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Why Values Work Better in the Arena than Armour

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Why Values Work Better in the Arena than Armour

When we feel frightened, tired, alone, up against it or under pressure, it can be tempting to want to protect ourselves by putting on the armour when we walk into the field or play or arena. When we armour up however, we are much more likely to create the very outcomes we’re trying to avoid – disconnection, a lack of engagement, or trying to preserve our sense of identity – at least how we perceive it or want it to be perceived. This is a powerful paradox. The harder we try to prove that we’re capable, have it all together and are worthy of people’s trust and acceptance, the more likely we are to destroy it. Hustling for our worth is a zero-sum game. It destroys the very heart of leadership – value creation.

The arena is the metaphor used by Brené Brown in her book  Dare to Lead,, based on the speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in Paris in 1910. In this article, we’ll discuss why values might be all you have to take into the arena – and sometimes, all you should take into the arena. 


In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we laid the foundation about why braver leadership and fostering more courageous cultures in our organisations matters.  In Part 3, we got a better understanding of vulnerability. According to Brené Brown, brave leadership and courageous cultures require four kill sets: (1) Rumbling with Vulnerability; (2) Living into Our Values; (3) BRAVING Trust and (4) Learning to Rise.

The Arena

As Brené Brown says, “In those tough matches, when the critics are being extra loud and rowdy, it’s easy to start hustling—to try to prove, perfect, perform, and please.” In these moments, we forget why we are in the arena, which is particularly interesting given our values – our core beliefs – is what led us to the arena in the first place.

According to the research conducted by Brené and the team, the daring leaders who were interviewed were never empty-handed in the arena. In addition to rumble skills and tools, they always carried with them clarity of values. 

Let’s start by defining values, again through the lens of Dare to Lead. A value is a way of being or believing that we hold most important. Living into our values means that we do more than profess our values, we practice them. Values guide us, prompt us into action, and help us make the right decision.

Why We Need Better Leaders

The central role of leadership is value-creation, whether in our organisations, government, not-for-profit entities or our local school. And in order to create value – at least in the long term – we need to be able to practice effective leadership. I believe real leadership consists of two dimensions or pillars: ethical leadership, represented by asking is it the right thing to do and brave leadership, represented by actually doing the right thing, even if it’s hard.

VALUE-CREATING LEADERSHIP = ETHICAL LEADERSHIP + BRAVE LEADERSHIP

Ethical leadership is best served by firstly knowing our values and then living by them. Brave leadership is best served by taking off our self-protecting armour and leaning into the work with purpose, grit and courage. 

We have seen some very prominent examples recently where ethical decision making and actions were not present and it destroyed value – literally. In May, the mining giant Rio Tinto destroyed two rock shelters that demonstrated 46,000 years of continuous human occupation in the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara (Western Australia). The aftermath was fascinating and disturbing. 

Rio Tinto’s own internal review concluded that “Everyone and no-one was accountable.” The company stripped around $7million in bonuses from three executives but it didn’t recommend anyone being stood down. 

Shareholders and various stakeholder groups were not happy, believing that the penalty didn’t fit the ‘crime’.  After enormous pressure, Rio Tinto boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two senior executives will be replaced after an investor revolt forced the mining giant’s board to escalate its response.

There are numerous examples of failures of leadership, evidenced by the number of royal commissions and inquiries we’ve had in the last few years (e.g. Aged care, Mental Health, use of police informants, Hotel quarantine around COVID-19 in Victoria, and currently Crown Casino and it’s links to Asian syndicates and money laundering).

And every day in our organisations, we still tolerate bad behaviour in the form of bullying, sexual harassment, or people being treated poorly. We must demand a higher standard of behaviour in organisations and society for that matter. We must demand braver leadership. 

The question for each and every one of us is, “Are you a builder or a breaker?” 

Breakers destroy value through their actions or lack of actions, including trying to prove they’re right, using shame and blame to manage themselves and others, leading through compliance and control, not having the difficult conversations, professing values rather than practicing values, leading reactively, resisting change, and getting stuck by failures, setbacks and disappointments. It’s what Brené Brown calls armoured leadership.

Leaders and teams alike face serious problems showing up in a vulnerable way at work; instead, sabotaging themselves and others and killing real collaboration, trust, innovation and creativity. 

Value creators – or Builders – create value by living in accordance with their values and what is deemed to be ethically sound by basic human standards. Builders work to create high-trust, safe workplaces where people can truly show up and be their best. 

Living into our values means firstly knowing our values and then actually living by them. It means being able to foster more humanistic organisational cultures. To do this, we need to continue to develop our level of self-awareness and courage skills.  We need to confront our own cognitive biases, limitations and fears. 

We need to work harder to cultivate braver, values-based leaders.

The author is a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator. You can find out more about our in-person and virtual Dare Lead Courses here.

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Why Values Work Better in the Arena than Armour

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3 Reasons Why Setting Leadership Objectives Is Important

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3 Reasons Why Setting Leadership Objectives Is Important

When an organisation has clear goals and objectives, it provides everyone with a better understanding of what they, as an individual, and as part of a team, are aiming to achieve. That’s why so often we see a focus on mission statements and functional plans that align with the overarching strategic objectives of an organisation. This all looks good on paper, however these goals are not reached in practice unless every member of the team performs as they are expected to do. Of course, each position will require their own set of objectives in order to fully understand the role they play. This is particularly true where leadership comes into play, as we rely on our leaders to be able to make things clear and guide others along the path to reaching these goals. 

Goal setting set the leaders intentions

Goal setting is important because it is crucial to communicate to a team what the expected results should be and the time it will take to reach them. In other words, we are beginning with the end in mind, and that is the outcome. It is equally important to provide a roadmap for achieving those results and how that roadmap connects to the greater good of the team and the customers that your organisation serves. This is the important part that leaders play in goal setting and the reason why leadership development programs to support your senior managers need to spend equal time on clarity, capability and contribution. So often, the ‘clarity’ part is missed because we get straight into the detail of capability as a way to drive the contribution of individual team members. 

Key considerations when setting leadership objectives

Here are a few things to consider when setting leadership objectives:

  • Are your goals specific?
  • How relevant are your smaller goals to your overall objectives?
  • Do you have realistic expectations for achieving your goals?
  • Are your goals challenging?
  • Will you be able to achieve them within your chosen timeframe?
  • Do the goals align to the greater good of the organisation and those you serve?

Responsibilities of Leaders


#1 Driving Focus

When working on a large scale project it can sometimes be very easy to lose sight of the bigger picture if for instance it’s a long-running project or we hit a speed bump. Having leaders who are able to return the team’s focus to the end result can reignite productivity and prevents energy from being wasted on aimless tasks. By focusing on particular objectives we can mobilise our energy, leading to higher and more consistent effort overall. Having defined goals should trigger our behaviour. When we are reminded (or remind ourselves) of our reasons for what we are doing, we become much more motivated to put in the work.

#2 Measure of Progress

By having set and specific objectives we are trying to reach, it is possible to monitor the progress being made. This creates accountability when we might be falling short and motivation to continue when we can see how far we have come. A portion of the Dare to Lead™ Leadership Development Program offered by The Leadership Sphere includes a focus on participants creating and building a new habit. Through regular check-ins they are encouraged measure their own progress in implementing the habit they’ve chosen for themselves. A big part of leadership at the individual, team, or organisational level is having the capacity to deliver, in other words, to do the things that need to be done, even when you may not feel like doing them. Habits aid in getting people to deliver.

#3 Improved Communication

We’ve touched on the importance of clarity when it comes to setting leadership objectives; now let’s look at it a little more closely. We cannot gain clarity and understanding of team goals without effective communication. If our objectives aren’t clearly defined and communicated with us, we run the risk of misinterpreting what was said. This could easily lead to mistakes being made that cost us valuable time, effort and, resources if we have to redo tasks. It would also mean that it’s going to take us longer to achieve our goals which would potentially drive our motivation to complete them down. When we take the time to be as direct and focused as possible, this risk is lessened. By defining what our collective goals are with each other, we open the door for continued communication and collaboration to achieve them.

Setting leadership objectives is no easy feat and ultimately they can be quite subjective. Despite this, it should be important to all organisations and their leaders that their goals are made clear to everyone involved. Without this clarity it can be difficult to determine the progress of our success or give it the focus it deserves. 

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can support your leaders with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

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3 Reasons Why Setting Leadership Objectives Is Important

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Considerations for Online Leadership Training

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Considerations for Online Leadership Training

As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic we have all been forced to reassess the way we operate in our daily lives – both personally and professionally. During this time we have seen businesses make the switch to remote working and transition face to face learning and development programs to an online format. Whilst this has presented challenges as we adapt to new ways of communicating with one another, there have been many benefits, one of them being the way we deliver online leadership and development training. In this article we consider some of the key actions that need to be taken to establish the right virtual learning environment for leadership training.

Before selecting the method of delivery, it is always best to consider what outcomes you are looking to achieve with your leadership training program.

  • Why is this leadership training important?
  • What is your goal? 
  • Who will be involved?
  • What are the areas of leadership development that you want to focus on?
  • Who will be involved in the leadership training?

Once you have determined your reasons for taking on leadership development training, it then becomes possible to explore how that training may be delivered to your team. It then becomes a question of what is the right technology for the task at hand.

Now that we have our “why” there are a seemingly endless number of ways in which we might begin to explore the idea of technology driven leadership training. What is important to think about here is how we might best make use of the technology available to us. Remember that the technology format is not the solution to our leadership problems, but rather, a tool to assist us in achieving our learning objectives.

Technology Driven Learning

The effectiveness of integrating technology into leadership development programs is far reaching. Leadership development experts at The Leadership Sphere were able to move their highly sort after face to face Dare to Lead™ Program to a virtual format within weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia. Several virtual programs later it has shown that great value can be gained from running leadership development programs in a virtual format using technology platforms such as Zoom and simple functions such as breakout rooms and online collaboration tools to make traditional face to face workshops come alive online. This has shown the benefits of web hosted programs and how participants are able to quickly adapt to new formats without compromising learning. When we spoke with Phillip Ralph and the team at The Leadership Sphere we soon found out that technology considerations for leadership development programs was more than just setting up a simple zoom meeting format. Careful consideration was taken with adopting new program formats, having additional facilitator support for online breakout meetings, and establishing clear communication tools outside of the online workshops to allow pre-reading and other practical tasks to be completed between sessions. Recorded information and other online resources help participants who may have missed a session or needed a little extra help with the content. This all adds up to a fully integrated virtual leadership development program that enables the same (or in some cases more) learning than traditional face to face workshop.

Leveraging Our Virtual World


One might say that over the past decade we have seen many traditional face to face training programs move online and the restrictions brought about by COVID-19 has accelerated that even further. Though there will always be times where conducting sessions in person will be preferable; it may not always be possible, not just because of a global pandemic, but for other reasons such as training budgets, physical locations of teams and other limitations. In these instances having the capability to participate online will ensure that companies and their employees are able to remain at the forefront of their industries. As e-learning continues to rise so to do the options for technology platforms to support it. Knowing what technologies are available can be advantageous even if you don’t adopt the use of all (or even many) of them. Like most things it is about knowing what to use and equally what not to use. Technology may be changing the way we get things done, but it is also allowing us the capability to grow in our professional development. Examples such as the Dare to Lead™ Program delivered by The Leadership Sphere pose benefits to virtual delivery in that a 2-day face to face workshop can now be delivered over a two-month period with short sharp check ins and the time to embed habits and undertake personal reflection through the process. The impacts have been overwhelming with many leaders reporting that they have removed some of the big rocks that were holding them back in their personal and professional lives and that were eradicated because they formed habits over the program and were given space to reflect on what was working and not working for them.

Advancements in technology are continual and can seem intimidating upon first encounter. But it is without such advancements that our learning and development ceases to progress. After all, where would we be if no one had thought to invent the wheel? As do many businesses, The Leadership Sphere implements the use of a variety of technological tools to ensure that we are operating at the most effective capacity. A blended approach to leadership development was always important, however, it seems that in 2020 and beyond it will now become a necessity.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can support your leaders with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

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The Five Benefits to Leadership Development You Need to Know About

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The Five Benefits to Leadership Development You Need to Know About

There is no denying that leadership development programs make an enormous impact on an organisation’s overall performance as well as to the performance of employees at every level.  The key is for people to be able to recognise their strengths as well as their limitations. It is only after identifying these areas that we may begin to address them. While organisations deserve and should expect a unique program to meet their needs, it is clear that no matter the starting point, the results of excellent leadership programs are the same.

One important goal of any leadership development training program is to provide the skills and know-how to be able to build trust and foster a healthy, safe culture. It could be said that a lack of trust is perhaps the biggest missing link in a company’s potential for success. In a recent survey by Edelman Trust Barometer, they found that only 37% of people thought their company CEOs were suitably credible or trustworthy (1.2). This is an astounding statistic and has a direct impact on performance.

Better communication

When leadership development opportunities are offered to all employees, we begin to see a shift towards an improved communication within teams, between management levels, and across departments. Leadership development programs open up people’s hearts and minds to new possibilities. Lower-level employees are encouraged to share more of their ideas and those in higher positions become more receptive. When employees trust those in management, communication improves, information is shared more freely and individuals are more likely to contribute in forums such as team meetings.

Recognising Talent

This is perhaps the most undervalued benefit to leadership development. Often times, the people who are best suited for leadership already exist within the company. Leadership development programs offer these people the chance to be recognised – particularly those not currently in a leadership role. These opportunities also help to foster a sense of company loyalty and employee engagement, while at the same time improving the efficiency of the business.

Creates Capable Leaders

By providing leaders with the skills they need to successfully navigate the ever-changing and often unpredictable business environment, organisations are able to overcome obstacles much more quickly (2). Capability in leaders also allows organisations to better shape their business strategy from the top-down by ensuring leaders are equipped to implement it.

Improves Company Success

Strong leaders are a fundamental element of successful organisations. When companies invest in placing the right people in leadership positions, other employees are then more motivated to perform better and achieve goals (3). Leaders who are ‘role-fit’ encourage creativity and innovation while simultaneously ensuring their team is focused on their common objectives. Companies who place greater value in leadership development are also shown to have stock market returns that are five times higher than those who don’t (2).

Employee Retention

As previously mentioned, leadership development is an important factor in enhancing company loyalty. Employees are much more likely to remain with the same company for longer when they feel they are being valued and supported by their leaders. In fact, a joint study conducted in 2018 by recruitment firms Accounting Principals and Ajilon found that 53.6% of individuals say “their top reason that keeps them from quitting their job is the loyalty they feel to their team, boss, coworkers or their company” (4). Essentially, what these people are referring to is trust.

What impact does trust have in these areas?

Everything we have talked about above coexists because of trust. Trust is the foundation for so much, including communication, the identification and development of competent leaders, and the fostering of a culture that values and encourages ideas to power up company success.

By taking the time to implement new leadership strategies it is possible not only to improve areas in which a company may be deficient but also to build upon existing strengths. When we look at the benefits of leadership development we can begin to see why such programs are important too, and impact on, all areas of business. Not only this, but we can see how each of these particular benefits stem from having a strong foundation of trust.

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The Five Benefits to Leadership Development You Need to Know About

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Ten Features of World Class Development Programs

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Ten Features of World Class Development Programs

The times are changing but…

While our world is changing rapidly, it could be argued that our management practices have not kept pace with these changes. In fact, I think we’re trailing badly.

In reality not much has changed in 100 years. The training and development industry largely rehashes old theory and practices and makes the same mistakes. At the most fundamental level however, our overall quality of management and leadership is poor and is based on archaic notions based on the industrial age.

“We should stop trying to make people happy and instead make them better equipped to deal with the challenges of today’s organisations.”

While more than 75% of learners report high levels of satisfaction with learning programs, in our heart of hearts we know that there is no correlation between ‘happy sheets’ and the successful application of program learning and subsequent performance. We should stop trying to make people happy and instead make them better equipped to deal with the challenges of today’s organisations.

We think we’re driving a Ferrari but we’re really driving a vehicle from the 1900’s…

Our Top 10 Features / Practices

Our research and practice in learning and development over two decades has allowed us to assemble a ‘top 10’ list that all development programs should at least consider integrating. I’m not suggesting that programs should have all ten, although that goal is certainly achievable (see Actionable Conversations for example). Programs that manage to incorporate many of the practices are more likely to be effective, sustainable and cost-effective.

So here are our top 10….

1. Solid context

Ensure that programs are framed and positioned in a strong context that includes an assessment of the market / external environment, strategy, the customer and the organisation’s vision for the future. Only then can an organisation determine the type of leader it needs and therefore the type of program it should invest in. We should dispense with generic competency based models and generic programs that are not targeted.

2. Just-in-time & strategic

If point #1 is true (above), it also holds true that training should be more agile, responsive and ‘just-in-time’ to meet the specific development needs now and in the short-term. Too often organisations get caught in the trap of looking too far in to the future to try to determine leadership needs. A more pertinent question is to ask ‘What do we need right now and in the coming 12 months?’

3. Leader-led / expert-driven

Developing people should be led internally – harvesting every opportunity, everyday. This should be a blend of informal in-the-moment; semi-structured (e.g. monthly leader-led conversations around a mission critical theme); or more formal training provided by outside experts who can bring a perspective and skills sometimes not present internally.

“Developing people should be led internally – harvesting every opportunity, everyday.”

4. Real-world & practical

Please don’t read ‘real-world’ and practical as just being focused on skill building or superficial training that doesn’t challenge people around their mindsets and behaviours. The most effective development programs invite people to play at their edge. The best programs are transformational, where participants can never view themselves or the world in the same way again (the ANZ Breakout program was a good example of this where I was the head of program delivery between 2001 and 2007).

5. Transfer of learning is primary

Learning can suffer three fatal flaws: (1) it occurs in a vacuum; (2) is not linked to a learner’s role or business unit objectives or (3) learning remains in the classroom. Research tells us that the most important factor in program participants being able to apply their learning back in the workplace is their manager.

6. Supports both leader and learner

We tell our program participants that their 1-up manager should almost feel like they’re going through the program, such should be the level of communication, sharing and support that happens in that relationship. Unfortunately this is more aspirational than fact. Secondly, programs that are leader-led have the added benefit of developing both the team member as well as the leader running the session.

7. Mechanisms to support accountability

I like to call this the ‘scaffolding’ that helps support learners. Examples include regular development meetings with their manager; scheduling time for reflection on behaviours and approach; formal or informal coaching / mentoring; and perhaps most importantly, developing habits and practices (see # 9).

8. Doesn’t break the bank

This perhaps goes without saying, however if programs are going to be rolled out in large volume then they need to be cost-effective and provide a measurable return-on-investment.

9. Focuses on the pathway to get there

One observation I have made repeatedly is that we over-invest in goal setting and under-invest in the pathways to get there. In other words, you can set all the goals you want, but if you don’t have a plan to get there, the goals are useless. And the pathway to get there is through developing habits and practices that move you toward the goal everyday. Read my post on LinkedIn on Habits and Practices.

10. Reinforced & Rewarded

Accountability is an over-used word in organisations, however if you want people to do something different, there has to be accountability built in to development programs. Also, we are all human. In a world that is quick to criticize or cut-down, the basic human need of support and acceptance is enduring. Reward the right behaviours – and oh, don’t forget to reward the right intention and effort.

By at least considering all ten features in this list and how they might be incorporated in your development programs, you stand a very good chance of delivering what you set out to do in the first place, develop people in a way that makes a difference to them and to the organisation.

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Ten Features of World Class Development Programs