There’s no shortage of talk about strategy. But behind every good strategy, there must be a clear vision – after all, we all need a destination before mapping out our journey’s route. So, on top of managing the day-to-day and adjusting the strategy, how can leaders ensure they don’t neglect to manage the vision?
An organisation’s vision should be its North Star. It needs to be the aspiration that everyone strives to meet. In other words, it needs to help managers think beyond the daily details and think ahead to the type of future they wish to achieve.
So essential is a leader’s vision that many CEO’s are either marked by their lack of it when they fail or they are exalted for it when they succeed.
At any stage of your leadership career, managing the vision and ensuring that it remains the guiding light is vital. So, here are three ways leaders can manage the organisation’s vision:
Align everything to your vision
The Golden Thread Model provides an excellent visual on how to practically align all activities to the organisation’s vision. It represents the link between vision, analysis, systems and people, amounting to a shared understanding of how the vision, goals and values of the organisation relate to daily work.
By using this model, leaders enable the development of clear metrics which align business goals with measures of success and ensures that individuals are aware of and accountable for their contribution. This makes it easier to drive business success as everyone in the organisation is heading in the same direction.
Motivate through the vision
In addition to drawing direct relationships between the vision, strategy and metrics for success the model also encourages the creation of team and individual objectives that tie back to the vision. This is important for maintaining lasting motivation. Unlike hitting targets, aiming to move the organisation closer to the vision takes incremental steps and the cooperation of all. That means your teams will aim to complete a marathon rather than running a sprint.
Leaders should, therefore, be conscious of providing their teams with an update on how their individual or team efforts bring the whole closer to its vision.
Tell compelling stories about the company’s future
The reality for leaders is that not everyone will be driven by metrics or inspired by stats. Vision-focused leaders appreciate the importance of shaping a powerful and compelling story of their companies’ futures. Beyond crafting an inspiring narrative, it also serves as a powerful engagement builder. Stories have the power to turn aspirations into reality – even if it’s just in the mind. That, in turn, gives employees the clarity they need to visualise something that often can be too abstract and feel out of reach.
Sources (these articles are available to IML ANZ members via Leadership Direct):
One of the most important remits of top leaders is the strategy. However, if 96% of leaders admit to not having the time to think strategically (as they are pulled into managing the day-to-day tasks), is it really as vital as most claim it to be?
Keeping strategy front of mind
An organisation’s strategy should never be treated as ‘set and forget’. Today’s business environment is engulfed in a constant stream of subtle discontinuities that may undermine an organisation if they aren’t watchful. Since these are unexpected and irregular, dealing with it requires being attuned to existing patterns, yet able to perceive important breaks in them.
Leaders must also guard against complacency. As success may trick you into becoming content, therefore risking the chance that you lose the edge and intensity that led you to the top.
That’s why leaders must make the time to seek out new opportunities, guard against looming threats and take advantage of untapped strengths. That’s why strategies should never be left static.
Although staying flexible in strategic terms doesn’t mean jumping from strategy to strategy. What it requires is continuous incorporation of new ideas to maintain the effectiveness and relevance of your strategy.
In Leadership Matters: 7 Skills of Very Successful Leaders, IML ANZ chief executive, David Pich walks leaders through the crucial skill of setting strategy. Here are three things we learn from Pich about why leaders require strategic thinking time:
1. To recognise when the strategy needs adjusting
According to Pich, successful leaders can detect when the strategy needs to be tweaked or changed. He warns, “there is a tendency for today’s leaders not only to believe that they have all the answers but to believe that these answers must be the right answers, every time.”
To fight against what Pich calls ‘strategic stubbornness’, it’s important for leaders to pause from time to time (and not just during the allocated ‘strategy day’) to gauge where the strategy is at and what adjustments must be made.
2. To involve others in strategic planning
Pich also cautions against setting strategy in a vacuum. He points out the need for buy-in from those who need to support and implement the strategy.
It’s imperative that leaders make time to meet with relevant stakeholders when assessing the fitness of the current strategy. Resist the temptation to go at it alone because that might be the quicker route. Involve others to ensure you receive the support you need to deliver the strategy.
3. To avoid feeling daunted
For Pich, setting strategy is the equivalent of eating the proverbial elephant. You need to cut it down to manageable chunks rather than trying to tackle it as a giant whole.
In his experience taking the helm at IML ANZ, Pich said, “We sliced and iced the big hairy elephant! Over the course of two full days (and with very significant pre-work), we arrived at what we called [IML ANZ’s] four strategic pillars.”
There are no shortcuts to a great strategy. Invest the time and keep checking in on yours to ensure that it sets you on the path to success.
Sources (these articles are available to IML ANZ members via Leadership Direct):
As leaders, we are influencers – and as influencers, we must encourage, enable and empower others to perform in a way that leads the business to success. We must do this while fostering a healthy workplace culture and to do it efficiently requires a different kind of balance. The most effective and successful leaders are those who can balance getting things done while nurturing their relationship with their people.
Take a look at Howard Schultz who is a great example of a leader who has perfected this balance. Schultz took charge of Starbucks in the 1980s and turned a regional coffee company into one of the world’s top brands. Howard’s net worth today is $4 billion so he’s clearly capable of getting things done and yet his focus has always been around people and building a company that “honours and respects the dignity of work and the dignity of all men and all women”.
Imbalance is the enemy
So why do so many leaders struggle to find this balance? Naturally, each of us have a preference of either getting things done or getting to know people and will gravitate to one or the other without giving it too much thought. And while both focuses are equally important, an over-focus in one area is often to the detriment of the other.
When a leader over-focuses on task and under-focuses on people it can result in:
Short term and unsustainable results driven by control, consequence or rewards (like overtime or bonuses)
Unrealistic pressure on the team and elevated stress on individuals which can increase absenteeism
Disengagement or the loss of trust by employees who may believe their leader doesn’t care
Impatience and frustration with conversations that aren’t task focused
Struggle for employees to connect with their leader who appears to be super-human with no weakness, vulnerability or fear of failing
Similarly, when a leader over-focuses on people and under-focuses on task it can result in:
A fear of upsetting others and therefore avoiding conflict or having vague conversations with implied consequences that are often misunderstood by employees
Saying yes and agreeing to unrealistic expectations – often to their own detriment
Being perceived as ‘soft’ or not serious about delivering results
Taking too much responsibility and justifying poor performance with peers and senior leaders
Why finding the balance matters
When a leader can get the balance right and pay just as much attention to getting things done as they do to getting to know their people, they will:
Create deeper trust and stronger relationships – regardless of the current challenges
Communicate and consistently manage expectations of what success looks like for both the individual and the business
Experience more open and transparent conversations, robust debate, challenging of ideas and innovative thinking
Gain greater respect for differing perspectives and encourage curiosity about alternative ways of working
Empower others to make decisions – including where, when and how work is performed
Creating the balance between task and people starts with awareness, of your own preference, and then consciously shifting your focus evenly across task and people.
Once you find this balance it’s not something you unlearn or forget – it becomes your way of leading and even your way of living.
In Schultz’s departure message to employees, he maintained the balance between task and people, writing “success is not an entitlement; it must be earned every day through hard work and teamwork. Try to listen with empathy, respond with kindness, and do your best to perform through the lens of humanity”.
When a leader can generate a culture of accountability and deep trusting relationships then they move to a position of influence!
Shelley Flett is an expert in leadership development and team performance, with more than a decade of experience in operations and call centres across banking and telecommunications. She is focused on maximising efficiency and building high performance team cultures. Shelley is the Author of ‘The Dynamic Leader: Become the leader others are inspired to follow’ (Major Street Publishing RRP $29.95). For more information visit www.shelleyflett.com.
Brands are much more than a name or symbol of a product. Leadership and people-management specialist and author, Karen Gately, believes that in a highly competitive world with the pressure on many organisations to lift their game intensifying, leaders are wise to define brand more broadly as the reputation that underpins consumer confidence and inspires buying decisions.
So how does organisational culture fit into this definition? Gately defines culture as the way things are done within an organisation. However, she cautions against believing that organisational cultures exist in a vacuum. “It’s entirely possible for an organisation to be confronted with behaviours from within their ranks, that are not reflective of culture. Once off, exceptions to the rule while problematic are not reason alone to ring the culture alarm bell.”
Gately knows that there are many examples of organisations who have failed spectacularly in maintaining trust in their brand because of a profit-centric culture. “Findings of the banking royal commission provides endless examples of a lack of integrity and poor behaviour,” she says.
“It’s evident the issues exposed were far from isolated incidents of poor decision making or selfish actions on the part of random individuals. In many instances, these behaviours were instructed, encouraged and rewarded by the organisations they worked for.”
As we’ve seen post-royal commission, distrust damages brands.
So how can leaders shape a culture that makes a positive influence on your brand? Gately lists three ways:
Set clear expectations around employee behaviours
Creating a powerful brand through people starts with being clear about what is expected and needed. Leaders are wise to invest in ensuring every person on the team understands what successful behaviours look like. In other words, ensure a clear line of sight between how people go about their jobs and the influence that has on brand reputation.
Understand the touch points between your business and customers
Build understanding of the touch points between your customers and business, and the opportunities people have to influence trust and loyalty. Create awareness of the ways in which behaviour influences not only what people think, but also their subconscious reactions to your brand in the future. Reflect on for yourself on when you have held an opinion about an organisations brand but have struggled to identify exactly why you feel the way you do. Sometimes people don’t even bother to work out the answer. They simply move on to a brand they feel better about.
Get your hiring process right
Creating a great culture is unquestionably influenced by the quality of hiring practices. Getting it right from the start requires a disciplined and uncompromising approach to selecting people who are aligned with the organisation’s values. From there what matters most is that people are held accountable for the standard of behaviour they bring, and influence they have on your organisations brand. Reward and recognise brand ambassadors and take decisive steps to address the attitudes and behaviours of those who are not.
Karen Gately, founder of Corporate Dojo, is a leadership and people-management specialist. Karen works with leaders and HR teams to drive business results through the talent and energy of people. She is the author of The People Manager’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Getting the Best From People (Wiley) and The Corporate Dojo: Driving Extraordinary Results Through Spirited People.
Thinking bigger about what your business offers to customers can propel the business into areas of growth never imaged. It also keeps the business relevant, agile and in step with changing market forces locally and internationally.
But if something isn’t broken you don’t fix it, right? Sticking to the same way may seem reproducible and efficient, but is it limiting your business? While being able to offer a service or product well is of course good business, remaining stagnant in the way you do things means business efficiency could suffer. If you think of a wheel, it fundamentally hasn’t changed but its features have adapted to suit the needs of today’s modern vehicles.
It’s worth asking if there are new markets your business can go into. Or could you offer new products to your current market?
The business development process may simply involve implementing a culture of continuous improvement or it may require you to look for the next big growth step. Whichever stage the business is in, these five steps are important for thinking bigger about the business and focusing on what the business is offering customers and prospects.
1. Innovate
Coming up with new approaches and better delivery of the service/product to the customer are the driving forces for innovation and growth. Awareness of what is happening in the industry and the market is also essential. If you don’t keep track of these, beware – other companies certainly do and they can overtake you.
Thinking bigger about your business offerings drives innovation. Wanting to be the best, wanting to offer a brilliant service, wanting to reach more clients than ever thought possible – all these mindsets will help drive the innovation your business needs for business development.
2. Plan
Boldness and aiming high will get the business out of its comfort zone and propel it forward. However, change and improvement require more than just new ideas and aspirations – you must support it with a plan. Set goals against implementation timeframes. Whether these are long- or short-term periods will all depend on the size of the change and what you are trying to achieve.
Set down a pathway for growth that involves everyone in the business – from management to staff. Inform everyone of their involvement in the change to ensure a smooth process.
3. Set goals
This is about setting your focus and involves the following steps:
Set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Timebound
Keep goals easy to see as reminders
Check in daily and weekly to track whether you’re on target
Celebrate when tasks are completed, and goals are achieved
Reset to goals that will stretch you and the business further
4. Collaborate
Constantly search for strategic partners who can help you in the pursuit of your aspirations. You may (or may not) currently do business with them but always keep an eye out for those who can help you get where you want to go.
Building collaborations will also help with secure referral partners and affiliate marketing – therefore growing your connections and the opportunities to get your message out there.
5. Measure
Measurement is pivotal as it keeps the business honest. Select metrics that are relevant to your goals and what you are trying to achieve.
You can measure several metrics including:
Financial: Measure the impact on the profit and loss or cash flow statements
Sales and marketing: Track the number of leads in pipeline, website views or sales calls against acquisitions
People and teams: Set metrics to measure not only what your people are achieving but also if they remain motivated
Thinking bigger is a mindset of growth and development about your business offering. It’s the way to build the business and achieve your aspirations. Focusing actively in on innovation, planning, setting goals, collaborations and measurement will propel business development on a successful pathway.
Do an audit on your business and check where you are at with each of these five steps. This will highlight steps for the business to think bigger and look at growth strategies.
Adrienne McLean is the founder and principal marketing and speaking coach for The Speaker’s Practice – which runs workshops, coaching and events that help professionals to improve their marketing and communications.
IML ANZ Members in Sydney are invited to join Adrienne at the Professional Services Marketing Conference on August 17th, 2019. This information conference takes delegates on the business development journey starting with marketing and digital marketing, going through to sales topics with mindset topics covered throughout the day. IML ANZ Members who book by July 17th enjoy a 15% discount when they use the code IMLEB. To book or find out more, visit www.professional-services-marketing-conference.com.
One of the greatest privileges and sources of satisfaction for a manager is to become a coach or mentor. It’s always a privilege to have someone demonstrate their trust in you and there’s nothing more satisfying than witnessing someone achieve a desired outcome. It can have a profound impact on the individual, the manager and the organisation.
Often coaching and mentoring are mistaken for being the same thing with a different name. They are in fact, very different.
COACHING
When is it coaching?
Coaching is typically provided by an immediate manager to help people develop competencies, new skills and self-awareness. It also assists in improving performance and equips the coachee for new responsibilities and professional development. Importantly, it is 100% coachee-focused, open and honest. When coaching, the coachee must think of potential alternatives, determine solutions, confirm goals and take ownership, responsibility and accountability for outcomes. On the coach’s side, you spend around 80% of the time listening and 20% asking open, probing and expansive questions to stimulate the coachee to develop and confirm their next steps.
What is a good coaching model?
A very simple and popular model for coaching is GROW: goal, reality, options and wrap up. Goal is the agreement on the specific objective of the conversation. Reality is the discussion around your past and current state. Options involves creatively thinking about potential solutions. Finally, wrap up confirms the best solution set against a plan that includes follow-ups and timing of completion stages. Although GROW appears linear, you may find the need to move backwards and forwards between the steps as more information is provided.
Can coaching be informal?
While coaching can be formal or informal, following a structure leads to lasting results. For instance, if a direct report often comes to you with a problem and you happily provide a solution, that’s informal coaching. Being time poor, you might feel satisfied that you were able to provide a quick solution. Unfortunately, you are also teaching this person to come to you for answers instead of thinking for themselves. This is an ideal situation for the quick and effective use of GROW. You may also use GROW formally during performance discussions, professional development or when helping team members consider potential career aspirations.
MENTORING
When is it mentoring?
One difference between coaching and mentoring relates to who mentors you. Unlike coaching, a mentor is typically someone you do not report to or know, is several positions more senior and has broader experiences and knowledge in your field. It is important to have a safe, trusting and confidential environment knowing you can speak openly about your concerns and desires. Many companies also provide mentoring programs that give you access to mentors in other organisations or you can source one through colleagues, networks and business associations. Details of IML ANZ’s mentoring program can be found at managersandleaders.com.au/mentoring-program
What makes a good mentor?
Good mentors ensure the relationship is goal-oriented, focused on you and have your best interest at heart. They will happily share wisdom gained from their personal and professional experiences and guide you to build capability in areas that match your goals. The very best mentors will invite you to reshape your thinking and consider the bigger picture as part of their commitment to help you.
Coaching and mentoring are vital and valuable skills that add a great deal of depth to your role as manager. It allows you to develop individual and team capability while nurturing an open and honest environment built on a foundation of trust. Importantly, acquiring and using these skills not only benefits the coachee but increases your value as an asset to the business.
Peter Cullen is an education and training facilitator. He conducts three-day programs that engage participants in developing and implementing their capabilities as managers and leaders.
This article originally appeared in the February 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld nailed our phobia of public speaking when he said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”
Our dislike of public speaking can come down to fear of rejection, according to Tim Bevan AFIML, Chairman of the IML Speaker’s Forum in Brisbane. He explains, “Suddenly we are separated from the herd and we have innate concerns about ‘will the audience be hostile?’ Or ‘will I bore them?’”.
Rather than avoid public speaking altogether, taking steps to improve your skills can boost your confidence – and your career.
REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
Emma Bannister, CEO, Presentation Studio
Emma Bannister is the founder and CEO of Presentation Studio, specialising in presentation writing, design and training. She says, “Preparation is so important, and nerves should encourage better presentation.” Bannister believes content is critical. “This is your foundation,” she says. “If your content is good you can be confident in your own message. It can be a massive game changer when you know the information you provide is helping your audience achieve something.”
The clincher is to deliver content in a way that is clear. “Keep the message simple, and repeat your most important points so that people can understand them, remember them, and act on them,” advises Bannister.
Technology has changed the way we deliver presentations, and PowerPoint in particular is widely used, though not always to best effect.
“PowerPoint slides should never be used as a script to read from,” Bannister cautions. “Having a lengthy essay appear on a slide is the equivalent of using a crutch or autocue.” Moreover, she notes that when an audience is focused on reading the screen, they can’t listen to what’s being said, and that makes the speaker irrelevant. Bevan adds, “PowerPoint slides should only feature three or four bullet points, this way the speaker can talk around those points.”
FEEL THE ENERGY
When it comes to managing nerves, there’s a lot to be said for the old maxim ‘take a few deep breaths’. Bannister explains, “Deep breathing is critical to ensuring oxygen flows to your brain so you don’t forget what you are saying.”
While it may sound counter-intuitive, the quality of your delivery will improve if you regard your audience as friend rather than foe. “Instead of being afraid of your audience, make eye contact with audience members and use their energy,” suggests Bannister.
“If you’re speaking in a darkened auditorium, ask for the stage lights to be dimmed so that you can see members of the audience.”
Nerves can be the catalyst for rapid-fire speech, and this can seriously downgrade the quality of what you say and the image you project. As Bannister explains, “We often speak rapidly, or talk a lot just to fill in space. Slowing down your pace and allowing for pauses is vital. Have a sip of water if necessary but pause long enough to allow a message to sink in with your audience.”
According to Bevan, a pace of around 120 words a minute is ideal: “When we speak quickly we lose the power of pause, gesture and intonation.”
Speaking slowly also improves clarity. This matters because as Bannister points out you may have audience members who are not native English speakers. This further highlights why simple icons rather than lengthy essays are a must for PowerPoint slides.
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT
Tim Bevan AFIML, IML Speaker’s Forum Chairman
Sitting through a monotone speech can be tortuous, and good speakers contrast their pace, volume and modulation. Bannister notes, “As human beings we like change – a bit of variety helps to keep everyone actively listening.” It may sound like a tall order but it can all come with practice. “Don’t just read through your speaking notes on your screen,” says Bannister. “Say them out loud to your team, your kids, the family pet – anyone who will listen. Get someone to video you – or video yourself.”
Bevan emphasises the need to rehearse, saying, “Practice makes permanent, and practising using the wrong techniques can become habit forming.” In his involvement with the IML Speaker’s Forum, Bevan has seen the benefits of practice combined with constructive criticism. Ryan McKergow MIML, for instance, is a current member of the IML Speaker’s Forum and was recently awarded an IML ANZ Sir John Storey Leadership Award in the Emerging Leader category. McKergow joined the group in early 2018, and says, “I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement in my public speaking ability, and also in my day-to-day communications, which is vitally important in my role as a leader.”
DANGER ZONES
For nervous speakers, a lectern can seem like a safe harbour. However, Bannister cautions “Audience members often don’t like it when a speaker stands behind a lectern.” She recommends enquiring about the availability of a remote system for the microphone, so that you can move around a little.
The key word is ‘little’. Going overboard with gestures – or repeat gestures like pointing and waving, can be distracting for the audience. Bannister suggests: “If you’re not sure what to do with your hands, follow the likes of Barrack Obama, whose resting position was often one hand on top of the other just below his watch. When speaking, his hands were expressive and animated but not repetitive.”
When all else fails, smile. According to Bannister, “As a general rule, when the speaker smiles, the audience smiles back.”
The thought of fielding questions from an audience can be especially daunting as this is one area where curve balls can be thrown. Bannister says it is possible to control at least part of this by explaining at the outset that you will be speaking for 10 or 20 minutes and taking questions at the end of your presentation. “This discourages interjections and maintains the flow of your presentation,” she notes.
At some stage, you will need to respond to questions, and even Bannister admits “this can be tough”. She advises, “Always start by repeating the question so that everyone else knows what was asked. Make eye contact with the person, and even if you don’t have a ready answer, explain how you are addressing the issue moving forward.”
THE NO-GO AREAS
When it comes to workplace presentations, humour can be risky business. “What is funny to you can be offensive to some of your audience members,” cautions Bannister. Play it safe by skipping the jokes altogether.
Bannister also believes metaphors can be equally hazardous: “I’ve seen US-based speakers consistently using baseball analogies, talking about home runs. Audiences outside of the US can become quite upset about this.” She says this highlights the need to “Respect your environment and use analogies that are relevant to your audience – if you must use them at all.”
Few things can be more uncomfortable than the sinking feeling that your audience has lost interest, and unfortunately, these days, people may even start checking their phones during a presentation. That may seem impolite, but the onus is on the speaker to prevent this happening. “Mixing up your content, visuals, and tone of voice and volume keeps the energy and engagement of your audience,” says Bannister. “People notice when things change so keep a good mix.”
Ultimately, a good presentation is relevant to your audience. As Tim Bevan points out, “Don’t focus on yourself, focus on the audience. Your aim is to be a person of influence over your audience.
This article first appeared in the February 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters magazine.
Translating learning into behavioural change takes time and a lot of effort. Even more so when it comes to learning crucial skills that impact people. Skills vital to effective leadership such as time management, communication, emotional intelligence, influencing colleagues, motivating teams, nurturing high-performers and driving innovation require more than just a couple of days in a classroom. You’re simply not going to change someone’s behaviour by sending them on a two-day short course.
Unsurprisingly, only 10% of CEOs surveyed by McKinsey indicated they are confident their leadership development efforts would make a positive impact on their business.
It’s astonishing then that the market remains awash with ‘quick-fix’ and one-size-fits-all programs that promise to transform leaders after just a few days inside a classroom. To understand if there’s any merit to these claims, we need to understand the complexity of the learning process.
The birth of a myth
The concept that forming new habits takes just 21 days is a myth based on misinterpretations of the published work of Maxwell Maltz. The plastic surgeon famously observed that it took his patients at least 21 days to get used to any physical changes to their body.
The latest research shows that it takes at least 66 days to form a habit or change an existing one. Sadly, that realisation came too late and many programs, courses and self-help formulas are based on this 21-day myth. In fact, some courses promise to create new managers and leaders by sitting in a classroom for two days!
Additionally, leadership development is about a lot more than merely forming new habits. It involves deep learning and shaping the type of people who will act as a catalyst for positive organisational change.
Consuming versus cultivating
Another issue with the typical short course or program offered to today’s leaders is the fact that often it is heavily reliant on passive learning – or as some would say a strictly ‘teacher and classroom’ format.
In fact, adult learning principles backed by neuroscience indicate that leaders develop key capabilities not just by reading or hearing but by doing. What is required goes beyond just talking about the capabilities. Leadership development should involve dealing with real problems while applying new knowledge in a specific context.
Simply put, rather than consuming information leaders need to cultivate knowledge and skills. This is something that a typical classroom-based, short-course just cannot achieve.
Rigour not repetitions
Interestingly, recent research by Johns Hopkins University goes against another well-accepted belief that repetition is the best way to learn. This research reveals that the process called ‘reconsolidation’ – in which existing knowledge is recalled and modified with new knowledge – significantly improves the way participants learn motor skills.
Taking that principle and applying it to learning leadership capabilities for experienced professionals provides an insightful development solution. Leaders who seek development take with them a unique set of skills, a wealth of knowledge and a roster of experience. This is not about starting from ground zero, so the focus is building upon existing capabilities. To illustrate, leadership development doesn’t involve infants, so there is no need to repeat information.
What is needed, as pointed out in the research, is to reconsolidate. Modifying already learned skills and behaviours to adapt to new challenges.
To do that, leaders need to identify where they are at and what they would like to achieve. This should not be amalgamated for the entire class – this must be a personal, targeted analysis. Your challenges, organisational goals and experience will never be the same as the person next to you. There is no one-size-fits-all. This clearly cannot be addressed without courses incorporating a one-on-one element, either through coaching, mentoring, self-assessment or individually focused learning outcomes.
Assess the value of leadership development programs
It’s unwise to invest in your development as a leader on a program that offers little value. Unlike a physical product, it isn’t always easy to evaluate a course’s worth. However, based on our analysis of what it takes for leaders to gain an in-depth development of their capabilities, you can assess programs based on their format and learning outcomes.
Before you book yourself in another leadership development program, ask yourself:
Will the allocated time for this course or program allow me to learn my required capabilities deeply?
Does the format of this course or program involve simply classroom-based learning, or does it have elements of practical application and personalised development?
Will this course or program provide me with the opportunity to assess the unique context in which I, as a leader operate within? Will it then equip me with the strategies to adapt my existing knowledge, skills and experience to lead effectively in real-world situations?
The answers to these questions impact not only your development but also your influence as a leader. If you aren’t moving forward as a leader, you risk falling behind and taking your team and organisation with you.
Become an intentional leader
IML ANZ offers leadership development programs that provide managers with the skills, knowledge and support to become intentional leaders.
Intentional Leadership Foundations: This program is designed to help ‘accidental managers’ become intentional leaders – helping them transition from individual contribution to succeeding through their team. The 12-week program blends facilitated learning with online study, leadership coaching, one-on-one mentoring, diagnostic tools and workplace-based projects.
Intentional Leadership Accelerate: This program supports managers of managers on their intentional leader journey. It focuses on the core skills to become a confident leader of managers and advances career progression. Upon completion of the program, you will have the opportunity to be accredited as a Chartered Manager, the highest status that can be achieved as a manager and leader.
Few people in the corporate world command the respect that Indra Nooyi receives. Consistently listed as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People and Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, she is praised largely as a forward-thinking leader. Her adaptive response during her 12-year tenure as CEO of PepsiCo helped revenues grow from US$35 billion to US$63.5 billion while at the helm.
Beyond aiming for financial success, Nooyi was also the chief architect of Performance with Purpose. This saw PepsiCo step up their growth efforts while making a positive impact on the environment and society.
Nooyi has accumulated a treasure trove of leadership lessons. Here we share just seven gems from this business powerhouse:
1. THANK PEOPLE
One of the most unusual things Nooyi did as CEO of PepsiCo was to write more than 400 letters each year to the parents of her senior executives. She was inspired after a family visit to India. She watched her mother bathing in praise from visitors who congratulated her for her daughter’s stellar career. Moved, Nooyi went back to PepsiCo and penned the letters to the executives’ parents. “I wrote a paragraph about what their child was doing at PepsiCo,” she told CNBC. “I said, ‘Thank you for the gift of your child to our company.’”
2. KEEP LEARNING
As CEO, Nooyi made the tough decision to overhaul PepsiCo’s IT system. To understand the technologies required, CNBC reports she read 10 textbooks cover to cover and had professors on call to answer her questions. This legwork didn’t just inform her and help her clearly identify the right solution, it also empowered her to face sceptics hesitant to make a change.
3. LEAD BY PRINCIPLE
Indra’s legacy is evident in PepsiCo’s guiding principles. These inform every action and message from the global giant. These six principles are:
Care for our customers and the world we live in.
Speak with truth and candour at all times.
Respect others and succeed together.
Sell only products we can be proud of.
Win with diversity and engagement.
Balance short term and long term.
4. STAY TRUE
Never one to imply a veneer of perfection, Nooyi is refreshingly honest. She is candid about the relentless hours required to be an effective CEO, and the toll that takes on her personal time as a result. Nooyi was known to work as many as 20 hours a day, often seven days a week. When asked if that made her a good role model, she answered, “Probably not.”
5. BRAVE CHANGE
Nooyi recognised the need to accept change as part of the course large companies take. She started putting key elements in place at PepsiCo that are now considered normal by most companies. Today, PepsiCo is no longer just synonymous with soft drink, but now has a new strong ethos of healthy product choices and a socially responsible mission.
6. FOLLOW YOUR MORAL COMPASS
In the 12 years with Nooyi as CEO, the beverage giant continued to be guided by Performance with Purpose. As a result, PepsiCo made the Ethisphere’s list of the world’s most ethical companies during each of those years. ey also made a commitment to improving access to clean water in developing communities, winning PepsiCo the Stockholm Industry Water Award.
7. ENCOURAGE INNOVATION
Not one to leave her company standing still, Nooyi believed in innovation. She gave her management team cameras and photo albums to visit retailers and discover innovative opportunities. Additionally, Nooyi brought in an innovation expert from 3M to spark creativity within PepsiCo. The company also runs the Nutrition Greenhouse, a collaborative accelerator of emerging and innovative businesses using healthy ingredients, or waste from the food industry.
This list only just scratches the surface of leadership lessons from Indra Nooyi. She’s a leader like no other who excels in everything from financial literacy, employee empathy, having a strong vision, moral leadership, embracing change and remaining true to herself. Her example can help any leader become someone people want to follow.
This article originally appeared in the June 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and advertising enquiries, please contact Karyl.Estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.
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