Leadership: the power of time and  s  p  a  c  e  .  .  .

Why reflection is at the core of our approach to Leadership Development.

Personal reflection is an important element of any development journey.  Sometimes we’re forced into it through circumstances beyond our control – an accident or sudden event, or we go on holiday and give ourselves permission to let our minds wander.  Leaders, however, have a responsibility to the people they lead, to take time-out in order to look at their ‘world’ from different angles.

seeing things from a different perspective

We’ve been taking leaders into different environments for 20 years to help them reflect, and although many things have moved on, the principles remain constant. ‘A mind once stretched by an idea never returns to the same shape.’  When we’re co-creating Leadership Development Programmes with our clients, there are some guiding principles we operate under:

Ask yourself, “What can we do during this  unique contact time, that can’t be achieved through personal study, online coaching or in-house learning & development programmes?”

• Individuals will all arrive at a different starting point.  Making the experience personal is therefore fundamental to success.
• If the experience is just about work-related issues, then the ‘whole person’ is not being engaged in the process.
• Have participants been helped to prepare for the programme so that they are ‘ready’ to engage fully? Have they chosen to attend?

If the content of the programme is geared towards acquiring knowledge and developing skills, then very often reflection time is squeezed into the occasional wrap-up session at the end of the day.  We prefer to build reflection time in as core, and then build other input around what comes from the insights gained during reflection. This can be done individually, in pairs or small groups, and as a larger group. This approach places the leadership emphasis on the delegates early on in the process, and ensures that maximum value is gained from the interaction with other peers, and from deeper exploration of current challenges and opportunities.

What has your recent experience of leadership development been like? Are you making time for reflection and seeing it as a ‘core’ leadership activity?

Our Top Truths of Leadership Development        2005

We have learned a lot in our first 15 years. Here, in no order of priority, are the highlights:

Sustainable change has to be “Inside-Out”

Long–term organisational change is only possible when individuals accept personal responsibility for ‘being' the change themselves. 

Great leaders lead by example

Any Leadership Team must be clear and consistent about key ‘cultural' messages. They must be the role-models for, “what ‘good' looks like around here.”

People work better when they are having fun

It's that simple!
 
Workshops are fine but the workplace is where it counts

The better you are at transferring learning from workshops back in to the workplace, the greater your return on investment will be

Actions speak louder than words

Practical outcomes and ongoing development support are the keys to success.

Personal choice is the key to greater commitment

We believe in ‘challenge by choice'. When people choose to get involved, their commitment to success will always be far greater.

To change behaviour, first you have to explore and understand values & beliefs

With over 600 people having attended our Safety Leadership Programmes (over the past 3 years), we know that to change behaviour, you first need to address the values and beliefs that determine how and why people behave in the way they do.

Great leadership is more than just top down

Supervisors and Project Managers need a lot more than just technical management ability to create high performance teams. They must be able to engage and inspire diverse groups of people. Our new people=positive™ leadership programmes will meet this challenge.

1:1 Coaching is the secret to unlocking true leadership potential

Top athletes always use coaches, so why don't top business people? As skilled performance coaches, people=positive™ work with individuals to make sure they get the best from themselves and others.