Leadership Today - Practical Tips For Leaders

Practical tips for leaders. Hosted by psychologist and founder of Leadership Today - Andrew Beveridge. Leadership Today is a weekly leadership podcast for managers, team leaders and executives who want practical, evidence-based leadership advice. Hosted by psychologist Andrew Beveridge, each episode translates the latest leadership and organisational psychology research into simple strategies you can use immediately. Discover practical tips on leadership, management, coaching, emotional intelligence, difficult conversations, delegation, employee motivation, psychological safety, team effectiveness, change leadership and workplace performance. Go to www.leadership.today for episodes and more information.

Episode 232 - How To Lead With Humility 07/17/2026

Episode 232 - How To Lead With Humility Summary Humility is often overlooked as a leadership strength, yet research links it to higher trust, engagement, creativity, and performance. Learn why humility is far more than being nice and discover practical ways to demonstrate confidence, openness, and a willingness to learn. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 232 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. When we think about great leadership, humility isn't always the first quality that comes to mind. We often focus on confidence, vision, decisiveness, or influence. Yet some of the most effective leaders demonstrate humility. They don't pretend to have all the answers, they're quick to recognise the contributions of others, and they're always learning. It turns out that humility isn't just a nice leadership quality, it has a measurable impact on how people experience their leader. Two recent research reviews back this up. The larger paper brought together 212 separate studies on leader humility and found that, above everything else, humble leadership predicts how satisfied people are with their leader and how much leaders involve others in decisions. It also improves how well teams and individual followers perform. A second review, of 53 studies covering more than 16,000 people found humble leadership is linked to stronger trust, deeper engagement, greater job satisfaction, more creativity, and better performance at the individual level. The second review also answered a question that's followed humility research for a while: is this just transformational leadership, servant leadership, or ethical leadership wearing a different name? The answer, in large part, was no. Humility contributed something beyond those other styles when predicting how people think and feel about their work. It has its own distinct influence. So what does humility look like in practice? Across this research, humble leaders share three things in common: They have an accurate understanding of their own strengths and limitations They genuinely appreciate the strengths and contributions of others, and They're open to feedback, learning, and changing their views when presented with new information. In other words, humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it’s having an accurate view of yourself while recognising that others have valuable perspectives and capabilities too. So what can leaders do to develop greater humility? First, become comfortable saying "I don't know" or "I was wrong". Many leaders worry that admitting uncertainty will undermine their credibility. In reality, people often trust leaders more when they're honest about what they know and what they don't know. It also creates an environment where others feel safe to admit mistakes, ask questions, and learn. Second, give credit generously. When someone on your team contributes an idea, solves a problem, or helps achieve a result, make sure people know where the contribution came from. It's a simple habit, but it sends a powerful message that leadership isn't about personal recognition, it’s about helping others succeed. And when people feel their contributions are noticed and valued, they're more likely to continue contributing. Third, regularly seek feedback from the people around you. One simple question is, "What's something I do that gets in the way of you doing your best work?" The key is not just asking the question, but listening carefully to the answer. Resist the urge to explain or defend. Instead, thank the person for their feedback, reflect on what you've heard, and look for opportunities to improve. The key point is that humility isn't weakness. it’s not a lack of confidence, and it's certainly not about downplaying your strengths. Humility is having the confidence to recognise that you don't have all the answers and that other people have valuable insights to contribute. People are more willing to trust, engage with, and follow leaders who are continuing to learn and grow. Have a great week. Research references Chandler, J. A., Johnson, N. E., Jordan, S. L., Brian, D. K., & Short, J. C. (2023). A meta-analysis of humble leadership: Reviewing individual, team, and organizational outcomes of leader humility. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(1), 101660. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1048984322000637 Luo Y, Zhang Z, Chen Q, Zhang K, Wang Y, Peng J. (2022) Humble leadership and its outcomes: A meta-analysis. Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 21;13:980322. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980322. PMID: 36619057; PMCID: PMC9811147. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/42053280

Episode 231 - Preparing for an Underperformance Conversation: The CLEAR Framework 07/10/2026

Episode 231 - Preparing for an Underperformance Conversation: The CLEAR Framework Summary Underperformance conversations often go wrong before they even begin. In this episode, we explore the CLEAR framework to help leaders prepare with greater clarity, curiosity and confidence. You’ll learn how to clarify the purpose, listen well, explore causes, agree on next steps and reinforce progress after the conversation. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 231 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at how to prepare for an underperformance conversation. Most leaders think the hardest part of a performance conversation is the conversation itself. In my experience the hardest part is often the period beforehand. It’s the days or weeks spent thinking about the conversation, worrying about how the other person might react and wondering whether you’re approaching the situation in the right way. I’ve noticed that when leaders describe a performance conversation that went badly, the problem rarely started in the conversation itself. More often, the leader entered the discussion without enough clarity. They hadn’t fully thought through what they wanted to achieve. They weren’t clear on the evidence they wanted to discuss. They hadn’t considered the other person’s perspective. And because they weren’t prepared, they became reactive when the conversation didn’t unfold exactly as expected. What’s interesting is that the conversations we avoid are often the conversations that would help the most. A performance issue continues. Team members become frustrated. Standards start slipping. The leader becomes increasingly concerned. Yet the conversation keeps getting postponed because it feels uncomfortable. Unfortunately, avoidance doesn’t make the issue smaller. It usually makes it larger. By the time the conversation finally happens, something else has often occurred as well. The leader has spent weeks carrying the emotional weight of the issue. They’ve replayed examples in their mind. They’ve built up frustration. They’ve developed assumptions about why the problem exists. In some cases, they’ve already decided what the other person thinks before they’ve even had the discussion. That’s why preparation matters so much. Douglas Stone in his work on difficult conversations, suggests that these conversations become challenging when the stakes matter, views differ and emotions are involved. That combination exists in almost every performance discussion. The goal of preparation isn’t to eliminate those factors. The goal is to help us navigate them more effectively. One framework that is particularly useful is CLEAR. The framework provides a simple structure for thinking about a conversation before it happens. It doesn’t give you a script to follow. Instead, it helps you clarify your thinking so you can enter the conversation with confidence, curiosity and purpose. The first step is Context. Before you think about what you want to say, it’s worth asking yourself why you’re having the conversation in the first place. What is the purpose? What outcome are you hoping to achieve? What would success look like? Many leaders focus immediately on the problem. They begin preparing examples, evidence and arguments. While those things matter, starting with the problem can create a mindset where the goal becomes proving a point. A more useful approach is to start with the outcome. If the conversation goes well, what will be different afterwards? For example, perhaps you want someone to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. Perhaps you want them to improve a particular aspect of performance. Perhaps you want to understand what obstacles are getting in the way of success. Clarifying the purpose helps shape everything that follows. The second step is Listen. This is where many leaders struggle because we’ve often spent so much time thinking about our perspective that we forget to explore theirs. When leaders describe performance conversations that went unexpectedly well, one of the most common reasons is that they learned something they didn’t know beforehand. The person revealed challenges, concerns or circumstances that completely changed how the leader understood the situation. Listening doesn’t mean agreeing. It doesn’t mean lowering expectations. It simply means recognising that there may be information you don’t yet have. Questions such as, “How do you think things have been going?”, “What’s been most challenging recently?” or “How do you see the situation?” create opportunities for insight. Sometimes the other person is already aware of the issue and has been struggling with it for some time. Sometimes they have a completely different interpretation of events. Either way, listening helps ensure the conversation is based on understanding rather than assumption. The third step is Explore. This is where we move from symptoms to causes. We have previously discussed clarity, capability, confidence, and motivation. The Explore stage is where those concepts become useful. Rather than assuming you already know why the issue exists, you start investigating possible explanations. Perhaps the person lacks a particular skill. Perhaps they’re uncertain about expectations. Perhaps they’re experiencing personal challenges. Perhaps they’ve lost confidence after a setback. Perhaps they’re doing acceptable work but have stopped growing. The key is curiosity. Many leaders approach performance conversations believing they need to diagnose the problem before entering the room. A better approach is to enter the room with hypotheses rather than conclusions. Be willing to test your assumptions and adjust your thinking based on what you learn. The fourth step is Agree. Once both perspectives have been explored and the likely causes are becoming clearer, it’s time to discuss what happens next. This is where vague commitments can become a problem. Statements such as “I’ll try harder”, “I’ll do my best” or “We’ll keep an eye on it” sound positive, but they rarely create lasting change because nobody is clear about what success actually looks like. Effective agreements are specific. What will change? What actions will be taken? What support will be provided? How will progress be measured? When will you check in again? The more specific the agreement, the greater the likelihood of improvement. Clarity reduces confusion and creates accountability. The final step is Reinforce. Many leaders treat the conversation as the finish line when it should really be viewed as the starting point. Most meaningful performance improvement occurs after the conversation. People need encouragement, support and accountability. They need opportunities to discuss progress and obstacles. They need recognition when they improve and guidance when they struggle. Without reinforcement, even a strong conversation can lose momentum. With reinforcement, a difficult conversation can become the catalyst for genuine growth. Running through all five stages is one underlying principle: curiosity. The most productive conversations are often those where the leader creates the conditions for understanding to emerge. Rather than delivering a verdict, they facilitate a discussion. Rather than proving a point, they explore possibilities. Rather than solving the problem alone, they work with the other person to identify a path forward. That’s why preparation matters so much. Good preparation doesn’t help you control the conversation. It helps you enter the conversation with greater clarity, confidence and curiosity. This week, think about a performance conversation you need to have. Spend ten minutes working through the CLEAR framework. Clarify the context, identify questions you want to ask, think about what you need to explore, consider what agreement might look like and decide how you’ll reinforce progress afterwards. You may find that the conversation feels significantly less daunting once you’ve taken the time to prepare properly. /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/41720515

Episode 230 - Diagnosing Underperformance: Why Good People Underperform 07/03/2026

Episode 230 - Diagnosing Underperformance: Why Good People Underperform Summary Underperformance is often treated as a motivation problem when the real issue may be a lack of clarity, capability or confidence. Effective leaders resist the temptation to jump to conclusions and instead focus on understanding what’s driving performance. By diagnosing before prescribing, asking better questions and creating clear expectations, leaders can prevent many performance issues before they occur. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 230 of the Leadership Today Podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore four areas that will help you to diagnose likely performance issues before they become a problem. When someone in our team starts underperforming, it’s remarkable how quickly we jump to conclusions. We see missed deadlines, lower quality work, reduced initiative or declining engagement and often assume we already know what’s going on. They must have lost motivation. They’ve become complacent. They don’t care as much as they used to. Before long, we’ve developed a story about the cause of the problem, often with very little evidence. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make when managing performance is assuming they know why someone is underperforming. We observe behaviour and immediately start interpreting it. The challenge is that while behaviour is visible, the causes behind that behaviour are often hidden. Two people can display exactly the same performance issue for completely different reasons. I was recently facilitating a workshop on managing underperformance and asked participants to think about someone in their team whose performance wasn’t where they wanted it to be. The leaders could easily describe what they were seeing. They talked about missed deadlines, lower quality work, avoidance of difficult tasks, reduced initiative and a general drop in engagement. What was much harder was identifying why those behaviours were occurring. As the discussion unfolded, it became clear that most leaders were highly confident about the symptoms but far less certain about the causes. A useful way to think about performance is through four questions. Does the person know what good performance looks like? Can they do it? Do they believe they can do it? And do they want to do it? These questions point us towards four common drivers of performance: clarity, capability, confidence and motivation. Understanding which of these is getting in the way is often the difference between solving a problem and making it worse. For example, someone may avoid a task because they weren’t aware it was important. Another might avoid it because they genuinely don’t have the skills or experience to complete it effectively. Another person may avoid exactly the same task because they’re worried they’ll fail or look incompetent. Another person may avoid it because they simply don’t see personal value in the task and have disengaged from the outcome. From the outside, all three situations can look identical. We see avoidance, hesitation or procrastination. What we don’t immediately see is the reason behind it. This is why curiosity is such an important leadership skill. Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with this person?”, effective leaders ask, “What’s getting in the way of this person’s success?” That subtle shift moves us away from judgement and towards understanding. It encourages us to gather information before reaching conclusions and significantly improves our chances of providing the support people actually need. Research provides some useful insights here. Self-Determination Theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, suggests that people are more likely to be motivated when three psychological needs are met: competence, autonomy and relatedness. Competence is the feeling that we can do something well. Autonomy is having some choice and control over our work. Relatedness is feeling connected to others and to a broader purpose. What’s particularly interesting is that competence sits at the foundation. When people don’t feel capable, motivation often suffers as a result. Think about a time when you were asked to do something that felt completely outside your comfort zone. Perhaps you were asked to present to a large audience, lead a major project or take responsibility for something you’d never done before. Chances are you didn’t immediately feel highly motivated. You may have procrastinated, delayed getting started or looked for reasons to avoid the task. Someone observing your behaviour might have concluded that you lacked motivation. In reality, the issue may have been capability, confidence or both. The same thing happens in our teams. Leaders often assume a motivation problem when the real issue is capability or confidence. The reverse can happen as well. Sometimes leaders invest heavily in training and development when the real issue is that someone no longer feels connected to the purpose of their work. Without understanding the cause, we’re simply guessing. Another contributor to underperformance that often gets overlooked is clarity. Many performance issues begin long before performance actually declines. They start when expectations are vague, inconsistent or poorly communicated. I’ve worked with leaders who were frustrated that team members weren’t demonstrating enough initiative, only to discover that nobody had clearly defined what initiative actually looked like. Different leaders had different expectations, making it almost impossible for people to consistently succeed. It’s difficult to hit a target you can’t clearly see. People are far more likely to perform well when they understand what success looks like, how their work contributes to broader goals and what standards are expected of them. Sometimes what appears to be an accountability issue is really an expectations issue. The conversation that needs to happen isn’t about performance correction. It’s about performance clarity. So what can we do as leaders? First, diagnose before you decide. When you notice a performance issue, resist the temptation to immediately label it as a motivation problem. Consider whether the issue might relate to clarity, capability, confidence or motivation. Gather information before reaching conclusions. Second, ask better questions. Questions such as “What’s been most challenging about this?” or “What support would help you succeed?” often reveal far more than assumptions ever will. The quality of our diagnosis depends heavily on the quality of our questions. Third, focus on prevention rather than correction. The best underperformance conversation is often the one you never need to have because expectations were clear from the beginning. Invest time upfront defining success, checking understanding and providing regular feedback before problems emerge. Managing underperformance can be one of the most challenging aspects of leadership, but it becomes much easier when we replace assumptions with curiosity. Most people don’t come to work intending to underperform. More often, something is getting in the way of their success. Our role as leaders is to understand what that obstacle is and help remove it. This week, think about someone whose performance isn’t where you’d like it to be and ask yourself four questions: Do they know what good looks like? Can they do it? Do they believe they can do it? Do they want to do it? Your answers may completely change the conversation you need to have. /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/41720475

Episode 229 - How To Re-engage A 'Quiet Quitter' 06/26/2026

Episode 229 - How To Re-engage A 'Quiet Quitter' Summary Quiet quitting isn’t usually about laziness or a lack of motivation. Research suggests it’s often a sign that the relationship between an employee and their organisation has become unbalanced. Discover how leaders can spot the warning signs early and rebuild engagement through better conversations and clearer expectations. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 229 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to re-engage a “quiet quitter”. Over the past few years, you’ve probably heard the term “quiet quitting” - the idea that some people are stepping back from their roles to just do the bare minimum. It’s one of those phrases that quickly gained popularity and sparked plenty of debate. Some people viewed it as a sign that employees had become less committed. Others saw it as a healthy rejection of unrealistic work expectations. But the important question is what causes someone who was once engaged, enthusiastic, and willing to go the extra mile to start doing only the minimum required in the first place? Recent research suggests the answer has less to do with motivation and more to do with relationships and fairness. Researchers studying quiet quitting have found that one of the strongest predictors is employees’ perceptions of the exchange relationship they have with their organisation. In simple terms, people compare what they’re contributing with what they’re receiving in return. When they feel the relationship has become unbalanced and they don’t see a way to improve it, they often respond by reducing their discretionary effort. Importantly, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re planning to leave. Instead, they adjust their level of investment. They continue to do their job, but they stop contributing the extra effort that often drives innovation, collaboration, and performance. The research also points to an important leadership influence. Teams whose leaders maintain regular conversations about both work and wellbeing appear less likely to experience quiet quitting. In other words, leaders who stay connected with their people are often better able to identify and address issues before disengagement takes hold. So what can you do to reduce the risk of quiet quitting? First, have open conversations about expectations. Work relationships involve an ongoing exchange. What is the employee contributing? What are they receiving in return? Have either of those things changed recently? These discussions can sometimes uncover relatively small issues that, if left unaddressed, gradually erode engagement. Second, make sure your one-on-one meetings cover more than just tasks and deadlines. It’s important to understand how people are feeling about their role, what’s energising them, and what’s becoming frustrating or difficult. These conversations often provide early warning signs that someone may be disengaging. Third, if you notice a drop in effort or enthusiasm, get curious rather than critical. It’s tempting to focus on the behaviour itself. However, quiet quitting is often a symptom rather than the problem. Understanding what has changed is usually more productive than immediately trying to correct the behaviour. The key point is that quiet quitting is rarely about laziness. More often, it’s a signal that something in the relationship between the employee and the organisation has shifted. As leaders, we may not be able to solve every issue, but we can create the conversations that help us understand what’s really going on. And often, that’s the first step towards rebuilding engagement. Have a great week. Research references: Galanis, P., et al. (2023). The quiet quitting scale: Development and initial validation. AIMS Public Health, 10(4), 828 to 848. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10764970/ Dilchert, S., et al. (2026). Expanding Our Understanding of Quiet Quitting: Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences. Human Resource Management. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hrm.70038 Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/41720450

Episode 228 - How To Get The Best From AI Without Falling Off The Edge 06/19/2026

Episode 228 - How To Get The Best From AI Without Falling Off The Edge Episode 228 - How To Get The Best From AI Without Falling Off The Edge Summary AI can be incredibly helpful, but it’s not always right. Learn about the “jagged frontier” of AI capability and why the most effective leaders know when to rely on AI and when human judgement remains essential. Discover practical ways to get the benefits of AI without falling into its traps. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 228 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this episode we explore the so-called “jagged frontier” of Artificial Intelligence - where we fail to apply human judgement and pay the price. If you’ve been using AI for a while, you’ve probably had two very different experiences. Sometimes it feels almost magical. It helps you generate ideas, summarise information, improve your writing, and solve problems faster than you thought possible. Then there are those other moments. The answer sounds convincing, looks professional, and is completely wrong. Understanding why that happens is becoming one of the most important leadership skills of our time. A study involving more than 750 consultants at Boston Consulting Group explored the impact of using GPT-4 on a range of consulting tasks. The results were impressive. People completed more work, worked faster, and generally produced higher-quality outputs when using AI. But the researchers uncovered something equally important. When participants used AI on tasks that were beyond the technology’s capabilities, their performance actually became worse. The AI didn’t simply fail to help. It often led people towards the wrong answer. The researchers described this as the “jagged frontier” of AI. Some tasks sit comfortably within AI’s capabilities and the benefits can be substantial. Other tasks sit just beyond that frontier. The challenge is that AI often sounds equally confident in both situations. That’s why the biggest risk with AI isn’t that it makes mistakes. Humans make mistakes too. The risk is that we stop applying our own judgement because the answer looks so polished and convincing. So what can leaders do? First, identify where AI genuinely adds value in your work. Think about the tasks where it consistently helps you save time, generate ideas, improve communication, or increase quality. Just as importantly, identify the situations where you’ve seen it get things wrong. Understanding both sides of the equation helps you use AI more effectively. Second, keep your judgement in the process. For important decisions, strategic thinking, or complex problem-solving, consider forming your own view before turning to AI. Even a few notes or bullet points can help you avoid being overly influenced by the first answer AI provides. Third, have open conversations with your team about how they are using AI. Some tasks may be suitable for handing over largely to the technology. Others require people to stay actively involved, challenging assumptions and validating outputs along the way. The more explicit you are about these differences, the better the outcomes are likely to be. The key point is that AI is neither a miracle solution nor something to be feared. It’s a powerful tool with strengths and limitations. The leaders who get the greatest benefit won’t be those who use it for everything - they’ll be the ones who learn where it performs best and where human judgement remains essential. Have a great week. Research reference: Dell'Acqua, F., et al. (2023). Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier: Field Experimental Evidence of the Effects of AI on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Quality. Harvard Business School Working Paper 24-013. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4573321 Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/41658350

Episode 227 - How to Use Microbreaks to Restore Focus 06/12/2026

Episode 227 - How to Use Microbreaks to Restore Focus Summary Feeling exhausted despite being busy all day? Research suggests that short breaks throughout the day can boost energy, reduce fatigue, and help sustain performance. Discover how leaders can use microbreaks more effectively and encourage healthier work habits across their team. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 227 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we’re exploring how to use microbreaks to restore focus. Have you ever reached the end of a day and wondered why you’re exhausted despite never really stopping? Many leaders spend their day moving from meeting to meeting, email to email, task to task, without taking a genuine break. We often assume that pushing through is a sign of commitment and productivity. But there comes a point where working longer doesn’t mean working better. It turns out that even very short breaks can make a difference. A 2022 review of more than 20 studies found that microbreaks, breaks of less than ten minutes, help boost energy levels and reduce fatigue. In other words, those small pauses throughout the day aren’t wasted time. They’re one of the ways we sustain performance over the longer term. The researchers also found an important limitation. Microbreaks help maintain energy, but they aren’t a substitute for proper recovery. If you’ve spent two hours doing deep analysis, solving complex problems, writing a major report, or making difficult decisions, a five-minute break will help, but it won’t completely restore you. Some work requires a more substantial break. That’s why lunch breaks, time away from work, and good recovery outside of work still matter. So what can leaders do? First, build short breaks into your day before you feel exhausted. Most of us wait until our energy is gone before stepping away. A better approach is to take a brief break every 60 to 90 minutes. Stand up, walk around, grab a drink, stretch, or simply look away from your screen for a few minutes. The goal is to create a genuine mental shift, even if it’s only for a short period of time. Second, match your work to your energy. Try to schedule your most demanding work when you’re feeling fresh. Save routine tasks, administration, and email for periods when your energy is naturally lower. Too often we do the opposite, spending our best hours reacting to other people’s priorities and leaving our most important work until we’re already mentally depleted. Third, role model healthy habits. Teams often take their cues from their leader. If you’re working through lunch, responding to emails late at night, and sitting at your desk all day, others may feel pressure to do the same. When leaders take sensible breaks and openly manage their energy, they give others permission to do likewise. The key point is that performance isn’t just about how hard we work. It’s also about how well we recover. Small breaks won’t solve everything, but they can help us maintain our energy, focus, and effectiveness throughout the day. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do next is step away for a few minutes. Have a great week. Research reference: Albulescu, P., et al. (2022). "Give me a break!" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272460. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0272460 Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/41582405

Episode 226 - How To Reduce Loneliness at Work 06/05/2026

Episode 226 - How To Reduce Loneliness at Work Summary One in five people feel lonely at work. While loneliness is often seen as a personal issue, research suggests leaders play a bigger role than they might realise in helping people feel connected, included, and supported. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 226 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. Most of us think of loneliness as something that happens outside of work. But Gallup’s latest global research found that around one in five workers feel lonely at work. Workplace loneliness isn’t just about how people feel - research shows it’s linked to higher burnout, lower performance, more sick leave, and greater turnover. In fact, loneliness can be just as damaging to performance as job dissatisfaction. A recent review published in Occupational Medicine found that one of the strongest workplace factors associated with lower loneliness is leadership. Leaders who are supportive, approachable, and empowering help create an environment where people feel connected and valued. Now, leaders can’t solve every cause of loneliness. People bring their own circumstances, personalities, and experiences to work. But we can influence whether work becomes a place where people feel connected or isolated. Here are three practical ways to help. First, make genuine connection part of your regular conversations. Before jumping into tasks and deadlines, spend a minute asking how someone is going and really listen to the answer. People often don’t need a solution. They just need to know someone is interested. Second, pay attention to inclusion. Most people don’t feel excluded during formal meetings. They feel excluded from the conversations before and after them. Notice who gets invited into informal discussions, brainstorming sessions, and problem-solving conversations. Small moments of inclusion often have a bigger impact than large team-building activities. Third, be deliberate with hybrid work arrangements. People can easily become disconnected when their work patterns don’t overlap with the rest of the team. Sometimes a simple conversation about coordinating office days can dramatically improve connection and collaboration. The key point is this. Loneliness at work isn’t simply a personal issue - it’s often a leadership issue. Every interaction either strengthens or weakens someone’s sense of belonging. As leaders, we have more influence over that than we might think. Have a great week. Research reference: Wright, J. K., et al. (2024). Loneliness in the workplace: a mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis. Occupational Medicine, 73(9), 557 to 567. https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/73/9/557/7591258 Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/41503990

Interview - Brad Englert - Spheres of Influence 05/09/2025

Interview - Brad Englert - Spheres of Influence Summary In this conversation, Andrew Beveridge speaks with Brad Englert, founder of Brad Englert Advisory and author of 'Spheres of Influence'. They discuss the importance of mentorship, building genuine relationships in business, and the significance of understanding both internal and external spheres of influence. Brad shares insights from his extensive experience in IT and leadership, emphasising the need for proactive customer service, the power of apology, and the challenges of influencing without formal authority. The discussion also touches on the dynamics of hybrid work environments and the importance of maintaining connections in a remote setting. Learn more about Brad and access a free chapter of his book - Takeaways Mentorship is a two-way street, involving both giving and receiving. Understanding your boss's expectations is crucial for success. Building genuine relationships can lead to long-term success. Proactive customer service is more effective than reactive fire drills. Apologising can build trust and strengthen relationships. Long-term relationships can lead to unexpected opportunities. Creating a positive organisational culture requires clear communication and values. Navigating crises requires preparation and strong relationships. Influencing others without authority is a key leadership skill. Hybrid work environments require intentional relationship-building. Chapters 00:11 Introduction to Brad Englert 03:26 Understanding Spheres of Influence 10:13 Building Genuine Relationships 16:24 Cultural Transformation in IT 23:04 Navigating Crisis and Change 28:58 The Power of Apology 32:24 Communication and Clarity in Leadership 36:52 Understanding Expectations and Influencing Upwards 39:29 Building Customer Relationships 45:02 Influencing Without Authority 48:46 Navigating Hybrid Work Environments 51:59 Looking Ahead: The Future of Leadership /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/36501905

Episode 225 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Five - Drive for Growth 09/27/2024

Episode 225 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Five - Drive for Growth Summary We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 225 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to Continuing our journey metaphor, we can be clear about where we’re going, have a positive attitude towards that journey, and even be great at identifying various options to get there, but without Drive for Growth we won’t make progress. Drive for Growth is like momentum and making forward progress on the journey. With a Drive for Growth mindset, a person will be motivated to keep going and persist even when things get hard. They push themselves to standards that are greater than the minimum that’s expected. Without a Drive for Growth, a person tends to give up when things become difficult to achieve. They also find it hard to get going on a task they know will be difficult. Sometimes it can feel like some people are just born with higher levels of drive and motivation, but we can all develop and improve our Drive for Growth. Here are five practical ideas you can use: Boost Your Mood: Procrastination is about putting short term mood repair over long term results. We procrastinate because it makes us feel better in the moment. Research demonstrates that boosting your mood by completing an activity you enjoy makes you less likely to procrastinate. Whether it's going for a quick walk or talking with a colleague, take a few moments to boost your mood before you begin. Start Small: Getting started can be the hardest part of pursuing any goal. Identify a small first step you can take to make progress. Dedicating a short amount of time such as 10 to 15 minutes to begin can also be a useful approach. You can then add another 10 to 15 minutes on at the end, as you're likely to be more motivated once you get started. Review Why It Matters: It's challenging to make progress when we lose sight of why our actions matter. Think about your broader goals and sense of purpose in life. Identify how activities align with this purpose to give you that extra motivation. Reflect on Progress: Take stock of the progress you have already made. Think about where you were a month or a year ago and reflect on what you've learned and how you've grown. This will help to build your confidence and motivation to keep going. Recognise That Growth is Difficult: Learning anything new is uncomfortable. Feeling awkward and wanting to give up are natural responses to trying any new activity or pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. It doesn't mean that you lack potential. Push through the awkwardness towards growth and improvement. Becoming comfortable with feeling uncomfortable is a key part of a Drive for Growth mindset. Choose one of these to practice over the coming week. That’s our final episode in this series on The Leader’s Mindset. If you found the episodes and Mindset to Action assessment helpful, please share them with a friend or colleague. We are committed to sharing resources that help everyone with their leadership and you play a big part in spreading the news. Have a great week as you become an even better leader. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/32770377

Episode 224 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Four - Options Thinking 09/20/2024

Episode 224 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Four - Options Thinking Summary We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this fourth of a five part series, we explore Options Thinking and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 224 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this fourth of a five part series, we explore Options Thinking and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the three previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to We often aren’t great at coming up with multiple options when we encounter challenges. Typically we will generate one option, and then become stuck if that option doesn’t work. Options Thinking is like identifying various pathways to the destination on your journey. With Options Thinking, a person identifies ways around emerging challenges and problems. They are confident in their ability to come up with another way around obstacles they might face. Without Options Thinking, a person gets stuck when things don’t go to plan. They find it hard to identify new ways to reach their destination when the first pathway is blocked. So Options Thinking has two parts - the identification of options up front, and then immediately focusing on options when you become stuck. There are five ways you can build your Options Thinking: Brainstorm Options: When you face an obstacle, immediately start to brainstorm options. Recognise that option generation and option evaluation are two distinct steps. If we are trying to evaluate our options while we generate them, we will often throw out too many options that could have merit. Instead, spend time generating multiple options before evaluating them. Ask Yourself Questions - Use these questions to help prompt further options: What are your options moving forward? What else might you do? What has worked so far? How could you do more of that? Who else could help? What are the pros and cons of these options? What are the easiest options that will have the biggest impact? Engage Others: Ask a trusted colleague or friend to help you generate new options. Having someone asking you for further options and guiding you towards new areas to consider is extremely helpful. It's often even better if the person isn't close to the problem so they can take a more objective view. Change Your Setting: Consider where you come up with your best ideas. Most people develop their best ideas when they’re relaxed, maybe having a shower or going for a walk, and when they’re interacting with others. Make sure you give your brain time to relax and consider options, and bring others around you to bounce ideas off. Reflect on Past Successes: Take time to reflect on moments when you have overcome challenges or worked through adversity. Reflecting on our past successes can encourage us to keep going and generate new ideas to move forward. As always I encourage you to select one of these to practice over the coming week. In our final episode of this series we are going to explore Drive for Growth. Have a great week as you become an even better leader. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/32770352

Episode 223 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Three - Optimistic Outlook 09/13/2024

Episode 223 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Three - Optimistic Outlook Summary We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this third of a five part series, we explore Optimistic Outlook and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 223 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this third of a five part series, we explore Optimistic Outlook and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the two previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to When I talk about mindsets, the most common one that people think of is optimism and pessimism. Optimism has lots of positive benefits, particularly when you combine it with the three elements of hope theory covered in the Mindset to Action assessment. Combining the two overcomes the main shortcoming of optimism, which is its lack of direction and momentum. Just looking at the world in a positive way and expecting good things to happen doesn’t take you anywhere - you need clear goals, openness to options, and the drive to push you forward. Continuing our journey metaphor, Optimistic Outlook is like the perspective you bring to the journey. A person with an Optimistic Outlook thinks positively about the future, expecting things to go their way. They see the future as positive. A person without an Optimistic Outlook mindset focuses on the negatives and what can go wrong. They anticipate more bad things to happen than good things. I’m often asked if it’s possible to have too much optimism. The research suggests this is the case, but that it’s pretty rare. For example, with extremely high levels of optimism I may be reluctant to take personal responsibility when things go wrong. What is more common is so-called toxic positivity, which describes a culture where people only focus on the positive and ignore challenges, criticisms and issues. The Leader’s Mindset is all about tackling challenges and making progress, therefore avoiding this potential trap. The Mindset to Action report provides five ways of building and maintaining an Optimistic Outlook. Gratitude Journal: Write down three new things that you are grateful for each day. This will help you to focus on the positive things happening around you that are so easy to miss. Before long, you will have trained yourself to focus more on the positive than the negative in your work and life. Consider the Three P’s: Martin Seligman describes three ways in which optimists and pessimists think differently in both good and bad situations - personal, permanent and pervasive. When things go wrong, an Optimistic Outlook involves: Personal - not automatically blaming ourselves, but rather accepting the outside forces that have contributed to the situation Permanent - not extending the bad situation out, but realistically appreciating that this will pass and that other good things are probably happening Pervasive - not extending the challenging event to all aspects of our life, but rather compartmentalising it to one aspect of our life When things go right, an Optimistic Outlook includes: Personal - seeing the role that we played in achieving a good outcome Permanent - extending out the good result over time, and making sure we reflect on the good things that are happening in our lives Pervasive - using the good result to flow into other aspects of our life Tame How You Speak To Yourself: Often the way we speak to ourselves is not very kind. When things go wrong we can quickly become our own worst critic. If a friend spoke to us the way we speak to ourselves in those moments, they probably wouldn’t be a friend for very long. Instead, be generous and kind to yourself. Speak to yourself as a supportive friend. Reframe Challenges as Opportunities for Growth: When we expand our horizons and try new things, we build optimism and resilience. Sure, we might make mistakes or find new things hard - that’s to be expected. See these minor setbacks as chances to become wiser, stronger and more capable. Why not pick one of these to practice over the coming week? In the next episode we are going to explore Options Thinking. Have a great week as you become an even better leader. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/32770277

Episode 222 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Two - Goal Orientation 09/06/2024

Episode 222 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Two - Goal Orientation Summary We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this second of a five part series, we explore Goal Orientation and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 222 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this second of a five part series, we explore Goal Orientation and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset. In the last episode we introduced The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to that episode first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to Snyder’s hope theory, which the Leader’s Mindset is partly based on, indicates that setting and pursuing meaningful goals is a core element of satisfaction, well-being and general health. Yet we’re typically not great at setting and achieving goals. Research reveals that of the roughly 50% of people that set a New Year resolution, only 8% achieve the goal they set. Research from Strava, the fitness tracking company, reveals that of those who set a clear fitness goal for the new year, a full 80% have given up within two weeks. That’s people who are motivated to make a change and encouraged to set a structured goal. So what goes wrong? Setting a goal is a rewarding activity, but working toward a goal requires effort. This shift from reward to effort is where many people give up. We also know that development and growth is uncomfortable. It’s typically more comfortable to just let the goal go and stay where we are. We also often express our goals as a general desire rather than a decision. Compare “I want to improve my public speaking” with “I will improve my public speaking”. The second statement demonstrates a decision to change. If we use the metaphor of a journey, Goal Orientation is like identifying a destination point on a map. With a Goal Orientation mindset a person is clear about what success looks like in their own terms. They have a clear vision for the future and regularly set goals towards that vision. They know where they’re headed and why that’s important to them. Without a Goal Orientation mindset, a person isn’t clear about their future direction and where they want to head. They become directionless in their lives and therefore may struggle to make progress. Goal Orientation is where a Leader’s Mindset begins. And like any mindset, you can develop Goal Orientation with intention, practice and time. Here are four practical strategies to develop your Goal Orientation. Define What Success Means To You: It's important to have your own vision of what success looks like for you. It can be easy to end up chasing others' ideas of success, or to become directionless without a clear vision of who we want to be. Consider the following questions to develop your own definition of success for your life. What are two or three key values for you? What three things would you want people to say about you at your retirement party? How would you spend your time if you no longer needed to work for money? What matters most to you? How do you define success for your life? Make Sure Your Goals Are SMART: SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework provides a set of criteria for goal setting that ensures clarity and accountability. Specific: Define goals clearly and precisely. The more specific the goal, the easier it is to understand and work towards. Measurable: Set concrete metrics to track progress. Measurement adds objectivity to the process and enables you to assess whether the goal has been achieved. Achievable: Goals should be challenging yet realistic. Ensure that the goal can be accomplished with the available resources and effort. Also make sure there is an achievement point - a moment when you can say that the goal has been completed. Relevant: Goals should be relevant to the individual, team, or organisation's current needs and priorities. Time-bound: Set a clear timeframe for achieving the goal. This adds urgency and prevents goals from dragging on indefinitely. Set Goals Across Different Time Horizons: Goal Orientation involves regularly setting goals to work towards that align with your vision of success. Sometimes we can set goals that are either so far into the future that they seem impossible, or so close to where we already are that they're not worth pursuing. A helpful approach is to break long term goals into smaller goals across different time horizons. Experiment with setting goals on the following time horizons: 10 years plus, 5 years, 1 to 2 years, 3 to 4 months, 1 month, 1 week. You can keep these goals in a note that's easy to edit and update. Your shorter term goals should be contributing towards your longer term goals and objectives. Review Progress and Refine Goals: It's easy to set a goal and then fail to review your progress. Ensure you regularly review your goals. Set times up in your calendar to review your progress. Also be open to refining your goals. Just as your vision of success may change over time, so too might your goals. If a goal doesn't matter to you any more, it's okay to delete it and set a new goal. Why not pick one of these to practice over the coming week? In the next episode we are going to explore Optimistic Outlook. Have a great week as you become an even better leader. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/32770127

Episode 221 - The Leader's Mindset - Part One - Introduction 08/30/2024

Episode 221 - The Leader's Mindset - Part One - Introduction Summary We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this first of a five part series, we introduce The Leader’s Mindset and how it will help you to lead more effectively in all areas of your life. This is part one of a five part series. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 221 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we are commencing a five part series on The Leader’s Mindset. As we start our series on The Leader’s Mindset, it’s important to step back and remind ourselves about what leadership is and isn’t. Importantly, leadership isn’t a role. Someone doesn’t demonstrate leadership just because they have the title of leader. And people who don’t have a team reporting into them can absolutely demonstrate leadership. I think it’s more helpful to think of leadership as how you approach your work and life. Great leadership is about achieving sustainable results through people and, with a little effort and practice, we can all do that. There are four domains of leadership: Behaviour – what we say and do, the actions we take Thoughts – conscious ideas, perspectives and opinions Emotions – physical state reactions and responses Context – the environment in which we are operating Each of these influences the others. For example, our thoughts shape our behaviour and how we feel. Likewise, how we feel influences our thoughts and behaviour. And our behaviour shapes our thoughts and emotions. All of this happens in a context which can impact our behaviour, thoughts and emotions. The Leader’s Mindset focuses primarily on our thoughts - the mindset we bring to our leadership. Some important points about mindset: A mindset is how we think about the world in which we live Our mindsets influence our feelings and behaviour Mindsets change over time based on our experiences and context We can change our mindsets through conscious effort and attention When we think about mindsets, the one that most frequently comes to mind is optimism. We all vary in the amount of optimism we bring to our lives. Optimism is a positive outlook about the future, and expectation that things will generally go our way. With optimism we expand positive events and minimise negative events. An additional areas of mindset research over the past 30 years has focused on hope. In psychology as defined by Snyder, hope is “the process of thinking about one’s goals along with the motivation to move towards those goals (agency) and the ways to achieve those goals (pathways)”. We have brought the theories of hope and optimism together to identify four elements of a leader’s mindset - Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. Goal Orientation is like identifying a destination point on a map. With a Goal Orientation mindset a person is clear about what success looks like in their own terms. They have a clear vision for the future and regularly set goals towards that vision. They know where they’re headed and why that’s important to them. Without a Goal Orientation mindset, a person isn’t clear about their future direction and where they want to head. They become directionless in their lives and therefore may struggle to make progress. Optimistic Outlook is like the perspective you bring to the journey. A person with an Optimistic Outlook thinks positively about the future, expecting things to go their way. They see the future as positive. A person without an Optimistic Outlook mindset focuses on the negatives and what can go wrong. They anticipate more bad things to happen than good things. Options Thinking is like identifying various pathways to the destination on your journey. With Options Thinking, a person identifies ways around emerging challenges and problems. They are confident in their ability to come up with another way around obstacles they might face. Without Options Thinking, a person gets stuck when things don’t go to plan. They find it hard to identify new ways to reach their destination when the first pathway is blocked. Drive for Growth is like momentum and making forward progress on the journey. With a Drive for Growth mindset, a person will be motivated to keep going and persist even when things get hard. They push themselves to standards that are greater than the minimum that’s expected. Without a Drive for Growth, a person tends to give up when things become difficult to achieve. They also find it hard to get going on a task they know will be difficult. Over the next four episodes we are going to explore each of these mindsets in more detail, including practical tips to practice and improve in each area. We have developed a self-assessment of these four areas called Mindset to Action. Now is a great time to complete this free assessment. Just go to Once you complete the assessment you’ll receive an email with your personalised report. We won’t use your email address for any other purpose. In our next episode we are going to explore Goal Orientation in more detail. Have a great week as you become an even better leader. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/32735967

Interview - Alexa Chilcutt - Executive Communication and Public Speaking 04/05/2024

Interview - Alexa Chilcutt - Executive Communication and Public Speaking Summary In this conversation, Dr. Alexa Chilcutt ( discusses the importance of executive communication and public speaking skills. She explains that anxiety around public speaking stems from the fear of being judged and evaluated. However, she emphasises that with practice and a clear process, individuals can become more confident and effective communicators. Dr. Chilcutt also provides tips for structuring a message, including identifying the purpose, understanding the audience, and breaking the information into three main points. Additionally, she highlights the significance of executive presence in career advancement and outlines the 10 characteristics of executive presence, which include confidence, communication ability, appearance, and values in action. In this conversation, Alexa Chilcutt and Andrew Beveridge discuss various aspects of leadership and communication. They explore topics such as executive presence, effective communication for technical professionals, and the challenges faced by women in leadership roles. Alexa emphasises the importance of intention and preparation in developing executive presence and highlights the need for technical professionals to simplify complex information for their audience. She also discusses the significance of leaders communicating directly with their teams and the broader organization. Finally, she addresses the challenges faced by women in leadership and the importance of empowering women to overcome imposter syndrome and advocate for themselves. Takeaways Anxiety around public speaking is common and stems from the fear of being judged and evaluated. However, with practice and a clear process, individuals can become more confident and effective communicators. When structuring a message, it is important to identify the purpose, understand the audience, and break the information into three main points. This helps to captivate the audience and increase memory retention. Executive presence is crucial for career advancement. It encompasses characteristics such as confidence, communication ability, appearance, and values in action. Building executive presence involves being self-aware, authentic, and aligning actions with values. To improve executive presence, individuals can ask for feedback, record themselves presenting, and focus on creating meaningful connections with the audience. Developing executive presence requires intention and preparation. Technical professionals should simplify complex information for their audience and use relatable language. Leaders should communicate directly with their teams and the broader organization to ensure effective communication. Women in leadership face challenges such as imposter syndrome and should be empowered to advocate for themselves. Chapters 00:10 Introduction and Background 01:19 Interest in Executive Communication 05:09 Structuring a Message 09:01 Finding Your Authentic Style 11:38 Understanding the Audience 14:21 Avoiding Imitation and Finding Your Own Style 23:24 Characteristics of Executive Presence 25:11 Self-Reflection Exercise 27:10 Shifting Perceptions and Elevating Adjectives 29:12 Communicating Complex Technical Information 33:41 Effective Communication in Leadership 36:28 Building Connections and Getting Accurate Information 43:48 Challenges and Empowerment for Women in Leadership 49:21 Creating a Supportive and Diverse Organisational Culture 51:18 Connecting with Alexa Chilcutt References and Resources Dagley, G. R., & Gaskin, C. J. (2014). Understanding executive presence: Perspectives of business professionals. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 66(3), 197–211. Body Language Expert Explains How to Show Confidence | WIRED - Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/30560578

Episode 220 - How To Bend The Rules With Integrity 03/01/2024

Episode 220 - How To Bend The Rules With Integrity Summary Rules can be frustrating. It can be tempting to bend the rules or ignore them altogether, but this can lead to negative outcomes. This week we explore how to work around rules but maintain your integrity. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 220 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to work around rules but maintain your integrity. Lapses in integrity have ended many leaders’ careers. Breaking the rules is never a good idea. But we often need to be creative and flexible to get things done. Blindly sticking to out of date rules can mean we miss opportunities. Organisations can become overrun with excessive bureaucracy if we don’t challenge the rules. Sometimes we need to bend the rules, change the rules, or work around them. But how do we do that with integrity? Research demonstrates that while rule-breakers may be seen as more dominant, they generally have less respect from others and are seen as having reduced leadership potential. The research also shows that rule-benders can be seen as having more leadership potential, but only in competitive situations. Generally, rule-abiders were viewed most positively in cooperative settings. So while bending the rules may work when we need to win against a competitor, we need to be careful bending the rules in most other settings. We also need to be careful about the example we set for others. If we bend the rules as a leader, we can expect those who follow us to do the same. This can lead to adverse outcomes if people bend rules without fully understanding the consequences. Here are five tips to help you bend the rules while maintaining integrity: Understand why the rules exist. Take the time to research why rules were put in place originally. Speak to those responsible for the rule and find out the history behind them. You might uncover specific reasons why the rule is in place, or you might find that the rule can be changed. Confirm the constraints. Sometimes rules are shared from person to person with slight variations. What someone might share as a steadfast rule might actually be quite different to the actual rule. Explore the constraints and where there might be flexibility. Get creative. Look for innovative ways to either work around the rule or reduce its impact on your work. Brainstorm with your team to come up with creative solutions. Get a second opinion. Before you take action, check in with someone else you respect to confirm your approach. Inform others. You don’t want to be taking innovative action without letting others know. You don’t want to be seen as being deceptive or sneaky in your approach. And if you do discover a rule that no longer makes sense for your organisation, mount the case to have it removed. That will help others to be more effective as well. Research Rule benders make more appealing leaders than rule abiders - Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/30179973

Episode 219 - How To Appear Less Nervous in Meetings and Interviews 02/16/2024

Episode 219 - How To Appear Less Nervous in Meetings and Interviews Summary Interviewers place a strong emphasis on perceptions of nervousness. But there are practical steps we can take to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 219 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we work through ways to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews. Research demonstrates that anxious candidates perform worse at job interviews, even when their skills and experience align well with the role. Interviewers place an oversized importance to the appearance of anxiety when making judgements. And this tendency can extend to other important meetings. To avoid this, we might consider visible signs of nervousness such as shaky hands or nervous laughter. We might then focus on the use of our hands, slowing our speech or avoiding fidgeting. We can risk becoming overly sensitive to how our behaviours are coming across. However, In the research, the only consistent behavioural indicator of nervousness that the interviewers focused on was long pauses before responding to questions. This was potentially seen as the candidate being less prepared and less assertive than if they answered questions directly. Negative perceptions of anxiety in meetings and interviews was less about nervous signs, and more to do with perceptions of assertiveness and warmth as traits. Those who were perceived as less warm and less assertive were also rated as more anxious. Those who came across as friendly and assertive were seen as less anxious. It appears the overall impression we leave is far more important than any nervous tics that we might show. So what can we do to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews? To increase others’ perceptions of our warmth and assertiveness, you can try these techniques: Plan for first impressions. We want to demonstrate warmth from the very start of the meeting or interview. Research who will be there. Prepare and practice what you will do and say when you first arrive. Listen to others. When we’re nervous we can focus too much on ourselves and not enough on others. Demonstrate you’re listening by taking notes, restating their perspectives, and clarifying their views. Be prepared. There’s no substitute for preparation. It will help you to avoid lengthy pauses before responding. Remember to smile. When we’re nervous we can forget about our facial expressions, but they’re an important indicator of our confidence and friendliness. Video yourself. Have someone ask you some practice questions, and video your responses. This can help you to uncover unconscious signs of nervousness. Seek feedback. After the meeting or interview, explore how you came across. Ask about anything you could have done to appear more confident and engaged. We often feel more nervous than we appear. Focus on the overall impression of warmth and assertiveness that you give to others. Apply these tips in your next meeting or interview. Research Feiler, A.R., Powell, D.M. Behavioral Expression of Job Interview Anxiety. J Bus Psychol 31, 155–171 (2016). Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/29923878

Episode 218 - How To Boost First Impressions on Zoom 02/09/2024

Episode 218 - How To Boost First Impressions on Zoom Summary Research demonstrates the background we choose for video calls has a significant impact on how trustworthy and competent we appear. This week we explore how to boost your first impressions on a video call in three simple ways. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 218 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to boost your first impressions on a video call in three simple ways. Your choice of background on a video call has a greater impact on how you’re perceived by others than you might expect. You might be tempted to choose a novelty background to communicate a sense of fun, or a home background to reflect that you’re not in the office. But there are risks with these choices. Selecting a novelty background or a simulated home background saw ratings of trustworthiness drop. Blurring a home background resulted in better ratings of trustworthiness for the person, but the best ratings were for a background with plants or a bookcase. The research also found that facial expressions, not surprisingly, also mattered. Happy faces were rated as more trustworthy than neutral or sad faces. Ratings of competence also varied by background, with bookcases, plants and blank walls leading to the highest ratings. Novelty backgrounds, home backgrounds, and blurred backgrounds saw lower ratings. Again, happy facial expressions resulted in more positive ratings of competence. Interestingly, women were seen as more trustworthy and more competent than men across all backgrounds in the experiment. Our gender impacts the first impressions we make on a video meeting. Men will likely benefit from additional efforts to demonstrate trustworthiness and competence during the meeting. Here are three simple ways to boost your first impressions on a video call: Keep backgrounds professional. Avoid a home or novelty background when you can. Blurring a background is better, but choosing a virtual background with a bookcase or plants helps to boost first impressions. Demonstrate warmth. Smiling helps perceptions of both trustworthiness and competence. Try to maintain your interest in others on the call and keep your facial expressions positive and engaged. Build confidence in your competence. Research suggests it’s always best to start with warmth and build perceptions of your competence over time. Being helpful, responsive, on-time, and interested can all boost how confident you appear. Give these practical ideas a try on your next video call. Research - Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/29850008

Episode 217 - How to Be More Real on Video Calls 02/02/2024

Episode 217 - How to Be More Real on Video Calls Summary Research demonstrates a risk of detachment and reduced connection on video calls. This week we explore ways to be more real when we’re not meeting in-person. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 217 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at how to be more real on video calls. We make rapid judgements about people based on visual and other information we receive. While this can lead to us making incorrect judgements when we meet people in-person, the risk is increased through video calls. Research demonstrates an increased risk that we treat a visual representation of someone as less real than if we meet them in-person. On a video call we can treat other people as abstract rather than real. This effect is likely increased on a call that has audio and video challenges. In experiments, participants viewed others as having fewer conscious feelings and less ability to make free choices than when meeting in-person. As a leader, this could make us seem detached and lacking empathy during the conversation. It can, in turn, lead us to give less ethical consideration to the person on the other end of the video call. Our decision making may lack the warmth, concern and consideration that we would normally provide. So what can we do about this? When making video calls, we need to be conscious of the risk of detachment and make conscious effort to see people as real human beings. Here are some tips to try: Connect as human beings first. Rather than just getting straight down to business, spend a few minutes enquiring about the other person, how they are, and what they have been doing. You might share something personal about yourself to enhance this connection. Ask open questions. When we treat people as an object rather than a person, we can tend to “talk at” people rather than “talk with” people. Asking open questions helps avoid this trap. Increase your ethical consideration. Explore the impact of any decisions you are making upon people. Great decisions are a combination of logic and emotion. Acknowledge the challenge. You might share this research with your team members. This will help everyone to manage the risk of detachment. Make the most of in-person opportunities. When you do meet together in-person, use this time to connect on a personal level. Save more administrative activities to video calls and don’t waste the time you have physically together. Give these tips a try on your next video call, and we can all become more real. Research summary - Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/29761998

Episode 216 - How To Lead Through a Crisis 01/26/2024

Episode 216 - How To Lead Through a Crisis Summary When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 216 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis. When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. Whether it's a financial downturn, a global pandemic, or internal organisational challenges, we all need to navigate through uncertainties to ensure the survival and success of our teams and organisations. Here are some practical strategies backed by research on how to effectively lead through a crisis. Maintain Transparent Communication: Research suggests that leaders who communicate clearly and honestly during a crisis build trust and enhance team resilience. Sharing information about the situation, potential impacts, and the organisation's response plan helps employees feel informed and engaged. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders like Microsoft's Satya Nadella held regular virtual town hall meetings to update employees on the company's response, addressing concerns and providing a sense of direction. Foster a Culture of Adaptability: In times of crisis, adaptability becomes a crucial trait for both leaders and their teams. Research suggests that organisations promoting adaptability are more likely to thrive during crises. Leaders can encourage a culture that embraces change and innovation, empowering employees to contribute ideas and solutions. Prioritise Employee Well-being: The well-being of employees is a cornerstone of effective crisis leadership. Research by Gallup indicates that companies focusing on employee well-being experience higher levels of employee engagement and productivity. Leaders must demonstrate empathy, provide emotional support, and implement practical measures to ensure the physical and mental well-being of their teams. Help Others See the Potential for Development. The times when I have learned the most have also been times of crisis. Fortunately I had leaders and others who encouraged me to focus on what I could learn through these tough times. That brought a sense of purpose and opportunity to what otherwise might have appeared to be entirely negative situations. Develop a Robust Crisis Response Plan: Having a well-defined crisis response plan is essential for leaders to navigate uncertainties efficiently. Leaders should proactively identify potential risks, develop response strategies, and regularly test and update their crisis plans to ensure relevance. You can build this into your regular business planning. Each year I look at risks across one year, five year, and ten year time horizons. This helps me to anticipate what might go wrong and have contingencies in place ready to go. Leading through a crisis demands a combination of strategic thinking, effective communication, and a focus on well-being. Crises present opportunities for growth and transformation when met with thoughtful, prepared and decisive leadership. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/29438538

Episode 215 - How To Be More Courageous 01/19/2024

Episode 215 - How To Be More Courageous Summary Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 215 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work. Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. Courage is often associated with the ability to face fear and adversity head-on. From a psychological perspective, it involves factors such as self-efficacy (a belief in your own capabilities), resilience, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. To be courageous you need confidence to act and an ability to push through negative emotions. There are a number of steps you can take to increase your courage at work. Set Realistic Goals and Incremental Challenges: Research suggests that setting realistic goals and gradually increasing the difficulty of challenges can enhance courage. Start by identifying a specific work-related goal that requires a step outside your comfort zone. Break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, and tackle them one at a time. As you achieve these incremental successes, your confidence and courage will grow. Develop a Growth Mindset: Embrace a growth mindset, a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck. Individuals with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. When faced with a daunting task at work, shift your mindset from a fixed view of your abilities to a belief in your capacity to develop and improve. This shift can empower you to approach challenges with a more courageous attitude. Seek Social Support: Studies show that social support can be a significant factor in promoting courage. Cultivate relationships with colleagues who inspire and motivate you. Share your goals and fears with trusted coworkers or mentors, and seek their guidance. Having a support system not only provides valuable insights but also boosts your confidence to face challenges head-on. Practice Emotional Regulation: Being aware of our emotions helps us to manage our emotions more effectively. By learning to manage your emotions, you can face difficult situations with greater composure and courage. Take a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness techniques, focusing on your breath, noticing your emotions and developing a sense of calm. This can enhance your ability to navigate challenging workplace situations. Celebrate Failures and Learn from Them: Research indicates that viewing failures as opportunities for growth can foster courage. Instead of fearing failure, see it as a natural part of the learning process. When things don't go as planned, reflect on what went wrong, extract lessons from the experience, and use that knowledge to improve. Celebrating failures as stepping stones toward success can build resilience and a willingness to take calculated risks. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it, and with intentional effort, you can become a more courageous and impactful leader. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/29438498

Episode 214 - How To Negotiate Effectively 12/15/2023

Episode 214 - How To Negotiate Effectively Summary Whether it’s working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 214 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively. Whether it’s working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. Understanding the fundamentals of negotiation can help to achieve a great outcome for you, while also seeking to build the relationship with the other person. Before we work through some tips to help your negotiations, it’s important to understand position versus interest. People come to a negotiation with a particular position in mind. This is the stance they are taking and sharing openly with the other person. For example, a colleague might have a position that a particular project will take six weeks to deliver. Behind every position is a set of interests. Interests are the reasons behind the position. So your colleague’s position around the project taking six weeks to deliver could be based on interests such as not overworking their team, delivering other projects on time, or not wanting to over-promise a faster turnaround. As we negotiate it’s important to move past positions and towards interests. Being aware of interests provides much more flexibility for all parties in a negotiation. Beyond that, there are several points to be aware of before and during a negotiation: Be clear about your goals and priorities. Entering a negotiation without being clear about what’s important to you and what you want is very risky. It’s helpful to write down what you want to achieve and why. Think about where you are willing to compromise and what’s not negotiable. Writing these down can be helpful. Research and gather information. Make sure you have facts, data and documentation ready to go. This will help you to make informed decisions, anticipate counter-arguments, and establish credibility in the negotiation. Work on your communication skills. Be confident, clear and concise when expressing your views. Also recognise that communication is two-way. Listen to the other person, ask questions, stay curious, and work towards uncovering their underlying interests. A respectful, empathetic and collaborative approach will help you to build rapport and avoid the negotiation becoming overly adversarial. Be open to compromise. Negotiation typically involves give and take. Sometimes we need to be flexible and creative in the pursuit of an outcome that will work for both parties. Know when to walk away. There will be times when you can’t reach an agreement that is adequate for you. Go into a negotiation knowing what alternatives you have available if you can’t reach an outcome. This will help you to know when you need to strategically disengage and explore other options. Becoming more effective at negotiating takes time and preparation. Give these tips a try as you seek to increase your negotiation skills. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/29093628

Episode 213 - How To Build a Great Career 12/08/2023

Episode 213 - How To Build a Great Career Summary With so much uncertainty and change it can be difficult to map out your career. However there are still steps we can take to build a great career. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 213 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to build a great career. In just a few generations the number of jobs someone is likely to have in their lifetime has increased markedly. Estimates vary, but it’s likely a young person commencing their working life today will have around 15 jobs and 3 separate careers. Even across 50 years of working, that’s changing jobs about every 3 years. Career planning is becoming more challenging and complex. When it comes to building a great career, you will find many people propose finding work with a combination of: Skills - what you’re good at Interests - what you enjoy Opportunities - what the world needs and is willing to pay for The missing factor in this equation is growth - what you can develop. A job without growth opportunities will ultimately cause your career to stall. Life expectancy continues to increase so we will be working longer, which has implications for our training and development. The old model of completing training, then working in a career until your skills are bordering on redundant will no longer work. We have to continue learning, growing and adapting right across our career. But how can you plan for a career when the job you might have in 10 years may not even exist now? Here’s how. A great career comes down to your mindset and actions. Despite rapid change and uncertainty, we can adopt a mindset that welcomes change, where we are willing to take calculated risks and learn from mistakes. We can invest in knowing ourselves and regularly improving our capabilities. And we can also build connections with others. So in order to build a great career, I suggest you: Ask “What is a great career… for me?” Your career is a personal expression of who you are and your broader purpose in life. Don’t fall into the trap of blindly following others’ careers or what your organisation is laying out for you as the accepted pathway. It’s very easy to drift without having a clear idea of what a great career means to you. Factor in opportunities to develop, breaks from work for holidays, or whatever else matters to you. Set goals that matter. Approach life in a goal-oriented way. Keep stretching yourself forward towards clear goals. Apply pathways thinking. When the initial path to a goal is blocked, find a different way to achieve that goal. When you hit an obstacle, ask yourself how else you can get to your goal. Celebrate progress. Stop occasionally and reflect on what you can do now that you couldn’t do 12 months ago. Don’t worry so much about making a career mistake. Even the seemingly poor career decisions we make are opportunities to learn and grow. The biggest mistake I made in my career turned out to also be one of my biggest development opportunities, and a stark reminder of the kind of career I really wanted. Even though it seemed like a career mistake, it actually helped me in my career. Building a great career takes some effort. While we can’t necessarily plan every step, there are actions we can take to help build a great career. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28984933

Episode 212 - How to Drive for Results 12/01/2023

Episode 212 - How to Drive for Results Summary Leadership is about achieving results through people. With the demands of managing people, it can be easy to lose sight of results we need to achieve and deliver. In this episode we explore how to drive for results. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 212 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to drive for results. Leadership is about achieving results through people. With the demands of managing people, it can be easy to lose sight of results we need to achieve and deliver. We can become distracted or even become unaware of the key outcomes expected, and therefore not provide the direction, feedback and support our people need to achieve the right results. We have all seen leaders that fail to deliver. People are left wondering what they’re spending their time on, given the shortfalls in performance for them and their team. But there are practical things we can do to help us and our teams to drive for results. Determine what results matter. There are many potential things you and your team could focus on, so it’s crucial to uncover the fewest most crucial results. This should involve consultation with your manager and other key stakeholders. Try to arrive at results that reflect a range of aspects of your work. For example, rather than just focusing on financial returns, you might also include customer satisfaction metrics. Otherwise we can risk chasing short-term results that lead to longer-term issues. Link results to purpose. Results by themselves don’t provide meaning. Take the time to link results to a broader purpose. This will likely include the vision and purpose of your organisation. It’s also worth helping individuals and teams link the results of their work to things that matter to them personally. Your team members might engage with their work for very different reasons to you and your manager. Communicate clear measures and targets. These should be shared and discussed with your team, but also with others within the organisation including your manager. You may need your manager to sign these targets off first so you should factor this additional time into your planning. It’s best to capture these in writing to ensure clarity and agreement. Talk about the “how” not just the “what”. There’s no point chasing after results and causing damage to others and the business along the way. How we achieve results is just as important as the results themselves. You should encourage people to reflect on the organisation’s values and team commitments that encourage people to work collectively towards shared outcomes. Undertake regular updates and check-ins. Research suggests that making results visible and freely available helps people to drive towards these metrics. A literal scoreboard can help, particularly where people can see the change in results from week to week. For dispersed teams, there are plenty of tools that allow you to share results through the collaboration platforms you already use. Focus on continuous improvement. If we use a driving analogy, a car has a number of forces operating on it including acceleration, momentum and friction. We want to find ways to gradually accelerate our performance, adding to our momentum and reducing the friction of things that hold us back. It can help to frame a discussion with your team in these terms - what’s taking us forward, what’s keeping us stable, and what’s holding us back. Celebrate efforts and outcomes. Some people prefer to be recognised for their efforts, while others prefer to be praised for their outcomes. It’s helpful to see both areas of recognition as important. Sometimes people do all the right things but the results just don’t come together for reasons outside of their control - we should celebrate this. Equally, we shouldn’t be shy about celebrating great outcomes when people have reached or exceed the targets that we have set. Achievement drive is a common feature of effective teams and individuals. We can help our teams to establish and chase after purpose-filled results, providing feedback, support and encouragement along the way. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28878898

Episode 211 - How To Maintain Composure Under Pressure 11/24/2023

Episode 211 - How To Maintain Composure Under Pressure Summary It’s common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 211 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure. It’s common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. Perhaps it’s a comment from a colleague that annoys us, or our computer crashing and losing what we’ve been working on for hours. We then say or do something that’s not us at our best, or we might even feel unable to say or do what we’d like in that moment. But there are practical things we can do, both in the moment and as part of our daily routines, that can significantly improve the way we handle pressure. Here are four things you can do beforehand: Get plenty of sleep. Find a sleep routine that works for you and stick with it. Getting to bed around the same time and ensuring you have around 8 hours a night boosts your energy levels and resilience. Start your day with exercise. This burns off stress hormones and allows you to begin your day with greater resilience to stressful situations that might arise. Find exercise that works for you. For example, if you commute, you might build a slightly longer walk into your routine. Or if you’re working from home, set an alarm to prompt you to take a walk. Structure recovery time into your day. This might include taking breaks away from your work, going for a quick walk during the day, or even catching up with a colleague for a coffee away from the office. We are not great at sustained work and attention beyond 60 to 90 minutes, so short breaks across the day will help you to recover and reset. Even 5 minute breaks to step away from one task and mentally prepare for the next one make a huge difference. Deal with any relational difficulties. Poor working relationships can place a lot of strain on our work day and lead us to become frustrated. We may then say or do things that don’t reflect us at our best. We don’t have to be best friends with everyone at work, but having open conversations with others about how you can best work together will help reduce stress and annoyance. And now five things you can do In the moment: Notice your emotional state. Just as we have a stream of conscious thoughts during the day, so we also have a steady stream of emotions. Tune into your body and emotional state. If you sense yourself moving up the emotional curve, do something about it before you reach the top. Name it to tame it. Naming the emotion we are feeling helps us to manage it more effectively. Research even shows that putting a label on an emotion reduces the intensity of that emotion almost immediately. So if you feel angry, note that emotion. Focus on your breathing. Simple techniques such as box breathing can rapidly calm our emotional state. Think of it like a box - breath in deeply for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale fully for four seconds, then hold for four seconds. Have an escape plan. If you are feeling close to losing control of your emotional state, have a plan for how you might exit the situation. Say sorry. If you do go over the edge and say or do something you regret, apologise to those involved. This will help others to understand that you weren’t at your best and that you intend to do better next time. An honest apology goes a long way to maintaining and building effective relationships. These are just some practical things you can do beforehand and in the moment to help us maintain our composure and respond well when under pressure. If you found this helpful you can check out our Harnessing Your Emotions five day challenge for more tips - . Have a great week. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28628793

Episode 210 - How To Use Artificial Intelligence at Work 11/17/2023

Episode 210 - How To Use Artificial Intelligence at Work Summary Artificial Intelligence is all around us and provides great opportunities to improve the quality and efficiency of our work. This week we explore how to use Artificial Intelligence at work. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 210 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we examine how to use Artificial Intelligence at work. Artificial intelligence is a complex and evolving field. It can feel overwhelming to consider how to use AI at work. In reality, AI is built into so many things, that you’re already using AI multiple times per day. To help clarify, AI expert Juliette Powell talks about Artificial Intelligence as triple A systems - algorithmic, autonomous and automated. With this definition, it’s easy to see how your organisation is already applying AI. Here are some steps you can take to implement and use AI well at work. Collaborate with Artificial Intelligence experts. While leaders don't need to be AI experts themselves, collaborating with professionals in the field is crucial for successful implementation. AI is not just a technology upgrade, it’s a completely different way of approaching work. There are risks implementing something that we don’t understand, so using experts to guide your thinking will help. Establish clear governance. The application of Artificial Intelligence has ethical considerations. It’s possible to create adverse impacts on minority and other groups through the use of AI, so we need to proactively measure fairness and equity implications. Establishing clear governance around the use of AI will assist with this. We also need to consider data protection principles. Providing AI systems with access to your data may create privacy risks that need to be actively managed. Those accountable for AI governance should develop clear guidelines for employees to minimise these and other risks. Identify high-impact use cases. Not all tasks require the intervention of AI, so leaders must strategically identify areas where AI can make the most significant impact. Conduct a thorough analysis of your business processes to pinpoint repetitive, time-consuming, or data-intensive tasks that could benefit from automation. Education. Provide employees with the resources and opportunities to upskill and reskill in areas related to AI. Workshops, training programs, and online courses can help employees understand AI concepts, its applications, and how to integrate it into their daily tasks. By investing in education, leaders not only empower their teams but also create a workforce that is adaptable to the dynamic nature of AI technologies. Encourage safe-fail experiments. It’s best to apply Artificial Intelligence in a way that minimises risk. Many organisations implement AI by first running the work through parallel processes to measure the impact on quality and efficiency. They are then able to objectively compare any benefits of AI with the traditional process without risking the quality of delivery. Invest in quality data infrastructure. Artificial Intelligence is only as good as the data it uses. It’s easy for the implementation of AI to be let down by poor quality and out of date records. Assessing the quality of data being fed into AI will improve the outcomes you are likely to achieve. Artificial Intelligence will continue to provide benefits to organisations looking to improve their performance. Being informed and considered helps us to manage the implementation of new systems in a way that maximises benefits and minimises risks. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28628693

Episode 209 - How To Transition Into a New Role 11/10/2023

Episode 209 - How To Transition Into a New Role Summary Starting a new job can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. We are often keen to deliver results quickly, but taking action too soon can sometimes backfire. This week we explore how to transition into a new role. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 209 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to transition into a new role. Starting a new job can be exciting and slightly terrifying at the same time. We are often keen to deliver results quickly, but taking action too soon can sometimes backfire. We’ve all seen people come into a role and quickly institute change without fully appreciating the context for their work. Or others that focus on the wrong things and end up not delivering what’s required. There are some simple steps we can take to increase our chances of starting a new role well. Plan your approach. While this step seems so obvious that it’s barely worth listing, it’s remarkable how many people start a new role without a plan in place. I recommend having a clear plan for your first day, your first week, and your first month. During those first few weeks you can then develop a broader 60 to 90 day plan. You can involve your manager in this planning to ensure your objectives align with their expectations. Look at what’s already in place, and resist the urge to make many changes in your first few weeks until you’ve had a chance to meet with others. Connect with People. You want to use the first few weeks in a new role to meet with your manager, peers, direct reports, and customers. These meetings will vary in their objectives, but the main goal is to develop a connection with people - to introduce yourself and find out more about them. Where possible, you should meet with people in person. Be clear about the intent of the meetings - if it’s just to connect and find out more about them, then say that. The personal connections you establish in your first few weeks will serve you well into the future. They are also likely to provide further insight into the role and their expectations. Connect with Purpose. Be clear about how the role contributes to the organisation. While this should be clear through the recruitment process, it’s worth clarifying with your manager how the role makes a larger contribution. This will help guide your decision making and also provide motivation for the role. Determine Priorities. Identify the not-negotiable outcomes that need to be achieved. We’ve all seen people become excited about new initiatives and opportunities, only to neglect the core deliverables in their role. Once you’ve achieved the key elements of your role, you can then look towards other contributions. Metrics. As you transition into a new role, it’s helpful to determine how to measure your progress and performance. In some roles it’s easy to identify metrics, but others can be a bit more challenging. Work with your manager and others to identify important metrics that provide a genuine insight into your performance. Moving into a new role presents lots of opportunities and challenges. Taking these five steps will help you to make the transition successful. If you are moving into a leadership role, you’ll find our free Leadership Practices Assessment and supporting videos helpful - Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Our annual conference including a range of leadership experts - valued at $450 - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 140+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $350 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28563602

Episode 208 - How To Handle Sensitive Issues at Work 11/03/2023

Episode 208 - How To Handle Sensitive Issues at Work Summary When sensitive issues arise in the workplace it can be hard to know what to say and do. We might shy away from political and social issues, or find it difficult to respond to those taking a particular stand on an issue. This week we explore practical ways to handle political and other sensitive issues at work. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 208 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore ways to handle political and other sensitive issues at work. When sensitive issues arise in the workplace it can be hard to know what to say and do. We might shy away from political and social issues, or find it difficult to respond to those taking a particular stand on an issue. However political topics and social movements are bound to make their way into our workplaces. As a leader we need to demonstrate empathy, while also maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment. Here are five ways we can achieve this balance: Stay neutral and objective. For political and other sensitive issues it’s best remain impartial and avoid taking sides. Your primary role as a leader is to create a safe and inclusive space for all employees, regardless of their political affiliations and beliefs. Point people to your organisational values and expectations as the guide on how people should interact at work. Encourage open dialogue. While we might need to personally take a more neutral position, it’s important to allow people to discuss their perspectives at work. Ignoring political and social movements will seem odd to your people. Here we want to encourage respectful and constructive conversations where people can hear different points of view. Building understanding of different perspectives can help people to continue to work effectively with each other, even when they may hold quite different views. Set clear boundaries. You should make it clear that while discussions about politics and other social issues are encouraged, they should never interfere with productivity or inclusion. We all need to work effectively with each other. People typically have far more in common than they do different from each other, so encourage people to focus on shared values and priorities. Lead by example. In your interactions listen with curiosity and respect. Avoid sharing your political beliefs in a way that could alienate or intimidate others. Focus on common ground and shared values that unite the team. Address conflicts promptly and privately. If political or other discussions escalate into conflict, address this quickly. Act as a mediator where that’s required, ensuring the people involved can share their perspectives and listen to each other in a respectful way. This will work best in private rather than involving the whole team. Remember, the goal is to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels heard and respected, regardless of their political or social beliefs. By setting a positive example and facilitating open, respectful discussions, you can help maintain a healthy work environment for your team. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Our annual conference including a range of leadership experts - valued at $450 - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 140+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $350 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28455977

Episode 207 - How To Lead a Multigenerational Team 10/27/2023

Episode 207 - How To Lead a Multigenerational Team Summary There are more generations in the workforce than ever before. How do we ensure expectations are met and people work together effectively? This week we discuss how to lead a multigenerational team. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 207 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we discuss how to lead a multigenerational team. There are more generations in the workforce than ever before, with up to five generations all trying to work together. Generational differences and tensions are a regular feature in any discussion of work culture and challenges. So how do we not only reduce the downside risk of having this broad range of ages working together, but also harness the potential benefits? I’ve managed teams that included people who were brand new to the workforce right through to retirement age. For me the benefits were obvious, but there were occasional misunderstandings and challenges. Here are some points to consider when leading a multigenerational team. People are far more than their generation. While each generation may have some shared experiences, there is huge diversity within generations. Leading someone solely based on their generation is likely to lead to poor outcomes for you and them. Their goals, needs and interests are likely to be more about them as an individual than them as a member of a generation. Find out what matters to each individual. Have open discussions with your team members about their goals and what matters to them most at work. You might be surprised at what people raise during this discussion. For example, you might find younger and older team members both share an interest in flexible work arrangements, but for different reasons. Tailor to individuals and their needs where possible. Adjusting your approach and meeting the needs of your team members is really important. For example, I’ve helped people to take additional unpaid leave for an overseas trip, varied the start and end times for people that needed that flexibility, and allowed people to work from different locations. You also want to do this in a way that is fair and sustainable. Be clear with people what you can and can’t vary, and why. You don’t want to set up precedents that are difficult to undo. Build understanding and appreciation of diversity. Provide opportunities for people to work together and get to know each other. Use discussion prompts in team meetings with time set aside to build an understanding of each other. A great idea here is to ask people to share a five star recommendation - anything that they would give five stars to. This could include a book, holiday destination, activity, movie, restaurant, recipe - anything. You might be surprised at what interests people have in common. Encourage inclusion. Diverse teams only outperform other teams where there is understanding and inclusion. Encourage people to actively include and consult with others to gain their perspectives. Use the experience in your team by asking people to mentor each other. I’ve even seen mentoring work well where a younger team member might mentor an older team member on something like use of technology or social media. Don’t assume that the mentor needs to be older than the person being mentored. Harnessing the diversity in a multigenerational team can unlock many benefits for your team and organisation. It all starts with understanding and valuing the different experiences, skills and preferences people bring. Building inclusion can help people to see multiple generations in your team as a benefit rather than a drawback. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Our annual conference including a range of leadership experts - valued at $450 - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 140+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $350 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28404596

Episode 206 - How To Deal With a Persistently Negative Team Member 10/20/2023

Episode 206 - How To Deal With a Persistently Negative Team Member Summary Negativity can really impact a team’s motivation and performance. This week we explore how to manage a persistently negative team member. Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 206 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to manage a persistently negative team member. Having a negative person on your team can be really draining. The tendency to always point out the downside and limitations can drag others down and reduce motivation. It can be a difficult situation to address. We don’t want to shut down criticism or pretend that everything is perfect, and we don’t want to respond in a way that makes them feel like they don’t belong. However, we also don’t want to become trapped in negativity that can impact others’ enthusiasm and commitment. Here are some tips that will help you to manage a persistently negative team member: Don’t assume it will get better with time. Negativity doesn’t tend to go away. In fact, the more you allow it to take hold, the more it can grow within the team. You need to address unreasonable negativity early. Just hoping it will get better by itself is not going to work. Don’t assume it’s all about work. Often the person who complains the most at work may also be facing challenges outside of work. An honest conversation can help address this. Provide feedback on impact. Look for examples of negativity from the team member and provide feedback as soon as possible. You want to clearly anchor the feedback in a specific situation, and provide insight into the impact of the person’s actions on you and others. For example, “during the meeting earlier today when you described our new project as a waste of time that will never work, I saw several people look discouraged, and I felt like your comments made the project even harder to achieve”. Explore their intent. Oftentimes our intent is not the same as our impact. In my earlier example, the person describing the project as a waste of time may not have intended to discourage others. They may have intended to express some concerns about the feasibility of the project. Once the person is aware of the impact of their approach, helping them to share their intent will provide you with greater context. Help them to reframe. Once the person is clear on their intent, you can help them to achieve their desired impact. You might work through options of how they could express their concerns in a constructive way. For example, “I have some concerns about how feasible this project is. Can we discuss people’s views on that, and how we might make our goals achievable?”. This is likely to have a much more positive impact, while still addressing their original intent. In this way their negativity can be transformed into a super power that actually helps the team. Listen for kernels of truth. It could well be that the project isn’t feasible. Just because something is expressed in a negative or damaging way doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth to what they’re saying. Asking probing questions to explore their perspective can help draw out a new perspective in a more positive and actionable way. Recognise improvement. Look for examples of the person expressing things in more constructive ways and provide positive encouraging feedback to the individual. It’s always important to notice and appreciate efforts to grow and improve. Negativity is contagious and challenging to manage. Engaging with the person sharing negative views can help turn them around, and provide them with more positive ways of making an important contribution to the team. Have a great week. Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Our annual conference including a range of leadership experts - valued at $450 - Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each - Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each - Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each - A searchable library of 140+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $350 That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week. Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28363640

Interview - Juliette Powell - The AI Dilemma 10/17/2023

Interview - Juliette Powell - The AI Dilemma In this interview we speak with Juliette Powell about her latest book, The AI Dilemma - 7 Principles for Responsible Technology During the interview we discuss a range of issues and opportunities around Artificial Intelligence: - What drew Juliette into AI in the first place - The "dilemma" in the AI dilemma - Ways to think about AI in terms of triple A systems - algorithmic, autonomous and automated - How to avoid the dehumanising impact of AI in organisations and society - How to introduce AI in an organisation while avoiding magnification of existing bias - Regulation of AI by technology firms and government - The implications of AI for the employment market Juliette Powell is an independent researcher, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker at the intersection of technology and business. Her consulting services focus on global strategy and scenarios related to AI and data, banking, mobile, retail, social gaming, and responsible technology. She has delivered live commentary on Bloomberg, BNN, NBC, CNN, ABC, and BBC and presentations at institutions like The Economist, Harvard, and MIT. She works with such organizations as Reuters, the United Nations, Warner Brothers, l’Union des Banques Suisses, Microsoft, The Red Cross, Cirque du Soleil, IBM, and the World Bank Group. Juliette’s previous book is 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking (Financial Times Press, 2009). She was a cofounder with Intel Labs of the research network WeTheData. The AI Dilemma is based in part on her research conducted at Columbia University. Powell is a faculty member at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and the founding partner of Kleiner Powell International (KPI), kleinerpowell.com. You can learn more about Juliette and her latest book here: https://www.juliettepowell.com/ /episode/index/show/leadershiptoday/id/28294001

Leadership Today - Practical Tips For Leaders

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