Posts for tag: leadership

Five Practices That Help Motivate Individuals and Teams

Have you ever thought that some of the same best practices that support individual employee motivation and performance could also apply to teams?

Here are 5 management practices we normally associate with driving individual performance and motivation that I think should be applied to teams:…

The Future Of Psychometric Tests?

Thirty years ago psychometric tests were largely administered by men in white coats and viewed by most managers with a healthy dose of scepticism. Now, most people in senior business roles will have completed a psychometric questionnaire either as part of a recruitment process or within a leadership development programme.

In recent years the number of psychometric tools has increased significantly. Quality varies hugely along with cost. A quick search on line or flick through a magazine will provide access to numerous free questionnaires, all claiming to unveil your hidden abilities and confirm your suitability to a given job role. At the other end of the spectrum you can pay several hundred pounds for a tool that will generate a ‘personal report’ an inch thick full of psychological terminology and coloured charts. Both have their place and probably contain some useful insights, if you are able to find them….

The Top 5 Leadership Qualities

The success or failure of a business or team is very dependent on the leader.

What, therefore, are the most important leadership qualities leaders should be aware of if they want their team or organisation to succeed? Here are our suggestions for the top five:…

The 7 Deadliest Sins of Leadership Communication

The 7 deadliest sins of leadership communication are the root of much of an organisation’s problems. Such as, low employee morale, low productivity, negative attitudes and a toxic work environment.

Twenty years in professional baseball management taught me one thing about creating champions on the playing field – it’s that executing the simple “fundamentals” of the game make the biggest difference.

The teams and athletes that effectively execute the little things when the championship is on the line usually end up the winners. To create a champion organisation in business or the not-for-profit world it’s about leadership “communication.”…

Team Psychometrics What Are They?

Despite the scary sounding name, users of psychometrics often report that they enjoy the process and feel encouraged by the output.

In simple terms a psychometric is a questionnaire that helps the user better understand themselves. In a team this is an excellent way to identify colleagues’ strengths and preferences. For instance a questionnaire might say that Sue is creative and sociable who works best when given regular feedback by her manager whilst Dave is disciplined and analytical, preferring to be set a task and left alone to get on until he’s completed the work….

Relax, Reflect & Resolve

Summer holidays are a time when the pace of life slows enough for us take stock, reflect on the future and maybe catch-up with some reading.

As you sit on a plane, a beach or in an armchair this summer, you might like to ponder one or two of the following: …

Five Tips To Becoming A “Good” Boss

Are you a “good” boss?  One of the most important aspects of an executive’s/manager’s/boss’s job is to manage employees; it is also the most challenging.

A boss can either create a team unit or keep herself apart. All of us are given choices every moment of every day. How we respond to difficult situations is a choice. How we choose to react in a moment affects not only us but our employees. Employees perform best in an environment that is supportive, consistent, has good two way communication, and where everyone helps each other.

Follow these five tips to become a “good” boss:…

Motivating a Team: Five Techniques for Every Personality Type

It’s always going to be the case that you find some people easier to work with than others.

Sometimes you can pinpoint the problem immediately (if, for example, your employee is lazy or unresponsive, comes in late and leaves early, shirks responsibility, or constantly questions your authority without cause).

But there are times when your personality just isn’t compatible with those on your team. Unfortunately, you still have work with these people and find a way to motivate them so that the whole team can realize success.

To that end, here are a few simple ways to keep the peace and get everyone working towards the same goal:…

When Two Tribes Go to War – Team Building in Downing Street

The Frankie Goes To Hollywood anthem was a rousing classic in the midst of the cold war. A time when US and Soviet leaders would stand side by side seemed impossible but it happened. And last week’s coming together of Liberal and Conservative politicians seems like an equally unlikely breakthrough.

Unlike Glasnost, Clegg and Cameron don’t just have to shake hands and smile to the cameras, they must govern, together, as one unit. Can they be a team?…

What leadership style are you?

Whether you are managing a team at work, captaining your sports team or leading a multi national organisation your leadership style is crucial to your success. 

Consciously, or subconsciously, you will no doubt use some of the 10 leadership styles featured below, at least some of the time.  By understanding these leadership styles and their impact, you can become a more flexible, better leader. …