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The ROI of Leadership Development Programs: Are They Worth the Investment?

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The ROI of Leadership Development Programs: Are They Worth the Investment?

Organisational success stems from the collective effort of every individual within it. They are motivated by only the most effective leadership. While leadership comes naturally for some, the skills required to guide teams, inspire innovation, and drive growth can be systematically taught and refined.  This is where leadership development comes in. The strategic process of enhancing and leveraging the abilities of individuals to perform in leadership roles. The importance of investing in a robust leadership development strategy can not be understated. It isn’t a luxury, but a necessity for sustainable success. 

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Many organisations wonder, “Are leadership development programs worth it?” The answer lies in understanding both the clear, measurable outcomes and the more subtle, cultural shifts they inspire. From creating high performing teams to boosting the bottom line, the benefits are extensive.

The Tangible Benefits of Leadership Development

The impact of strong leadership can seem aspirational. When done right, the results are concrete and have a direct affect on business performance.

Improved Team Performance

Strong leaders know how to motivate their teams, set clear goals, and provide constructive feedback. A well-designed development program equips managers with the skills to do just this. Leaders learn how to harness the unique strengths of each team member, foster collaboration, and manage conflict effectively. This leads directly to high performing teams that are more productive, engaged, and aligned with company objectives. When leaders improve, their teams follow suit.

Increased Employee Retention

People don’t leave organisations; they leave bad management. One of the most common reasons for high turnover is a lack of support from leadership. Effective leadership development programs teach leaders to be better coaches and mentors; creating an environment where employees feel valued and see a clear path for growth. Retention rates improve and recruitment costs reduce significantly when you invest in developing leaders.

Measurable Organisational Growth

Good leaders correlate to a higher economic value than poor leaders; and extraordinary leaders create far more value than good ones. Leaders who have honed their capabilities and strategic thinking through development programs are better equipped to identify new opportunities, manage resources efficiently, and navigate market changes. They make smarter, data-driven decisions that fuel organisational growth and ensure a healthier bottom line.

The Intangible, Yet Powerful, Benefits

Beyond the numbers, leadership development cultivates a workplace environment that attracts and retains top talent.

Enhanced Company Culture

Leaders set the tone for the entire organisation. When they lead with empathy, integrity, and a clear vision, they help build a positive and inclusive company culture. A leadership development program that emphasises these values can transform a workplace, boosting morale and fostering a sense of shared purpose and psychological safety among all employees.

Sharper Decision-Making

One of the core leadership development best practices is to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Trained leaders are more confident in their ability to analyse complex situations, weigh potential outcomes, and make timely, informed decisions. This capability is crucial, especially in high-pressure situations, and it strengthens the organisation’s overall agility and resilience.

A Culture of Innovation

Leaders who are encouraged to grow and learn are more likely to foster that same mindset within their teams. They create an environment where new ideas are welcomed, experimentation is encouraged, and failure is seen as a learning opportunity. This culture of continuous improvement and innovation is vital for staying competitive and relevant.

Measuring the Return on Your Investment

To truly understand the value, it’s important to measure the design and ROI of your leadership programs. This can be done through a variety of methods:

  • Performance Metrics: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) for teams managed by trained leaders, such as productivity, project completion rates, and sales targets.
  • Employee Surveys: Use engagement and pulse surveys to measure changes in employee satisfaction, morale, and perceptions of leadership.
  • Retention Rates: Compare turnover rates in teams before and after their leaders have undergone training.
  • 360-Degree Feedback: Collect anonymous feedback from peers, direct reports, and superiors to assess behavioural changes in leaders.

By tracking these metrics, you can clearly demonstrate the financial and cultural return on your investment in leadership.

Cultivating Your Future Leaders

Investing in a leadership development strategy is one of the most powerful moves an organisation can make. The benefits extend far beyond the individual, creating a ripple effect that improves team performance, strengthens company culture, and drives sustainable growth. By learning how to improve leadership skills across your organisation, you are not just managing the present; you are building a resilient and prosperous future.

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The ROI of Leadership Development Programs: Are They Worth the Investment?

How You Can Enhance Strategic Impact with Team Profiling

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How You Can Enhance Strategic Impact with Team Profiling

Building a high performance team isn’t just about selecting the most skilled individuals; it’s about understanding how those individuals think, collaborate, and contribute to collective goals. One powerful tool that organisations are increasingly leveraging to achieve this is team profiling. By understanding the cognitive diversity within a team, leaders can unlock new levels of efficiency, innovation, and strategic impact.

What Is Team Profiling?

At its core, team profiling is the process of assessing individual thinking preferences, communication styles, and behavioural tendencies. This provides organisations with a deeper understanding of each team member’s strengths and how those strengths complement others. Tools like the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®), DiSC, and CliftonStrengths empower leaders to evaluate their workforce effectively.

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Team profiling, however, is not about labelling employees or reducing them to categories. Instead, it’s about understanding cognitive diversity. When leaders recognise varying preferences and behaviours, they can build balanced teams that drive innovation and strategic decision-making.

Understanding Individual Thinking Preferences with HBDI®

A key player in the realm of team profiling tools, the HBDI, stands out. HBDI evaluates individuals’ thinking preferences within four quadrants:

  1. Analytical (Blue) – Logical, data-driven thinkers focused on facts and problem-solving.
  2. Practical (Green) – Detail-oriented individuals who excel in planning and implementation.
  3. Relational (Red) – Empathy-driven individuals who prioritise teamwork and interpersonal communication.
  4. Experimental (Yellow) – Big-picture thinkers who thrive on creativity and innovation.

Each team member typically exhibits preferences across these quadrants, creating a unique cognitive “map.” By assessing these preferences, leaders can:

  • Identify gaps in team capabilities.
  • Cultivate balanced teams.
  • Tailor communication strategies to resonate with all thinking styles.

This tailored approach to leadership and collaboration is what makes HBDI a preferred tool for organisations aiming to develop high performing teams.

Benefits of Team Profiling for Strategic Impact

Why should executive leadership and teams invest in assessment and profiling tools like HBDI? Here are four compelling reasons:

1. Enhanced Collaboration

Teams thrive when members understand each other’s cognitive and behavioural tendencies. Profiling helps individuals appreciate different perspectives, leading to improved empathy, smoother communication, and reduced conflicts.

Example: Imagine a team where a data-driven member (Analytical) collaborates with a big-picture thinker (Experimental). By understanding each other’s strengths, they can merge their skills to balance out details and strategy.

2. Data-Driven Decision Making

Cognitive diversity creates a robust decision-making process. Analytical thinkers excel at logical problem-solving, experimental thinkers bring innovative ideas, relational thinkers ensure stakeholder alignment, and practical thinkers focus on feasibility. Profiling tools reveal these strengths, allowing teams to optimise their strategic planning.

3. Personalised Leadership Development

Through leadership profiling, organisations can develop tailored growth plans for team members. For example, if a leader shows a stronger preference for green (Practical) thinking, a training program can help them strengthen relational (Red) or experimental (Yellow) capabilities to make them more versatile.

4. Increased Team Performance

High performance teams are built on complementing strengths, not unrestrained similarity. Profiling ensures that the right individuals are in the right roles, empowering teams with the balance they need to exceed expectations.

Case Study: Jobsbank’s Success with HBDI®

When Jobsbank, an organisation with a commitment to fostering inclusive employment programs, decided to transform their leadership culture, they turned to HBDI. This tool became the foundation for their leadership program, allowing individuals to uncover their thinking preferences and leverage their cognitive strengths effectively.

Through HBDI assessments, Jobsbank’s leaders gained valuable insights into their own preferences, as well as those of their colleagues. Employees started recognising the value of diverse thinking styles, and this shared understanding fostered collaboration and empathy.

According to Taylor Burge, a participant of this leadership initiative:

“The work we did with the HBDI® preference thinking and seeing how, without realising, we’re applying that to day-to-day operations within the team… has given everyone just a deeper understanding of each other and a little bit more empathy as well. When it comes to how we approach tasks, who we pull in, and why.”

The results? Jobsbank unlocked higher levels of collaboration, communication, and strategic decision-making. By valuing cognitive diversity, they created an inclusive organisational climate that thrives on innovation.

Implementing Team Profiling in Your Organisation

Now that you understand how team profiling drives strategic impact, how can you introduce it at your workplace? Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Choose the Right Profiling Tool

Start by selecting a reputable assessment and profiling tool. HBDI is especially valuable for organisations who are developing leadership capabilities and understanding cognitive diversity.

Step 2: Train Leadership Teams

To successfully implement team profiling, train leaders in understanding and applying the results of the assessments. This ensures that the new insights are seamlessly incorporated into team dynamics and project workflows.

Step 3: Facilitate Assessments for Teams

Conduct assessments for all team members. Tools like HBDI provide detailed reports that will help both teams and managers understand individual thinking preferences and behavioural tendencies.

Step 4: Interpret and Act on Insights

Once assessments are completed, focus on deriving actionable insights. For example:

  • Are there any dominant thinking preferences within your team?
  • Are some quadrants underrepresented?

Leverage these insights to ensure balanced teams and support areas that need development.

Step 5: Foster Continuous Improvement

Team profiling isn’t a one-off exercise. Revisit assessments periodically as your team grows and evolves. This ensures optimisation over time and provides opportunities for reflection and further team development.

Step 6: Build a Culture of Awareness

Finally, create a culture that values understanding and collaboration. Encourage open communication and ensure profiling insights are used for constructive growth rather than stereotyping.

Shape the Future of Your Team

Team profiling isn’t just a “nice-to-have” for businesses serious about strategic success. By leveraging tools like HBDI, organisations can create high-performance teams rooted in inclusivity, empathy, and data-driven strategies.

If you’re ready to take your organisation to the next level, start by assessing your team’s thinking preferences. Not sure where to begin? Contact us to learn more about implementing HBDI and other profiling tools to unlock your team’s potential. Together, we can shape the future of your business.

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Harnessing Insights for Growth through Executive Coaching in Leadership Development

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Harnessing Insights for Growth through Executive Coaching in Leadership Development

In today’s dynamic business landscape, the quest for growth and the realisation of one’s potential are critical aspirations. To navigate the complexities and optimise opportunities, individuals often seek avenues to leverage insights, refine skills, and unlock their full capabilities. Amid this pursuit, executive coaching emerges as a transformative catalyst, especially in the realm of leadership development.

Insights as Catalysts

Insights serve as powerful catalysts for growth, providing invaluable perspectives that illuminate pathways forward. They are not mere observations but rather revelations gleaned from experiences, data, and self-reflection. Harnessing these insights into behaviours requires a deliberate and systematic approach—one that acknowledges their significance and channels them effectively.

At the core of unlocking potential lies self-awareness. Executive coaching is adept at fostering this awareness, prompting leaders to delve into their strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and blind spots. Through targeted assessments and introspective exercises, individuals gain a nuanced understanding of themselves. These insights provide the basis for habit building, as leaders learn to capitalise on their strengths and address areas for improvement.

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Growth Mindset and Adaptability

The journey towards unlocking potential necessitates embracing a growth mindset. It involves a willingness to continuously learn, adapt, and evolve. Executive coaching aids in cultivating this mindset by encouraging leaders to explore new perspectives, challenge assumptions, and embrace behavioural change. By instilling adaptability, leaders become adept at navigating uncertainties, fostering innovation, and steering their organisations towards resilience and success.

Moreover, insights garnered through coaching empower leaders to leverage their emotional intelligence—an essential trait for effective leadership. Understanding one’s emotions and those of others facilitates better decision-making, communication, and conflict resolution, thereby nurturing a cohesive and high-performing team.

Strategic Application of Insights

However, insights alone are not sufficient without strategic application. Executive coaches help equip leaders with the tools to translate insights into actionable strategies. An executive coach will guide them in setting realistic goals, formulating effective action plans, and honing leadership styles that resonate with their teams and organisational objectives.

Moreover, coaching interventions often focus on honing specific leadership competencies—be it communication, strategic thinking, or resilience. These targeted approaches enable leaders to bridge skill gaps and cultivate a well-rounded skill set crucial for steering their organisations through challenges and opportunities.

The Role of Executive Coaching

Executive coaching acts as a personalised, supportive framework that complements traditional leadership development programs. It provides tailored guidance, fostering accountability and commitment to growth. Unlike generic training sessions, coaching offers a customised approach, catering to individual needs and aspirations.

Taking insight into action is a crucial phase of personal growth. It is a transformative process that involves applying the knowledge gained from introspection and experiences to drive change. Executive coaching plays an instrumental role in this, facilitating a practical transition from insight to sustainable behaviour change. It ensures that leaders not only gather valuable insights but also implement these strategically, fostering personal and organisational progress.

Maximising Organisational Impact

The benefits of executive coaching extend beyond individual growth; they permeate the organisational fabric. As leaders evolve and optimise their potential, their enhanced capabilities can have a profound impact on the teams they lead. A culture of continuous improvement takes root, fostering innovation, employee engagement, and overall organisational success.Moreover, by investing in the development of leaders, organisations foster a pipeline of capable individuals poised to navigate future challenges. This proactive approach to leadership development not only augments the present but also fortifies the organisation for sustained success in the long run.

The journey to unlocking one’s potential and driving growth hinges on leveraging insights effectively. Executive coaching stands as a pivotal tool in this pursuit, offering a tailored approach to leadership development. By harnessing insights, fostering a growth mindset, and strategically applying newfound knowledge, individuals can propel themselves towards realising their full potential, thereby propelling their organisations to greater heights of success.

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Harnessing Insights for Growth through Executive Coaching in Leadership Development

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Innovative Approaches to Leadership for a New Era

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Innovative Approaches to Leadership for a New Era

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

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

Understanding How Technology is Changing the Way We Lead

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

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

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How do Leaders Stay Ahead of the Curve?

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

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

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

Gain Insights About their Teams and Themselves

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

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

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

Put People First

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

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

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

Key Take-Aways

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Why High Performers Need Coaching

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Why High Performers Need Coaching

It is no secret that high potential talent can be a huge asset to any team or organisation. These individuals often have the skills and drive to achieve great things, and can help take a company to new heights. However, unlocking this potential is not always easy. That’s where high performance coaching comes in. By affording top talent the opportunity to further enhance their capabilities, you take organisational performance from great to exceptional.

Maximise their Potential

When it comes to high performers, they are usually successful because of their individual drive and motivation. However, there are still some things that a coach can do to help them improve. By understanding what motivates employees, coaches can provide the structure and support needed when developing high performers.

High potential talent is often driven by a desire to achieve goals and be recognized for their accomplishments. They want to feel like they are making a difference and contributing to the success of the organisation. A coach can help high performers set realistic goals and create a plan to achieve them. They can also provide feedback and encouragement along the way.

High performance coaching is not about fixing problems or providing answers. It’s about helping employees find their own solutions and supporting them as they strive to reach their full potential. With the right coach, high performers can take their career to the next level.

“High performance coaching is not about fixing problems or providing answers. It’s about helping employees find their own solutions and supporting them as they strive to reach their full potential.”

Prevent Burnout and Increase Retention

Not only can executive coaching programs help prevent burnout and increase employee retention, but they can also improve communication and collaboration within high performance teams. Coaches can provide a sounding board for team members, help them develop action plans to reach their goals, and hold them accountable to meeting deadlines. In addition, coaching can help teams identify and overcome obstacles that are preventing them from achieving their desired results.

It is important to establish an environment of psychological safety where employees feel comfortable taking risks and speaking up without fear of reprisal. Leadership development programs that include executive coaching for teams gives them the opportunity to receive feedback and learn new skills in a safe and supportive environment. By investing in their employees and providing them with the tools they need to grow and succeed, companies are able to increase employee retention and create a high performance culture. 

Executive coaching can help high performing individuals achieve even more. If you’re looking to maximise your potential and take your business or career to the next level, consider working with a coach. A good coach will help you set goals, stay on track, and push through barriers.

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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 High Performers Need Coaching

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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

Leadership development programs

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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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

team development

5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

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5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

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

Improve Interpersonal Relationships

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

Leading Change

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

Gain a Competitive Advantage

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

Improve Goal Orientation

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

Become a more Effective Leader

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

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

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

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5 Reasons to Consider Executive Coaching

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

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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

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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Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions of Teams

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Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions of Teams

No matter how cohesive and successful a team may be, it is inevitable that they will face challenges that could potentially derail their productivity. When this happens in high performance teams (or indeed, any team), we need to look beyond the symptoms of low performance to find the true cause of this behavior. Based on the work of Patrick Lencioni, the 5 Dysfunctions of Teams explores the idea that to resolve surface level issues, you must first attend to lower level needs. Each dysfunction impacts on overall performance and must be overcome in order for teams to perform at their best. 

Dysfunction 1: Lack of Trust

The first dysfunction Lencioni identifies is a lack of trust amongst team members. When trust is minimal or absent, it is often because individually, we are afraid to appear vulnerable in front of others, and want to maintain an image of infallibility. This stops us both individually, and as a team, from asking for advice and developing collectively. We may even hesitate to provide positive feedback to others, or assist in areas outside of our own responsibilities.

Overcoming this fear of vulnerability, opens up opportunities to understand each other on a more personal level. Nobody is perfect. Being able to own up to that and admit to our weaknesses makes others around us more comfortable, and more likely to start doing the same. Learning about Rumbling with Vulnerability is a pillar of the Dare to Lead™ program, based on the work of Brene Brown. This section of the program aims to dispel many misconceptions people have about vulnerability. Typically thought of as a display of weakness, in Dare to Lead™, vulnerability becomes known as one of the fundamental tools for leaders to establish trusting relationships in their teams.


Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict

Team performance is enhanced when there are diverse voices contributing to the conversation. While this provides an incredible opportunity to achieve better results, it can also cause hesitancy to share an opposing idea for fear of creating conflict. Controversial topics are ignored even if they have the potential to create success for the team.

A great first step to take in creating constructive conflict is to be intentional about how these conversations take place. Designating even one-hour a month is an opportunity for your team to be able to voice their opinions, safe in the knowledge that they will not be negatively received. A leadership excellence program can be useful in building group dialogue skills that help teams to have conversations that matter. These are conversations that allow teams to delve deeper into topics or issues that are important to them, and they are then able to come up with resolutions as a unified group. It is important too, that these conversations be held regularly for sustaining high performance.

Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment

Perceived inaction, avoiding difficult conversations, and ambiguous goal setting are just a few reasons why there may be a lack of commitment from team members. Without clearly defined goals, teams do not know what it is they are working towards and therefore, have no real investment in the work they are doing. The same is true when there is limited communication surrounding decision making and problem-solving. 

When decisions are made that impact your team, explaining the rationale that led to that decision will help them understand and accept new changes. Inviting your team to be part of the decision making process also gives them a personal incentive to successfully implement those changes. Understanding the ‘why’ is important for building commitment to the actions being taken. Giving your team a strong reason for, and belief in, the work being done leads to increased dedication and better performance.

Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

The ability to hold oneself accountable is a skill that is closely tied to our willingness (or lack thereof) to be vulnerable and admit to our mistakes. We fear failure. Sustaining high performance in teams also requires that team members hold each other accountable as well. Often we avoid doing this for fear of causing conflict even when an error would be costly. This results in team leaders becoming the sole source of accountability for the whole team. This can quickly become an overwhelming task for one person, especially in large teams.

Owning up to mistakes shows that you are responsible for your own actions. True self-accountability goes beyond this when you make conscious and demonstrable changes in your behaviour, or work to correct specific errors. Holding others accountable does not have to be a combative exercise. Intent is important here. Criticism for its own sake is counterproductive to team effectiveness. Blame is not the same as accountability. Feedback should aim to support the recipient and help them to constructively improve future performance.

Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results

When the vision of team success is overlooked in favour of individual achievement, collective progress stagnates. You may even lose valuable market competition, or results-oriented team members. While leading high performance teams usually means there are high levels of self-motivation to completing tasks, it is the leader’s role to ensure a clear team focus. As with the avoidance of accountability, leaders must ensure that each member of the team has a concrete understanding of how their individual role contributes to the team purpose and achievement of results. 

Measurable metrics will be a considerable aid in maintaining team focus. A useful practice in developing leadership excellence within teams creating habits for success. By setting simple goals, and rewarding the team as a whole for their success, fosters a greater connection amongst team members and continued desire to achieve results. 

Understanding the 5 Dysfunctions of Teams is important for leading high performance teams. The capability to diagnose workplace challenges and overcome them is an integral part of developing leadership excellence. Dysfunction prevents effectiveness in the pursuit of team success and cohesion. Delving into how each dysfunction contributes to challenges, helps teams to form better and long lasting solutions. 

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 Leadership Circle® Tools Explained

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Leadership Circle® Tools Explained

There is no substitute for effective leadership. If we want to develop more effective leaders, and to do that more rapidly and sustainably, we need a more comprehensive approach. The Leadership Circle has taken the best of what has been learned over the last half century and woven it into the first Unified Theory of Leadership Development to arise in the field. Based on this unique framework, we offer a complete and integrated System of Leadership Development. The combination is unparalleled. We support leadership transformation – change that evolves authentically from the inside out. We offer tools, methodology, and support for deepening the conversation with leaders so that change can occur on a deep, significant, life-altering level.

*The Leadership Circle Profile™ (LCP)

The Leadership Circle Profile is a true breakthrough among 360 degree assessments. It is designed to accelerate leadership effectiveness beyond traditional competency-based approaches. The first to connect a well-researched batter of competencies with the underlying motivations and habits of thought, it reveals the relationship between patterns of action and the internal assumptions that drive behaviour. The Leadership Circle Profile provides insights into actionable strategies to lift your leadership to a higher level.

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*The Collective Leadership Assessment™ (CLA)

The Collective Leadership Assessment™ delivers a powerful “litmus” test of your collective leadership effectiveness. It reveals valuable data that tells you how your people view their current leadership culture and compares the reality to the optimal culture they desire. Analysing this “gap” allows the CLA to identify key opportunities for leadership development. In comparing your collective leadership effectiveness with that of other organisations, the CLA offers businesses an active competitive edge. 

The ResultsEngine® Follow-Through Tool

Creating successful and effective leaders requires support and an active follow-up process. This web-based ResultsEngine works with the Leadership Circle Profile and the Leadership Circle workshops to ensure that managers and leaders take the necessary steps to achieve their goals. The fastest and most effective way to improve outcomes from development planning initiatives is to actively support and manage the follow-through process. In doing so, you create ongoing and lasting change.

The Leadership Circle tools affect change by identifying the competencies and motivations that drive behaviour. By revealing the gap between the current and desired effectiveness of leadership,  you are able to engage in strategies to develop specific areas of growth. Most importantly, the Leadership Circle tools offer ongoing support and feedback to ensure the changes made help leaders reach their long-term goals.

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

*The Leadership Circle Profile™ and the Collective Leadership Assessment™ are created and owned by The Leadership Circle®. Certified by The Leadership Circle®.

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5 Steps to Improving Performance Management

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5 Steps to Improving Performance Management

The prime objective of performance management is to work towards the improvement of performance at the overall organisational level. To achieve this, efforts must be made to develop the skills of all employees.  Without support and regular communication with leaders, you can not hope to see improvements in effective performance management. Small changes can have a significant impact on both performance and productivity.

Frequent Feedback

Performance management differs from performance reviews that are usually only an annual reflection of past behaviours. In comparison, performance management involves providing regular feedback that allows for improvements to be made when they will have the most benefit. It is better to take preventative measures to identify potential skills gaps and correct them immediately, rather than address them after the fact. By engaging in frequent feedback conversations, you increase employee engagement and productivity in high performance teams. 


Establish Expectations

One of the most successful ways to ensure high performance is to have a clearly defined set of expectations for your team to adhere to. Engaging in a high performance training program and useful in establishing roles and goals beyond the job description alone while providing participants with the skills to achieve them. Getting clear on expectations reduces confusion on the part of both employees and leaders that would otherwise lead to miscommunication and potential errors. 

Provide Support

To achieve successful performance management, your teams must have the support of executive level leaders. Not only through verbal communication, but in their actions and the culture of the organisation. Developing leadership excellence should be a priority of executives who wish to cultivate a culture of high performance. When leaders participate in the same performance management processes as their direct reports, they project the importance of developing skills in order to reach new levels of success. 

Adaptive Goals

One hindrance to achieving high performance is in setting non-negotiable goals. Specificity and deadlines are necessary for goal completion, but failing to account for changes in market conditions or other circumstances beyond a person’s control will only have a negative impact on performance. Making goals that are adaptable reduces pressure felt to deliver results when conditions may prevent it. Regularly reviewing goals ensures that both leaders and employees feel there is a balanced workload and identifies opportunities to set stretch goals.


Leader Coaching

There is a direct relationship between effective coaching and managing high performance teams. Leaders who invest the time to coach and develop their employees are more likely to see an increase in performance. Building leadership excellence allows leaders to become coaches capable of positively influencing the progress of others. Ongoing development conversations between leaders and their direct reports support better outcomes and have a positive impact on individual performance.

Leadership development training for both leaders and employees makes it possible to build effective performance management processes across the entire organisation. Engaging in conversations that address the goals and expectations of an individual’s role help to foster a workplace culture that values development and filling skills gaps. Providing role clarity, opportunities for growth, and regular feedback are simple ways to improve performance management that can make a significant impact on your business.

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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