Andrew Beveridge 20/06/2026 Andrew Beveridge 20/06/2026

Episode 228 - How To Get The Best From AI Without Falling Off The Edge

AI can be incredibly helpful, but it’s not always right. Learn about the “jagged frontier” of AI capability and why the most effective leaders know when to rely on AI and when human judgement remains essential. Discover practical ways to get the benefits of AI without falling into its traps.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 228 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this episode we explore the so-called “jagged frontier” of Artificial Intelligence - where we fail to apply human judgement and pay the price.

If you’ve been using AI for a while, you’ve probably had two very different experiences. Sometimes it feels almost magical. It helps you generate ideas, summarise information, improve your writing, and solve problems faster than you thought possible. Then there are those other moments. The answer sounds convincing, looks professional, and is completely wrong.

Understanding why that happens is becoming one of the most important leadership skills of our time.

A study involving more than 750 consultants at Boston Consulting Group explored the impact of using GPT-4 on a range of consulting tasks. The results were impressive. People completed more work, worked faster, and generally produced higher-quality outputs when using AI. But the researchers uncovered something equally important. When participants used AI on tasks that were beyond the technology’s capabilities, their performance actually became worse. The AI didn’t simply fail to help. It often led people towards the wrong answer.

The researchers described this as the “jagged frontier” of AI. Some tasks sit comfortably within AI’s capabilities and the benefits can be substantial. Other tasks sit just beyond that frontier. The challenge is that AI often sounds equally confident in both situations. That’s why the biggest risk with AI isn’t that it makes mistakes. Humans make mistakes too. The risk is that we stop applying our own judgement because the answer looks so polished and convincing. So what can leaders do?

First, identify where AI genuinely adds value in your work. Think about the tasks where it consistently helps you save time, generate ideas, improve communication, or increase quality. Just as importantly, identify the situations where you’ve seen it get things wrong. Understanding both sides of the equation helps you use AI more effectively.

Second, keep your judgement in the process. For important decisions, strategic thinking, or complex problem-solving, consider forming your own view before turning to AI. Even a few notes or bullet points can help you avoid being overly influenced by the first answer AI provides.

Third, have open conversations with your team about how they are using AI. Some tasks may be suitable for handing over largely to the technology. Others require people to stay actively involved, challenging assumptions and validating outputs along the way. The more explicit you are about these differences, the better the outcomes are likely to be.

The key point is that AI is neither a miracle solution nor something to be feared. It’s a powerful tool with strengths and limitations. The leaders who get the greatest benefit won’t be those who use it for everything - they’ll be the ones who learn where it performs best and where human judgement remains essential.

Have a great week.

Research reference: Dell'Acqua, F., et al. (2023). Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier: Field Experimental Evidence of the Effects of AI on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Quality. Harvard Business School Working Paper 24-013. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4573321

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Andrew Beveridge 13/06/2026 Andrew Beveridge 13/06/2026

Episode 227 - How to Use Microbreaks to Restore Focus

Feeling exhausted despite being busy all day? Research suggests that short breaks throughout the day can boost energy, reduce fatigue, and help sustain performance. Discover how leaders can use microbreaks more effectively and encourage healthier work habits across their team.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 227 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we’re exploring how to use microbreaks to restore focus.

Have you ever reached the end of a day and wondered why you’re exhausted despite never really stopping? Many leaders spend their day moving from meeting to meeting, email to email, task to task, without taking a genuine break. We often assume that pushing through is a sign of commitment and productivity. But there comes a point where working longer doesn’t mean working better.

It turns out that even very short breaks can make a difference.

A 2022 review of more than 20 studies found that microbreaks, breaks of less than ten minutes, help boost energy levels and reduce fatigue. In other words, those small pauses throughout the day aren’t wasted time. They’re one of the ways we sustain performance over the longer term.

The researchers also found an important limitation. Microbreaks help maintain energy, but they aren’t a substitute for proper recovery. If you’ve spent two hours doing deep analysis, solving complex problems, writing a major report, or making difficult decisions, a five-minute break will help, but it won’t completely restore you. Some work requires a more substantial break. That’s why lunch breaks, time away from work, and good recovery outside of work still matter.

So what can leaders do?

First, build short breaks into your day before you feel exhausted. Most of us wait until our energy is gone before stepping away. A better approach is to take a brief break every 60 to 90 minutes. Stand up, walk around, grab a drink, stretch, or simply look away from your screen for a few minutes. The goal is to create a genuine mental shift, even if it’s only for a short period of time.

Second, match your work to your energy. Try to schedule your most demanding work when you’re feeling fresh. Save routine tasks, administration, and email for periods when your energy is naturally lower. Too often we do the opposite, spending our best hours reacting to other people’s priorities and leaving our most important work until we’re already mentally depleted.

Third, role model healthy habits. Teams often take their cues from their leader. If you’re working through lunch, responding to emails late at night, and sitting at your desk all day, others may feel pressure to do the same. When leaders take sensible breaks and openly manage their energy, they give others permission to do likewise.

The key point is that performance isn’t just about how hard we work. It’s also about how well we recover. Small breaks won’t solve everything, but they can help us maintain our energy, focus, and effectiveness throughout the day. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do next is step away for a few minutes.

Have a great week.

Research reference: Albulescu, P., et al. (2022). "Give me a break!" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272460. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0272460

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Andrew Beveridge 06/06/2026 Andrew Beveridge 06/06/2026

Episode 226 - How to Reduce Loneliness at Work

One in five people feel lonely at work. While loneliness is often seen as a personal issue, research suggests leaders play a bigger role than they might realise in helping people feel connected, included, and supported.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 226 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership.

Most of us think of loneliness as something that happens outside of work. But Gallup’s latest global research found that around one in five workers feel lonely at work.

Workplace loneliness isn’t just about how people feel - research shows it’s linked to higher burnout, lower performance, more sick leave, and greater turnover. In fact, loneliness can be just as damaging to performance as job dissatisfaction.

A recent review published in Occupational Medicine found that one of the strongest workplace factors associated with lower loneliness is leadership. Leaders who are supportive, approachable, and empowering help create an environment where people feel connected and valued.

Now, leaders can’t solve every cause of loneliness. People bring their own circumstances, personalities, and experiences to work. But we can influence whether work becomes a place where people feel connected or isolated.

Here are three practical ways to help.

First, make genuine connection part of your regular conversations. Before jumping into tasks and deadlines, spend a minute asking how someone is going and really listen to the answer. People often don’t need a solution. They just need to know someone is interested.

Second, pay attention to inclusion. Most people don’t feel excluded during formal meetings. They feel excluded from the conversations before and after them. Notice who gets invited into informal discussions, brainstorming sessions, and problem-solving conversations. Small moments of inclusion often have a bigger impact than large team-building activities.

Third, be deliberate with hybrid work arrangements. People can easily become disconnected when their work patterns don’t overlap with the rest of the team. Sometimes a simple conversation about coordinating office days can dramatically improve connection and collaboration.

The key point is this. Loneliness at work isn’t simply a personal issue - it’s often a leadership issue. Every interaction either strengthens or weakens someone’s sense of belonging. As leaders, we have more influence over that than we might think.

Have a great week.

Research reference: Wright, J. K., et al. (2024). Loneliness in the workplace: a mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis. Occupational Medicine, 73(9), 557 to 567. https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/73/9/557/7591258

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Andrew Beveridge 10/05/2025 Andrew Beveridge 10/05/2025

Interview - Brad Englert - Spheres of Influence

In this conversation, Andrew Beveridge speaks with Brad Englert, founder of Brad Englert Advisory and author of 'Spheres of Influence'.

In this conversation, Andrew Beveridge speaks with Brad Englert, founder of Brad Englert Advisory and author of 'Spheres of Influence'. They discuss the importance of mentorship, building genuine relationships in business, and the significance of understanding both internal and external spheres of influence. Brad shares insights from his extensive experience in IT and leadership, emphasising the need for proactive customer service, the power of apology, and the challenges of influencing without formal authority. The discussion also touches on the dynamics of hybrid work environments and the importance of maintaining connections in a remote setting. Learn more about Brad and access a free chapter of his book here - https://bradenglert.com/podcast/

Takeaways

Mentorship is a two-way street, involving both giving and receiving.

Understanding your boss's expectations is crucial for success.

Building genuine relationships can lead to long-term success.

Proactive customer service is more effective than reactive fire drills. Apologising can build trust and strengthen relationships.

Long-term relationships can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Creating a positive organisational culture requires clear communication and values.

Navigating crises requires preparation and strong relationships.

Influencing others without authority is a key leadership skill.

Hybrid work environments require intentional relationship-building.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Brad Englert

03:15 Understanding Spheres of Influence

10:02 Building Genuine Relationships 16:13 Cultural Transformation in IT

22:53 Navigating Crisis and Change

28:47 The Power of Apology

32:13 Communication and Clarity in Leadership

36:41 Understanding Expectations and Influencing Upwards

39:18 Building Customer Relationships

44:51 Influencing Without Authority

48:35 Navigating Hybrid Work Environments

51:48 Looking Ahead: The Future of Leadership

Andrew Beveridge 28/09/2024 Andrew Beveridge 28/09/2024

Episode 225 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Five - Drive for Growth

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Summary

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 225 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to https://leadership.today/mta

Continuing our journey metaphor, we can be clear about where we’re going, have a positive attitude towards that journey, and even be great at identifying various options to get there, but without Drive for Growth we won’t make progress.

Drive for Growth is like momentum and making forward progress on the journey. With a Drive for Growth mindset, a person will be motivated to keep going and persist even when things get hard. They push themselves to standards that are greater than the minimum that’s expected. Without a Drive for Growth, a person tends to give up when things become difficult to achieve. They also find it hard to get going on a task they know will be difficult.

Sometimes it can feel like some people are just born with higher levels of drive and motivation, but we can all develop and improve our Drive for Growth. Here are five practical ideas you can use:

Boost Your Mood: Procrastination is about putting short term mood repair over long term results. We procrastinate because it makes us feel better in the moment. Research demonstrates that boosting your mood by completing an activity you enjoy makes you less likely to procrastinate. Whether it's going for a quick walk or talking with a colleague, take a few moments to boost your mood before you begin.
Start Small: Getting started can be the hardest part of pursuing any goal. Identify a small first step you can take to make progress. Dedicating a short amount of time such as 10 to 15 minutes to begin can also be a useful approach. You can then add another 10 to 15 minutes on at the end, as you're likely to be more motivated once you get started.
Review Why It Matters: It's challenging to make progress when we lose sight of why our actions matter. Think about your broader goals and sense of purpose in life. Identify how activities align with this purpose to give you that extra motivation.
Reflect on Progress: Take stock of the progress you have already made. Think about where you were a month or a year ago and reflect on what you've learned and how you've grown. This will help to build your confidence and motivation to keep going.
Recognise That Growth is Difficult: Learning anything new is uncomfortable. Feeling awkward and wanting to give up are natural responses to trying any new activity or pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. It doesn't mean that you lack potential. Push through the awkwardness towards growth and improvement. Becoming comfortable with feeling uncomfortable is a key part of a Drive for Growth mindset.

Choose one of these to practice over the coming week. That’s our final episode in this series on The Leader’s Mindset. If you found the episodes and Mindset to Action assessment helpful, please share them with a friend or colleague. We are committed to sharing resources that help everyone with their leadership and you play a big part in spreading the news. Have a great week as you become an even better leader.

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Andrew Beveridge 21/09/2024 Andrew Beveridge 21/09/2024

Episode 224 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Four - Options Thinking

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this fourth of a five part series, we explore Options Thinking and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Summary

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this fourth of a five part series, we explore Options Thinking and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 224 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this fourth of a five part series, we explore Options Thinking and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the three previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to https://leadership.today/mta

We often aren’t great at coming up with multiple options when we encounter challenges. Typically we will generate one option, and then become stuck if that option doesn’t work.

Options Thinking is like identifying various pathways to the destination on your journey. With Options Thinking, a person identifies ways around emerging challenges and problems. They are confident in their ability to come up with another way around obstacles they might face. Without Options Thinking, a person gets stuck when things don’t go to plan. They find it hard to identify new ways to reach their destination when the first pathway is blocked.

So Options Thinking has two parts - the identification of options up front, and then immediately focusing on options when you become stuck.

There are five ways you can build your Options Thinking:

Brainstorm Options: When you face an obstacle, immediately start to brainstorm options. Recognise that option generation and option evaluation are two distinct steps. If we are trying to evaluate our options while we generate them, we will often throw out too many options that could have merit. Instead, spend time generating multiple options before evaluating them.
Ask Yourself Questions - Use these questions to help prompt further options:

What are your options moving forward?
What else might you do?
What has worked so far?
How could you do more of that?
Who else could help?
What are the pros and cons of these options?
What are the easiest options that will have the biggest impact?

Engage Others: Ask a trusted colleague or friend to help you generate new options. Having someone asking you for further options and guiding you towards new areas to consider is extremely helpful. It's often even better if the person isn't close to the problem so they can take a more objective view.
Change Your Setting: Consider where you come up with your best ideas. Most people develop their best ideas when they’re relaxed, maybe having a shower or going for a walk, and when they’re interacting with others. Make sure you give your brain time to relax and consider options, and bring others around you to bounce ideas off.
Reflect on Past Successes: Take time to reflect on moments when you have overcome challenges or worked through adversity. Reflecting on our past successes can encourage us to keep going and generate new ideas to move forward.

As always I encourage you to select one of these to practice over the coming week. In our final episode of this series we are going to explore Drive for Growth. Have a great week as you become an even better leader.

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Andrew Beveridge 14/09/2024 Andrew Beveridge 14/09/2024

Episode 223 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Three - Optimistic Outlook

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this third of a five part series, we explore Optimistic Outlook and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Summary

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this third of a five part series, we explore Optimistic Outlook and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 223 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this third of a five part series, we explore Optimistic Outlook and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the two previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to https://leadership.today/mta

When I talk about mindsets, the most common one that people think of is optimism and pessimism. Optimism has lots of positive benefits, particularly when you combine it with the three elements of hope theory covered in the Mindset to Action assessment. Combining the two overcomes the main shortcoming of optimism, which is its lack of direction and momentum. Just looking at the world in a positive way and expecting good things to happen doesn’t take you anywhere - you need clear goals, openness to options, and the drive to push you forward.

Continuing our journey metaphor, Optimistic Outlook is like the perspective you bring to the journey. A person with an Optimistic Outlook thinks positively about the future, expecting things to go their way. They see the future as positive. A person without an Optimistic Outlook mindset focuses on the negatives and what can go wrong. They anticipate more bad things to happen than good things.

I’m often asked if it’s possible to have too much optimism. The research suggests this is the case, but that it’s pretty rare. For example, with extremely high levels of optimism I may be reluctant to take personal responsibility when things go wrong. What is more common is so-called toxic positivity, which describes a culture where people only focus on the positive and ignore challenges, criticisms and issues. The Leader’s Mindset is all about tackling challenges and making progress, therefore avoiding this potential trap.

The Mindset to Action report provides five ways of building and maintaining an Optimistic Outlook.

Gratitude Journal: Write down three new things that you are grateful for each day. This will help you to focus on the positive things happening around you that are so easy to miss. Before long, you will have trained yourself to focus more on the positive than the negative in your work and life.
Consider the Three P’s: Martin Seligman describes three ways in which optimists and pessimists think differently in both good and bad situations - personal, permanent and pervasive.

When things go wrong, an Optimistic Outlook involves:

Personal - not automatically blaming ourselves, but rather accepting the outside forces that have contributed to the situation
Permanent - not extending the bad situation out, but realistically appreciating that this will pass and that other good things are probably happening
Pervasive - not extending the challenging event to all aspects of our life, but rather compartmentalising it to one aspect of our life

When things go right, an Optimistic Outlook includes:

Personal - seeing the role that we played in achieving a good outcome
Permanent - extending out the good result over time, and making sure we reflect on the good things that are happening in our lives
Pervasive - using the good result to flow into other aspects of our life

Tame How You Speak To Yourself: Often the way we speak to ourselves is not very kind. When things go wrong we can quickly become our own worst critic. If a friend spoke to us the way we speak to ourselves in those moments, they probably wouldn’t be a friend for very long. Instead, be generous and kind to yourself. Speak to yourself as a supportive friend.
Reframe Challenges as Opportunities for Growth: When we expand our horizons and try new things, we build optimism and resilience. Sure, we might make mistakes or find new things hard - that’s to be expected. See these minor setbacks as chances to become wiser, stronger and more capable.

Why not pick one of these to practice over the coming week? In the next episode we are going to explore Options Thinking. Have a great week as you become an even better leader.

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Andrew Beveridge 07/09/2024 Andrew Beveridge 07/09/2024

Episode 222 - The Leader’s Mindset - Part Two - Goal Orientation

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this second of a five part series, we explore Goal Orientation and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Summary

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this second of a five part series, we explore Goal Orientation and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 222 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this second of a five part series, we explore Goal Orientation and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

In the last episode we introduced The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to that episode first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to https://leadership.today/mta

Snyder’s hope theory, which the Leader’s Mindset is partly based on, indicates that setting and pursuing meaningful goals is a core element of satisfaction, well-being and general health. Yet we’re typically not great at setting and achieving goals. Research reveals that of the roughly 50% of people that set a New Year resolution, only 8% achieve the goal they set. Research from Strava, the fitness tracking company, reveals that of those who set a clear fitness goal for the new year, a full 80% have given up within two weeks. That’s people who are motivated to make a change and encouraged to set a structured goal. So what goes wrong?

Setting a goal is a rewarding activity, but working toward a goal requires effort. This shift from reward to effort is where many people give up. We also know that development and growth is uncomfortable. It’s typically more comfortable to just let the goal go and stay where we are. We also often express our goals as a general desire rather than a decision. Compare “I want to improve my public speaking” with “I will improve my public speaking”. The second statement demonstrates a decision to change.

If we use the metaphor of a journey, Goal Orientation is like identifying a destination point on a map. With a Goal Orientation mindset a person is clear about what success looks like in their own terms. They have a clear vision for the future and regularly set goals towards that vision. They know where they’re headed and why that’s important to them. Without a Goal Orientation mindset, a person isn’t clear about their future direction and where they want to head. They become directionless in their lives and therefore may struggle to make progress.

Goal Orientation is where a Leader’s Mindset begins. And like any mindset, you can develop Goal Orientation with intention, practice and time. Here are four practical strategies to develop your Goal Orientation.

Define What Success Means To You: It's important to have your own vision of what success looks like for you. It can be easy to end up chasing others' ideas of success, or to become directionless without a clear vision of who we want to be. Consider the following questions to develop your own definition of success for your life. What are two or three key values for you? What three things would you want people to say about you at your retirement party? How would you spend your time if you no longer needed to work for money? What matters most to you? How do you define success for your life?
Make Sure Your Goals Are SMART: SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework provides a set of criteria for goal setting that ensures clarity and accountability. Specific: Define goals clearly and precisely. The more specific the goal, the easier it is to understand and work towards. Measurable: Set concrete metrics to track progress. Measurement adds objectivity to the process and enables you to assess whether the goal has been achieved. Achievable: Goals should be challenging yet realistic. Ensure that the goal can be accomplished with the available resources and effort. Also make sure there is an achievement point - a moment when you can say that the goal has been completed. Relevant: Goals should be relevant to the individual, team, or organisation's current needs and priorities. Time-bound: Set a clear timeframe for achieving the goal. This adds urgency and prevents goals from dragging on indefinitely.
Set Goals Across Different Time Horizons: Goal Orientation involves regularly setting goals to work towards that align with your vision of success. Sometimes we can set goals that are either so far into the future that they seem impossible, or so close to where we already are that they're not worth pursuing. A helpful approach is to break long term goals into smaller goals across different time horizons. Experiment with setting goals on the following time horizons: 10 years plus, 5 years, 1 to 2 years, 3 to 4 months, 1 month, 1 week. You can keep these goals in a note that's easy to edit and update. Your shorter term goals should be contributing towards your longer term goals and objectives.
Review Progress and Refine Goals: It's easy to set a goal and then fail to review your progress. Ensure you regularly review your goals. Set times up in your calendar to review your progress. Also be open to refining your goals. Just as your vision of success may change over time, so too might your goals. If a goal doesn't matter to you any more, it's okay to delete it and set a new goal.

Why not pick one of these to practice over the coming week? In the next episode we are going to explore Optimistic Outlook. Have a great week as you become an even better leader.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks

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That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Andrew Beveridge 31/08/2024 Andrew Beveridge 31/08/2024

Episode 221 - The Leader's Mindset - Part One - Introduction

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this first of a five part series, we introduce The Leader’s Mindset and how it will help you to lead more effectively in all areas of your life.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 221 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we are commencing a five part series on The Leader’s Mindset.

As we start our series on The Leader’s Mindset, it’s important to step back and remind ourselves about what leadership is and isn’t. Importantly, leadership isn’t a role. Someone doesn’t demonstrate leadership just because they have the title of leader. And people who don’t have a team reporting into them can absolutely demonstrate leadership. I think it’s more helpful to think of leadership as how you approach your work and life. Great leadership is about achieving sustainable results through people and, with a little effort and practice, we can all do that.

There are four domains of leadership:

Behaviour – what we say and do, the actions we take
Thoughts – conscious ideas, perspectives and opinions
Emotions – physical state reactions and responses
Context – the environment in which we are operating

Each of these influences the others. For example, our thoughts shape our behaviour and how we feel. Likewise, how we feel influences our thoughts and behaviour. And our behaviour shapes our thoughts and emotions. All of this happens in a context which can impact our behaviour, thoughts and emotions.

The Leader’s Mindset focuses primarily on our thoughts - the mindset we bring to our leadership. Some important points about mindset:

A mindset is how we think about the world in which we live
Our mindsets influence our feelings and behaviour
Mindsets change over time based on our experiences and context
We can change our mindsets through conscious effort and attention

When we think about mindsets, the one that most frequently comes to mind is optimism. We all vary in the amount of optimism we bring to our lives. Optimism is a positive outlook about the future, and expectation that things will generally go our way. With optimism we expand positive events and minimise negative events.

An additional areas of mindset research over the past 30 years has focused on hope. In psychology as defined by Snyder, hope is “the process of thinking about one’s goals along with the motivation to move towards those goals (agency) and the ways to achieve those goals (pathways)”.

We have brought the theories of hope and optimism together to identify four elements of a leader’s mindset - Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth.

Goal Orientation is like identifying a destination point on a map. With a Goal Orientation mindset a person is clear about what success looks like in their own terms. They have a clear vision for the future and regularly set goals towards that vision. They know where they’re headed and why that’s important to them. Without a Goal Orientation mindset, a person isn’t clear about their future direction and where they want to head. They become directionless in their lives and therefore may struggle to make progress.

Optimistic Outlook is like the perspective you bring to the journey. A person with an Optimistic Outlook thinks positively about the future, expecting things to go their way. They see the future as positive. A person without an Optimistic Outlook mindset focuses on the negatives and what can go wrong. They anticipate more bad things to happen than good things.

Over the next four episodes we are going to explore each of these mindsets in more detail, including practical tips to practice and improve in each area. We have developed a self-assessment of these four areas called Mindset to Action. Now is a great time to complete this free assessment. Just go to https://leadership.today/mta Once you complete the assessment you’ll receive an email with your personalised report. We won’t use your email address for any other purpose.

In our next episode we are going to explore Goal Orientation in more detail. Have a great week as you become an even better leader.

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Andrew Beveridge 06/04/2024 Andrew Beveridge 06/04/2024

Alexa Chilcutt - Executive Communication and Public Speaking

In this conversation, Dr. Alexa Chilcutt (www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-chilcutt-phd/) discusses the importance of executive communication and public speaking skills.

Summary

In this conversation, Dr. Alexa Chilcutt (www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-chilcutt-phd/) discusses the importance of executive communication and public speaking skills. She explains that anxiety around public speaking stems from the fear of being judged and evaluated. However, she emphasises that with practice and a clear process, individuals can become more confident and effective communicators. Dr. Chilcutt also provides tips for structuring a message, including identifying the purpose, understanding the audience, and breaking the information into three main points. Additionally, she highlights the significance of executive presence in career advancement and outlines the 10 characteristics of executive presence, which include confidence, communication ability, appearance, and values in action. In this conversation, Alexa Chilcutt and Andrew Beveridge discuss various aspects of leadership and communication. They explore topics such as executive presence, effective communication for technical professionals, and the challenges faced by women in leadership roles. Alexa emphasises the importance of intention and preparation in developing executive presence and highlights the need for technical professionals to simplify complex information for their audience. She also discusses the significance of leaders communicating directly with their teams and the broader organization. Finally, she addresses the challenges faced by women in leadership and the importance of empowering women to overcome imposter syndrome and advocate for themselves.

Takeaways

Anxiety around public speaking is common and stems from the fear of being judged and evaluated. However, with practice and a clear process, individuals can become more confident and effective communicators.

When structuring a message, it is important to identify the purpose, understand the audience, and break the information into three main points. This helps to captivate the audience and increase memory retention.

Executive presence is crucial for career advancement. It encompasses characteristics such as confidence, communication ability, appearance, and values in action. Building executive presence involves being self-aware, authentic, and aligning actions with values.

To improve executive presence, individuals can ask for feedback, record themselves presenting, and focus on creating meaningful connections with the audience. Developing executive presence requires intention and preparation.

Technical professionals should simplify complex information for their audience and use relatable language.

Leaders should communicate directly with their teams and the broader organization to ensure effective communication.

Women in leadership face challenges such as imposter syndrome and should be empowered to advocate for themselves.

Chapters

00:10 Introduction and Background

01:19 Interest in Executive Communication

05:09 Structuring a Message

09:01 Finding Your Authentic Style

11:38 Understanding the Audience

14:21 Avoiding Imitation and Finding Your Own Style

23:24 Characteristics of Executive Presence

25:11 Self-Reflection Exercise

27:10 Shifting Perceptions and Elevating Adjectives

29:12 Communicating Complex Technical Information

33:41 Effective Communication in Leadership

36:28 Building Connections and Getting Accurate Information

43:48 Challenges and Empowerment for Women in Leadership

49:21 Creating a Supportive and Diverse Organisational Culture

51:18 Connecting with Alexa Chilcutt

References and Resources

Dagley, G. R., & Gaskin, C. J. (2014). Understanding executive presence: Perspectives of business professionals. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 66(3), 197–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000011

Body Language Expert Explains How to Show Confidence | WIRED - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRJzvJ5XPQI

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Andrew Beveridge 02/03/2024 Andrew Beveridge 02/03/2024

Episode 220 - How To Bend The Rules With Integrity

Rules can be frustrating. It can be tempting to bend the rules or ignore them altogether, but this can lead to negative outcomes. This week we explore how to work around rules but maintain your integrity.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 220 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to work around rules but maintain your integrity.

Lapses in integrity have ended many leaders’ careers. Breaking the rules is never a good idea. But we often need to be creative and flexible to get things done. Blindly sticking to out of date rules can mean we miss opportunities. Organisations can become overrun with excessive bureaucracy if we don’t challenge the rules. Sometimes we need to bend the rules, change the rules, or work around them. But how do we do that with integrity?

Research demonstrates that while rule-breakers may be seen as more dominant, they generally have less respect from others and are seen as having reduced leadership potential. The research also shows that rule-benders can be seen as having more leadership potential, but only in competitive situations. Generally, rule-abiders were viewed most positively in cooperative settings.

So while bending the rules may work when we need to win against a competitor, we need to be careful bending the rules in most other settings. We also need to be careful about the example we set for others. If we bend the rules as a leader, we can expect those who follow us to do the same. This can lead to adverse outcomes if people bend rules without fully understanding the consequences.

Here are five tips to help you bend the rules while maintaining integrity:

Understand why the rules exist. Take the time to research why rules were put in place originally. Speak to those responsible for the rule and find out the history behind them. You might uncover specific reasons why the rule is in place, or you might find that the rule can be changed.
Confirm the constraints. Sometimes rules are shared from person to person with slight variations. What someone might share as a steadfast rule might actually be quite different to the actual rule. Explore the constraints and where there might be flexibility.
Get creative. Look for innovative ways to either work around the rule or reduce its impact on your work. Brainstorm with your team to come up with creative solutions.
Get a second opinion. Before you take action, check in with someone else you respect to confirm your approach.
Inform others. You don’t want to be taking innovative action without letting others know. You don’t want to be seen as being deceptive or sneaky in your approach.

And if you do discover a rule that no longer makes sense for your organisation, mount the case to have it removed. That will help others to be more effective as well.

Research

Rule benders make more appealing leaders than rule abiders - https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/rule-benders-make-more-appealing-leaders-rule-abiders

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Andrew Beveridge 17/02/2024 Andrew Beveridge 17/02/2024

Episode 219 - How To Appear Less Nervous In Meetings and Interviews

Interviewers place a strong emphasis on perceptions of nervousness. But there are practical steps we can take to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews.

Summary

Interviewers place a strong emphasis on perceptions of nervousness. But there are practical steps we can take to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 219 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we work through ways to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews.

Research demonstrates that anxious candidates perform worse at job interviews, even when their skills and experience align well with the role. Interviewers place an oversized importance to the appearance of anxiety when making judgements. And this tendency can extend to other important meetings.

To avoid this, we might consider visible signs of nervousness such as shaky hands or nervous laughter. We might then focus on the use of our hands, slowing our speech or avoiding fidgeting. We can risk becoming overly sensitive to how our behaviours are coming across.

However, In the research, the only consistent behavioural indicator of nervousness that the interviewers focused on was long pauses before responding to questions. This was potentially seen as the candidate being less prepared and less assertive than if they answered questions directly. Negative perceptions of anxiety in meetings and interviews was less about nervous signs, and more to do with perceptions of assertiveness and warmth as traits. Those who were perceived as less warm and less assertive were also rated as more anxious. Those who came across as friendly and assertive were seen as less anxious. It appears the overall impression we leave is far more important than any nervous tics that we might show.

So what can we do to appear less nervous in meetings and interviews? To increase others’ perceptions of our warmth and assertiveness, you can try these techniques:

Plan for first impressions. We want to demonstrate warmth from the very start of the meeting or interview. Research who will be there. Prepare and practice what you will do and say when you first arrive.
Listen to others. When we’re nervous we can focus too much on ourselves and not enough on others. Demonstrate you’re listening by taking notes, restating their perspectives, and clarifying their views.
Be prepared. There’s no substitute for preparation. It will help you to avoid lengthy pauses before responding.
Remember to smile. When we’re nervous we can forget about our facial expressions, but they’re an important indicator of our confidence and friendliness.
Video yourself. Have someone ask you some practice questions, and video your responses. This can help you to uncover unconscious signs of nervousness.
Seek feedback. After the meeting or interview, explore how you came across. Ask about anything you could have done to appear more confident and engaged.

We often feel more nervous than we appear. Focus on the overall impression of warmth and assertiveness that you give to others. Apply these tips in your next meeting or interview.

Research

Feiler, A.R., Powell, D.M. Behavioral Expression of Job Interview Anxiety. J Bus Psychol 31, 155–171 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-015-9403-z

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Andrew Beveridge 10/02/2024 Andrew Beveridge 10/02/2024

Episode 218 - How To Boost First Impressions on Zoom

Research demonstrates the background we choose for video calls has a significant impact on how trustworthy and competent we appear. This week we explore how to boost your first impressions on a video call in three simple ways.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 218 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to boost your first impressions on a video call in three simple ways.

Your choice of background on a video call has a greater impact on how you’re perceived by others than you might expect. You might be tempted to choose a novelty background to communicate a sense of fun, or a home background to reflect that you’re not in the office. But there are risks with these choices.

Selecting a novelty background or a simulated home background saw ratings of trustworthiness drop. Blurring a home background resulted in better ratings of trustworthiness for the person, but the best ratings were for a background with plants or a bookcase.

The research also found that facial expressions, not surprisingly, also mattered. Happy faces were rated as more trustworthy than neutral or sad faces.

Ratings of competence also varied by background, with bookcases, plants and blank walls leading to the highest ratings. Novelty backgrounds, home backgrounds, and blurred backgrounds saw lower ratings. Again, happy facial expressions resulted in more positive ratings of competence.

Interestingly, women were seen as more trustworthy and more competent than men across all backgrounds in the experiment. Our gender impacts the first impressions we make on a video meeting. Men will likely benefit from additional efforts to demonstrate trustworthiness and competence during the meeting.

Here are three simple ways to boost your first impressions on a video call:

Keep backgrounds professional. Avoid a home or novelty background when you can. Blurring a background is better, but choosing a virtual background with a bookcase or plants helps to boost first impressions.
Demonstrate warmth. Smiling helps perceptions of both trustworthiness and competence. Try to maintain your interest in others on the call and keep your facial expressions positive and engaged.
Build confidence in your competence. Research suggests it’s always best to start with warmth and build perceptions of your competence over time. Being helpful, responsive, on-time, and interested can all boost how confident you appear.

Give these practical ideas a try on your next video call.

Research - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291444

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Andrew Beveridge 03/02/2024 Andrew Beveridge 03/02/2024

Episode 217 - How To Be More Real on Video Calls

Research demonstrates a risk of detachment and reduced connection on video calls. This week we explore ways to be more real when we’re not meeting in-person.

Summary

Research demonstrates a risk of detachment and reduced connection on video calls. This week we explore ways to be more real when we’re not meeting in-person.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 217 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at how to be more real on video calls.

We make rapid judgements about people based on visual and other information we receive. While this can lead to us making incorrect judgements when we meet people in-person, the risk is increased through video calls.

Research demonstrates an increased risk that we treat a visual representation of someone as less real than if we meet them in-person. On a video call we can treat other people as abstract rather than real. This effect is likely increased on a call that has audio and video challenges.

In experiments, participants viewed others as having fewer conscious feelings and less ability to make free choices than when meeting in-person.

As a leader, this could make us seem detached and lacking empathy during the conversation. It can, in turn, lead us to give less ethical consideration to the person on the other end of the video call. Our decision making may lack the warmth, concern and consideration that we would normally provide. So what can we do about this?

When making video calls, we need to be conscious of the risk of detachment and make conscious effort to see people as real human beings. Here are some tips to try:

Connect as human beings first. Rather than just getting straight down to business, spend a few minutes enquiring about the other person, how they are, and what they have been doing. You might share something personal about yourself to enhance this connection.
Ask open questions. When we treat people as an object rather than a person, we can tend to “talk at” people rather than “talk with” people. Asking open questions helps avoid this trap.
Increase your ethical consideration. Explore the impact of any decisions you are making upon people. Great decisions are a combination of logic and emotion.
Acknowledge the challenge. You might share this research with your team members. This will help everyone to manage the risk of detachment.
Make the most of in-person opportunities. When you do meet together in-person, use this time to connect on a personal level. Save more administrative activities to video calls and don’t waste the time you have physically together.

Give these tips a try on your next video call, and we can all become more real.

Research summary - https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/medusa-effect

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Andrew Beveridge 27/01/2024 Andrew Beveridge 27/01/2024

Episode 216 - How To Lead Through a Crisis

When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

Summary

When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 216 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. Whether it's a financial downturn, a global pandemic, or internal organisational challenges, we all need to navigate through uncertainties to ensure the survival and success of our teams and organisations. Here are some practical strategies backed by research on how to effectively lead through a crisis.

Maintain Transparent Communication: Research suggests that leaders who communicate clearly and honestly during a crisis build trust and enhance team resilience. Sharing information about the situation, potential impacts, and the organisation's response plan helps employees feel informed and engaged. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders like Microsoft's Satya Nadella held regular virtual town hall meetings to update employees on the company's response, addressing concerns and providing a sense of direction.
Foster a Culture of Adaptability: In times of crisis, adaptability becomes a crucial trait for both leaders and their teams. Research suggests that organisations promoting adaptability are more likely to thrive during crises. Leaders can encourage a culture that embraces change and innovation, empowering employees to contribute ideas and solutions.
Prioritise Employee Well-being: The well-being of employees is a cornerstone of effective crisis leadership. Research by Gallup indicates that companies focusing on employee well-being experience higher levels of employee engagement and productivity. Leaders must demonstrate empathy, provide emotional support, and implement practical measures to ensure the physical and mental well-being of their teams.
Help Others See the Potential for Development. The times when I have learned the most have also been times of crisis. Fortunately I had leaders and others who encouraged me to focus on what I could learn through these tough times. That brought a sense of purpose and opportunity to what otherwise might have appeared to be entirely negative situations.
Develop a Robust Crisis Response Plan: Having a well-defined crisis response plan is essential for leaders to navigate uncertainties efficiently. Leaders should proactively identify potential risks, develop response strategies, and regularly test and update their crisis plans to ensure relevance. You can build this into your regular business planning. Each year I look at risks across one year, five year, and ten year time horizons. This helps me to anticipate what might go wrong and have contingencies in place ready to go.

Leading through a crisis demands a combination of strategic thinking, effective communication, and a focus on well-being. Crises present opportunities for growth and transformation when met with thoughtful, prepared and decisive leadership.

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Andrew Beveridge 20/01/2024 Andrew Beveridge 20/01/2024

Episode 215 - How To Be More Courageous

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Summary

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 215 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. Courage is often associated with the ability to face fear and adversity head-on. From a psychological perspective, it involves factors such as self-efficacy (a belief in your own capabilities), resilience, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. To be courageous you need confidence to act and an ability to push through negative emotions. There are a number of steps you can take to increase your courage at work.

Set Realistic Goals and Incremental Challenges: Research suggests that setting realistic goals and gradually increasing the difficulty of challenges can enhance courage. Start by identifying a specific work-related goal that requires a step outside your comfort zone. Break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, and tackle them one at a time. As you achieve these incremental successes, your confidence and courage will grow.
Develop a Growth Mindset: Embrace a growth mindset, a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck. Individuals with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. When faced with a daunting task at work, shift your mindset from a fixed view of your abilities to a belief in your capacity to develop and improve. This shift can empower you to approach challenges with a more courageous attitude.
Seek Social Support: Studies show that social support can be a significant factor in promoting courage. Cultivate relationships with colleagues who inspire and motivate you. Share your goals and fears with trusted coworkers or mentors, and seek their guidance. Having a support system not only provides valuable insights but also boosts your confidence to face challenges head-on.
Practice Emotional Regulation: Being aware of our emotions helps us to manage our emotions more effectively. By learning to manage your emotions, you can face difficult situations with greater composure and courage. Take a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness techniques, focusing on your breath, noticing your emotions and developing a sense of calm. This can enhance your ability to navigate challenging workplace situations.
Celebrate Failures and Learn from Them: Research indicates that viewing failures as opportunities for growth can foster courage. Instead of fearing failure, see it as a natural part of the learning process. When things don't go as planned, reflect on what went wrong, extract lessons from the experience, and use that knowledge to improve. Celebrating failures as stepping stones toward success can build resilience and a willingness to take calculated risks.

Remember, courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it, and with intentional effort, you can become a more courageous and impactful leader.

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Andrew Beveridge 16/12/2023 Andrew Beveridge 16/12/2023

Episode 214 - How To Negotiate Effectively

Whether it’s working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 214 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively.

Whether it’s working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. Understanding the fundamentals of negotiation can help to achieve a great outcome for you, while also seeking to build the relationship with the other person.

Before we work through some tips to help your negotiations, it’s important to understand position versus interest. People come to a negotiation with a particular position in mind. This is the stance they are taking and sharing openly with the other person. For example, a colleague might have a position that a particular project will take six weeks to deliver. Behind every position is a set of interests. Interests are the reasons behind the position. So your colleague’s position around the project taking six weeks to deliver could be based on interests such as not overworking their team, delivering other projects on time, or not wanting to over-promise a faster turnaround. As we negotiate it’s important to move past positions and towards interests. Being aware of interests provides much more flexibility for all parties in a negotiation.

Beyond that, there are several points to be aware of before and during a negotiation:

Be clear about your goals and priorities. Entering a negotiation without being clear about what’s important to you and what you want is very risky. It’s helpful to write down what you want to achieve and why. Think about where you are willing to compromise and what’s not negotiable. Writing these down can be helpful.
Research and gather information. Make sure you have facts, data and documentation ready to go. This will help you to make informed decisions, anticipate counter-arguments, and establish credibility in the negotiation.
Work on your communication skills. Be confident, clear and concise when expressing your views. Also recognise that communication is two-way. Listen to the other person, ask questions, stay curious, and work towards uncovering their underlying interests. A respectful, empathetic and collaborative approach will help you to build rapport and avoid the negotiation becoming overly adversarial.
Be open to compromise. Negotiation typically involves give and take. Sometimes we need to be flexible and creative in the pursuit of an outcome that will work for both parties.
Know when to walk away. There will be times when you can’t reach an agreement that is adequate for you. Go into a negotiation knowing what alternatives you have available if you can’t reach an outcome. This will help you to know when you need to strategically disengage and explore other options.

Becoming more effective at negotiating takes time and preparation. Give these tips a try as you seek to increase your negotiation skills.

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Andrew Beveridge 09/12/2023 Andrew Beveridge 09/12/2023

Episode 213 - How To Build a Great Career

With so much uncertainty and change it can be difficult to map out your career. However there are still steps we can take to build a great career.

Summary

With so much uncertainty and change it can be difficult to map out your career. However there are still steps we can take to build a great career.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 213 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to build a great career.

In just a few generations the number of jobs someone is likely to have in their lifetime has increased markedly. Estimates vary, but it’s likely a young person commencing their working life today will have around 15 jobs and 3 separate careers. Even across 50 years of working, that’s changing jobs about every 3 years. Career planning is becoming more challenging and complex.

When it comes to building a great career, you will find many people propose finding work with a combination of:

Skills - what you’re good at
Interests - what you enjoy
Opportunities - what the world needs and is willing to pay for

The missing factor in this equation is growth - what you can develop. A job without growth opportunities will ultimately cause your career to stall. Life expectancy continues to increase so we will be working longer, which has implications for our training and development. The old model of completing training, then working in a career until your skills are bordering on redundant will no longer work. We have to continue learning, growing and adapting right across our career.

But how can you plan for a career when the job you might have in 10 years may not even exist now? Here’s how. A great career comes down to your mindset and actions. Despite rapid change and uncertainty, we can adopt a mindset that welcomes change, where we are willing to take calculated risks and learn from mistakes. We can invest in knowing ourselves and regularly improving our capabilities. And we can also build connections with others.

So in order to build a great career, I suggest you:

Ask “What is a great career… for me?” Your career is a personal expression of who you are and your broader purpose in life. Don’t fall into the trap of blindly following others’ careers or what your organisation is laying out for you as the accepted pathway. It’s very easy to drift without having a clear idea of what a great career means to you. Factor in opportunities to develop, breaks from work for holidays, or whatever else matters to you.
Set goals that matter. Approach life in a goal-oriented way. Keep stretching yourself forward towards clear goals.
Apply pathways thinking. When the initial path to a goal is blocked, find a different way to achieve that goal. When you hit an obstacle, ask yourself how else you can get to your goal.
Celebrate progress. Stop occasionally and reflect on what you can do now that you couldn’t do 12 months ago.
Don’t worry so much about making a career mistake. Even the seemingly poor career decisions we make are opportunities to learn and grow. The biggest mistake I made in my career turned out to also be one of my biggest development opportunities, and a stark reminder of the kind of career I really wanted. Even though it seemed like a career mistake, it actually helped me in my career.

Building a great career takes some effort. While we can’t necessarily plan every step, there are actions we can take to help build a great career.

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Andrew Beveridge 02/12/2023 Andrew Beveridge 02/12/2023

Episode 212 - How to Drive for Results

Leadership is about achieving results through people. With the demands of managing people, it can be easy to lose sight of results we need to achieve and deliver. In this episode we explore how to drive for results.

Summary

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 212 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to drive for results.

Leadership is about achieving results through people. With the demands of managing people, it can be easy to lose sight of results we need to achieve and deliver. We can become distracted or even become unaware of the key outcomes expected, and therefore not provide the direction, feedback and support our people need to achieve the right results. We have all seen leaders that fail to deliver. People are left wondering what they’re spending their time on, given the shortfalls in performance for them and their team. But there are practical things we can do to help us and our teams to drive for results.

Determine what results matter. There are many potential things you and your team could focus on, so it’s crucial to uncover the fewest most crucial results. This should involve consultation with your manager and other key stakeholders. Try to arrive at results that reflect a range of aspects of your work. For example, rather than just focusing on financial returns, you might also include customer satisfaction metrics. Otherwise we can risk chasing short-term results that lead to longer-term issues.
Link results to purpose. Results by themselves don’t provide meaning. Take the time to link results to a broader purpose. This will likely include the vision and purpose of your organisation. It’s also worth helping individuals and teams link the results of their work to things that matter to them personally. Your team members might engage with their work for very different reasons to you and your manager.
Communicate clear measures and targets. These should be shared and discussed with your team, but also with others within the organisation including your manager. You may need your manager to sign these targets off first so you should factor this additional time into your planning. It’s best to capture these in writing to ensure clarity and agreement.
Talk about the “how” not just the “what”. There’s no point chasing after results and causing damage to others and the business along the way. How we achieve results is just as important as the results themselves. You should encourage people to reflect on the organisation’s values and team commitments that encourage people to work collectively towards shared outcomes.
Undertake regular updates and check-ins. Research suggests that making results visible and freely available helps people to drive towards these metrics. A literal scoreboard can help, particularly where people can see the change in results from week to week. For dispersed teams, there are plenty of tools that allow you to share results through the collaboration platforms you already use.
Focus on continuous improvement. If we use a driving analogy, a car has a number of forces operating on it including acceleration, momentum and friction. We want to find ways to gradually accelerate our performance, adding to our momentum and reducing the friction of things that hold us back. It can help to frame a discussion with your team in these terms - what’s taking us forward, what’s keeping us stable, and what’s holding us back.
Celebrate efforts and outcomes. Some people prefer to be recognised for their efforts, while others prefer to be praised for their outcomes. It’s helpful to see both areas of recognition as important. Sometimes people do all the right things but the results just don’t come together for reasons outside of their control - we should celebrate this. Equally, we shouldn’t be shy about celebrating great outcomes when people have reached or exceed the targets that we have set.

Achievement drive is a common feature of effective teams and individuals. We can help our teams to establish and chase after purpose-filled results, providing feedback, support and encouragement along the way.

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Andrew Beveridge 25/11/2023 Andrew Beveridge 25/11/2023

Episode 211 - How To Maintain Composure Under Pressure

It’s common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure.

Summary

It’s common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 211 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure.

It’s common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. Perhaps it’s a comment from a colleague that annoys us, or our computer crashing and losing what we’ve been working on for hours. We then say or do something that’s not us at our best, or we might even feel unable to say or do what we’d like in that moment. But there are practical things we can do, both in the moment and as part of our daily routines, that can significantly improve the way we handle pressure.

Here are four things you can do beforehand:

Get plenty of sleep. Find a sleep routine that works for you and stick with it. Getting to bed around the same time and ensuring you have around 8 hours a night boosts your energy levels and resilience.
Start your day with exercise. This burns off stress hormones and allows you to begin your day with greater resilience to stressful situations that might arise. Find exercise that works for you. For example, if you commute, you might build a slightly longer walk into your routine. Or if you’re working from home, set an alarm to prompt you to take a walk.
Structure recovery time into your day. This might include taking breaks away from your work, going for a quick walk during the day, or even catching up with a colleague for a coffee away from the office. We are not great at sustained work and attention beyond 60 to 90 minutes, so short breaks across the day will help you to recover and reset. Even 5 minute breaks to step away from one task and mentally prepare for the next one make a huge difference.
Deal with any relational difficulties. Poor working relationships can place a lot of strain on our work day and lead us to become frustrated. We may then say or do things that don’t reflect us at our best. We don’t have to be best friends with everyone at work, but having open conversations with others about how you can best work together will help reduce stress and annoyance.

And now five things you can do In the moment:

Notice your emotional state. Just as we have a stream of conscious thoughts during the day, so we also have a steady stream of emotions. Tune into your body and emotional state. If you sense yourself moving up the emotional curve, do something about it before you reach the top.
Name it to tame it. Naming the emotion we are feeling helps us to manage it more effectively. Research even shows that putting a label on an emotion reduces the intensity of that emotion almost immediately. So if you feel angry, note that emotion.
Focus on your breathing. Simple techniques such as box breathing can rapidly calm our emotional state. Think of it like a box - breath in deeply for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale fully for four seconds, then hold for four seconds.
Have an escape plan. If you are feeling close to losing control of your emotional state, have a plan for how you might exit the situation.
Say sorry. If you do go over the edge and say or do something you regret, apologise to those involved. This will help others to understand that you weren’t at your best and that you intend to do better next time. An honest apology goes a long way to maintaining and building effective relationships.

These are just some practical things you can do beforehand and in the moment to help us maintain our composure and respond well when under pressure. If you found this helpful you can check out our Harnessing Your Emotions five day challenge for more tips - https://leadershiptoday.vhx.tv/challenge-harnessing-your-emotions . Have a great week.

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Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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