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Top Habit Building Tips from James Clear and Adam Grant

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Top Habit Building Tips from James Clear and Adam Grant

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

1. The Power of Small Wins (James Clear)

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

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

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

2. Social Accountability (Adam Grant)

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

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

3. Make It Obvious (James Clear)

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

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

4. Insight into Action (Adam Grant)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Top Habit Building Tips from James Clear and Adam Grant

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3 Characteristics of Effective Leadership Teams

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3 Characteristics of Effective Leadership Teams

ParagraExecutive teams are integral to providing strategic and operational leadership to an organisation. They guide their teams towards achieving goals, developing strategies and overseeing their implementation. An effective leadership team is able to do this by modelling behaviours and setting the cultural standard of the company. The collective functionality of executive teams is rarely prioritised over their strategic role. For organisations that get it right, performance increases at every level and provides a significant competitive advantage.

Authentic Interaction

High performance teams are incredibly intentional in how they interact with one another. Their differences are valued and respected, allowing for more effective communication. They often seek feedback from one another and trust in each other’s expertise and capabilities. Establishing clear expectations for how teams handle difficult conversations is critical to developing effective leadership. 


In addition to having strong communication skills, executive team members must be comfortable being honest and vulnerable. When leaders show up with authenticity, they engage with others on a much more personal level. They demonstrate their dedication to the work and loyalty to one another by driving each other to reach their full potential.

“No individual is solely accountable for the success of the whole team. If objectives aren’t met, the team must address the cause and decide how to correct it or prevent it in the future.

Take Accountability

The most effective leadership teams do not shy away from accountability, from both within the team and others in the organisation. They establish clear expectations around what they need to do, communicate them frequently, and review their progress regularly. Each person on a high performance team understands the necessity of taking personal accountability for their role and why that is important for ensuring team accountability.


Participating in leadership training for performance accountability can help teams to build their collective mindset. While each individual has their own responsibilities within the team, understanding how those responsibilities align with the rest of the team drives greater engagement with common objectives. No individual is solely accountable for the success of the whole team. If objectives aren’t met, the team must address the cause and decide how to correct it or prevent it in the future.

Collective Mindset

High performing leaders function collaboratively, taking an enterprise-wide perspective on their operations both individually and as a team. They serve as role models for the entire organisation in terms of breaking down silos and developing solutions to problems the business faces. Individuals on high performing executive teams put the organisation’s interests ahead of their personal gains.


Executive positions represent a new challenge for leaders to continue to learn and grow. The best leadership development programs enable participants to engage in better performance conversations that result in more opportunities for individual and collective growth. When leadership teams maintain this mindset they are able to drive value beyond the expected level of performance.

Effective leadership teams lead by example. They set expectations by demonstrating desired behaviours themselves. Through high performance training programs, they improve their functionality and set the standard for others to follow. When executive teams are operating at their full potential, performance increases throughout the organisation.

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

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3 Characteristics of Effective Leadership Teams

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Why Diversity is Important for High Performance

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Why Diversity is Important for High Performance

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

Encourages Creative Innovation

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

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

Improved Employee Retention

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

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

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

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

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

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

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Why Diversity is Important for High Performance

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The Long-Term Impact of Developing High Performance Teams

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The Long-Term Impact of Developing High Performance Teams

We often talk about the importance and  benefits of high performance teams for growth and success. In a perpetually changing world, professional development needs to be constantly pursued and prioritised. The impact of developing high performance teams can be both far-reaching and long lasting.

Greater Employee Engagement

Inspired action and ensuring that direct reports can buy into the vision are some of the most important aspects of leading high performance teams. Leaders who are able to capture their team’s collective imagination and motivate them to be more creative problem solvers and innovators, see greater quality output more consistently. Effective leadership development training incorporates the strategy of the business and addresses the limitations that can keep teams from achieving their full potential. By creating leaders who are capable communicators of strategy and motivators, organisations cultivate an environment that drives performance at all levels. 


When employees are engaged with their work and how it aligns with the goals of the organisation, they become more empowered to achieve greater results. Providing opportunities for teams to build upon their strengths and fill skills gaps, allows them to have a more meaningful influence in shaping the processes they use daily. In having a complete understanding of the objectives of the organisation, teams can take ownership of the role they play in reaching those goals.  They establish a personal commitment to them and have an increased dedication to seeing them through.

Deeper Connection and Cooperation

One of the greatest advantages of sustaining high performance teams is that their members experience a larger diversity of knowledge and ideas. They learn to operate cohesively in a highly demanding environment. When there is a lack of cohesion, it causes undue stress and tension between team members and negatively affects performance. There is a necessity of support and cooperation in order to achieve a strong performance and meet targets.

The best leadership development programs include a focus on strengthening the personal relationships within teams. Teams that succeed consistently are respectful of each other’s differences and value the contributions they make. They also tend to be more committed to goals and have a deeper sense of unity that often translates into increased performance. It is this camaraderie that makes high performing teams so attractive to others and why those in them are so unwilling to leave. When a team works well together, particularly when under increased stress, their potential for success is greater.

“When there is a lack of cohesion, it causes undue stress and tension between team members and negatively affects performance.”


Setting teams up for success is a high priority in any development endeavour. The longevity of their success depends on their ability to connect with their objectives and one another. Effective leaders understand the importance of fostering these connections. Inspiring their teams to work collaboratively in service of common goals they’re passionate about, results in higher levels of dedication and performance.

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

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

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The Long-Term Impact of Developing High Performance Teams

What is High Performance Leadership?

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What is High Performance Leadership?

Great leaders have a clear vision and inspire others around them to translate their vision into reality. This is high performance leadership. They understand the direction they want to take. They support, and are supported by, their teams to get them to that place.

Provide Teams the Tools to Succeed

Leaders of high performance teams do everything they can to ensure their team is capable of reaching their goals. They provide their team with the tools they will need to succeed and trust them to get the job done. This often includes customised leadership development training that meets the specific needs of the business. These teams see greater levels of productivity and success because they invest the necessary resources into developing their skills. Their learning is reinforced by leaders outside of the ‘classroom’ setting to make certain it becomes a part of day to day operations.

Onboarding courses can help to establish the expectations for new employees. Including high performance training as a part of this early process equips every person who joins your team with the ability to meet existing standards. This also allows you to identify high potential talent early and grow them within your organisation.

Receptive to New Ideas

It can be easy to discount the benefits of leadership development for performance, when teams are already meeting their goals with great success. However, effective leaders understand the importance of remaining open to new ideas. Just because the current method is working, doesn’t mean that another approach should be discounted. High performance leaders are always looking for ways to gain a competitive edge. To do this, they must allow themselves to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

“High performance leaders must allow themselves to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.”

One way leaders can nurture this mindset is by continually seeking new experiences and developing new skills they may incorporate in the future. When leaders are receptive to new ideas, they allow teams to be more creative, inventive, and take calculated risks that often pay off.

The most successful leaders become so through nurturing their own curiosity, as well as that of their teams. They understand what it takes to elevate performance to achieve outstanding results. Great leaders see training for high performance as an investment not only in the individual, but in the team and 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.

What is High Performance Leadership?

The Impact of Executive Coaching

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The Impact of Executive Coaching

The Impact of Executive Coaching

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

Executive Impact

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

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

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

Team Impact

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

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

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

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

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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.

The Impact of Executive Coaching

The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

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The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

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

Coaching vs Managing

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

“Coaching focuses on collaboration and empowerment.”

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

Key Coaching Skills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Difference Between Coaching and Managing Teams

The Importance of Performance Management

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The Importance of Performance Management

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

Individual Growth

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

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

Organisational Growth

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

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

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

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

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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.

The Importance of Performance Management

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

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What Makes High Performing Teams Different

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

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

Stronger Personal Relationships

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

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

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

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

Ongoing Development

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

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

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

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

What Makes High Performing Teams Different

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3 Steps to Build Adaptive Leadership

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3 Steps to Build Adaptive Leadership

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

Preparation

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

Communication

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

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

Accountability

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

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

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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.

3 Steps to Build Adaptive Leadership

2022 Leadership Trends

3 Leadership Trends to Take into 2022

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

Adaptive Leadership

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


Positive Company Culture

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


Succession Planning

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


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

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

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3 Leadership Trends to Take into 2022

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What Leaders are Doing to Combat the Great Resignation

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

How can organisations retain top talent?


Communication is Key

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

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

Embrace New Technology

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

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

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

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

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

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What Leaders are Doing to Combat the Great Resignation

Personal Values

The Importance of Understanding your Personal Values

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The Importance of Understanding your Personal Values

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


Understanding your Personal Values

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

Better Working Relationships

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

More Committed Employees

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

Better Decision Making

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

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

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

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The Importance of Understanding your Personal Values

leading teams

How Coaching Leads to Excellence

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

Develop a Strategic Plan

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

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

Coaching Leadership

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

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

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

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

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How Coaching Leads to Excellence

Leadership Excellence

The Importance of Leadership Excellence for Performance

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The Importance of Leadership Excellence for Performance

The consistently changing market, customer, and technology landscapes of today’s business environment has demonstrated a shift away from traditional hierarchical leadership structures. Emerging organisations have a different business paradigm, meaning that to remain competitive, existing organisations can no longer rely on the leadership of an individual or small executive team to meet the challenge. The talents, skills, energy, and ideas of the entire organisation must be harnessed to see continued success. 


Why you need leadership excellence

Effective leadership is integral to any successful organisation. Leading high performance teams requires the skillful application of influence and inspiration of others to transform potential into reality. In developing leadership excellence leaders understand how to wield their influence in order to inspire enthusiasm and passion for projects that lead to more engaged and productive teams. When organisations have effective leadership practices in place, an organisational culture develops that is open in its communication. Everyone understands the vision and objectives of the business, and has the opportunity to share ideas on how they can be achieved or improved. People feel a part of the conversation and that they are an important part of building the success of the organisation.

When these conversations are constructive, they have a valuable and positive impact. Effective leaders are able to bring out the best in their teams by encouraging personal investment. Offering high performance training to individuals at every level of the organisation not only demonstrates your investment in their development, it invites them to do the same. As individuals enhance their own capabilities, tailored development programs can ensure that you instill in them a clarity around the values and vision needed to achieve organisational goals. 


Using leadership excellence to drive performance

High performance team leaders understand the importance of providing space for teams to reach their full potential. Individuals who have held decision making positions within high performance teams will be better equipped to take on greater responsibility as the needs of the organisation evolve. Training and experience in high pressure environments ensures that future leaders have the skills needed to keep up with the rapidly changing business landscape. 

Developing emerging leaders through high performance training not only increases the longevity of your organisation’s leadership, it also improves individual’s performance in their current positions. The best high performing teams are frequently shown to have had resources invested in their development. The return organisations receive on this investment occurs repeatedly as individuals progress in their careers and development. 

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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 Leadership Excellence for Performance

High Performance

3 Steps to Building High Performance

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3 Steps to Building High Performance

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

Understand your Leadership Style

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


Advocate for Innovation

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

Engage Learning with Experience

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

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

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

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3 Steps to Building High Performance

build leadership excellence

5 Reasons for Building Leadership Excellence

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5 Reasons for Building Leadership Excellence

Great leaders empower and inspire us to perform at our best. Effective leadership allows space for direct reports to flourish and make valuable contributions towards both their personal and organisational goals. Senior leadership training provides the opportunity for leaders to develop and leverage their ability to influence the behaviour of others that improves performance. 

Increase Productivity

Leaders who regularly practise leadership excellence understand the value of encouraging self-sufficiency in their teams. Their primary  role is one of motivation rather than instruction. Teams are able to drive their own success with the support of their leader. Effective leaders inspire passion and pride within their team to increase productivity and achieve results. A leadership excellence program helps participants to create a framework that allows teams to be independently motivated and high performing.


Better Decision Making

Training for leadership excellence builds higher levels of emotional intelligence. This gives leaders a greater perspective when it comes to decision making. Developing our emotional intelligence is advantageous to mitigating risks or potential negative consequences of our decisions. Understanding how our emotions affect our choices allows us to gain insight into the driving forces behind the behaviour and decisions of others. As leaders, we must support others in recognising their own unconscious emotional biases to allow space for more informed decision making.

Retain High Performers

An investment in leadership development training significantly reduces the likelihood of losing your top performers to other opportunities. Identifying high potential talent and nurturing their development can ensure future, long-term success. Programs that focus on refining and implementing business strategies help participants connect and commit to the goals of the company. Providing leadership training to high potential employees supports career pathways,  succession planning, and increases retention.

Builds Confidence

Confidence is an important pillar of effective leadership. Leaders must have the confidence in their own knowledge and capabilities, as well as that of their team members, in order to drive success.  Both established and aspiring leaders experience self-doubt from time to time. Unfamiliar challenges and changing business landscapes can create uncertainty. The benefits of leadership excellence provide us with the groundwork for figuring out how to overcome these challenges. We may not have the exact answer to a problem, but we are able to rely on our ability to source the solution and lead teams effectively. 

Implement Effective Leadership

One of the benefits of leadership excellence is developing the capability to uncover your personal leadership style. There are a number of different leadership styles, each with unique benefits and disadvantages. Understanding your personal ‘life-story’ and how to use it as a tool for leadership, builds a connection between you and your team. Leveraging this connection can help you to hone a leadership style that your team will best respond to.

Building leadership excellence creates more effective leaders and higher performing teams. Strong leaders are able to connect their personal experiences to their leadership style and inspire confidence and motivation in others. Their role is to support and develop the skills of their team members to foster an environment that values growth that leads to increased performance.

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

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5 Reasons for Building Leadership Excellence

lifestyle inventory assessment

Getting the Most from Leadership Assessments

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Getting the Most from Leadership Assessments

Before embarking on a leadership development journey, you need to understand what the changes you want to make are and why it is important to make them. We can not get to ‘point B’ if we do not know where we are at ‘point A.’ Completing a leadership assessment survey provides us with clarity about our current capabilities. We can identify areas for improvement and create a pathway to help us achieve our goals. Reviewing our competencies will allow us to track our progress in real time and make ongoing, valuable change that make us better leaders.

As an Individual

A leadership assessment can reveal insightful nuances about an individual person’s behaviour and way of thinking. When developing leadership excellence it can be helpful to understand these nuances so that training programs can be tailored to suit the individual’s thinking preferences and so, be more effective. Leadership assessment tools like the HBDI® and Everything DiSC® look at leadership through a personality based lens. The decisions we make are intrinsically biased by the ways in which we prefer to operate. Knowing what our unconscious biases are allows us to mitigate their impact, or leverage them at times they can be most effective. Knowing which traits we avoid is also useful in providing us with a place to start our learning. Effective training programs will be able to frame these limitations in ways within the scope of the individual’s preferred leadership and learning style. This makes the skills they are still developing more accessible when approached from a place of familiarity.

As a Team

The importance of leadership assessment at an individual level should extend to benefit the teams being led. There is a great value in assessing the leadership capabilities of an entire team. It is of course important that the members of a team get along and work well together. But there is also a risk that a lack of diverse perspectives will lead to stagnating performance. The benefits of leadership assessment for teams is that it discloses areas where there are gaps in skills and ways of thinking. Understanding each other’s thinking preferences makes us better communicators and effective problem solvers.  Building balanced, well-rounded teams provides more opportunities for collective growth.

Showing Up

It is not enough to simply fill out a survey about your skills and be done with it. You have either chosen, or have been asked, to complete a leadership assessment because you want to know yourself better. This includes accepting the areas in which you lack strength, and being willing to put in the effort to improve those skills. The best leadership assessment tools can, and should, surprise you in some way. Recalling why it is important for you to undertake this assessment holds you more accountable to yourself, your team, and helps you ‘show up’ in your leadership as someone open to opportunities for growth.

Assessing leadership excellence creates a space for individuals and teams to deepen their understanding of themselves and how they show up to face challenges. It allows us to form stronger relationships and improve performance through harnessing the differences in where our strengths lay.

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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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Getting the Most from Leadership Assessments

GROW Model

What is the GROW Model?

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What is the GROW Model?

The GROW coaching model was developed by coaching pioneer Sir John Whitmore and has been used for over forty years. It is a structure within which executive coaching may be conducted to aid leadership development. The coach is an objective facilitator whose role is to assist their client in identifying the best options available to them that will serve their goals, without offering specific advice or direction. It is up to the client to discern what is best for themselves. The use of the GROW model as a tool for leadership excellence within teams differs slightly from this because as leader, you will have some expertise that allows you to guide your team through options to avoid ones that could bring harm. The GROW coaching model is a four-step lens through which options are analysed and decisions can be made; Goal, Reality, Options, Will.

Goal 

The purpose of many coaching relationships is for the coach to help their client get clear on their goals, and identify strategies to help them reach them.  The focus of the Goal stage is on the solution and what the coachee wants to achieve, rather than the problem being addressed. Often, leaders will have a broad idea of what this looks like, though they may have difficulty articulating what needs to be done in order to succeed. An executive coaching program  provides leaders with the opportunity to explore their goals thoroughly and help them to establish specific targets they are then able to work towards.

Examples of Goal questions a coach might ask are:

  • Where are you going?
  • How long will it take to get there?
  • What are the benefits of achieving your goal?
  • How will you measure progress?

Reality

The Reality stage is used to frame the identified goals within the context of the coachee’s current situation. The executive coach helps their coachee to understand the problem they are trying to solve, and how doing so will impact themselves and those around them. It is an opportunity for the leader to  view the situation from alternative perspectives. The solution to certain problems can begin to emerge as a result of speaking aloud about them. Developing this style of thinking through senior leadership training will have considerable benefits for team problem solving once the new strategies are implemented.

Some useful Reality questions are:

  • What is happening now?
  • Who else is affected?
  • What steps have already been taken towards reaching your goal?
  • What may be preventing you from reaching your goal?

Options

Once goals have been set and the current reality has been examined, we can then begin the process of exploring what options are available. It is particularly important in this stage of the executive training  program, that the coachee leads the discussion. The coach must of course be able to provide clarity and guidance, but they can not make the final decision. The objective here is  for the coachee to come up with as many possible solutions that could help them succeed.

Questions asked during the Options stage should be open ended in order to drive discussion:

  • What are the options?
  • Who could help you with this, and how?
  • Where can you find more information?
  • What else could be done?

Will

By the time the Will stage is reached, the coachee should have a clearer idea how their goal can be achieved. It is here that specific actions must be committed to, that will make achievement possible.  The coach’s role now, is to help the coachee determine which of the options discussed should be taken up. Typically, the coachee will already have made the decision for themselves but will still benefit from assistance in building and committing to a measurable and actionable strategy. If the coach senses a hesitancy to commit, revisiting the Options is necessary for clearing roadblocks and finding the best way forward.

Examples of Will questions are:

  • What action are you going to take?
  • How are you going to do that?
  • What will keep you motivated?
  • What could prevent you from taking action? How will you overcome this?

The GROW model is an important part of building a coaching culture within teams and organisations. It helps groups and individuals to identify strategies for reaching their goals, including how to overcome obstacles they may face. A leadership excellence program that teaches the GROW model encourages meaningful conversation as a part of the problem solving process. It should also be noted that the model is not meant to be followed as a rigid structure. The GROW model is a framework that aims to prompt discussion that leads to effective solutions. While Goals and Reality will typically be explored first, coaching conversations can move between all four elements.

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

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

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What is the GROW Model?

Building Good Habits

The Importance of Building Good Habits

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The Importance of Building Good Habits

We often set ourselves aspirational goals when we are feeling highly motivated and energised, only to find later on that we do not possess the tools needed to reach those targets. This can lead to feelings of self-doubt, or perceived inadequacy in our own capabilities. In turn, we lose motivation to act in pursuit of our goals and we stop making progress. Reducing the scope of our goal setting however, is not the solution. After all, developing leadership excellence requires clear and ambitious goals. To achieve those goals, we need to give ourselves the advantage of having the right tools in place that allow us to succeed.

Turn Goals into Habits

An issue that often arises when setting goals is that we want – or even expect – that we will be able to achieve them in a short timeframe. Even when we understand that logically, lasting change takes time and effort to accomplish. The number one way you will reach your goals is to create habits around them and build them into regular actions. It is about transforming the idea of what we want to achieve into actionable behaviours that contribute to greater, long lasting changes. 

The formation of entirely new habits makes them inherently difficult to stay consistent with because we are not used to performing that behaviour. In order to affect change, the best course of action is to anchor the habit you want to create to a specific time, location, or both. Using this method, the time and location become a trigger for you to implement the new habit you are forming. The Actionable Habit Builder calls this the New Habit Formula:

When (trigger) happens, instead of (current behaviour), I will (new habit).

When building new habits, specificity is important for establishing a metric by which we can measure our progress. The Actionable Habit Builder is a useful tool for senior leadership training because it encourages us to create specific habits that lead to effective behavioural changes.

Amplify Motivation

Our motivation to complete tasks is one of the most unpredictable factors in reaching the formation of new habits, even ones we want to initiate. When we experience high levels of motivation, it is more likely that we will enthusiastically commit to immediate action. However, if we are constantly waiting to be in the ‘right’ frame of mind before we take action, we simply don’t; and our behaviours do not change. It becomes a question of how we overcome feeling demotivated in order to make positive changes.

One of the benefits of executive coaching is that it is an opportunity for participants to explore their goals with someone who understands their underlying motivations. Working with an executive coach reveals the deeper thought processes that go into decision making and habit formation. In coaching leadership excellence, you are given a deeper understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. The relationship you form with your coach allows them to identify key factors that may be getting in the way of consistent habit practices. They can then assist you in creating strategies that overcome those roadblocks. Through regular coaching sessions, you and your coach work together to implement those strategies and hold you to account. Forming new habits takes time and effort to succeed. There will be times when your self-motivation depletes. When this happens you need to understand why that is happening and what you can do to overcome it so that you are still able to make progress.

Making lasting changes in our behaviour can be a daunting and difficult undertaking without the right support in place. Habit building tools and executive coaching programs provide support by allowing us to dig into what it is we want to change and why it is important that we do so. They hold us accountable so that we can see for ourselves the progress we are making. Forming good habits has many positive benefits on our behaviours and when tied to larger goals, helps us take regular action to achieve them sooner.

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

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The Importance of Building Good Habits

Team Management Profile

Benefits of the Team Management Profile (TMP)

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Benefits of the Team Management Profile (TMP)

The key to organisational success lies in the ability of people to work effectively together. This only occurs when individuals understand their unique contribution and use these insights to implement change. The Team Management Profile is a research-based psychometric profiling tool for personal, team, and leadership development that delivers a framework to build high performing organisations. It gives individuals the self-knowledge and strategies required to improve their performance and work.

For the Individual

As a personal development tool, the Team Management Profile helps individuals discover their strengths as a contributing member of their team. When we do not enjoy the work we are doing, motivation is low and results in poor or average performance. The Profile asks individuals to reflect on their role and identify their preferences for certain tasks. They gain a holistic depiction of their individual approach to work. Often what is found is that people are taking on tasks that do not excite them, or provide a sense of accomplishment. When teams achieve a higher level of connection between their work preferences and job demands, it increases the team’s energy, enthusiasm, commitment and motivation, as people are undertaking work they enjoy.

Gaining an understanding of your personal Team Management Profile allows leaders to form a complete idea of their leadership style. This can be particularly useful for potential leaders and those looking to advance to more senior positions. As a detailed, work-focused feedback tool, the Profile provides insights into how an individual approaches work, and working with others. This allows them to develop strategies to improve working relationships, and harness their strengths to make progress in their career goals.


For the Team

From a team perspective, the Profile is even more invaluable. Once you have a map of the team’s collective strengths and areas for improvement, a team can easily strategise on maximising their strengths and minimising the gaps. Designed specifically for use in the workplace, the Team Management Profile provides a complete approach to building balanced, high performing teams. Understanding an individual’s strengths and approach to work, helps leaders to diversify their teams and ensure that there are as few development gaps as possible. Teams that understand each other’s approach to work are better collaborators, better communicators, and better at engaging with conflict resolution. Collectively, this allows for enhanced team productivity. 

Where gaps do occur, the Team Management Profile assesses the likely impact of the least represented roles in the team. From this, an action plan can be created that might involve re-delegating tasks, outsourcing the skills needed, or implementing training programs. By linking the learning back to a concrete training and development plan, the Profile provides a proven framework and model to navigate change. 

The TMP is about learning, not assessment. The Profile can be used throughout organisations to improve performance and achieve better business outcomes. The Profile provides a common language and framework for individuals, teams, and organisations to recognise their strengths in the workplace, enabling positive, lasting change. Constructive, work-focused information helps individuals understand why they work the way they do, and how they can develop strategies to improve how they work with others. The Profile and related materials provide insights about your work preferences in relation to leadership style, team building, interpersonal skills, and communication.

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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Benefits of the Team Management Profile (TMP)

barrett values centre personal values assessment

The Barrett Model™ Explained

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The Barrett Model™ Explained

The Barrett Model™ assessment aims to provide an understanding of authentic motivations for our actions. Our values, conscious or unconscious, motivate each action and decision we make. Inspired by Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Barrett Model™ identifies the seven most important areas of human motivation. The model ranges from basic survival to a greater, societal contribution. Looking at it through the lenses of Personal Consciousness and Leadership, we begin to see how we can use this model to become better individuals, and better leaders.

The Personal Consciousness Model

At its core, the Personal Consciousness Model tells us that we must first focus on meeting our personal needs for survival and relationships in order to establish our strongest sense of self. Before we can begin to work towards being of service to others, we should ensure that we have the capacity, ability, and resources to do so. The central, transformation stage in this model is important because it is the autonomy, freedom, and responsibility we establish for ourselves here that pushes us past satisfying only the needs that serve us. The top of the Personal Consciousness Model is where we begin to identify our externally motivated values and strive to achieve more for the sake of others.

The Leadership Model

Transposing these ideas onto the Leadership Model can see how they connect to their application at the team level. The survival and relationship needs of leadership require that the health and safety of teams are taken care of, and that there is a mutual connection and support to excelling in productivity. Innovation and risk-taking are key to evolving leadership capabilities beyond a results orientation. Authenticity, mentorship, and vision are demonstrated by leaders who leverage their success to bring further opportunities to their teams and greater community. They value creativity and collaboration to achieve long-term goals in service of their purpose. 

The Barrett Model™ is used to identify the values of individuals and groups through conducting a series of assessments. In doing so, you gain a precise picture of your organisation’s current and future dynamics. Understanding your values can provide an indication of potential issues or conflict within your organisation. By clarifying those values, you are able to address problems before they can be expressed. Action plans are then based on accurate insights that coincide with the particular circumstances and needs that are unique to you. A targeted and measurable strategy is created that leads to the development of a prospering workplace culture and high performing teams.

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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 Barrett Model™ Explained

leading excellence

Striving for Excellence

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Striving for Excellence

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

Purpose Clarity

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

Embrace Vulnerability

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

Empowering Leadership

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

Ongoing Improvement 

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

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

In what ways to strive for excellence in your leadership?

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

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

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Striving for Excellence

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Measuring Leadership Excellence

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Measuring Leadership Excellence

Understanding leadership excellence is important for leaders at every stage of their development journey. It establishes a clear measurement of where they have started, how far they have come, and where they still hope to go. Such measurements can be calculated through the implementation of leadership assessment and development tools. Receiving these assessments regularly are a valuable part of any leadership development journey.

When assessing leadership excellence, the two facets most often associated with strong leaders are their character and influence. In particular, it is how a person’s character contributes to their influence that indicates their level of leadership excellence. 

Character

A person’s character is the driving factor behind their ability to influence and lead their team or organisation. Those with a strong character tend to be viewed by others as being trustworthy, responsible, and fair in their decision making. It is these skills that make them appealing and incite positive responses from other people.

It can be difficult to assess for a quantifiable measurement of these aspects of character, but it is possible to gauge these characteristics by interpreting how a person’s peers and employees perceive them. The 360º Feedback Report is designed around this model of assessment. Both the individual and a select group of those they work with are asked to complete a survey that, when compared, provides a complete picture of the leader’s character. 


Influence

Influence is one of the biggest measurements of leadership excellence. Being able to inspire and motivate others into reaching their fullest potential is a critical aspect of your role as a leader. By making use of leadership tools for individuals as well as groups, you begin to form a clearer impression of the impact that the individual’s leadership skills have on the performance of their team.

An individual’s ability to influence the behaviours of those around them stems from their existing interpersonal relationships. Having good character and establishing trust between yourself and others, allows you to build effective interpersonal relationships. The benefits of leadership assessment tools like the Trust Inside Assessments include in-depth measurements of a person’s ability to build trust at both the individual and team level. 

Character and influence are two of the defining aspects of leadership excellence. The higher a person’s character is perceived to be, the greater the amount of influence they are able to impart onto others. To gain a full understanding of an individual’s measurement of leadership excellence, the best leadership assessment tools should be administered at both the individual and group level. 

What characteristics are most important for you as a leader?

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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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Defining Leadership Excellence

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Defining Leadership Excellence

It is easy to recognise leadership excellence when we see it, but when asked to define what that looks like many people struggle to identify specific characteristics. The truth is that leadership excellence looks different to everyone. However there are two key areas which, if intentionally cultivated, help to bring us closer to defining leadership excellence. Training programs that focus on these two aspects of excellence should form the basis of your executive leadership development.

Practical Excellence

There is no escaping the necessity for leaders to see to the practical day-to-day operations of running a team or organisation. Ensuring that tasks are completed on time and are of high quality is an important aspect of successful leadership. Demanding excellence from your team is not enough to guarantee that their resulting work will meet high performance standards. It is the role of a great leader to set, and then help them to achieve goals for your team that will push them beyond their perceived limitations. 

To do this, you must be clear with your team about what these goals are and why they are important. Providing them with motivation to reach their goals will result in more success and stronger performance overall. Developing leadership excellence in a practical manner does require that your team has access to the resources they need to achieve the goals you set out for them. This demonstrates to them your own dedication reaching those same goals with excellent results. 

Interpersonal Excellence

Establishing strong interpersonal relationships with the individuals you work with is pivotal to building a high performing team. Developing senior leaders must understand this and strive to create these connections early in the formation of their teams. 

Leadership development programs like Dare to Lead™, teach participants how to form these deeper connections within their workplace in order to build trusting and honest relationships. Gaining a personal understanding of the individuals on your team can have lasting mutual benefits. Learning the personal values and goals of your team allows you to offer support and opportunities for them to develop their skills while they are contributing to a greater vision.

Training for leadership excellence should include a focus on both practical and interpersonal excellence. Individuals who have strong personal connections with their leaders are far more likely to be motivated to perform at a higher standard and aim to reach their goals. Executive leadership programs that teach participants to establish and sustain trusting relationships are the foundation to developing leadership excellence. 

What is the most important aspect of leadership excellence for 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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Defining Leadership Excellence

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Building Effective Leaders

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Building Effective Leaders

The process of  identifying those capable of taking on senior leadership positions is an ever evolving challenge for most organisations. Potential candidates whether they be internal or external, must be assessed on both their existing skills as leaders, and their ability to develop the necessary competencies for more senior roles in the future

One tactic for building effective leaders has been to engage prospective candidates in simulation-based learning. It allows individuals to develop the specific skills needed while giving them practical experience in applying them. From here, the challenge becomes how do we assess the outcomes of this learning? How does this feedback contribute to the creation of a focused, development plan?

Assessing Potential Leaders

When developing high potential leaders, simulation-based learning can be used by senior executives to get an idea of the candidate’s strengths and provide them with opportunities to improve. The feedback that candidates receive is integral to their development as future leaders. Leadership assessment tools such as the Hogan 360º Report help in building a leadership profile for candidates that outlines the competencies in which they are skilled as well as those that they are developing. Executives who hope to support the career goals of their employees can also use these assessments to build focused development plans for those individuals. This may include leadership training programs or providing them with an executive coach who will work closely with them to achieve their goals.

Developing Potential Leaders

Whether one, the other, or a combination of both, the candidate should also be accessing leadership assessment and development tools regularly in order to keep track of their progress and success. By building regular assessments into their development plan, potential leaders are able monitor their growth using measurable data. When the time comes that they are being considered for an elevated position within the company, executives can look at the various assessments that have been made through their development and determine whether they have achieved the necessary competencies for the role.

Assessment is a vital component of leadership development, though it is not one that many individuals regularly take advantage of. Building effective leaders can only begin once a profile of the competencies has been completed. Leadership assessment tools should be prioritised as a primary resource for executives and potential talent for ensuring that individuals are receiving the training that will have the greatest benefit for them and the organisation as a whole. Leaders who develop a tangible awareness of their abilities become more effective in leading their teams because they understand their limitations. This establishes a culture where the most important thing is not to have all the answers, but to collaborate in order to find the solution.

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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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7 Reasons to Consider a Leadership Assessment

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7 Reasons to Consider a Leadership Assessment

Leadership strategies and methodologies get much attention particularly during times of uncertainty and change. It can be difficult to determine where individual and organisational leadership capabilities rank amongst industry peers, or what is the best method to understand this. That is why a leadership assessment tool can be a useful way to evaluate your current performance and help understand what leadership development activities will be most suitable for your organisation. The benefits of using leadership assessment tools extend far beyond the individual level. The feedback you gain from such assessments can impact on the development of high performing teams and with the culture of your organisation.

Establish Leadership Profiles

One of the benefits of leadership profiling is that it allows you to form a complete picture of an individual’s capabilities as well as their potential for development. Effective leaders are aware of both their strengths and actively seek to improve in areas they may not be as successful. Establishing leadership profiles allows executives access to a resource that informs them about those high potential employees who are just beginning their development.

Develop High Potential Employees

When we are looking to fill leadership positions internally, the most obvious choice may not be the right one. Using a data based approach, we are able to assess potential leaders in order to determine the best fit. Completing leadership assessment tools for individuals gives current leaders an unbiased look into the capabilities of high potential employees. Even those who may not be right for leadership roles just yet, may have development plans created in order to support their advancement and career goals.

Filling Skills Gaps

Before embarking on a development program, participants and executives should be aware of what gaps exist within their skillset or organisation. Leadership assessment tools provide insight into exactly this. An executive coaching survey will outline an individual’s particular strengths as well as areas for improvement. Completing a leadership assessment prior to any training programs allows both the individual and the organisation to reap the highest benefits.

Remain Competitive with Industry Standards

For those who have been in positions of executive leadership for several years, it can be easy to believe that you don’t need as much feedback as you did earlier in your career. This is simply not true in industries that are constantly innovating and expanding. The best leadership assessment tools will help you to understand how your skills match up against the current industry standards. You may be surprised to discover that there are some competencies you need to build upon so that you and your organisation can stay ahead of the competition. 

Track Development Progress

Many leadership assessment and development tools are used simply to track an individual’s development processes. The Hogan 360º Report can be re-done at regular intervals to get an external perspective. Actionable Habit Builder is a fantastic tool for self-reflective assessment of progress towards specific goals. No matter how it is done, individuals looking to develop their leadership skills should utilise assessment tools to track their progress in a tangible way. This demonstrates a commitment to the role and the organisation that executives will look at when considering prospective leaders.

Motivate Performance

Continually assessing a team or individual’s skills development allows them to not only track their progress, but the improvements in their overall performance as well. Being able to look back on past performance instils a sense of accomplishment that motivates further improvement. By assessing performance as goals are achieved, you can look for methods that worked well and identify ones that hindered success. In doing so, you have a ready made benchmark from which to set new goals and further optimise performance.

Improve Company Culture

Leaders who participate in assessments set an example of commitment to growth within an organisation. A willingness to have your own leadership assessed demonstrates what is expected and supported across all levels. It promotes a culture of growth, education, and development. Organisations with a culture that places value in these areas foster a positive workplace environment where morale and performance flourish. Leadership assessments encourage frequent communication that establishes deeper levels of trust between leaders and their teams. 

The development of those who participate in a leadership training program is predominantly determined by their own willingness to grow. Undertaking a leadership assessment prior to a training course helps to set the basis of their learning. The best tools for leadership development will reveal both the strengths and shortcomings of potential leaders, giving them a measurable starting point from which they can begin their leadership journey. Building an organisational culture of growth and development can have a significant and positive impact on performance both now and in the future.

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

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7 Reasons to Consider a Leadership Assessment

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7 Steps to Building a High Performance Culture

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7 Steps to Building a High Performance Culture

When we talk about developing a high performance culture within an organisation, we do so with the aim of cultivating an environment that makes employees want to come to work. In fact, positive company culture is often cited as a significant factor for those who are applying for roles. For companies looking to expand their workforce or simply to further incentivise current employees, investment in culture should be given priority. 


Continuous Learning

Strong leaders must be willing to not only accept changes that occur within their business but encourage growth and innovation. The culture of the company should reflect their commitment to developing high performers by allowing them opportunities to demonstrate and expand their skills. High performance training programs help individuals by building upon their ability to engage constructive collaboration and the company then benefits from having established a culture that thrives on the passion of those individuals.

Empower Individuals

The best high performance teams course will teach participants to operate effectively with minimal direction from management. They have been entrusted to solve problems and make decisions that will produce high quality results. By recognising and even celebrating their success can have a lasting impact on morale. Something as simple as a thoughtful email will make a big difference. Remember this is about making your employees feel acknowledged and appreciated in ways that empower them to strive for success.

Collect Feedback

High performance culture thrives when feedback is regularly sought out and reciprocated. Not only does it allow teams to better understand the goals laid out for them, but by listening to the feedback of their teams, leaders learn what their teams require from them in order to continue their success. The Hogan 360º survey is designed to provide a feedback loop reinforces what is working well and what can be improved. The relationship this build between teams and management is deeply rooted in a sense of trust that allows for open and honest communication.

Encourage Accountability

One of the strongest assets of developing and sustaining high performance teams is their determination to achieve results. In order to do this they must hold themselves and each other to high levels of accountability to ensure that their goals are met. In building high performance teams, programs such as Dare to Lead™, can be useful in developing methods of communication that reinforce the importance of taking ownership of our actions. When the performance of the team relies so heavily on unity for success, accountability will define a large part of the culture. 

Select the Right People

High performance teams should consist of individuals who are not only dedicated to their role and the project, but who also understand the organisation and its values. By providing them with training and experience, you can ensure that they are helping you to create the environment that fosters high performance. Engaging in creating a high performance team workshop allows you to provide the skills and experience you desire in your team while simultaneously demonstrating your own commitment to their growth.

Integrate Behaviours

It is not enough to simply state your desire to build a high performance culture. You must act. This is achieved through communicating clearly with employees at all levels about what is expected of them. The behaviours and habits required to succeed should be regularly talked about and engrained in the day-to-day operations of the business.

Set the Example

The old adage of ‘practice what you preach’ still holds true. In business, it means more to your employees if you show that you are just as willing to put in the time and effort towards tasks that you’re asking them to perform. As a leader, you set the standard. If you want others to adhere to the values of your organisation, you must live by them yourself to be effective at driving the culture.

How well your teams perform is tied closely with the environment in which they work. For teams to achieve exceptional results, they require a high performance culture. Developing and sustaining high performance team programs are an invaluable resource in establishing a positive company culture. Though it is something that cannot be done through skills training alone. It is up to the individuals on the team to cultivate and engage with. 

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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Getting Ready for the ‘Planning Season’ – Part 2 (Your Team)

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Getting Ready for the ‘Planning Season’ – Part 2 (Your Team)

Part 1 – creatively titled “Getting Ready for the Planning Season – Part 1” – discussed that for many organisations, the annual cycle of planning and strategy formulation is uppermost in their minds in an endeavour to set themselves up for the coming year. However, traditional strategic planning (and the yearly round of off-sites) often fails to deliver intended objectives.

Here are the five ‘antidotes’ we discussed in Part 1

  1. Create a ‘Collective Ambition’
  2. Make the process robust
  3. Make it agile
  4. Be real
  5. Balance performance and health

The article also provided an overview of the concept of organisational ‘health’ or what McKinsey have defined as “the ability of an organisation to align, execute and renew itself faster than the competition so that it can sustain exceptional performance over time.”

The concept applies equally to teams, and in fact it could be argued that without healthy teams (particularly senior teams) the chances of your organisation being healthy are slim.

A Way to Help Create Success

In our work with various senior teams over a twenty-year period we have seen a lot of things that work and DON’T work!

Based on evidenced-based principles and our own experience in working across many industries, we have formulated a framework to help your team focus on the things that matter – the things that will help you engage in the strategy planning process in a fruitful way. By focusing on the key elements of the canvass, you will also give yourself the best chance of implementing the strategy and creating a sustainable and high performing organisation or unit.

Team Charter Canvass

Creating a high performing organisation starts with creating a high performing senior team that knows where it’s heading, how to get there, and importantly, who they are as a team.

Our Team Charter Canvas (TCC) helps guide senior teams to do just that. The framework helps ensure that teams engage in crucial conversations that will lead to long-term success, starting first with clarity about the organisational vision and purpose.

               Figure 1: Team Charter Canvass

Those familiar with Simon Sinek’s work will be familiar with his tenet of starting with why may recognise the flow. Row 1 describes the WHY first, Row 2 the HOW and finally Row 3 is all about the WHAT.

This is in contrast to many planning processes that rush to the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ and don’t do justice to the ‘why’.  I have yet to meet a team that is sufficiently clear about all nine areas of the canvass and the detail that sits behind each. This can have serious consequences on achieving short and long-term objectives.

“I have yet to meet a team that is sufficiently clear about all nine areas of the canvass and the detail that sits behind each.”

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Management solutions closing the gap to a business challenge as a businessman lifting a three dimensional cube to complete a wall with a group of organized objects as a project metaphor for leadership expertise.

This simplified version (the full version has some key diagnostic questions in each square) is linear and prescriptive in that a team should start with box 1 then move to box 2 then 3, etc (of course you may need to circle back to earlier boxes as you progress).

Any planning process needs to be firmly linked to the organisation’s vision and reason for being. The ‘how’ helps teams examine their operating rhythm, their values and how they will celebrate and recognise achievements while enjoying the journey along the way. And finally the ‘what’ helps the team achieve laser-like focus on what needs to be achieved and by when, including the current shape of the team (strengths to be leveraged and weaknesses to mitigated).

How Do I Use the Canvass?

There are many ways to leverage the power of the framework, however all methods should lead to the same outcome – creating a robust dialogue that creates new learning and new possibilities.

At a more practical level, here are some tips:

  1. Ask each team member to rate each box between 1 (Poor) and 10 (Excellent) live, calculate the average score and then focus on the three lowest rated boxes.
  2. Using the same rating system as above, conduct a confidential survey before the session.
  3. Start at box 1 and gain agreement on what it is, then move to box 2, then box 3, etc.
  4. Don’t skip any boxes because you think you have them nailed without an explicit agreement on what it actually means (assumptions are like termites in your strategy).
  5. Invite key stakeholders and even customers to enter in to some ‘box conversations’.
  6. Pressure-test your outputs with people who matter (i.e. people you need to be successful).

In order to have the type of robust, honest conversations needed, you will need to work on creating high levels of psychological safety.

Last November, Google published the five traits of its most successful teams – the first and most important was psychological safety, which has been described as a ‘‘shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.’’  Psychological safety is a necessary pre-condition for meaningful planning.

Implementation is the Achilles Heel

We know that around 80% of change fails and that globally a high percentage of Chief Executives are dissatisfied with their strategies and the results they create.

While it is relatively easy to produce a beautiful looking strategy document, it is how those ideas are realised that makes the difference. By default, ‘implementation’ means that change will be necessary (unless you have a no-change strategy that has already been implemented in which case you should be updating your strategy!).

Implementation and change leadership is out of scope for this article, however it needs serious attention as part of the overall planning and strategy process. This is where the real work begins.

Find out More

We are specialists in working with senior teams to bring the Team Charter Canvass to life. We do this through working with leaders and teams to create high performing and healthy teams and organisations.

If you’re interested in learning more about these programs and how we may be able to work with you to achieve outstanding results, then you can:

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Getting Ready for the ‘Planning Season’ – Part 2 (Your Team)