Blaming is something that comes naturally to us. We have been casting blame on other people and circumstances for our mistakes in an effort of self-preservation since the day dot. But we know it’s not healthy, we know it can be toxic and counterproductive to our own creativity and learnings. There has been a lot of talk about accountability and the need for us all to be more accountable in our personal and professional lives. And for good reason… ..

The great leaders in history have a quality that truly sets them apart from the rest. This quality, this charisma is described as Simon Sinek, New York Ties best-selling author as an ability to “think, act and communicate from the inside out”. But what does this really mean, and can everyday leaders and managers develop this ability? Sinek points out that the majority of leaders start from the outside in. They start with the “what”; “what are we trying to achieve”, “what are we trying to sell”. Exceptional leaders, on the other hand, ones that can inspire their followers, start with the “why”. The why being the purpose, or the bigger picture of what you are doing. It’s the “why” that then leads to the “what”.  ..

The words “performance review” can strike fear, anxiety and discomfort into the hearts of employees all over the world. No one likes to feel scrutinised or criticised and the act of giving or receiving feedback in the workplace can be a daunting prospect amongst even the most resilient of us. But there is no point in shying away from it. It’s necessary and it’s unavoidable, so you may as well do it right.  ..

Tension is unavoidable in the workplace. At any one time, managers and leaders will always have to face and tackle the conundrum of how to make progress on seemingly conflicting objectives at the same time. Leaders need to recognise that tensions are a normal state of affairs within the workplace and accept that there are no right or wrong answers when choosing which strategy to take and what goals to focus on. While there is no way in which managers can completely diffuse and avoid tension altogether, there are some excellent strategies for managing tension and cultivating an environment that embraces tension and ensure it stays positive and productive. Let’s look a little deeper into this idea. ..

When was the last time someone gave you a reason for not doing something important, for not meeting a deadline, not performing to their best ability or not meeting a specific goal. If you are in a leadership position, chances are you hear reasons or excuses for underachievement fairly regularly. In fact, we live in a culture where blame is rife. We blame our colleagues, technology, company culture, transport, you name it, as an excuse for not performing to our best abilities. We are quick to offer up reasons why we didn’t keep our commitments. And if the reason is compelling or believable enough it will lessen or negate the impact of underperforming, letting us off the hook. And over time, we start believing that the reason is true which then limits what actions we can take to overcome the challenge. It’s a viscous cycle. ..

Say the words “positive psychology” in a group situation and it’s likely to garner mixed reactions. The words, first coined in the 1980s, were the foundation of the “new age”, self-help movement and as such has accrued its fair share of cynicism. Historically, up until the 1980s, psychology was mostly concerned with curing illness. So, it was a revolutionary time in the field of psychology, a time where it shifted it’s focus towards the pursuit of fulfilment and happiness and the movement has exploded ever since.  ..

Most leaders usually have a preference for being either supportive of their team, or challenging them. Some of us are naturally more nurturing in our leadership roles, whereas some of us are more in favour of pushing the people who report in to us to achieve their personal best, often at the expense of being supportive.  ..

Have you ever experienced a situation whilst in a management position where you have avoided a behaviour of one of your team members, only to have the problem come back and bite you later? In hindsight we often wish we had addressed these niggling unacceptable behaviours earlier and ‘nipped them in the bud’ before they grew and resulted in something bigger and uglier than they needed to be. It’s human nature to avoid conflict and as managers we are constantly coming across issues and challenges and are weighing up which battles to fight, and which to ignore, in the hope they will go away or not happen again. ..

Confidence in leadership is an important, if not essential ingredient to effectively lead others. It has a trickle-down effect, inspiring confidence in staff and allows staff to build trust in their leaders and their convictions. In fact, a business without a confident leader, would fail. Employees would lose faith, lack confidence themselves and become de-motivated. However, there’s a growing acceptance of the fact that leaders also need to be seen to be open-hearted, honest and up-front in times of uncertainty and not just run with the façade of unwavering confidence at all times. ..

We all have different learning styles. This is good to know as a manager especially when you are managing people who are in the process of learning new skills and roles. As a manager you will be forgiven for not having the time or the inclination to learn about your staffs’ preferred learning methods and changing your coaching or training to suit them individually, by luckily, there is a system that works for all people.  ..