Book review: ‘Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty…’
‘Title: Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty: The New Rules for Getting the Right Things Done in Difficult Times’Author: Ram CharanPublisher: McGraw Hill Whilst the sub title of ‘Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty’ reads ‘The New Rules for Getting the Right Things Done in Difficult Times’, it is more a narrative by the author Ram […]
Women in the lead
Kylie Bains looks at the leadership skills required in today’s workplace and asks whether the style of female leaders makes them better suited to leading through crisis? What are the differences between male and female leadership styles? The debate about which sex is better suited to leading has existed for a very long time. But […]
Video: Leadership is not a popularity contest
Effective and decisive leadership will mean making unpopular decisions at times, explains Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman of Orange, UK, so don’t confuse popularity with making the right choices. People will respect you for it in the end. Sanjiv Ahuja is the founder and chairman of Augere, a new venture aiming to provide broadband access for all. […]
Can David Cameron be a leader?
What defines a leader, especially in politics? Leadership guru Paul Bridle outlines what characteristics the public will be looking for in the next election. People look for a strong sense of purpose or direction, a consistent set of values, the ability to relate to people, a willingness to surround themselves with good people and a […]
Managers miss out on government funded training
Senior managers in UK businesses are missing out on training funded by the government because they wrongly think it’s only for “lower level staff”, according to a management development specialist. But actually the Train to Gain scheme is open to senior staff as well, with grants available of up to £1,000 per person. It was […]
The 21st Century leader
If you want to be a successful corporate leader what abilities will you need over the next decade or so? Andrew Leigh looks at the skills tomorrow’s leaders need. There are many contenders, ranging from handling complexity to the skill of inspiring others, from business acumen through to managing risk. No single ability is likely […]
Free team-building resources
On the look out for great training freebies? Cheryl Taylor has trawled the net for us and hauled in a huge range of free training materials! Here’s her updated guide to free team-building exercises. About.com Education This site provides a Top 10 Icebreakers for Adults. Don’t like Silly Games for Adults? There are other choices, […]
The most popular Trainer’s Tips ever! Team communication exercise
Joanna Howard submitted this fun exercise, which helps open up discussion about team communication. I’ve used this with surprising effectiveness: my colleagues have had the same experience. The debriefing often shows amazing insights about work style and communication. You need to have the people in a circle and up to eight soft juggling balls. 1. […]
Jump before being pushed
For most leaders there comes a time when it is time to move on, often for a new challenge, a change of direction or even retirement. But what happens when the reason is all-together less positive? Stephen Walker looks at what happens when a leader loses their authority. Sooner or later it comes to us […]
Authentic leadership
How is the health of leadership research? What is the prognosis for independent trainers and coaches? Few are better equipped to provide a diagnosis than professor Dame Sandra Dawson. In this exclusive interview, Mike Levy asks her about authentic leadership, the skills to make leaders ‘great’, and the future for leadership development. Dame Sandra Dawson, […]
Review: Sustainable Leadership diagnostic tool
Graham O’Connell reviews a new diagnostic tool called Sustainable Leadership, which allows you to self assess your social responsibility levels. Title: Sustainable leadership Questionnaire Author: Roy Howells Publisher: Management Learning Resources Price: £5.25 (A facilitator guide is also available at £22.50) Reviewer: Graham O’Connell Campaigner Jonathan Porritt recently wrote about the ‘Perfect Storm’ of environmental and economic […]
Transformative leadership critical to success
A new report published this week has revealed that transformative and collaborative leadership is critical to creating the conditions for innovation. The Leading Innovation report produced by the Whitehall Innovation Hub suggests that civil service leaders need to create opportunities for policy-makers to reconnect to the front-line and that this transformation involves government officials having […]
Review: The Successful Manager’s Handbook
John Pope reviews The Successful Managers’ Handbook – and wishes he had had a book like this when he first started as a junior manager. Title: The Successful Manager’s Handbook Author: Moi Ali and 12 other writers, with an introduction by Robert Heller Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd. 2002 and brought up-to-date March 2009. Price: […]
Book review: Servant Leadership Across Cultures
With the concept of servant leadership gathering momentum, Bob Selden reviews a new book designed to dissect the philosophy and explain its benefits. Title: Servant-Leadership Across Cultures: Harnessing the strength of the world’s most powerful leadership philosophy Authors: Fons Trompenaars and Ed Voerman Publisher: Infinite Ideas Limited, Oxford, 2009 Price: £20 Reviewer: Bob Selden ‘Good […]
Gordon Brown: Who’s sorry now?
Paul Bridle looks at the fine mess that Gordon Brown has got himself into, which he attributes to Brown’s lack of leadership ‘style’. One of the measures of good leadership is the leader’s ability to ensure succession. This means that should something unfortunate happen, the organisation has the necessary leadership to take it forward. We now understand why […]
Learning leadership in tough times
Nigel Paine, former head of Learning and Development at the BBC, and a regular TrainingZone contributor, is leading a one-day open workshop for learning professionals in conjunction with the Learning and Skills Group. ‘Learning leadership in tough times’ will take place on 2nd July in west London. Nigel left the BBC in September 2006 to […]
Why leadership training doesn’t work
Having effective and productive leaders are imperative for an organisation’s success. But, as Judith Germain highlights, leadership training has historically made several common mistakes. When the business environment becomes more challenging companies tend to concentrate on hard measures such as reducing costs, increasing profits and downsizing – often ignoring the sometimes intangible measures such as management’s […]
Video: Lord Bilimoria – mission and vision
There are many important elements in leadership, but mission and vision are amongst the most critical. Lord Bilimoria, founder and CEO of Cobra Beer, presents ideas and sources of inspiration to help you understand and devise them for yourself. Lord Bilimoria started his career at Ernst & Young in 1982, where he spent four years […]
David Fairhurst interview: Complex times require complex leaders
Leadership development is on everybody’s lips, but with so many leadership models and debate over the qualities of an ideal leader, many firms are in a state of confusion. Who better to provide some clarity than one of the industry’s leading lights, David Fairhurst. At the HRD conference and exhibition earlier this year, leadership development dominated the […]
The language of leadership
The ability to speak well can mark the difference between leadership success and failure. Martha Leyton and Martin Shovel of CreativityWorks specialise in helping people in leadership roles become inspiring speakers – and they’re here to answer your questions. Question: Last year I went to the annual conference of my professional body and was blown away […]