How do leaders balance technical expertise and leadership?

Continuing our series on the day to day leadership, and what is it that leaders do. This time we consider the balance between being the leader and being a subject matter expert.

Often people are asked to become leaders because of their strong technical skills; then they are expected to step back from the day-to-day and let others do the work. If they can balance the demands of expert and leader then they empower their team, providing expert direction, growing team skills and providing governance. If they get the balance wrong, they risk becoming the limit of the team’s ability.

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 December 6, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

How leaders create and destroy accountability?

Leaders want their followers to take accountability for their deliverables. Most leaders think about what they can do to get more accountability, yet rarely consider what they might be doing that is destroying the very accountability that they are looking for.

Paul, Ricky and Rob explore what accountability means, and how leaders can create a culture where people own things, or how they might be accidentally driving a culture where people avoid being accountable because it is seen as too risky.

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

Posted On November 21, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

How do leaders create engagement?

Another podcast exploring the role of a leader.

This time we dive into engagement. How do leaders create engage followers?

To us, engagement is more than just making sure people like working here. It is the way that leaders connect people to purpose, the team and the plan. This is an ongoing role, constantly needing updating and resetting as the team gets buffeted by day-to-day challenges.

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

Posted On November 8, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

Why do leaders build psychological safety for their people to perform?

This is another podcast in our series about the actual things that leaders do.

This time Richard, Rob and Ricky talk feelings! In particular, they discuss the leader’s role in managing feelings; dealing with conflict, smoothing over loss when difficult decisions need to be made and most importantly creating a psychologically safe environment where people can flourish.

Leaders who ignore the people elements of the role risk damaging their own productivity and put their underlying purpose at risk.

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

Posted On October 25, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

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.

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 /