Positive Leadership has also been recognised as a Top 50 Leadership Expert to Follow on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @posleadership


LEADERSHIP IS A PROCESS OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE, WHICH MAXIMISES THE EFFORTS OF OTHERS TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A SHARED GOAL.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas from Positive Leadership!



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Friday, December 20, 2013

Positive Leadership: Congratulations @sallywatsongolf

Apologies for the absence of posts recently but the Positive Leadership team has been on location in Turkey and Morocco helping Sally Watson gain her Ladies European Tour card for 2014 at the LET Tour School.

Congratulations Sally on putting the Values of Positive Leadership to the test so successfully!


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Friday, November 29, 2013

Positive Leadership: Never Give Up On A Dream



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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Positive Leadership: Reaching for the Top



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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Positive Leadership: What is Talent?

Talent is a set of personal characteristics that enhance one’s ability to achieve expertise in an accelerated manner.  

These traits allow one to improve at quicker rates than others in their field that are at the same level of expertise/fitness/skill, etc.  This is because talent is one’s ability to adapt to training and develop skills in their specialized field.  

Talent exists when strong genetics and a desire to practice come together to create superior ability for a specific activity.  It can only exist along with a deliberate interest.  Because of this, talent will often only become apparent after a moderate amount of practice as this is when one’s ability to adapt and improve is more clearly visible.  

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Monday, November 25, 2013

Positive Leadership: Staying in the Present

Not many people can say their office is a mountain. Then again, not many people can say they're a two-time Olympian alpine skier, either.

Kaylin Richardson can say both of those things, and attributes her success to a simple principle: staying present. "If you're not present people can tell," she says. "You might not realise it but if your mind is somewhere else when you're talking with someone they'll know--you're not connecting with them." 

Of course, living in the moment doesn't just apply to racing down a mountain face at blistering speeds: taking a zen-like approach in business can pay dividends. "In this day and age we're bombarded with stimulus all the time--being present is something that resonates and people respond to that."

 
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Friday, November 22, 2013

Positive Leadership: Motivate Yourself By Visualising Your Goals

Motivation expert Jon Gordon visits TODAY to offer some tips on motivating yourself to organize yourself, stay connected to friends and family, and achieve a healthier life.




 
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Positive Leadership: Excellence

"If you want to achieve Excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less than Excellent work. The first 99.9% of getting from here to there is the determination to do it and not to compromise, no matter what set of road blocks those around you erect.” 
Tom Peters

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Positive Leadership: Teaching Young People to be Entrepreneurs

An entrepreneur since childhood, Cameron Herold wants parents and teachers to recognise -- and foster -- entrepreneurial talent in kids.

For 20 years, Cameron Herold has been coaching entrepreneurs on five continents, helping them build their companies. He started BackPocket COO to coach and mentor young, fun companies -- and help them make their dreams happen. Herold was a leading force behind one of the most successful new business ventures of the last decade, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. He was Chief Operating Officer for nearly seven years. Prior to that, he was VP of Corporate Development at Ubarter.com.


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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Positive Leadership: Let Ideas Flow

Business innovator Nilofer Merchant (Twitter @nilofer) thinks deeply about the frameworks, strategies and cultural values of companies. She has been helping to grow businesses -- from Fortune 500s to web startups -- for 20 years. Today she serves on boards for both public and private companies, and writes books about collaboration. 

In this TED talk, she suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a "walking meeting" -- and let ideas flow while you walk and talk.  

For more, see: http://nilofermerchant.com/



And here is an interesting and challenging (for many reasons) comment on the above talk from Korea!

'Enjoyed the video. Great idea! I am a high school student in Korea, and we have to stay more than 11 hours a day sitting. Much exceeding the sleeping hours, 6 hours maximum. I really do want to adopt your idea to my usual life, because girls here are experiencing the serious effects of sitting all day; we are getting rounder and rounder every day. However, I cannot really think of a way. Any good advise?? :('
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Monday, November 18, 2013

Positive Leadership: Dedication



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Friday, November 15, 2013

Positive Leadership: Service



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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Positive Leadership: 10 Questions for Condoleezza Rice



 Professor Condoleezza Rice was the 66th US Secretary of State.
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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Positive Leadership: Mentors







Mentors: 

Elevate your game.
Believe in your potential and talent.
Challenge limitations.
Protect from danger.
Build character.
Enhance opportunities.
Share their life with candour and transparency.
Solve “with” not “for.”
Exemplify qualities you want to develop.
Connect you with others.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Positive Leadership: Entrepreneurial Advice

Business advice from Sheldon Adelson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Charlie Munger, Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Jim Pattison, Charles Koch and Sunil Mittal

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Monday, November 11, 2013

Positive Leadership: Leadership Development

To become an effective CEO, work for companies committed to leadership development, and take responsibility for your own development on the job. Joseph L. Bower, Professor, Harvard Business School. 


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Friday, November 08, 2013

Positive Leadership: Control is for Beginners

Carl Størmer is the founder of Jazzcode.

As Carl shows us in this video, by jamming with two people he’d never practised with before, sometimes you just need to let go. A jazz musician needs to stop controlling and start trusting his band members’ competency and artistry. This trust, the willingness to let go and allow for space, allows band members take risk (that’s what a jazz solo is!) and try something new and different — while being supported by their band-mates. Without that support, you get a chaos of sound. With too much control, you don’t get jazz.

Carl’s wife, Ane, sums up this attitude with her own adage: “Control is for beginners.”

Spontaneity and relinquishing control provide enormous advantages, even if it takes a certain kind of non-practice to feel comfortable with it. Jazz musicians know that. Innovators should learn that as well… because sometimes, control really is for beginners.

 
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Thursday, November 07, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Importance of Enduring Values

On 8 May 2010 Angela Ahrendts, former ceo of Burberry and now retail chief at Apple, returned to her alma mater, Ball State University in Indiana, to give the commencement address. 


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Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Positive Leadership: Expectations Drive Behaviour

‘Expectations drive behaviour. If we expect to do poorly we will behave in ways that ensure a poor performance. Negotiation is problem solving. The goal is not to get a deal; the goal is to get a good deal.’  Margaret Neale

Margaret Neale is the Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Her research focuses primarily on negotiation and team performance. In particular, she studies cognitive and social processes that produce departures from effective negotiating behaviour. Within the context of teams, her work explores aspects of team composition and group process that enhance the ability of teams to share the information necessary for learning and problem solving in both face-to-face and virtual team environments.



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Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Link Between Emotion and Sales

Robert Senior is CEO Europe, Middle East and Africa, Saatchi & Saatchi.

In this video he talks about how love, emotion, actions and sales are closely aligned.

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Monday, November 04, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Greatest Leaders Are Driven by a Purpose Beyond Profit



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Friday, November 01, 2013

Positive Leadership: What is Good Leadership?

Jeremy Marchant of Emotional Intelligence discusses in this IOD video why good leadership means more than just glorified management.

Good leadership is actually a relationship of equals where the person leading recognises the most powerful way they can ensure the enterprise they are responsible for thrives is one in which they let go of their ego and essentially empower everyone else in the team to do the best job.


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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Positive Leadership: Opportunity



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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Positive Leadership: Choices



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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Essence of Leadership

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said that “all of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.” 

We all have our anxieties to bear. For some it is a decision we need to make. For others it is a habit we need to break. 

Whatever the anxiety is, we have to confront it, if we want to overcome it. 

That is what it means to lead!

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Monday, October 28, 2013

Positive Leadership: Joe Montana's Winning Wisdom

Joe Montana reckons his real secret was simply being able to remember that “football is just a stupid game” while at the same time never losing his almost pathological detestation of defeat.

“You have to believe that, when it comes down to it, there’s nobody better than you. And that if it comes to that one final pass, you have to make sure you’re that guy. And you have to relish it.”


Montana is self-effacing but press him on which quarterback he would want to throw a ball to save his life and you get the true gauge of his self-confidence. “I’d pick myself first!” he smiles.

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Friday, October 25, 2013

Positive Leadership: Principles



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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Positive Leadership: Happiness



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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Positive Leadership: Be Yourself, But Don’t Overshare

A rise in team-based workplaces has heightened the demand for managers who are “authentic” and “instantly intimate.” But sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences at work can sometimes backfire.

Here are a few pointers for effective—and authentic—self-disclosure:

Consider relevance. Before sharing personal information, ask yourself if it’s germane to the situation. Make sure it contributes to the overall goal of building trust and engendering better collaboration.

Understand the context. Some societies are more inclined than others to disclose personal information. Investigate regional and organisational norms about sharing so that you’ll know when it’s best to keep quiet.


Delay or avoid very personal disclosures. In some workplaces, you will eventually find it safe and helpful to share; in others you’ll realise it’s unwise to do so.


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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Positive Leadership: Instant Success Takes Time

One of the more mundane differences between perpetual winners and long-term losers among businesses, sports teams, and other organisations is that the winners simply work harder. 

Winners are more likely to take the time to keep honing skills and testing ideas in preparation for change. That’s not too dramatic or glamorous, but it’s among the biggest differentiators. 

In contrast, teams or organisations headed for losing streaks lurch from tactic to tactic without any apparent long-term direction. They lack discipline, do not always rely on facts before chasing fads, and panic under pressure.


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Monday, October 21, 2013

Positive Leadership: Dreaming and Disruption

Dreaming is at the heart of disruption.  

Whether we want to disrupt an industry or our personal status quo, in order to make that terrifying leap from one learning curve to the next, we must dream.  The good news is that the causal mechanism for achieving our dreams is always, always, always showing up:  and as we show up, our future will too.


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Thursday, October 17, 2013

Positive Leadership: George P. Shultz: "Issues on My Mind"

George P. Shultz’ storied career in government, academia, and business includes four US cabinet posts; appointments at the University of Chicago, MIT, and Stanford; and the presidency of Bechtel Corp. 

Now 92, the economist is the author of the new book, Issues on My Mind: Strategies for theFuture, a guide to policymakers on how to govern more effectively in a wide range of areas. 

In an interview with Stanford Business, Shultz discussed technology, U.S. relations with Russia and China, the environment, and how the United States can get its house in order. 


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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Positive Leadership: Purpose



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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Positive Leadership: Finding Your Purpose and Passion



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Monday, October 14, 2013

Positive Leadership: Why Grit Determines Success


Wisdom from psychologist Angela Duckworth on ‘Why Grit, Not IQ, Predicts Success’

“Character is at least as important as intellect.”




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Friday, October 11, 2013

Positive Leadership: Great Mentors

A few truths about great mentors:

* a mentor will help me to be self-dependent
* a mentor can have tremendous coaching skills and not impose answers.
* my mentor should bring clarity of distance
* a great mentor is a great communicator: succinct, simple and specific
* a great mentor can learn from me
* a great mentor can share stories of his/her own failures and weaknesses
* a great mentor can also ask me for advice

* a great mentor can be a sponsor (ie. open doors and speak highly of me).


The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward


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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Positive Leadership: Do We Have the Right Core Values?

Values are important because they may be the only force that can counter the power of markets and market-based thinking. 

Today’s ever-present markets have their own implicit values, and they can easily overwhelm whatever values leaders want to instil in their organisations. 

To lead responsibly, leaders must commit to clarity, meaningful projects, and bright ethical lines. 

In different ways, each of these helps leaders and organisations respond to the risks and opportunities created by pervasive market forces.

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Wednesday, October 09, 2013

Positive Leadership: Want to Be More Decisive?

Great leaders are decisive. 

They make tough calls, and they have the spine to follow through. Yet, the rest of us seem to get stuck in cycles of indecisiveness. So what sets our more decisive-minded colleagues apart from us? Not much, really. 

Research has shown that everyone experiences traces of indecisiveness — say, pessimism, or a low sense of control — when contemplating a decision. There’s no avoiding it. But decisive people don’t let these negative feelings hold them back. Once they make a decision, and begin the steps to execute it, they start to feel confident, capable, and in control. 

The good news is we can all train our brains to think this way. We just have to be willing to bite the bullet. Gulp.



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Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Positive Leadership: Ten Essentials for Getting Value from Values

Many organisations have statements of mission and values. Unfortunately, most of them sound alike. Who could quibble with the importance of “respect” or “customer focus”? Values statements can seem like passive decoration for walls and the Web, easily ignored. And the words don’t really tell anyone what to do in any specific sense.


But that does not mean that values do not matter. In organisations that are innovative, profitable, and responsible — widespread dialogue about the interpretation and application of values enhances accountability, collaboration, and initiative.

Here are ten essential ingredients that make values work to produce organisational value.

Values are a priority for leaders, invoked often in their messages and on the agenda for management discussions.

The entire work force can enter the conversation; employees are invited to discuss or interpret values and principles in conjunction with their peers, who help ensure alignment.

Principles are codified, made explicit, transmitted in writing in many media, and reviewed regularly to make sure people understand and remember them.

Statements about values and principles invoke a higher purpose, a purpose beyond current tasks that indicates service to society. This purpose can become part of the company’s brand and a source of competitive differentiation.

The words become a basis for on-going dialogue that guides debate when there is controversy or initial disagreement. Decisions are supported by reference to particular values or principles.

Principles guide choices, in terms of business opportunities to pursue or reject, or in terms of investments with a longer time horizon that might seem uneconomic today.

As they become internalized by employees, values and principles can substitute for more impersonal or coercive rules. They can serve as a control system against violations, excesses, or veering off course.

Actions reflecting values and principles — especially difficult choices — become the basis for iconic stories that are easy to remember and retell, reinforcing to employees and the world what the company stands for.

Values are aspirational, signalling long-term intentions that guide thinking about the future.

Principles, purpose, and values are discussed with suppliers, distributors, and other business partners, to promote consistent high standards everywhere.


In short, it’s not the words that make a difference; it’s the conversation. Frequent discussion about organisational values can be engaging and empowering. The organisation becomes a community united by shared purpose, which reinforces teamwork and collaboration. People can be more readily relied on to do the right thing, and to guide their colleagues to do the same, once they buy into and internalise core principles. People can become more aware of the drivers and impact of their behaviour. 

And, as you can see in leading companies, active consideration of core values and purpose can unlock creative potential.



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Monday, October 07, 2013

Positive Leadership: Using LinkedIn

Even committed LinkedIn users can be uncertain of which connection requests to accept or extend. It’s possible to connect to almost anyone—but that does not mean you should.

Instead, think about the two-way quality of your relationships.

Use a filter to help you connect to those people who will be able to help you, or whom you would be willing to help. Try the “favour test”: Would you do a favour for this person, or ask a favour of them? If so, make the connection. If not, take a pass. 

If you're consistent in applying the favour test and selective about which connections you initiate and accept, you can tap LinkedIn’s power as an introduction machine: an address book in which all the entries can see and connect with one another, and a network that’s efficient in supporting your professional goals. 

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Friday, October 04, 2013

Positive Leadership: What Makes a True Champion?

What makes a true champion?


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Thursday, October 03, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Secret of Prolonged Success (at Manchester United)

In this interview with US talk-show host Charlie Rose, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson talks about dynasty building and the secret of prolonged success. Ferguson explains how trusting youth is key.
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Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Positive Leadership: The 'Generosity Gene'

Former General Electric ceo, Jack Welch argues that the key to good leadership is the "generosity gene".


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Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

Friday, September 27, 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Positive Leadership : Ken Costa and God at Work

Professor Ken Costa is the former Chairman of Lazard International and is the Emeritus Gresham Professor of Commerce at Gresham College in London. He studied philosophy and law at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and then went on to study law and theology at Queens' College, Cambridge.

Following university, he went to work for an investment bank in the City of London, where he has worked for over 30 years. After serving as Vice-Chairman of UBS Investment Bank, a global financial institution, where he advised international corporations, Mr Costa was named as the Chairman of Lazard International, joining the bank in October 2007.

Ken Costa is the Chairman of Alpha International, which promotes the Alpha course - an introduction to the Christian faith attended by over two million people in the UK and ten million worldwide - and Church Warden of Holy Trinity Brompton. He is the author of best-seller, God at Work.

Over the next few days, we will show a number of Ken's Gresham lectures. His thinking around values and purposes is both fascinating and enlightening and entirely in sync with our own Values of Positive Leadership.
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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Positive Leadership: Great Teams Are a Mix of Old and New

The best teams, we tend to think, are like a band of brothers. They have been together for a long time. They know each other extremely well. And they are more successful as a result. It’s common sense, right?

Well, it turns out that great teams — the most creative, the most innovative — are more temporary in nature than you would think. 

Take Broadway. The best productions, researchers have found, are made up of rag-tag groups — a mix of old and new faces. The old faces bring knowledge of the best processes and the best working methods, and the new folks bring a fresh creative spirit to the table. 

The most innovative companies work in similar ways, too. Ad-hoc teams form around a given project, then disband. But it’s not so easy pull off — in order for this to work, the entire organisation has to be diverse enough in order to make temporary teams a reality.

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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Positive Leadership: Pitfalls in Creating Business Strategy

When creating strategy, far too many leaders give in to temptations that result in weak strategic choices, and ultimately, failure.

Here are three common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Failing to choose. Attempting to be all things to all customers is not a winning strategy. Select specific segments of consumers with particular characteristics that you can serve best.

Acquiring to change playing fields. Acquisition usually just adds unnecessary complexity. If you cannot strategise in your current environment, you will not necessarily excel in a different one.

Accepting an existing choice as unchangeable. A company always has a choice of where in the market they will play, so do not use this as an excuse for mediocre performance. Change will not happen overnight, but you can alter the course with focus and dedication.

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Monday, September 23, 2013

Positive Leadership: Thinking Like a Champion

We meet and learn from champions every day. We have learned that to be a champion you must ‘Think like a Champion’. Champions think differently than everyone else. They approach their life and work with a different mindset and belief system that separates them from the pack.

1. Champions Expect to Win - When they walk on the court, on the field or into a meeting they expect to win. In fact they are surprised when they don't win. They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes. They win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers or fans.

2. Champions Celebrate the Small Wins - By celebrating the small wins champions gain the confidence to go after the big wins. Big wins and big success happen through the accumulation of many small victories. This doesn't mean champions become complacent. Rather, with the right kind of celebration and reinforcement, champions work harder, practice more and believe they can do greater things.

3. Champions Don't Make Excuses When They Don't Win - They don't focus on the faults of others. They focus on what they can do better. They see their mistakes and defeats as opportunities for growth. As a result they become stronger, wiser and better.

4. Champions Focus on What They Get To Do, Not What They Have To Do - They see their life and work as a gift not an obligation. They know that if they want to achieve a certain outcome they must commit to and appreciate the process. They may not love every minute of their journey but their attitude and will helps them develop their skill.

5. Champions Believe They Will Experience More Wins in the Future - Their faith is greater than their fear. Their positive energy is greater than the chorus of negativity. Their certainty is greater than all the doubt. Their passion and purpose are greater than their challenges. In spite of their situation champions believe their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.

If you don’t think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren’t born. They are shaped and moulded. And as iron sharpens iron you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs and expectations that lead to powerful actions.

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Positive Leadership: Behaviours Leaders Should Avoid

If you want to empower, engage, or motivate others, don't just focus on increasing your positive behaviours. Pay attention to the things you need to stop doing at the same time. 

Here are three to avoid:

Judgmental body language. No one likes perceived condescension. Watch out for scowling, furrowed brows, and quizzical or sarcastic looks (as if to say, “Are you stupid?”). While seemingly harmless, each of these subtle darts creates a considerable amount of relationship damage.

Interrupting. It's almost impossible for people to feel safe if the boss takes up most of the airtime or cuts people off. Do more listening than talking, and let people finish their thoughts.

Being inconsistent. It’s hard on employees to wonder who is going to show up: "smiling, charming, funny boss" or "judgmental, intense, snapping manager." Try to keep your tone and personality consistent so people know what to expect.

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Positive Leadership: What a Winning Business Culture Looks Like

  • People enjoy the work they do and the people they work with.
  • People take pride in the work they do and the company they work for.
  • There are high levels of engagement, connection, camaraderie and a community of caring.
  • There is a culture of fairness, respect, trust, inclusiveness and teamwork.
  • The leaders walk the talk, live the values and communicate a clear vision and strategy for growth.
  • Lots of open, honest, robust and transparent communication across the entire organisation.
  • The company invests back in employees; there is a commitment to learning, coaching and development.
  • There is a bias for action, employees have an ownership mentality and always strive to give their personal best.
  • There is high accountability and a strong focus on delivering the desired results.
  • There is ample recognition and rewards and mediocrity is not tolerated.


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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Attributes of Great Leaders


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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Positive Leadership: The Power of Listening

Tom Peters uses an example from the healthcare industry to highlight the importance of listening. 

According to Tom, "the single most significant strategic strength that an organisation can have is not a good strategic plan, but a commitment to strategic listening on the part of every member of the organisation."



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