Leadership who?
Stephen Walker queries what leadership really is. Is it a thing or a process? What is 'leadership'? We talk about it with an ease which defies our difficulty with its definition. Is it a process? Do you do 'leading', or is it a thing? Do you become a leader? What is the difference between management […]
Can our leaders be heroes?
Does our leadership development create micromanagers? Kevan Hall looks at whether we expect too much of our leaders. The cult of the hero leader is alive and well. If you ask people what they want from a leader they ask for an inspirational, visionary figure with empathy, drive and emotional intelligence, who is constantly accessible, […]
Is it time for managers to face reality?
Or shall we leave it till tomorrow? Tim Hawkes muses about the qualities of the genuine manager. Have you ever noticed how some people live two separate lives? They have a 'work' them and a 'home' them. Some people are also proud to tell you of their separate lifestyles, how they are an adrenalin junkie […]
Leading with personality pt3: Thinking or feeling?
In the third of four articles exploring leadership in terms of the dimensions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Tim Schuler looks at how Thinking and Feeling preferences impact upon decision making. In most things, I don’t really mind if people agree with me, as long as what I say or do provokes a reaction. I […]
Do we have a leadership issue?
Paul Matthews thinks the solution might be right in front of us. The question was not unusual. In fact I have heard it many times before in one form or another. This time it came from the audience after I had done a presentation to a small conference. It started as usual with a list […]
Great leaders: Can they be made as well as born?
To kick off leadership month, Chris Rogers takes it back to the great nature vs nurture debate. I would hope that Training Zone members, and the L&D and HR communities in general, would hold dear to the idea that workplace performance can be improved, that potential can be liberated and accelerated, and that talents are […]
L&D industry insight: Ben Hunt-Davis
In the second of our insight series, we speak to Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis about how his career in sport informs his work with business, and how organisations can bring true Olympic performance to the workplace. L&D industry insight: Ben Hunt-Davis by Trainingzone on Mixcloud In the second of our insight series, we […]
Leading with personality pt2: What role does intuition play in leadership?
In the second of four articles exploring leadership in terms of the dimensions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Tim Schuler suggests that balancing sensing and intuition is essential to great leadership. Many years ago, I was a few months into a new job and my manager and I were struggling to communicate. She kept bombarding […]
The constants of leadership during turbulent times
Steve Backley, former world champion, decorated Olympian and business performance consultant tells the community what qualities make a modern leader. The 21st century leader is markedly different from his predecessor due to business requirements, modern communication tools and styles as well as fast-moving cultural changes.The hidden champions of the London 2012 Olympics were the vast […]
The top ten leadership mistakes
Jim O'Brien lists a few no-nos that, if you steer clear, should improve your leadership development no end. How can any business move forward, grow and prosper without leadership? Strong leadership is the backbone of any organisation; without capable leaders to create goals and visions for companies and support strategies to meet goals, even the […]
Caption competition
We have ourselves a winner! And the winning caption is… ‘First aid training: Nobody was questioning the delegates enthusiasm…’ Congratulations to Fiona Bailey who has won this month’s caption competition! A bottle of vino of your choice will be winging its way to you. In order to enter our caption competitions you need to sign […]
Important leadership trends in 2013
In this rapidly changing business environment, keeping abreast of important leadership trends will be key to success in 2013. Graham Scrivener ruminates. This year companies are continuing to face a tough business climate. The driving force behind the success of a company will be the leadership abilities of its employees. A report on Leadership and […]
Caption competition
We have a winner. And the winning caption is… ‘US policemen struggle after new growth hormone trials take place.’ Congratulations to Ray Jordan who has won this month’s caption competition! A bottle of vino of your choice will be winging its way to you. In order to enter our caption competitions you need to sign in […]
Leadership is an inside job pt2
John Wenger concludes his piece about true leadership and the empowerment of others. Here’s another challenge to current convention: I have no faith that a system of capitalism (conscious or otherwise) will lead to an age of enlightenment. A system operates with a set of rules which maintain its equilibrium. In other words, a system […]
Leadership is an inside job pt1
True, successful leadership is as much about empowerment of others as well as the self, says John Wenger. So the world didn’t end on December 21, surprise, surprise. Here we are in 2013, all systems still intact. I have heard some speak of the Mayan December 21 end-of-all-things-prediction not so much an end of the […]
Why good leadership is about being true to yourself
Jo-Ellen Gryzb explains why women trying to be men in the workplace is a huge mistake, and why women who embrace their female traits make the most successful managers. Tough times Women have had it tough in the workplace for many years. Struggling to be heard or even taking a significant role in the boardroom, […]
Caption competition
And the winning caption is… ‘The accounts team intern thought it a strange request to strip off and move the Mickey Mouse ears, but he did it anyway.’ Congratulations to ’emmw’ who has won this month’s caption competition! A bottle of vino of your choice will be winging its way to you. In order to enter […]
The psychology of a good leader
Jo Ellen Grzyb highlights the key characteristics of inspirational, supportive leaders and outlines how directors and managers can implement simple changes to transform their own effectiveness. Human behaviour Good leadership is about much more than business know-how. These skills are more essential than ever in today's commercial world, where businesses are being expected to deliver […]
Striving to be a real leader
One of the key attributes of a successful leader is responsibility for their actions and beliefs. Professor Graham Jones elaborates. The last couple of years have brought an intriguing quandary for senior leaders, and one that is probably here to stay. These are times when leaders have the option of keeping their heads down, staying […]
People management and soft skills: The missing link
Stephen Walker looks at the differences between traditional command and control style and people centred management. Let me be bold. Management is the management of people. The management of objects is administration. Planning the functions and throughput of a machine is simple. The set-up time, the run time to process each item and the downtime […]