How do we shape a culture with autonomy (following the pandemic)?

The last 18 months has radically changed the way that we work. The old culture no longer applies, but the temporary culture we have been working with cannot move us forward.

Now is a time for cultural re-set for many organisations, but how can leaders shape this cultural change, to encompass the best bits from lockdown working; driving automony, collaboration and accountability.

Ricky, Rich and Paul consider how leaders can become role models and create cultural standards by lifting the culture and empowering, and not dumbing it down for everyone when it gets challenging.

Posted On October 11, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership /

How do I re-engage my people?

This time on the podcast, we ask a very relevant question for the last quarter of 2021, as we work through this strange lull in the pandemic, trying to act like it is over yet without being really sure that it is.

This leads to a feeling that we should be getting back to normal, yet for many going back to what they were doing still feels a way off. As leaders, how do we engage people who have lost their sense of purpose, or are having to do something slightly different as their organisation adjusts and repositions?

However, this is not just an issue that is pandemic related. Any time an organisation experiences significant change, a high proportion of people will find their purpose, their reason for being there, impacted. It may be put on hold, or changed completely, and it is the leaders who need to engage them back into the business, helping them find new meaning and motivation so that they can continue to perform.

Posted On September 27, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

How do leaders get the right people in the right place at the right time?

Once upon a time running a business was all about having the right resources or equipment, yet for most 21st-century organisations it is the people that make all the difference.

In this podcast Ricky, Rob and Rich explore the leader’s responsibility to ensuring that they have the right people to deliver their vision. From attracting the right people in the first place to developing the skills and experience required to deliver tomorrow, leaders have to invest in their talent, because talent is the only thing we have to make our businesses unique.

This podcast is part of a series about the role of leaders, exploring the nuts and bolts of what leaders need to do. It is based on a model (we created) to help aspiring leaders work out what it means to be a leader.

You can find the model, and details of all the areas at www.thinkingfocus.com/what-is-leadership

Posted On September 13, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

To do or not to do

Often leaders have more influence over what does not get done than what does. From creating the boundaries that keep the team focused on the core objectives, to deciding where best to focus resources, the leader needs to help the team focus on the areas that will have the biggest impact on the goal and higher purpose.

In this podcast, Paul, Rob and Ricky explore how leaders manage the Scope, ensuring that the resources are directed towards the purpose, even if this means making difficult choices to leave some things undone.

You can find the model, and details of all the areas at www.thinkingfocus.com/what-is-leadership

Posted On August 27, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Why should leaders build a tribe?

Part of a leader’s role is to share the purpose or vision with others – to turn them into followers who can help achieve the vision. This is much easier to do when your leadership goal is to try and change the world, but what if you just want to be the best at whatever it is you do – why, and how, do these leaders build their tribe?

Rob, Ricky and Paul explore the idea of building a tribe; a group of followers who range from active participants to supporters engaged in their own projects, supporting you from the sidelines.

You can find the model, and details of all the areas at www.thinkingfocus.com/what-is-leadership

Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash.com

Posted On August 12, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Why leading without purpose is just managing?

We are purpose-driven creatures. We need to understand why we do what we do, meaning creates the motivation to do whatever it is we need to do. Yet, often, leaders leave the purpose to chance, allowing team members to work it out for themselves.

In this podcast Rob, Rich and Paul explore why leaders need a higher purpose, something that explains why we are doing what we are doing, to drive the team forward, to allow them to priorities resources and to know when they can say no.

You can find the model, and details of all the areas at www.thinkingfocus.com/what-is-leadership

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash.com

Posted On July 29, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, The question is, Uncategorized /

Will a hybrid model for the workplace be as easy as it sounds?

As the pandemic lockdown hopefully draws to a close, many of us are starting to consider how will we work going forward. Will we return to the office as if nothing happened, or will many people carry on working from home?

Many organisations are considering hybrid working, splitting the working week between home and office, but is this a simple as it sounds?

In this podcast, Paul and Ricky explore some of the challenges and advantages, from power to personality, collaboration to management style; we think about what needs to happen to make this approach work for everyone.

Photo by Jonathan Farber on Unsplash

Posted On July 1, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

In what ways do senior leaders need to think differently?

Leadership roles require different cognitive skills than many of the roles we do earlier on in our careers, but often we are expected to work this out for ourselves.

In this podcast, Richard and Ricky explore what this means. What is different about the way in which senior people need to think, and what does that mean for them and the way that they work?

This podcast is the third of four podcasts considering what is required of anyone who wants to take a senior role or highly demanding job in an organisation.

You can find out more about the four areas and how we use them here.

Posted On June 18, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

Do leaders have a natural strength or are they better at building resilience?

Leadership roles, big all-encompassing roles can be great fun, but doing them can have a big impact on your physical and mental health.

While it might look like the people who end up in these top jobs just have natural resilience. However, for many, resilience is actually part of their leadership discipline.

In this podcast, Richard and Paul reflect on the habits and behaviours that they have seen in leaders who continually build their resilience to ensure they have the physical and mental health to deal with the demands of the role.

This podcast is the third of four podcasts considering what is required of anyone who wants to take a senior role or highly demanding job in an organisation.

You can find out more about the four areas and how we use them here.

Posted On June 3, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

Why do leaders need to consider the impact of their job on their personal life?

While sometimes it is hard to admit, if you have a big job, such as a senior leadership role, it does impact almost every part of your life. To operate successfully in these demanding roles, you need to be able to find a balance between work and private lives that works for you and for the others in your life. Managing this balance, and some of the conflict that naturally arises out of it is something that is often only tackled when problems arise.

Richard and Ricky explore how leaders can develop a clear understanding of their priorities (work and home) and engage their families in the decisions about how to manage the demands of their role.

This podcast is the second of four podcasts considering what is required of anyone who wants to take a senior role or highly demanding job in an organisation.

You can find out more about the four areas and how we use them here

Posted On May 20, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /