We have all been to parties or attended events where the success or otherwise of what the host has been like has shaped the success of the occasion. Hosts can make or break the events they are running – their behaviours and approaches can be charming, enlivening, calming, maddening, irritating or foolish – just like […]
Book Review Subject: Leadership
Fair Talk
Founded on the view that we humans are not good at improvement, the relationship of actionable feedback to performance is a central theme of this new book. It comes in three sections being firstly an exploration of the nature and practice of feedback; secondly, all that it takes to be the Fairtalk leader; and in part […]
Talent Wins
At the heart of this approach lie two significant changes. The main task for leaders of organizations is now, not so much to lead from the front, but to create environments where change can happen most effectively, be "architects" for change in their phrase. And secondly – and perhaps most radically – the key triumvirate […]
Crack the C-Suite Code
The results of Frangos's research is that there are four typical paths to C-level positions. The Tenured Executive – those who work their way relentlessly up through the same organization, being rewarded for their strategic and organizational abilities. This is the most frequent route taken and has much going for it, a deep understanding of […]
The Mind of the Leader
Taking the familiar three concentric circle model of leadership: self>team>organization as their foundation the authors offer a framework they call MSC Leadership, which pulls together what they identify from their research as the three critical mental qualities leaders need to master. M is for Mindfulness. "When you learn to manage your attention, you learn to […]
The CEO Next Door
Despite the Hollywoodesque stereotype of a CEO being "a six-foot tall, white, male, 'Master of the Universe' " type from an Ivy League school, very few actually fit that model (in fact only 7% of the authors' sample were Ivy League graduates). The authors' realisation of this provoked them to ask the question "are all […]
How Did I Not See This Coming
For the large majority of people the best way to win a game of tennis is to make less mistakes than your opponent. Only the top professionals need to focus on the winning shots. It may not lead to an exciting game but it is a pretty good method to coming out on top in […]
Out of Our Minds
"The very title of this book is clever. 'Out of Our Minds', indicates a certain madness (in the educational system, we presume), but it is also where all creativity comes from. Robinson's crusade is to change educational practices so that creativity is fostered and creative confidence enabled. Traditional education tends to eradicate rather than promote […]
Own Any Occasion
Palmer breaks the necessary points to focus on for a good presentation into two acronyms. The first, VOCAL, covers the five-steps you need to go through to prepare your talk. The key one is Audience, shaping your presentation for your particular crowd. One size does not fit all. Content follows, selecting the relevant and correct […]
Inspired Leadership
So what is the formula for becoming a leader that can get ordinary people to perform extraordinarily? What is it that you need to be inspirational? For many of us that extra element might seem slightly mystical; a special manner or charisma that some people just have. Gaskell does not wholly subscribe to this view, though […]