostering trust, and providing guidance and support rather than micromanaging their teams. This new form of leadership requires a deep understanding of individual capabilities as well as the ability to create an inclusive and supportive work environment.

Leadership training is essential for building trusting relationships within teams. It helps leaders to develop an understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to leverage collaboration and competition in order to build a more effective team. Leadership development programs provide tools and techniques for fostering trust, open communication, mutual respect, and working together towards shared goals. By equipping leaders with the skills to create an environment that fosters collaboration and competition, organisations can reap the full benefits of this new era.

The Role of Technology

Technology plays a crucial role in enabling collaboration and competition in the gig economy and automation era. Leaders should leverage digital tools and platforms that facilitate remote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and project management. These technologies can enhance communication, streamline workflows, and create a more connected and agile workforce.

At the same time, leaders must be mindful of potential pitfalls associated with technology. Automation and artificial intelligence can reduce costs and increase efficiency, but they can also create a false sense of security that leads to complacency. Remaining aware of potential risks and ensuring when leading teams, that they remain creative and adaptive in an increasingly automated world.

The evolving dynamics of leadership in the era of the gig economy and automation call for a careful balance between collaboration and competition. Effective leaders recognize the importance of collaboration in harnessing the collective intelligence of their teams, fostering engagement, and driving innovation. They leverage competition to motivate individuals, encourage growth, and enhance individual and organisational performance. By embracing a hybrid approach and leveraging technology, leaders can navigate the challenges of this new era and drive success in the ever-changing business landscape.

Three Take-Aways

1. Effective leadership requires a shift from a top-down, command-and-control model to one that is more facilitative and empowering.

2. Collaboration and competition should be viewed as complementary rather than mutually exclusive – leaders must strive for the right balance between the two.

3. Technology can facilitate collaboration and competition, but leaders must remain aware of potential risks and ensure that teams remain creative in an increasingly automated 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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Collaboration or Competition? The Evolving Dynamics of Leadership in the Era of Gig Economy and Automation

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Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: The Crucial Role of Leaders in Shaping the Future of Work

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Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: The Crucial Role of Leaders in Shaping the Future of Work

As the workforce becomes increasingly culturally and socially diverse, companies must create an environment where individuals of all backgrounds can thrive. Leaders play a crucial role in shaping the future of work by creating an inclusive atmosphere, which drives innovation and strengthens organisational performance. By recognizing and valuing different perspectives, leaders can develop more effective solutions to complex problems. This commitment to fostering inclusivity is essential for all organisations and the future of leadership.

The Benefits Embracing Diversity & Inclusion

The benefits of embracing diversity and inclusion are numerous. A study from the Harvard Business Review found that teams led by inclusive leaders are more likely to perform well, make high-quality decisions, and behave collaboratively. Specifically, such teams have a 17% higher likelihood of reporting high performance, a 20% higher likelihood of making high-quality decisions, and a 29% higher likelihood of behaving collaboratively.

By leveraging different perspectives within a team, organisations can develop unique solutions to complex problems. Additionally, by creating an inclusive workplace culture, leaders can ensure that their employees feel seen and heard in the workplace, boosting morale and improving job satisfaction.

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Creating a Culture of Inclusion within Your Organisation

Leaders can create a culture of inclusion in their organisations by committing to diversity initiatives and fostering an environment where all employees feel respected. This includes implementing anti-discrimination policies, integrating diverse hiring practices into your recruitment process, and providing leadership team development for managers on how to support diverse teams.

Organisations should not merely focus on meeting the diversity requirements and overlooking the importance of creating an inclusive environment. Diversity is valuable when you foster a welcoming and secure environment for people with varying backgrounds, ages, genders, and thoughts to coexist. Unfortunately, some individuals tend to only ‘tick the diversity checkbox’ without prioritising the sense of belonging and safety for all individuals.

Developing a strong leadership team is essential for developing an inclusive environment where employees from all backgrounds are respected and valued. It’s important that the organisation’s leadership reflects its workforce demographic to ensure there is a deep understanding of the differences and needs of staff. Leaders should be setting an example by actively learning from, listening to and engaging with different perspectives in order to create a culture where diversity is celebrated.

“Organisations should not merely focus on meeting the diversity requirements and overlooking the importance of creating an inclusive environment.”

Visible Commitment to Inclusion

Leaders must demonstrate a visible and authentic commitment to inclusivity. This begins at the top and should be reflected in all aspects of an organisation’s culture. Leaders must also foster open communication, encourage collaboration across teams, and promote diversity initiatives within their organisations.

Awareness of Biases

No one is immune to unconscious bias, and it can be difficult to identify our own biases. Leaders must be aware of their own biases and take steps to address them. This can include assessment and profiling, participating in workshops or seminars on inclusive leadership, or actively engaging in dialogue with employees about diversity and inclusion. By intentionally recognizing and addressing unconscious bias, leaders can create an environment where all team members feel valued and respected.

Being Curious about Others

Leaders must constantly strive to learn about and engage with others. They are curious about different cultures and perspectives, actively listening to team members with empathy, or creating opportunities for employees to share their experiences. This can help in leading teams where differences are not only accepted but celebrated.

Understand Mistakes May Happen

Implementing and leading through change is difficult, and mistakes are inevitable. To break the cycle, it’s important to embrace the vulnerability that arises from making mistakes and keep trying. In this case, leaders from the majority group should acknowledge that while they may not know the exact way to have a conversation or say the perfect thing, they shouldn’t avoid having the conversation due to their vulnerability.

In order to create a culture of diversity and inclusion within an organisation, leaders must take responsibility for actively engaging in dialogue with employees about the importance of these initiatives. We should remember that these are not just simple initiatives or tasks to complete. They define our identity and actions, as they are deeply ingrained in our culture. This includes developing a strong leadership team that reflects the workforce demographic, demonstrating visible commitment to inclusivity, being aware of their own biases, and embracing curiosity when learning from others. It is important for leaders to understand that mistakes may happen as they strive towards creating more equitable workplaces – however this should not deter them from leading with vulnerability and continuing on their journey towards fostering greater equality within organisations.

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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Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: The Crucial Role of Leaders in Shaping the Future of Work

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Essential Qualities for Success and Creating the Leaders of Tomorrow

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Essential Qualities for Success and Creating the Leaders of Tomorrow

Becoming a leader is not an easy feat. It takes more than just a title or position to lead effectively.  It requires a set of essential qualities that set successful individuals apart from others. These qualities include accountability, creative innovation, empathy, and emotional intelligence. Developing these skills is not only beneficial for personal growth but also for shaping the leaders of tomorrow. The world is constantly changing, and the future demands leaders who can adapt to new challenges while maintaining a clear vision for success. By focusing on developing these essential qualities, we can create a generation of leaders who can navigate the complexities of the modern world, bring about positive change, and achieve success in their personal and professional lives.

Accountability at All Levels

Building accountability is an essential quality for developing leaders to have in order to be successful. Accountability helps ensure that you are taking responsibility for your actions, setting goals and expectations clearly, and taking ownership of the results. When a leader is accountable, it encourages trust between you and those you are leading. Teams built on trust  are more capable of tackling difficult tasks and working together towards a common goal.

Effective, future focused leadership requires leaders to hold themselves, as well as their team, accountable. As a leader, you aren’t always going to have the answers, but being accountable and honest with your team demonstrates that you are willing to take responsibility for any mistakes that may be made and put in the effort to correct and learn from them.

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Creative Innovation

Modern teams are becoming less reliant on hierarchical power structures and the traditional “top-down” approach to leadership. Instead, they are focusing on innovative ideas that create new opportunities and solutions. Creative innovation is an essential quality for leaders to cultivate in order to stay competitive and relevant. Leaders who can think outside the box, explore new ideas, and take risks are better equipped to succeed in today’s ever-evolving world.

Leaders must also be willing to challenge the status quo and introduce new ideas that can help bring about positive change. Innovation requires an open mind, resilience, and a willingness to take calculated risks. In addition, it encourages leaders to trust their instincts and make informed decisions that drive success.

“Leaders must also be willing to challenge the status quo and introduce new ideas that can help bring about positive change. “

Empathy

Empathy is an essential trait for any successful leader, as it helps to create a sense of trust and mutual understanding between them and their team members. Empathetic leaders are able to listen to their team members, recognize the emotions behind the words, and demonstrate compassion when responding to their needs. They also take into consideration individual differences, cultural backgrounds, and other nuances that can impact how their team members perceive the world. Empathy is also good for business. In one study of 1,000 companies covering nearly 33,000 executives, (reported in HBR 2013), researchers found that companies led by highly empathetic leaders achieved around 10% higher profits.

Leadership development courses are an excellent way to learn more about empathy and other important skills for successful leaders. Through a combination of interactive activities and theoretical discussions, these courses help participants hone their leadership capabilities and better understand how to foster a respectful, productive work environment. They also provide insights into the challenges and opportunities that come with leading others, allowing participants to develop a comprehensive perspective on what it means to be an effective leader.

Emotional Intelligence

Empathy and emotional intelligence are often used synonymously, however, the two concepts are distinct in their nature. Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s emotional experience, while emotional intelligence involves recognizing one’s own emotions and those of others in order to manage relationships effectively.

Emotional intelligence is essential for high performing team development. It plays an important role in team dynamics because it allows people to better understand each other’s emotions and perspectives as well as their own. This helps teams collaborate more effectively and reach their goals faster. When leaders develop emotional intelligence, they create a culture of trust and respect that enables members of the team to work together more efficiently. This type of leadership is essential for creating the leaders of tomorrow. Research by McKinsey & Company found that 90% of top performers are high in emotional intelligence compared to just 20% of bottom performers. The study examined data from 3,000 executives and Hay Group found when studying 400 companies that emotionally intelligent leaders achieve 50% lower staff turnover.

The best way for developing leaders to build these qualities is through experience and practice. Through mentorships or a leadership development course, can help individuals gain the experience they need to hone their skills. Learning from observing others is a great way to increase knowledge and develop specific competencies.

When it comes to leading teams, building trust, setting clear expectations, and communicating well are all essential qualities. By guiding their team members to work together towards a common goal, leaders can create environments that foster collaboration, productivity and growth. With these skills at their disposal, future-focused leaders are able to become the innovative problem solvers and inspiring mentors needed to drive successful businesses forward into tomorrow’s ever-changing landscape.

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If you want to learn more about resilient 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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Essential Qualities for Success and Creating the Leaders of Tomorrow

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Leading with Purpose: How Future Focused Leaders Inspire Action

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Leading with Purpose: How Future Focused Leaders Inspire Action

Leading teams is an art that requires a special set of skills and capabilities. To be an effective leader, you must have the ability to inspire your team to action and work towards a common goal. It’s not enough just to have knowledge or experience; you also need to cultivate strong leadership qualities in order to lead with purpose.

Creating Sustainable Change

Adopting a future focused leadership style has numerous benefits, such as inspiring team members to work towards a common goal and developing the skills needed for successful collaboration. It also encourages trust in the leader’s ability to create positive outcomes in both the short-term and long-term. Future focused leaders have an eye for details and are always looking for ways to improve their approach. They take into account the current environment, analyse available data, and use this information to craft a roadmap for the future. For example, 3M, a company known for innovation and radical thought, credits its future focused leadership for capturing new markets and driving growth. Leaders envision potential futures and create an environment that nurtures new ideas (Forbes).

Leadership is about more than just setting goals or delegating tasks; it’s about inspiring people to work together towards a common purpose. A leader must be able to motivate their team and show them the way forward. Leadership development programs can help equip leaders at all levels to build the skills needed to effectively lead their teams. These programs are designed to foster collaboration, develop problem-solving skills, and provide insight into how to create sustainable change.

Learn more about Leadership Excellence

Shared Vision

Leaders must also be able to create an environment where team members feel safe, supported and encouraged. This involves building trust and creating opportunities for team members to share their ideas and perspectives. Future focused leaders should strive to ensure that all voices are heard in order to foster collaboration and innovation.

By creating a high performance team, leaders can ensure that their vision is shared and executed with precision. Effective leaders have the potential to inspire positive change and empower teams to reach new heights of success. By setting clear goals, motivating employees and developing leadership capabilities, you can help create an environment where teams thrive. With the right approach, future focused leaders drive their teams towards greater achievements.

“Leadership is about inspiring others to take action. It’s about setting a vision and motivating people to work together towards achieving it. “

Inspiring Action

Leadership is about inspiring others to take action. It’s about setting a vision and motivating people to work together towards achieving it. For leaders who are focused on the future, this means having the ability to think strategically and anticipate potential challenges that may arise. They need to be able to develop their teams and empower them with the skills they need in order for everyone involved in an organisation or project to succeed. 

Future focused and developing leaders are vital to organisations that  want to succeed in a rapidly changing world. By looking towards the future and anticipating challenges, they can create plans that will allow them to stay ahead of their competition and ensure that their staff are able to work together efficiently. They also understand the importance of motivation and collaboration, which helps everyone involved in an organisation or project reach their potential.

Above all else, these leaders must be passionate about their mission, seeing the potential of what can be achieved and inspiring others to join them on the journey. To be an effective leader, you must constantly strive to develop their skills and understanding. By leading with a clear purpose and a focus on the future, leaders can achieve positive outcomes for all involved. By inspiring action, future-focused leaders can make a lasting impact.

Book a Consultation

If you want to learn more about resilient 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 with Purpose: How Future Focused Leaders Inspire Action

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The Future of Leadership

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The Future of Leadership

The future of leadership is here, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. With the world rushing towards a digital transformation of every industry, executives are being thrust into a new era of technological advances that require sharpened focus on different areas than ever before. The skill sets needed to lead effectively have shifted along with the landscape – no longer can leaders rely solely on traditional tactics and management styles if they want their businesses to stay competitive in this quickly-evolving climate. This blog post will explore the characteristics, mindsets, and approaches needed by today’s boardroom decision makers in order to remain successful for years to come.

Rapid Pace of Change

The pace of change is one of the primary challenges for today’s leaders. As technology advances, customer tastes and demands shift almost overnight, markets become globalised, and new competitors enter the arena more quickly than ever before. To remain resilient in this climate, executives need to be agile and able to adjust their strategies with speed. A resilient leadership training program can be beneficial for executives and their organisations, as it enables them to develop the skills and strategies needed to remain successful in spite of rapid change. Such a program should focus on identifying and responding quickly to changes in the marketplace, staying ahead of trends or other disruptions, and fostering collaboration between team members.

Learn more about our Leadership Excellence Program

Sense of Purpose

In order to create an organisational culture that encourages open communication and innovation, senior leadership must show a sense of purpose. This means investing in employee growth and development, clearly articulating the organisational mission, and providing meaningful rewards for employees who contribute to organisational success. A leadership training program should include components that are designed to cultivate this sense of purpose, such as mentorship opportunities and skill-building seminars.

“To become more agile, executives should focus on developing their decision-making skills and leadership presence, as well as the ability to identify and assess risks.”

Agility and Adaptability

The ability to respond quickly to changes in the marketplace is essential for modern leaders. This means leaders must be proactive, flexible, and able to adjust their strategies at a moment’s notice. To become more agile, executives should focus on developing their decision-making skills and leadership presence, as well as the ability to identify and assess risks. Leadership training programs can help executives hone these abilities by providing them with simulations, case studies, and other exercises that allow them to practise responding quickly to various scenarios.

Innovation through Collaboration

Modern leaders must understand how to get the most out of their teams through collaboration. This means creating an environment where everyone is valued, empowered to contribute, and encouraged to take risks in order to drive innovation. A leadership training program should help to foster this type of collaborative spirit, such as team-building activities and workshops designed to promote open communication.

The future of leadership requires executives to develop a wide range of skills and abilities. With the right leadership training program in place, they can feel confident that they have the tools needed to navigate any situation that arises – no matter how quickly it changes!

As we move into this new era of leadership, organisations must prioritise leadership development and ensure their executives are equipped with the skills to lead effectively. Investing in leadership skills training is essential for organisations to remain competitive in this quickly-evolving climate and will enable them to develop the strategies needed to stay successful for years 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.

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

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The Future of Leadership

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Are you Ready for AI?

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Are you Ready for AI?

As technology advances, corporate leaders must prepare for the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on their business. AI can streamline operations and automate tedious processes – leading to improved efficiency and productivity in the workplace. But embracing this game-changing tech comes with challenges too: from retraining existing staff for an automated future, to understanding when and how AI should be used in each situation. With so much disruption within reach, it can be difficult to know where to start – Are you Ready for AI?

Data Analysis

When considering AI, it’s also critical to understand the data that will be used to power the automation. Businesses should ensure they have access to quality data and are aware of any legal or ethical issues related to its collection and use. Data analysis techniques can help uncover insights from existing datasets and reveal patterns which may otherwise go unnoticed – helping businesses make better decisions and drive more effective outcomes.

AI can be incredibly useful in mitigating the impact of bias in data analysis and decision making. Though will still be affected by the biases inherent in their creation, the effect is far less and can help reduce the risk of errors and misjudgements. However data driven decisions still need to be interpreted through a human lens. Resilient leadership requires decision making driven by data, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, organisational expertise and values based judgement.

Learn more about our Leadership Excellence Program

Human Centred Leaders

As automation technology increases, leadership roles must become more human-centred in order to successfully transition into an automated future. Leadership skills such as empathy, resilience and creative problem-solving will become increasingly important. Leaders must also be prepared to manage the difficulties posed by rapid change, including potential resistance from employees who may be worried about job security.

It will be important  to carefully plan out how the transition will happen, and determine who will support any new AI initiatives. A clear strategy should be in place to ensure that everyone involved is on board with the changes. This may involve providing leadership development training for key personnel of teams whose roles will be impacted the most.

“A successful organisational culture for AI should nurture creativity, curiosity and collaboration.“

Organisational Culture

Leadership teams need to consider the organisational culture they are creating in order to make sure employees feel supported through the transition and empowered to take advantage of AI. This could include introducing processes that allow for collaboration between humans and machines, or providing extra training and support for those affected by automation.  A successful organisational culture for AI should nurture creativity, curiosity and collaboration.

Leadership development and training programs should also be tailored to focus on the skills required for successful AI implementation and management. This could include developing strategies for effective stakeholder engagement, assessing risk and developing governance models.

Are You Ready for AI?

No matter the size or scale of your business, AI can be incredibly powerful. But before you jump on board, it’s important to ensure that you have the necessary resources and skills in place to succeed. Leadership training programs are a great way to help equip leadership teams with the knowledge and confidence they need to lead the transition into automation. By understanding data analysis techniques, human centred leadership principles and how to cultivate an organisational culture that embraces AI, businesses can make sure they are truly ready for the future of automation.

By taking the time to plan ahead, businesses can ensure a smooth transition that will enable them to take full advantage of the potential of AI. So are you ready for AI?  Start planning now, and get ahead of the game!

Book a Consultation

If you want to learn more about resilient 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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How Resilient and Ready is Your Health?

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How Resilient and Ready is Your Health?

Written by Bridie Allen, The Leadership Sphere Office Manager, USA

So here we are, Q1 2023. Do you remember where you were in 2017? More than five years ago. 

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America, The Australian Government legalized same sex marriage, The #MeToo movement began, Britain began the Brexit process, ISIS captured Iraq’s 2nd largest city, Mosul, North Korea was conducting Nuclear weapon tests, The Queen was still head of the commonwealth and no-one had heard of Covid-19. A lot has changed on the world stage. 

What has changed for you in the last 5 years? Where was your business, team or career 5 years ago? 

Based on the high calibre of people we here at The Leadership Sphere have the privilege of working with every day, I’m going to assume that you are a leader; a high achiever with an exceptional work ethic. That you are a goal-setter, a go-getter & a big hitter. You are a planner, prioritiser & powerhouse decision-maker. I also suspect that you have made incredible progress in your professional ‘work’ life in that time. Every day for the last five years (& longer) you have taken intentional steps towards your vision of your future. That you focus on this area of your life, recover from setbacks, and continue to drive forward with relentless determination. The climate & landscape in which you operate may have changed significantly during this time, you will have certainly faced challenges like never before and you may be feeling the consequences of those pressures. I’m also confident that it is during testing times that you have grown stronger and wiser. 


Phil Ralph, founder and CEO of The Leadership Sphere has designed our suite of leadership development programs to deliver sustainable transformational change within individuals and teams. One of the strategies within these programs is bringing the undiscussables to the table. We don’t shy away from the elephant in the room. We believe in Brené Brown’s theories of brave work, tough conversations and vulnerability to develop courageous leaders. There is no growth in comfort.

Learn more about our Leadership Excellence Program

The following questions for you to ponder may cause you to feel uncomfortable:

  • What’s the current state of your physical and mental Health? 
  • Are you well? 
  • Are you fit? 
  • Are you content and confident with your body? 
  • Do you nourish your body with real food every day? 
  • Do you drink too much alcohol and/or caffeine? 
  • Do you smoke? 
  • What are your energy levels like? 
  • Is it different or the same at work and home? 
  • Are you managing your stress levels? 
  • Do you exercise often & regularly? 
  • What was the state of your physical and mental health five years ago? 
  • Has it improved or deteriorated? Have you set any goals in this area? 
  • Have you achieved them? 
  • Have elements beyond your control triggered changes in your habits and routines? 
  • Have you committed the same focus, effort and determination to your health as you have to your work? 
  • What is in your power to alter or improve? 

Your responses to these questions may help you to take action, if it is required, so I encourage you to re-read them and take some time alone to consider, truthfully, your answers and perhaps more importantly how your answers make you feel. Whether you are smashing it out of the park, trying to conceal a whole family of elephants or like most of us fall somewhere in-between, treat yourself with some compassion and kindness – you are in fact human after all. And all human behaviour is driven by pain or pleasure. Our actions either move us away from pain or toward pleasure. Fear and pain can be our greatest teachers; if we are listening. 


At TLS Head, Heart and Hands is an underlying principle for the design and delivery of all our leadership programs. I know, I feel, I do. This applies when working on leading self – which as it happens is where we ALWAYS begin.

“At TLS Head, Heart and Hands is an underlying principle for the design and delivery of all our leadership programs. I know, I feel, I do. This applies when working on leading self – which as it happens is where we ALWAYS begin.”

Head – I Know

Based on my assumption that you are an intelligent, knowledgeable, and driven individual, I’m confident that you know the importance of health. You know that your commitment to success at work comes with a load, called stress. 

You understand that cumulative stress is a term used to describe the gradual buildup of stress over time, which can profoundly affect one’s mental and physical health. Long-term exposure to high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can lead to serious physical and psychological consequences, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, digestive issues, weakened immune system, heart disease, and even early death. 

It’s also not new information to you that exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress levels. Regular physical activity can help release endorphins, which have a calming effect. Additionally, exercising regularly can help build resilience and provide an outlet for expressing emotions.

One of the Seven Spheres of Leadership Mastery as outlined in Leadership without Silver Bullets – by Phillip Ralph is Resilience: energy management, wellbeing, optimism, stress management, exercise. 

Ralph states “The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not.” 
Sound energy management practices are more than just what you do, arguably the most important factor is Why.

Head – I Feel

It’s quite simple really. If exercise was a pill we would all take one every day. Just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s not; it’s hard. It’s hard to balance it all. To consistently eat well and exercise regularly takes discipline. So you need to find your why? Discover what drives you? What motivates you? No-one else can do this for you. No article on the top 10 tips to start running, no discounted joining fee on a gym membership, no new year’s resolution. Your reasons to change any behaviour MUST be stronger than your excuses to stay the same. Your Why MUST outweigh the why nots. 

If you haven’t heard of Simon Sinek’s work, including his Ted Talk “Start with Why”, I recommend taking a listen or even a refresh if you haven’t reviewed it in a while. 

Picture this. Five years from now you continue with the same habits that are contributing to your current state of health, recall your answers to the earlier questions. Where are you? What do you look like? Follow the trends, the data – the same way you would when mapping out a business plan and sales targets. Is that where you want to be? If yes, Congratulations. You are on the right path for you. 

For those of us who may have been tip-toeing around large piles of elephant dung pretending we can’t see where it’s coming from, try on a vision of what you want ‘five years into the future you’ to look like. Picture yourself doing the things you know you need to do to get where you want to be. Feel what it feels like to be smashing your health and fitness goals out of the park. Just the same way you plan and visualise the bigger house, the new car and the bottom line on your Profit and Loss. How great does it feel to buy new clothes that fit well and look fabulous? What numbers do you want to see on the blood pressure monitor at the doctor’s? How much energy do you want to have for your children or grandchildren at the beach for holidays?

Head – I Do

How resilient and ready are you to take on 2023? At work I’m certain you lead in a style that celebrates success and rewards effort, which in turn inspires continued progression. I invite you to do the same to your incredible body that has lived to see all the changes and transitions that we have seen worldwide. Show some self-love, care and compassion. Listen to the signs that tell you to rest when you need to rest. And listen to the signs that tell you to take action when you need to take action. 

When you conduct an assessment that identifies an area that needs improvement you likely outsource expertise beyond your own. You use a tax accountant to file and comply, a search engine optimisation company to maximise your marketing spend and a mechanic to fix your car. My recommendation is not to DIY the most important renovation of your life. Make an appointment with your doctor or local gym (or another qualified expert). Start with an assessment, a baseline, the honest truth. Gather the data. Feel the pain or pleasure of the reality of the current state you are in. You would do nothing different with a department in your business! Then start at the beginning with goals, visions and a plan. Then with relentless determination, day after day for the next five years (& the rest of your life) keep working towards it. You will have setbacks. There will be things beyond your control. And if you are honest with yourself and have the courage to change you absolutely can. If you need to begin exercising and need some help with where to start – check out this 17 min Ted talk from a fellow Kiwi gal, Lauren Parsons and her idea of snacking on exercise.

Something that we believe in strongly here at TLS is actioning our learning. Have you read something in this article that feels important to you? Did something resonate with you? Was it provocative? If there is a yes in there, I recommend you act now. Yes, right now. Pick up a pen, write a note, book an appointment, or make a phone call. Writing it down or telling someone will be the first step in making a change. A change to become a healthier, more resilient you!

Book a Consultation

About 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 Resilient and Ready is Your Health?

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The Importance of Preparation in Leadership

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The Importance of Preparation in Leadership

As a leader, being prepared for difficult conversations and unexpected challenges is essential. Preparation allows you to be proactive, rather than reactive, in challenging situations. It also allows you to build trust with your team members and stakeholders.

By exploring the possibility of, and preparing for numerous outcomes, you are better able to make informed decisions and take action. So, if you want to be a successful leader, make sure you are prepared for whatever challenges come your way.

Navigating Difficult Conversations

As new challenges arise or there is a need to have difficult conversations, it’s vital that leaders are prepared to deal with them. Being prepared doesn’t mean always knowing the right answer, but through development and coaching, it does mean having the skills and ability to find a solution. 

Effective solutions and productive outcomes of difficult conversations occur most often when we spend time planning for them. It’s integral to prepare yourself and the message you’re communicating. Keep in mind the purpose of the conversation. What are you hoping to achieve? What would you like the other person to understand? Are you open to taking different avenues than you are expecting?

Equally, it’s important that you have prepared the other person. For crucial conversations, you may need to brief them ahead of time. Do they have all of the relevant facts and background information? Allow them space to ask questions. Ensure the environment is free from distractions. Senior leadership training helps equip leaders with the skills to handle these types of conversations.

Learn more about Executive Coaching

Making Informed Decisions

Preparation is vital for senior leaders to be proactive rather than reactive in challenging situations. When leaders are prepared, they are better able to make informed decisions and take decisive action.

When unexpected challenges occur, decisions must be made quickly. Leaders must be ready to make the best decisions for their organisation and anticipate future events. It is one of many leadership skills, needed in effective leaders. It’s about taking steps to avoid or mitigate potential problems, rather than being caught off guard and having to react to the situation. Taking time to gather the relevant information and consider all options, helps leaders to make informed decisions.

This means that plans are executed more quickly, keeping projects, teams, and organisations on track. Having a strategy in place also helps leaders to align their team’s efforts. By focusing resources and energy on the most important tasks, they can take advantage of all opportunities.To be effective at leading in challenging situations, leaders must be prepared for anything. Including planning for contingencies, anticipating potential risks, understanding the organisational landscape and being familiar with all the key stakeholders. Leaders should also seek input from their team and develop a variety of solutions to any given problem.

“Preparation is vital for senior leaders to be proactive rather than reactive in challenging situations.”

Building Trust with Teams and Stakeholders

When leaders are prepared, they build trust with their team members and stakeholders. Being prepared shows that the leader is competent and capable, and that they have the team’s best interests at heart. Trust is essential for any team to function effectively, and it can be difficult to build trust if the leader is not prepared.

If a leader is not prepared, it can send the message that they aren’t invested in the team or the task at hand. This can lead to team members feeling like they are not valued, which can erode trust. Executive coaching can be a useful tool to help leaders prepare so that they can confidently lead their teams and build trust.  When leaders are prepared, they can show their team that they care about them and are committed to achieving success.

Being prepared also allows leaders to avoid potential conflict. If a leader is not prepared, they may make decisions that create conflict within the team. This can damage trust and make it difficult for the team to work together effectively. Through leadership development training, leaders can hone the skills to be prepared for any situation and build trust with their teams. When senior leaders are prepared, they can make decisions that avoid conflict and keep the team working together smoothly.

Preparing for challenging conversations and making difficult decisions is essential for leaders to be successful. Preparation helps build trust with team members, stakeholders, and potential customers by demonstrating competence and commitment. It also allows leaders to make informed decisions that keep projects on track while avoiding conflict within the team. Leaders who take the time to plan ahead will find it easier to navigate these complex situations in order to achieve their desired outcomes.

Book a Consultation

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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The Importance of Preparation in Leadership

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Relationship Building (the Foundation of a High Performing Team)

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Relationship Building (the Foundation of a High Performing Team)

Relationship building is an essential part of creating a high performing team. It is the foundation that successful teams are built upon, as it allows for better communication, understanding and collaboration to occur within the team. Relationship building involves getting to know each other on a more personal level, spending time together outside of work, and working together to solve problems. Working on activities such as team building exercises, group outings and social gatherings are all great ways to help build relationships between team members. Establishing clear lines of communication between team members will also go a long way in fostering strong relationships within the team.

Develop Emotional Intelligence

Building strong relationships are integral to high performing teams, and emotional intelligence is the key factor in this regard. Emotional intelligence is an important tool for understanding, managing, and evaluating emotions of oneself and others. It helps to build trust among team members by recognizing emotions, reacting appropriately to them, and showing empathy and self awareness.

Having high emotional intelligence can help create a positive work environment, foster meaningful conversations, and bring out the best in team members. It encourages an open dialogue which allows opinions to be heard without judgement and creates an atmosphere of mutual respect. This can lead to more creative thinking, collaboration, and innovation as team members are more comfortable sharing ideas and giving constructive feedback. High performing teams are able to communicate more effectively and respond quickly to changing external environments, making them well equipped to overcome unexpected challenges.

Learn more about our High Performance Teams program

Highlight Collective Achievements

It is important to recognize the importance of individual team members as well as collective accomplishments. Celebrating each other’s successes and recognizing hard work will lead to a more collaborative atmosphere with increased motivation and engagement. It can also help build good relationships between team members, fostering greater trust and understanding. Acknowledging the efforts of team members is an easy way for senior leadership to show appreciation and build camaraderie within a team.

When senior leaders provide their teams with shared objectives and targets, it encourages collaboration and fosters a sense of unity among the group. With collective goal setting, all members have ownership in the goals and can work together to achieve them, which leads to greater engagement and motivation. Celebrating collective achievements can create a sense of pride within the team, as well as increased commitment to working together towards future goals.

“Celebrating collective achievements can create a sense of pride within the team, as well as increased commitment to working together towards future goals.”

Provide  Clear and Meaningful Feedback

High performing teams must also have effective feedback channels in place. Clear and meaningful feedback is essential for team members to understand what they are doing right, as well as areas of improvement. This can help build trust within the team, as it helps them to become more confident in their abilities. Regular constructive feedback from senior leaders can help team members stay motivated, engaged and on track to achieving the set goals.

When teams are set up for success, adaptive leadership is needed to help them achieve goals. Leaders should be adaptive and responsive to the needs of their team, encouraging them to take initiative while providing guidance. Adaptive leadership focuses on providing the right amount of structure while allowing for creativity and exploration in problem solving. It involves creating an environment where team members are empowered to make decisions, supported by strong relationships and open communication.

Managing Conflict

A critical skill needed for leadership excellence in high performing teams is understanding how to effectively manage conflict. Conflict within any relationship can arise from different perspectives, values, or goals and it can be highly disruptive to team performance if not managed appropriately. It’s essential for team leaders to use their emotional intelligence to recognize and manage conflicts in order to ensure a productive work environment.

Leaders should be prepared to address conflicts as soon as they surface, encouraging team members to work together and find solutions. Team leaders can create a safe environment for these conversations by listening to all perspectives without judgement, helping the team reach an agreement that works for everyone.

Effective leadership is essential for high performing teams. By recognizing individual and collective accomplishments, providing clear and meaningful feedback, setting shared objectives, managing conflicts appropriately, and encouraging continuous learning among team members; leaders can foster an environment of trust that leads to collaboration and innovation. With these leadership skills in place, a team will be well-equipped to handle unexpected challenges while achieving success together.

Book a Consultation

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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Identifying Burnout and the Importance of Prevention to Maintain Performance

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Identifying Burnout and the Importance of Prevention to Maintain Performance

The harsh reality is that burnout can be hard to spot because it usually creeps up on us gradually. It’s easy to get so absorbed in our work and ambitions that we fail to realise we might be approaching a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. When left unchecked, burnout can have serious negative impacts on our wellness, quality of life, and overall productivity. It doesn’t only permeate the world of work; burnout can also creep into hobbies, relationships, and other activities that are important to us. This is why it’s so important to be conscious of our mental and physical health, and to take steps to relieve stress and prevent burnout.

Leadership Development Implications

For leaders, it’s imperative to set the tone within an organisation about what is acceptable in terms of stress and workloads. Senior leaders should role model healthy behaviours such as taking breaks, switching off from work outside of work hours, and managing unrealistic expectations. Leaders should also create an environment where employees feel comfortable communicating openly about how they are feeling without fear of judgement or reprisal. In today’s fast-paced and highly technological work environment, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and experience burnout, so having an organisational culture that prioritises employee wellbeing is essential for fostering productivity and morale.

Developing high performance teams can also contribute greatly to the prevention of individuals experiencing burnout. Teams that are highly cohesive, support each other’s development, and encourage open dialogue between members can help to reduce stress through the sharing of responsibility and workload. It creates a network of support for teams to rely on which can help to keep motivation and morale high as well as increase employee engagement. High performance teams also provide an organisational culture of learning, which can help to develop leadership skills and resources that can be used to combat burnout.

Learn more about our High Performance Team programs

Recognising the Signs of Burnout

Unfortunately, many of us don’t notice the signs of burnout until it’s too late. Often we believe that we are temporarily experiencing higher stress, lacking energy, or poorer performance. But this is not the same as burnout. Burnout exhibits itself as chronic exhaustion (lasting weeks or even months at a time), extreme irritability, and disengaging from things we are usually passionate about.

It’s important to retain a level of self-awareness by checking in with how you are feeling regularly, and if you find that your stress isn’t going away or getting better, then it might be time to take a step back and reevaluate. Creating high self awareness is essential as part of a leadership development strategy to prevent individuals from becoming overwhelmed and underperforming. Great leaders are able to recognise the signs of burnout and work with their teams to develop strategies for prevention. This will lead to increased morale, productivity and work life balance in the workplace.

“One important factor for developing self-care activities is that they are most effective when they put us in a mindset that opposes that which we are in when we’re at work.”

Finding Strategies for Prevention

The sooner burnout is identified, the easier it will be to manage. There are many techniques for preventing burnout such as taking regular breaks throughout the day, creating realistic goals and expectations for yourself, setting healthy boundaries between our work and personal lives, scheduling time for self-care activities such as exercise or other hobbies, staying connected with supportive people in your life, eating nutritious food, and seeking professional help where needed.

One important factor for developing self-care activities is that they are most effective when they put us in a mindset that opposes that which we are in when we’re at work. Some activity that allows us to redirect our focus and energy from the demands of the job. This can be different for everyone, but some examples might be going for walks in nature, cooking, or learning to play a musical instrument. When regularly prioritise rest, we show up at work more resilient and ready to face new challenges.

It is essential that individuals and organisations take steps to prevent burnout before it becomes a debilitating problem. By prioritising self awareness, creating healthy expectations for workloads, encouraging open dialogue between employees, and developing cohesive teams, organisations can create an environment where employees feel supported in their work and perform at their highest potential.

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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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Identifying Burnout and the Importance of Prevention to Maintain Performance

4 Podcasts to Help you be a Better Leader in 2023

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4 Podcasts to Help You be a Better Leader in 2023

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

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

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

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

Listen here!

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

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

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

Listen here!

Learn more about our Dare to Lead™ Program

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

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

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

Listen here!

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

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

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

Listen here!

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

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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4 Podcasts to Help you be a Better Leader in 2023

3 Books to Read in 2023

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3 Books to Read in 2023

As the year 2023 approaches, it’s time to start thinking about what books you want to read to stay ahead of the curve. Much of what we do in becoming more effective leaders often impacts us in  a way that is often overlooked. Who we are and how we behave in our personal lives, can have a huge effect on our success as leaders. Therefore, it’s important to take the time to invest in ourselves and become better equipped with the best tools possible. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 3 must-read books that will enrich your life and expand your knowledge in 2023.

Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown

In Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown takes us on a journey through 87 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. She provides us with the language and tools to access a universe of new options and second chances as she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection – a universe in which we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. This book is an essential read for leaders who want to develop authentic relationships with their team and cultivate a culture of empathy.

Learn more about Advanced Dare to Lead™

Atomic Habits, James Clear

James Clear’s Atomic Habits is a great book for leaders to read. It discusses forming habits that lead to success and how small changes can turn into big achievements. In this book, Clear provides clear steps to help leaders create better habits and stick to them over time. He covers the science of habit formation, provides tools and tips on creating successful habits, and details the benefits of making small, incremental changes. Clear also delves into the psychology of why habits form and how to break bad ones. Atomic Habits is a must-read for leaders looking to make lasting positive change in their lives and careers. It’s an inspiring look at just how far one can go when they commit to bettering themselves day.

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas Hofstadter

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter is another essential book for leaders. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel explores self-reference and pattern recognition in mathematics, music, art, and more. It challenges readers to think differently about the world around them and how they interact with it. Leaders looking to become more creative thinkers can benefit greatly from this book. Gödel, Escher, Bach examines the idea of intelligence and how our brains can be trained to think in ways that weren’t possible before. It’s an incredibly thought-provoking read for leaders who want to expand their horizons and develop new ways of thinking.

These books offer valuable insights into how leaders can improve their productivity, creativity, resilience, and more. If you’re looking to become a better leader, give one of these books a read. It may just be the key to unlocking your potential!

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 Books to Read in 2023

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.

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

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3 Ways Coaching Can Help Leaders Connect With Their Teams

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How to be a Better Leader: the Human Centred Approach

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How to be a Better Leader: the Human Centred Approach

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

Provide and Encourage Accountability

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

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

Learn more about the Dare to Lead™ Program

Aligned in Purpose

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

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

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

Be Flexible and Adaptable

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

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

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

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

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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 be a Better Leader: the Human Centred Approach

Human Centred Leaders

Creating Human-Centred Leaders

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Creating Human-Centred Leaders

There is a lot of talk these days about the power of human-centred leadership. But what does that mean, exactly? Human-centred leadership is about putting people first, which then guides how we ‘show up’ in any given circumstance.

In today’s fast-paced, constantly-changing world, it is more important than ever to put people first. That means creating a workplace where employees feel valued and appreciated, and are able to do their best work. It means understanding that each individual has unique talents and needs, and catering to those accordingly. When businesses focus on the people behind the products or services they offer, the results can be astounding.

Human-centred leadership is about more than just recognizing the value of each person. It’s also about creating a culture where everyone is respected and supported. This means avoiding micromanagement, fostering open communication between employees and managers, and providing opportunities for development. When employees feel like they are part of something bigger and their contributions are appreciated, their work is likely to be of higher quality and productivity will increase.

Ultimately, human-centred leadership is about creating an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and innovation. When everyone feels valued and respected, they can come together to produce incredible things — making human-centred leadership an important element of success in today’s business world.

Competitive Advantage Through Human-Centred Leadership

Organisations that focus on human-centred leadership create a competitive edge. Employees who feel supported and respected are more likely to produce higher-quality work and be more engaged with their jobs. Additionally, human-centred leadership can help businesses attract and retain skilled and motivated people who will ultimately contribute strongly. The management guru, Gary Hamel, has previously said that every employee gets to decide whether to bring their unique skills and ideas to work – or not.

Learn more about our Leadership Excellence Program

Key Attributes of Human-Centred Leadership

Our Human-Centred Leadership Excellence Model outlines the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the development of human-centred leadership.

At a high level, human-centred leadership incorporates four key areas:

  1. Leading Self
  2. Leading Teams
  3. Leading People
  4. Leading Change

Each of these four areas builds on the one before it, starting with understanding ourselves, then developing skills to lead teams, then more broadly leading people, and finally leading the organisation (or leading change in general).

Many models of human-centred leadership focus only on how to lead ourselves and miss out on the other three critical areas.

Leading Self (the ‘Contributor’)

Mindset: Personal accountability

Behaviour: Authentic and vulnerable

Result: Personal mastery

The foundation of leadership is about ourselves, in that leadership is an ‘inside-out’ proposition. If we don’t have a grasp on who we are as a human being, then it is pretty much impossible to lead other human beings authentically and congruently because we are too busy managing our own fears, concerns and reactivity (fight, flight or freeze response). Leading self is about self-awareness, emotional intelligence and your leadership brand. It’s also about having a deeper understanding and connection to values that are important to you while being able to show up with vulnerability and humility. Most of all, it is about fostering a mindset of personal accountability for our actions and their impact. Regardless of seniority, most leaders still have part of their role which is about their individual contribution. 


The link between Leading Self and Leading Teams is clarity. Doing work on ourselves creates increased clarity about what fuels us, our strengths, as well as areas for development.

Leading Teams (the ‘Leader’)

Mindset: Excellence

Behaviour: Act with purpose and clarity

Result: Create value

Leading teams takes a mindset of excellence where teams should always be striving to be and do better. Moving from Leading Self to to Leading Teams requires a composite skillset that most people need to develop over a long period of time. Even the most experienced leaders can struggle to create and maintain a high-performing team because it involves so many elements, from strategy, creating a useful operating rhythm, growing and developing people, and managing the inevitable conflict and challenges. Leaders must understand the fundamental differences between being a ‘smart’ team and a ‘healthy’ team. They need to be able to be open and vulnerable, build trust, know how to give and receive feedback and have hard conversations.  Most of all, they need to ensure that they create a sense of purpose and clarity that drives value for the team, the business and the customer.


The link between Leading Teams and Leading People is the ability to create leaders. Whether it is members of our team or people more broadly in the organisation, human-centred leaders should be always looking for opportunities to enable and empower others to lead, regardless of their authority.

Leading People (the ‘Enabler’)

Mindset: Human-Centred

Behaviour: Empower

Result: Realise potential

At the heart of leading people, whether they are part of your formal team or not, is about putting people first. Tom Peters, the writer on all things related to management, writes in his latest (and last book according to him), that all through his career he has been asked why he has focused on the people side of business over his whole career. To paraphrase Peters, he says, ‘what else is there?’ When you think about it, people are the business, way beyond being ‘human resources’. People create the structures, systems, processes and dynamics – and it is people who are actors within that system. It’s people first, second, third and…..last. There is decades of research to support the power of understanding people and empowering and enabling them, yet our humanity often gets in the way creating less than ideal outcomes. Leaders need to be sufficiently self-aware (conscious and awake) to the constraints and limitations in how we think, feel and show up in complex systems. Leaders need to empower and enable through a coaching leadership style, not a managing style. Leaders also need to be able to focus on strengths and limitations. By doing this, leaders can realise potential and create enormous value. 


The link between Leading People and Leading the Organisation is to create change. When leaders lead people effectively it creates real change in those people as they continue their development journey. Similarly, Leading the Organisation is about creating meaningful change in your team, functional area or perhaps even more broadly.

Leading the Organisation (the ‘Architect’)

Mindset: Complexity conscious

Behaviour: Mobilise people and systems

Result: Evoluationay organisation

For three-decades now we have been writing and talking about complexity as it relates to leadership in organisations. Why? Because if we’re not aware, and skilled, in being able to firstly ‘see’ complexity and then navigate it, then we are unlikely to be very effective leaders. In fact, many people in organisations who have formal authority vested in them through their role (or those with informal authority because of the trust or the voice they have), fail to lead. Aron Dignan, who wrote Brave New Work, talks about leaders needing to be ‘complexity conscious’. Leaders need to be able to understand the differences between something being complex and complicated. They also need to understand the differences and impact of authority versus leadership. Although they’re not the same thing, they are often used interchangeably. Many people who have authority simply fail to lead. We need to better understand systems, role theory, faction management and how real world change always has technical and adaptive elements that need to be navigated and managed. In true adaptive change, our measure of success should be making progress, rather than finite resolution.

Resilient and Ready

Sitting in the middle of our Human-Centred Leadership Excellence Model is Resilient and Ready. Leadership is hard. It is often over-sold to those who choose to lead, with many finding that real leadership is not all it’s cracked up to be. We discover (hopefully) that change is not a linear proposition in the real world, people don’t always react or do what you expect, and systems are a whole other level of complexity. We need to build practices and habits that will support surviving and thriving. It is important to be able to manage and pace ourselves and those around us, otherwise burnout may become an issue, or at the very least a lack of passion, purpose or commitment.

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Where to From Here?

Becoming a human-centred leader takes time, commitment and courage. And while it’s not an easy journey by any means, it can be an incredibly fulfilling one. We need to be able to have the courage to be open, vulnerable and receptive to the data points (gifts) along the journey that make us a more effective, human-centred leader. 

The ultimate measure of success should be about how you cared for people, how you lived your values, how you showed up no matter how tough it was, and the value you created for those around you, including in and outside of the organisation.

The Human-Centred Leadership Excellence Model guides our work and in fact is the foundation of our Leadership Excellence (LX) signature leadership development program. If you’re interested in knowing more, please get in touch.

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Creating Human-Centred Leaders

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The Power of Human Centred Leadership

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The Power of Human Centred Leadership

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

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

Promotes Effective Change Management

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

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

Learn more about our Assessment and Profiling Tools

Develops Meaningful Workplaces

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

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

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

Increases Job Satisfaction

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

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

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

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

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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 Power of Human Centred Leadership

HBDI

5 Habits of Human Centred Leaders

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5 Habits of Human Centred Leaders

In order to be an effective leader, it is important to put yourself in your employees’ shoes and think from their perspective. After all, you can’t lead people if you don’t understand what they’re thinking.

As a leader, it is important to develop human-centred habits in order to better understand your employees and what they are thinking. By understanding your employees, you can better lead them and help them achieve their goals. When human centred leaders take the time to develop leadership skills that are people centric, they create a more positive and productive work environment for everyone.

Ask for Regular Feedback from their Team

Human centred leaders are curious and strive to understand the people they lead. They actively listen to their teams, ask questions, and seek out different perspectives. Employees at every level of an organisation will have unique insights about the business. Established and developing leaders alike, should understand the importance of building a holistic view of their team from every vantage point possible.

Doing so allows you to collect constructive feedback on how you are perceived as a leader, as well as on the impact that your decisions are having on your team. This level of understanding promotes healthy dialogue, which can help to identify areas for improvement. It ensures that you are able to provide your team with the tools and resources they need to enhance their development, and improve the success of the business. As a result, your own leadership development becomes reflective of what your team requires of you while assisting you in reaching your goals.

Set Clear Expectations and Priorities

Humans centred leaders are clear in their expectations and priorities. They identify where the organisation needs to focus its energy, and then communicate this message effectively through both verbal and written correspondence. By doing so, they make sure that everyone on their team is perfectly aware of what tasks need to be completed, when they need to be done by, and how. This way, the team can work together towards achieving a common goal, reducing confusion and increasing productivity.

Communication is one of the most important leadership skills needed to be a human centred leader. Leadership assessment and profiling tools can help developing leaders to understand their preferred style of communication. They also provide insight into a range of communication styles and how to most effectively communicate with people with those preferences.

Learn more about HBDI® and Whole Brain® Thinking

Encourage Purpose-Driven Work

People centric leaders strive to create an environment of purpose-driven work. By taking the time to understand both the individual and overall company goals, they are better able to connect each task with its purpose, creating a deeper sense of engagement and meaning within team members. They encourage their team members to think beyond just completing the task at hand and to understand the bigger picture within which that task fits. This will help to create a heightened level of motivation, as team members begin to see the impact their work has.

A leadership skills assessment can help to develop leaders and identify any blind spots they may have in terms of understanding what motivates their team members. Understanding individual drivers, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is key when it comes to creating a purpose-driven workplace. Developing a leadership style that inspires teams to reach exceptional levels of success requires an understanding of how to use those skills to engage, motivate and develop teams.

“Understanding individual drivers, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is key when it comes to creating a purpose-driven workplace.”

Express Appreciation and Recognition

Leaders need to be able to give meaningful praise that recognises individual efforts, as well as team achievements. Expressing appreciation and recognition helps to keep morale high among employees and encourages them to continually strive for excellence. It is also important to recognise employees for their contributions and make clear how their work is contributing to the overall success of the organisation. This encourages employees to stay engaged and committed to achieving success.

In taking a human centred approach to leadership, developing leaders should also make sure that their team is being recognised for the diversity of its viewpoints. By listening to different perspectives and encouraging participation, leaders can foster an environment of collaboration and creativity.

Lead by Example

Human centred leaders lead by example and serve as role models for their team. They don’t just talk about what is expected but also demonstrate it with their own conduct and behaviour. By being a role model, the team is able to see what behaviours and attitudes are expected of them in order to meet the organisation’s goals.

Leadership development programs can help leaders to nurture their developing leadership skills while they lead by example. These programs will equip leaders with the necessary soft skills, such as communication and negotiation techniques in order to be successful. Effective leadership programs also help leaders to understand how their own strengths and weaknesses can influence the team’s performance.

Effective leaders need to be able to encourage purpose-driven work and express appreciation and recognition for individual efforts in order to keep morale high. They also need to lead by example, demonstrating the behaviours and attitudes that they expect from their team. By focusing on these human centric leadership skills, leaders can inspire their team members and create an environment of collaboration, creativity and productivity.

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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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5 Habits of Human Centred Leaders

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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.

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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?

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The Importance of Executive Coaching

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The Importance of Executive Coaching

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

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

Develop Compassionate Leadership

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

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

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

Learn more about our Leadership Excellence Program

People First Growth Mindset

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

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

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

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

Assist in Implementing Change

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

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

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

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

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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 Importance of Executive Coaching

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3 Ways Coaching Builds Human Centred Leadership

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3 Ways Coaching Builds Human Centred Leadership

Leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept, but at its heart, it is about human relationships. Good leaders must be able to see the world from their followers’ perspectives, and understand their needs and motivations. They must also be able to inspire their followers to achieve common goals.

Coaching can help leaders develop the essential skills needed for human centred leadership. It teaches them how to take a people centric approach and adapt their behaviour to better meet the needs of their team. Coaching benefits senior leaders and teams by helping them to build trust and create positive relationships with those they lead.

A well designed executive leadership development program will incorporate coaching as a key component. This will ensure that leaders are able to learn the skills needed to build strong, productive teams. It will also help them to create a culture of trust and respect within their organisation.

Developing Empathy

Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. What works for one leader may not work for another. That said, there are some key traits that all good leaders share. One of these traits is empathy. Empathy allows leaders to understand the perspectives of their team members and customers, and to respond to them in a way that meets their needs.

Executive coaching provides an opportunity for leaders to reflect on their own actions and motivations, and to see how they are affecting others. Through this, their ability to empathise with others is enhanced. Leaders who participate in an executive leadership program learn to listen more closely, and to develop a greater awareness of the underlying reasons for people’s actions.

Ultimately, developing empathy makes senior executives more human centred, and results in creating more effective leaders and improves organisational culture.

Learn more about Executive Coaching

Guards Against Complacency

When things are going well, it’s easy to become complacent and to stop pushing ourselves to improve. This can be disastrous for a team or organisation, as it can lead to stagnation and decline.

Guard against complacency by always looking for ways to improve. Set goals and standards that are challenging but achievable, and work hard to meet them. Encourage your team members to do the same. Practice innovation and creativity in everything you do. And never forget that success is never final; there is always room for growth and executive leadership development.

Leadership is an evolutionary process, and an executive leadership program can help you evolve as a leader. Coaching benefits leaders by providing an opportunity to step back and reflect on your leadership development journey so far, and to identify areas where you can continue to grow. This self-awareness is the key to continued success, and it’s something that an executive coach can help you develop.

“Leadership is about more than just giving orders. It’s about inspiring others to follow you, and that can only happen if you are leading with authenticity.”

Find the Confidence to Lead Authentically

Leadership is about more than just giving orders. It’s about inspiring others to follow you, and that can only happen if you are leading with authenticity.

Being authentic as a leader means being true to yourself. It means being honest about your strengths and weaknesses, and it means leading from a place of integrity. It also means being confident in your own leadership capability, and this is something that an executive leadership program can help you to succeed.

Working with an executive coach can give you the space and time to explore your own leadership style, and to find ways to express it more authentically. Senior leadership training can also help you build the confidence you need to be a more effective leader. This is because leadership development provides a safe environment where you can experiment with new ideas and approaches, without fear of failure.

Effective leadership involves the ability to tap into human cognition and behaviour in order to drive common goals. Coaching can help leaders develop essential skills needed for human centred leadership, which in turn benefits leads and teams by building trust, creating positive relationships and improving the organisational culture. A successful executive leadership program provides an opportunity to hone the leadership skills necessary for building strong, productive teams while also developing empathy, preventing complacency, and finding the confidence to lead authentically.

When leaders are supported in their development, it has a positive effect not only on the individual but the entire organisation. Investing in the development of leaders is an investment in the future success of the organisation.

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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 Builds Human Centred Leadership

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.

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How to Build Human Centred Organisations

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Why Human Centred Leadership Matters for Teams

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Why Human Centred Leadership Matters for Teams

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

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

Better Decision Making

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

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

Learn more about our High Performance Team Program

Supports Data Driven Choices

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

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

Increases Job Satisfaction

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

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

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

Improves Team Connectedness

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

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

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

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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Why Human Centred Leadership Matters for Teams

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The Importance of Compassion in Leadership

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The Importance of Compassion in Leadership

Compassion is essential in leadership and in building high performance cultures because it allows for perspective and understanding. Leaders who are compassionate can put themselves in the shoes of their followers and understand their needs. This empathy builds trust and connection, which are essential for effective leadership. Compassion also allows leaders to be more forgiving, which can prevent negative feelings and conflict from festering. Compassionate leaders know how to motivate and inspire their team members, as they can see the potential in everyone. Ultimately, compassion makes leaders more effective at achieving their goals by creating a harmonious and supportive team environment.

Compassionate Leaders View Mistakes as Opportunities for Growth

Forgiveness is needed in leadership to maintain relationships with others. As leaders, you are often put in difficult positions and may need to make tough decisions that can impact people’s lives. In order to maintain trust and respect, it is important for you to be compassionate and forgive others when they make mistakes. This allows people to feel safe and comfortable working with you, knowing that they can admit wrongdoing and that they will not be punished or held accountable forever. Forgiveness also shows that you care about the well-being of your team and are willing to work through disagreements and issues in a constructive way.

When mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth, everyone involved can learn and improve. You can help their team members learn from their mistakes by providing feedback that is constructive and helpful. This type of feedback will encourage team members to reflect on what they did wrong and how they can do better next time. In addition, you can model compassion and forgiveness by accepting mistakes graciously and moving on. This will show team members that it is okay to make mistakes and that you are committed to furthering their development. To do this, strong communication skills are needed. Leaders must be able to listen to team members, understand their feelings, and provide support. Ultimately, viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth can help create a more positive and productive work environment.

Compassionate Leaders Value Individuality

Leaders who value individuality understand that everyone is different and that this should be embraced. They know that in order to get the most out of their team, they need to allow each member to be themselves and contribute in their own way. This can be difficult, as it requires a lot of trust and openness, but the results are worth it. By encouraging individuality, you are more likely to have creative, productive teams that feel appreciated and supported. A human centred approach to leadership allows for connection and collaboration, which are essential for any organisation to succeed.

A compassionate leadership style is not about being soft or weak. The ability to see the best in people can be one of the greatest strengths of leadership. Leaders who are able to be compassionate are also able to be firm when necessary. They know when to give support and when to give criticism. In a high performance culture, it is important that leaders develop both skills. Compassionate leaders recognise the humanity in all of us. They understand that we all have our own stories, experiences and perspectives. They are curious about others and want to learn from them. This creates a sense of partnership and mutual respect, which are essential for increasing employee engagement and creating high performance cultures.

“Great leaders understand that we all have our own stories, experiences and perspectives. They are curious about others and want to learn from them.”

Learn more about Dare to Lead™

Compassionate Leadership Reduces Stress for All Employees

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy for employees to feel overwhelmed and stressed. This can lead to decreased productivity and engagement, as well as increased absenteeism. That’s why it’s so important for effective leaders to create a work environment that is supportive and positive. One way to do this is by being compassionate towards employees.

Compassionate leadership is essential for reducing stress for all employees. When leaders are compassionate, they take the time to understand the individual needs of their employees and work to create a positive work environment. This can lead to decreased stress levels for employees, as they feel appreciated and supported. In high performance cultures, it’s essential you demonstrate concern for the well-being of their teams. Leadership development training can provide the tools needed to create a human centred culture. This leads to happier employees, which often results in lower healthcare costs and fewer missed days of work. So, not only does compassionate leadership improve morale, it also increases retention.

Compassionate Leaders Motivate and Inspire

When it comes to employee engagement, motivation and inspiration are two key factors that contribute to it. Employees who feel motivated and inspired are more likely to be engaged in their work, and they are also more likely to be productive and innovative. This is because when employees feel motivated, they are driven to achieve their goals, and when they feel inspired, they are energised and driven to come up with new ideas.

One of the supplemental benefits of demonstrating compassion to your employees is that it will also lead to higher levels of motivation and success. This is needed in any high performance culture because in order for an individual to maintain high performance, they need to feel a sense of purpose. A compassionate leader can provide this needed feeling of purpose by communicating a clear vision and mission for the organisation, and by demonstrating care and concern for employees.

To be an effective leader, you must be able to put yourself in other people’s shoes and understand their point of view. This requires empathy and compassion. If you can’t see things from another person’s perspective, you’ll have a hard time connecting with them and motivating them to achieve common goals.

Compassion is a necessary part of leadership development and is essential for creating a positive work environment, reducing stress levels for employees and increasing employee engagement. Leaders who are compassionate also motivate and inspire their employees to be productive and innovative. In order to be an effective leader, you must first develop the ability to empathise and understand others. This requires compassion. So, if you want to become a better leader and build a high performance culture within your organisation, start by being more compassionate towards those around you.

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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 Importance of Compassion in Leadership

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Being a Human Centred Leader

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Being a Human Centred Leader

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

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

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

Be Authentic and Transparent

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

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

Learn more about authenticity in leadership

Show Empathy and Connect with Your Team

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

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

Be Supportive

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

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

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

Be a Role Model

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

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

Stay Curious

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

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

Be Self-Aware

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

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

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

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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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Being a Human Centred Leader

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The Challenges of Human Centred Leadership and How to Overcome Them

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The Challenges of Human Centred Leadership and How to Overcome Them

Today’s organisations face many challenges, but one of the most significant is how to create a human centred leadership culture. In a world where technology is rapidly changing the way we live and work, it’s more important than ever for leaders to focus on the people they lead.

However, this can be easier said than done. Human centred leadership can be tough to achieve, especially in traditional organisations. Here are some of the biggest challenges you’ll face, and how to overcome them.

Changing the Way People Think About Leadership

One of the biggest challenges organisations face is changing the way people think about leadership. In a traditional corporate culture, senior leaders are often seen as figureheads who make all the decisions. This top-down approach doesn’t work in a human centred organisation.

Instead, leadership must be seen as something that everyone can do. It’s not about position or title, it’s about influence and inspiration. People first leadership is about putting people before the organisation. It’s about creating a culture where people feel valued and empowered to make decisions. To change the way people think about leadership, organisations need to encourage and enable everyone to take on a leadership role. This can be done by conducting a leadership skills assessment, or by giving people opportunities to lead projects and initiatives.

Learn more about Leadership Assessment and Profiling

Breaking Down Silos

In many organisations, silos are preventing leaders from working together effectively. Silos happen when departments or teams operate in isolation, without collaboration or communication with other parts of the organisation. This can lead to a lack of trust and cooperation between leaders, and ultimately result in poorer performance in all teams.

To overcome this challenge, organisations need to break down silos and encourage collaboration between leaders. One way to do this is to create cross-functional teams that include representatives from different departments or areas of the organisation. With leadership assessment and profiling, you can discover the leadership style preferred by each person and how they might best engage with one another. This will help to foster a culture of cooperation and trust, and ultimately help leaders to direct their attention on the people they lead.

“In order to create a human centred leadership culture, we need to shift the focus from the organisation to the people.”

Empowering Leaders at all Levels

A human centred approach to developing leaders is about putting people first. It’s about creating a culture where people feel valued and empowered to make decisions. In order to create a human centred leadership culture, we need to shift the focus from the organisation to the people.

One of the things that can make any company successful is to invest in your team’s professional development.  That’s why it’s important to empower leaders at all levels, from front-line managers to senior executives. By developing leadership skills of individuals throughout the business, you create people centric organisations. When your employees feel valued and empowered, they’re more likely to be engaged and committed to their work.

Creating People First Leaders

Leadership is a critical function in any organisation, but it can be especially challenging in organisations that are focused on putting people first. Leaders in these organisations need to be able to put the needs of their employees first and foremost, while also managing the broader goals of the organisation. This can be a difficult balance to strike, and it can often be difficult for leaders to know where to focus their energies.

In creating people first leaders, it must be remembered that developing leadership skills and employee well being are equally important. Leaders must make it clear that employee needs are a priority, and act accordingly. They need to be engaged with their team members; understand them as human beings and have a deeper sense of what their goals are and what challenges they face.

Despite these challenges, there are several ways that leaders can overcome them and successfully implement transformational leadership in their organisations. One way is to start small and gradually make changes over time. This will allow leaders to test new approaches and make adjustments as needed. When leaders commit to putting people first by taking an holistic approach to the way they lead, their teams and organisation can reach their full potential.

Book a Consultation

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!

TOP STORIES

The Challenges of Human Centred Leadership and How to Overcome Them