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Scholar Spotlight Session Becky Thomas

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Scholar Spotlight Sessions In these episodes we talk to past and present Florence Nightingale Foundation scholars and chat about why they wanted to be scholars and their leadership journey to date In this episode we are turning the tables and talk to our Host Becky Thomas Becky is a Senior Nurse form Improvement. Her role involves leading on Quality (assurance and improvement). Integral to her role is supporting multi professional teams as they lead and develop improvements, providing them with the tools, techniques and support they need. She has been described as a creative, innovative, and enthusiastic individual with a great passion for nursing and is motivated to improve the standards of dignity and care for patients and promote the professional identity of nursing She describes herself as a disruptor and is Interested in human factors, safety science, behaviour, and culture. She is a Self-confessed geek. Life-Long Learner Apple Fan Girl. Vinyl Junkie. Book Nerd. Mountain Biker and Dog lover Becky is a 2021 FNF Scholar Follow Becky on Twitter: @CuriousBecks The Production Crew have pledge to raise $10,000 to fund a scholar for 2022/23 if you would like to donate please visit our go fund me page: Just Giving Scholars Scholarship To find out more about Florence Nightingale scholarships click here Keep up to date and follow @leadership_log on Twitter. Our DMs are always open. If you do tweet about us don't forget to use these hashtags to help us follow the conversations: #EverydayLeadership #ScholarSpotlightSession Follow and subscribe to our shows on anchor or you can find them on all the MAJOR podcast platforms For more information or if you would like to record an episode with us then please drop us an e-mail at: admin@theleadershiplog Disclaimer Thanks for listening to the leadership log where we are navigating everyday leadership. This is a non affiliated podcast in any views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the hosts or guests belong solely to them, and not necessarily to their employer, organization, committee or other group or individual

2022 © Spotify AB

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A podcast where anyone who is or is indeed inspiring to be a leader can come and listen to people, from all kinds of roles, share their leadership journey and explore some of the challenges and triumphs that we experience as leaders.

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How to tame your Advice Monster     | Michael Bungay Stanier | TEDxUniversityofNevada

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How to tame your Advice Monster | Michael Bungay Stanier | TEDxUniversityofNevada

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MindSpring Presents: "Greatness" by David Marquet

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MindSpring Presents: "Greatness" by David Marquet

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As Juan Manuel Fangio exited the chicane before the blind Tabac corner in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, he stomped on the brake. It was a counterintuitive reaction for a racing driver exiting a corner - but one that likely saved his life. By slowing down he avoided plowing into a multi-car pile-up, which was just out of sight beyond the turn. In racing folklore, Fangio's evasive action is considered a miracle. But why did he slow down?

The day before the race, Fangio had seen a photograph of a similar accident in 1936. As he approached Tabac, he noticed something about the crowd - an unusual color. Fangio realized that, instead of seeing their faces, he was seeing the backs of their heads. Something further down the road had to be attracting their attention. That made him recall the photograph.

Like Fangio, leaders must scan the world for signals of change, and be able to react instantaneously. We live in a world that increasingly requires what psychologist Howard Gardner calls searchlight intelligence. That is, the ability to connect the dots between people and ideas, where others see no possible connection. An informed perspective is more important than ever in order to anticipate what comes next and succeed in emerging futures.

As the saying goes, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." But how can business leaders make meaning of a playing field that is constantly changing shape?

The Best Leaders are the Best Learners

To find their way in societal shifts, leaders cannot rely on static maps, nor can they hope to manage complexity through fixating on the details. To do so would be to fall into the trap described by Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares in their 1946 short story " On Exactitude in Science," in which empire cartographers draw up a map so detailed - the scale is a mile to a mile - that it ends up covering the whole territory and leads to the downfall of the empire. It's a story of absurdity and unintended consequences, surely two things leaders today can appreciate.

Reinvention and relevance in the 21 st century instead draw on our ability to adjust our way of thinking, learning, doing and being. Leaders must get comfortable with living in a state of continually becoming, a perpetual beta mode. Leaders that stay on top of society's changes do so by being receptive and able to learn. In a time where the half-life of any skill is about five years, leaders bear a responsibility to renew their perspective in order to secure the relevance of their organizations.

As we attempt to transition into a networked creative economy, we need leaders who promote learning and who master fast, relevant, and autonomous learning themselves. There is no other way to address the wicked problems facing us. If work is learning and learning is the work, then leadership should be all about enabling learning. In a recent Deloitte study, Global Human Capital Trends 2015, 85% of the respondents cited learning as being either important or very important. Yet, according to the study, more companies than ever report they are unprepared to address this challenge.

John Hagel, John Seely Brown, and Lang Davidson have described the shift toward a massive transformation from institutions designed for scalable efficiency to institutions designed for scalable learning. The key is to find ways to connect and participate in knowledge flows that challenge our thinking and allow us to discover new ways of connecting, collaborating and getting work done faster, smarter and better.

Personal Knowledge Mastery

Sustainable competitive advantage depends on having people that know how to build relationships, seek information, make sense of observations and share ideas through an intelligent use of new technologies. To help leaders do that, we've developed a process we call Personal Knowledge Mastery (PKM), a lifelong learning strategy. It is a method for individuals to take control of their professional development through a continuous process of seeking, sensing-making, and sharing.

Seek is about finding things out and keeping up to date. In a world overflowing with information, we need smart filters to sort out the valuable information. It requires that we regularly evaluate and adjust the information sources that we base our thinking and decision making on. What matters today is being connected to a wise network of trusted individuals who can help us filter useful information, expose blind spots and open our eyes.

Sense is how we personalize information and use it. Sensing includes reflection and putting into practice what we learn. It is a process based on critical thinking where we weave together our thoughts, experiences, impressions and feelings to make meaning of them. By writing a blog post or noting ideas down, we contextualize and reinforce our learning.

Share includes exchanging resources, ideas, and experiences with our networks as well as collaborating with our colleagues. Sharing is a contributing process where we pass our knowledge forward, work alongside others, go through iterations and collectively learn from important insights and reflections. We build respect and trust by being relevant when we share to our social networks, or speak in front of a crowd.

There is a wide range of digital tools out there for each of the PKM activities that can be fitted into a busy schedule and help people become self-directed, autonomous learners. Which tools to use depends largely on the context and personal preferences. Tools are important, but mastery in a digital age is only achieved if you know how to establish trust, respect, and relevance in human networks.

By seeking, sensing, and sharing, everyone in an organization can become part of a learning organism, listening at different frequencies, scanning the horizon, recognizing patterns and making better decisions on an informed basis. Just as Juan Manuel Fangio did it in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix.
This post is one in a series of perspectives by presenters and participants in the 7th Global Drucker Forum, taking place November 5-6, 2015 in Vienna. The theme: Claiming Our Humanity - Managing in the Digital Age.

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As Juan Manuel Fangio exited the chicane before the blind Tabac corner in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, he stomped on the brake. It was a counterintuitive reaction for a racing driver exiting a corner - but one that likely saved his life.

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The world and the world of work has changed. After a period of such huge, global disruption it's not just ways of working, environments, and processes that have changed, it's people too.

This past year, we've seen organisations adapt overnight. We've seen leaders step up to manage change, teams step into new ways of working, and individuals dial into an incredible amount of resilience - whether that be on the front-line, or in their own home. But no matter where you've been this past year or what role you've had to play, one thing is undeniable, and that is your ability to adapt: not only adjusting to a world pandemic, but finding ways to be even more productive, more flexible and more 'aware' than you were before.

In order to step up, we've had to dial up different colour energies - adapting our preferences to a fast-changing day-to-day reality. In fact, 71% of learners who retook their Discovery profile in 2020 adapted so much, that they changed wheel position entirely. And it's no wonder, because the more our environment changes externally, the more likely it is that we will have adapted internally - our responses to world events changing in accordance with our preferences.

So, who are you now? And who will you be in a post-pandemic world? Now is the time to find out how you've changed - as individuals, teams, and organisations. Now is the time to rediscover who you are. Because the more the world is changing, the more you will be too.

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The world and the world of work has changed. After a period of such huge, global disruption it's not just ways of working, environments, and processes that have changed, it's people too. This past year, we've seen organisations adapt overnight.

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Too often we live lives that we find unfulfilling, fail to reach our own potential, and neglect to practice creativity in our daily routines. The Genius Zone offers a way to change that by tapping into your own innate creativity. Dr. Gay Hendricks broke new ground with his bestselling classic, The Big Leap, which has become an essential resource for coaches, entrepreneurs, executives, and health practitioners around the world. Originally published as The Joy of Genius, The Genius Zone has been updated and expanded throughout, making it the essential next beyond The Big Leap. In The Genius Zone, Hendricks introduces his brilliant exercise, the Genius Move, a simple, life-altering practice that allows readers to end negative thinking and thrive authentically. By using the Genius Move, readers will learn to spend more of their lives in their zone of genius - where creativity flows freely and they are actively pursuing the things that offer them fulfillment and satisfaction. Filled with hands-on exercises and personal stories from the author, The Genius Zone is an essential guide to creative fulfillment. If you are committed to bringing forth your innate genius and making your largest possible creative contribution, The Genius Zone will become a trusted companion for the journey.

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The Genius Zone by Gay Hendricks | Waterstones

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Too often we live lives that we find unfulfilling, fail to reach our own potential, and neglect to practice creativity in our daily routines. The Genius Zone offers a way to change that by tapping into your own innate creativity.

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Gay Hendricks & Mike Koenigs

The Big Leap is about two main things; one, The Upper Limit. How much we can accomplish or achieve? How much love and abundance we can receive? And two, Discovering Your Genius. The difference between stagnation and success lies in the decisions you make in the moments that matter. This podcast is about those turning points -- the single decisions in life and business that changed everything because the difference between stagnation and success lies in the decisions you make in the moments that matter. Gay and Mike will talk about business, relationships, limiting beliefs, and creating freedom and from time to time, you'll also meet some of their favorite thinkers, thought leaders and celebrities and hear about their Big Leaps.

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The Big Leap is about two main things; one, The Upper Limit. How much we can accomplish or achieve? How much love and abundance we can receive? And two, Discovering Your Genius. The difference between stagnation and success lies in the decisions you make in the moments that matter.

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Big Leap EP#43 -  Getting Into Your CREATIVE Genius Zone

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"Speak up!" "Bring your whole self to work!" This invitation (or is it a command?) has been ringing down the hallways and Zoom calls of many organizations in the past few years. Leaders should hardly be surprised when employees take that invitation at face value and speak up on political issues they deeply care about: Climate change, human rights issues in the supply chain, sexism, and racism.

But leaders are worried because political conversations in the workplace come fraught with risk. In our research on employee activism, we've found that leaders are concerned that these discussions may become ungovernable or toxic, create workplace discord, distract people from getting on with the job and so undermine productivity, or result in people fighting for union recognition and so usurp managerial authority, any of which might in turn blossom into a PR fiasco.

The result is that some organizations have banned such conversations altogether. It appears that there's enthusiasm for such a strategy: According to a Harris poll, for example, 70% of Americans say they would support companywide policies that limit the discussion of politics in the workplace, and according to Glassdoor, 60% of U.S. employees believe that discussing politics at work at all is unacceptable. Meanwhile, YouGov in Germany reported 44% of workers thought it to be inappropriate to talk about politics at work.

But banning political speech has consequences. Recently Basecamp CEO Jason Fried announced a number of policy changes, including that there would be "no more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account." Within a matter of days around one third of its employees had resigned and Fried ultimately apologized. Basecamp was hot on the heels of another controversial ban on political speech, by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, which also resulted in the loss of a number of employees.

Instead of instituting a ban or seeking to diminish voices seeking political change, leaders would be better served by building a culture that handles political differences in the workplace more productively. Let's look at why that is - and how to do it well.

The Disadvantages

Banning political speech is fundamentally implausible because it is impossible to draw a clean, objective line between what counts as "politics" and what doesn't - or which issues are "acceptable" to discuss because they relate to the company's mission and which aren't.

The problem is that the kinds of issues that are debated in the political sphere often do have bearing on the company's goals and operation. Take, for example, a retail CEO we recently spoke to. He found himself embroiled in a heated debate with employees who wanted him to speak up publicly about a sexist remark made by an industry commentator, while he was reticent and felt out of his depth. He could have simply banned the discussion, dismissing sexism as a "political" issue. But sexism was related to the company's mission, which relied on the patronage of women (their primary customers) and on having a reputation that allowed it to attract and retain key talent. The CEO chose to speak out as his employees had urged him to do. What could have been a potentially explosive situation with walkouts and a furor in the local (and even national press) was resolved without drama. With political debates it is the capacity to defuse situations which is often the marker of success.

Banning politics can also backfire in two ways:

First, employees may not take kindly to it. The theory of Transactional Analysis from psychology helps to explain why: When a "critical parent" lays down the law, they frequently get a "rebellious child" response in which the reprimanded party lashes out. A company leader banning speech about difference is likely to drive difference underground only for it to explode - as with the widely publicized mass exodus at Basecamp.

Secondly, if your rule is accepted, you may end up with a lot of "compliant child" behaviors: a minefield of employees expecting you to make more and more detailed guidelines around what is and isn't allowed and arbitrating every time something unexpected comes up.

We're not suggesting there aren't situations where a leader needs to use their positional power to set boundaries. Clearly, there may be a need for leaders to step in if employees are being harassed or debates have turned aggressive. But this should not be a default reaction. Instead, we believe that there is considerable space between the two extremes of a full ban and letting political speech run riot.

The Right Way to Handle Political Difference

If your instinctive answer is to ban political discussion, then we'd suggest asking a different question: How can we support employees and encourage them to handle difference, respect one another, listen, and learn? In fact, this is a question worth asking regularly anyway because innovation, safety, motivation, agility, and performance all rely on the answer. In Transactional Analysis terms, this alternative approach is called "adult-to-adult inquiry," in which people consider an issue - and their differences - in an attentive and curious way.

Leaders who want to build their organizations' muscle for this approach to political dialogue should focus on four elements:

Build empathy and respect for others' views. Leaders who wish to build political empathy in their organizations need to establish spaces where employees can learn informally about one another and find ways to negotiate their boundaries and differences - learning how to be different from each other while still having enough mutual respect to get on with the job in hand. We've seen bosses bringing home-baked (or not) cake in to encourage impromptu chat or Zoom meeting agendas that include a few minutes for participants to explain one non-work thing they are finding challenging or are proud of.

These conversations may seem small, but political empathy and respect grow through the day-to-day sharing of personal stories and vulnerabilities and when we can see past the habitual labels and judgements we apply to others.

Invite different perspectives into the senior leadership fold. The next step is for leaders to actively invite difference into their own perspectives. In our research into speaking truth to power, we found that people valued their own opinion around a third more than that of others and that leaders often live in a self-assured bubble thinking that they know what matters to others even when they really don't. This corresponds to the "strong leader" trope which is prominent in organizations, business schools, and society and which equates leadership with control, strength, and a single truth or vision.

It takes skill and self-awareness for leaders to welcome different opinions. A leader we've worked with introduced a formal devil's advocate role into their teams, where at every meeting someone is tasked with being the voice of opposition. In an organization where leaders are seen as considerably more powerful than line staff, we've been invited in by the HR director to collate the unofficial story about employees' experiences of speaking up and being heard to share with the senior executive team.

Accept mistakes gracefully. Political dialogue can't happen if everyone has to always be perfectly articulate, polished, and on-message. Our research shows that the top two reasons we stay silent are that we fear being perceived negatively and we fear upsetting or embarrassing the other person. But it is often the case that the more impassioned people are about something, the less articulate they become.

As role models for the rest of the organization, leaders in particular should ask themselves: How are employees received when they speak up but are inarticulate or unskilled in doing so? Is the reaction likely to lead them to learn and try again or will they silence themselves? By coaching leaders on mindfulness techniques, we've helped them to be more aware of their reactions and choose more productive responses.

Teach people how to disagree. Developing the ability to disagree well has benefits beyond the company's ability to handle political difference - it's integral to the organization's ability to innovate.

To make their people more comfortable with conflict, leaders must model disagreeing, and disagreeing well. At one company we work with, leaders are open with employees about conflicts that exist at the board level and explain that these disagreements (and their successful resolution) are essential for performing well.

To disagree well, organizations must understand that disagreement turns destructive only when it is seen by one or both parties as an existential battle where "I'm right" and "You're wrong." One organization we work with has drawn on the field of mediation for its executive training around conflict. There the focus is on ensuring that the other party feels that you have fully understood their case before you put yours forward yours - especially if you're in a higher-status position.

If you have an impulse to ban political speech at your organization, it may signal that the organization cannot handle difference and challenge - a bad sign for the company's ability to be agile and innovative. Before you ban certain conversations, check whether you are attempting to cover up a deficiency in one or all of the four areas above. If you are, the ban is just a Band-Aid; what lies beneath still needs your attention.

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With political polarization on the rise and companies gauging the risks of employees' internal political activism, some are opting to ban political speech at work entirely. The authors, experts in speaking up at work, explain the pitfalls of this approach and instead suggest asking a different question: How can we support employees and encourage them to handle difference, respect one another, listen, and learn?

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The Bayes Business School is led by an outstanding team of academic and professional staff. Together we strive to fuel the energy and excellence of Bayes, supporting our faculty & research, education, community and operations locally and globally.

Bayes leadership team

Professor Paolo Volpin is Interim Dean at Bayes Business School. Prior to this role, he has been Vice Dean and Head of the Faculty of Finance. He is also a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research, and a Research Associate of the European Corporate Governance Institute.

Prior to joining Bayes Business School, he was an Associate Professor of Finance at the London Business School and has been Director of the European Finance Association. He has published widely in the top academic journals: American Economic Review, Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, Review of Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Economic Perspectives and other journals.

Paolo's research in corporate finance, especially in the field of corporate governance, has won several awards. He holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University and a Doctorate and a BA also in Economics from Bocconi University.

We also have a global advisory board which brings together industry leaders from across the world who help to shape and direct Bayes.

Community and operations teams

Bayes Community Executive

Bayes Operations Executive

Bunmi Odulaja-HR Manager

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Leadership at Bayes | Bayes Business School

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The Bayes Business School is led by an outstanding team of academic and professional staff. Together we strive to fuel the energy and excellence of Bayes, supporting our faculty & research, education, community and operations locally and globally. Professor Paolo Volpin is Interim Dean at Bayes Business School.

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Course overview

Part of the 'Working Towards Wellbeing' series, this five-hour, online course introduces the concepts of 'leadership' and 'followership' in the context of the modern workplace - outlining how positive leader-follower relationships can be used to strengthen emotional and psychological wellbeing.

At the heart of the course is the idea of mental health as a 'continuum' on which we all live, and you are encouraged to apply the theories discussed in the course to your own personal experiences in the workplace.

By the end of the course, you'll have gained a deeper recognition of your own leadership and followership capacities, as well as the skills and confidence needed to create and sustain a supportive workplace for yourself and others.

Course aims

This course will allow you to:

Learn about different models of leadership, different ways of thinking about followership, and the importance of the leader-follower relationship

Recognise and strengthen your own leadership and followership capacities, wherever you are located in your organisation

Explore the idea of mental health as a 'continuum' on which we all live - acknowledging the importance of relationships for mental health, as well as the impact of stigma

Gain a better understanding of organisational processes and dynamics, and how leaders and followers can help to create a culture that promotes mental health and wellbeing

Develop the knowledge and skills needed to create a work culture that reduces experiences of exclusion, oppression and prejudice, and their impact on mental health

How will you learn?

Explore key concepts through interactive lecture content and videos

Deepen your understanding via regular opportunities for reflection

Relate key theories to real life through a case study video

Record your progress against clear learning objectives

Working Towards Wellbeing:
'Leadership, Followership and Mental Health' is part of our 'Working Towards Wellbeing' suite, developed in collaboration with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust's 'Add | Wellbeing' team to promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Drawing on the key principles of systems-psychodynamic thinking, each Mini Course delivers rich and in-depth learning experiences, with a clear, practical focus on the most pressing challenges and development needs facing organisations today.

Course topics

What is leadership?

What is followership?

The relationship between leader and follower

Leadership and management - a psychoanalytic approach

Leadership, followership and diversity

Followership and culture

What is mental health?

Types of mental illness, including depression and anxiety

Mental wellbeing - a developmental approach

Mental wellbeing and relationships

Mental health and stigma

Promoting leader-follower relationships

Approaching the organisation as a whole

Systems-psychodynamics and leadership/followership

Who is this course for?

This course is ideal for anyone interested in how attitudes towards 'leadership' and 'followership' can support better emotional and psychological wellbeing in a workplace context.

You may have management responsibilities, a role in Human Resources or Organisational Development, or a particular focus on mental health and wellbeing - or you may just be interested in learning more about this area.
Know someone who'd enjoy this course? Download a course flyer (PDF) to share with friends and colleagues.

Course requirements/ assessment

There are no specific requirements for the course; it is open to all and assumes no prior knowledge of the area.

Upon completion of the course, you can download a Tavistock and Portman Digital Academy course certificate to evidence your learning.

Course Timings

This course runs continuously, so you can sign up at any time. It offers five hours of self-directed learning which you can undertake at a time and pace that suits you.

You will have access to the course and its materials for a total of four weeks. Access begins the day after you've registered and paid, when you will receive login details by email.

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Leadership, Followership and Mental Health - Digital Academy

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Course overview Part of the 'Working Towards Wellbeing' series, this five-hour, online course introduces the concepts of 'leadership' and 'followership' in the context of the modern workplace - outlining how positive leader-follower relationships can be used to strengthen emotional and psychological wellbeing.

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Get comfortable with being uncomfortable | Luvvie Ajayi Jones | TED

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E84: World Leading Mindset Expert: How To Reach Your Full Potential - Matthew Syed

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Alex Barker & Sam Conniff

Alex Barker and Sam Conniff chat to some of today's best rule breakers - those who are willing to explore radical new territory and stick their head above the parapet for the greater good. The show tackles some uncomfortable conversation topics, and delves into what it really takes to be a modern pirate. Drawing on the principles in Sam's 2018 bestseller Be More Pirate, and the follow up, How to Be More Pirate, this podcast is a dose of inspiration for anyone wanting to challenge the status quo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Alex Barker and Sam Conniff chat to some of today's best rule breakers - those who are willing to explore radical new territory and stick their head above the parapet for the greater good. The show tackles some uncomfortable conversation topics, and delves into what it really takes to be a modern pirate.

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Simon Sinek

During these times, we are all having to find new ways to connect. Join me every week as I talk with people that inspire me, about love, life, leadership, and silver linings. The hope is that we all leave with something I think we need these days... A Bit of Optimism.

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During these times, we are all having to find new ways to connect. Join me every week as I talk with people that inspire me, about love, life, leadership, and silver linings. The hope is that we all leave with something I think we need these days... A Bit of Optimism.

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howtofail

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things that haven't gone right. Every week, a new interviewee explores what their failures taught them about how to succeed better.

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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things that haven't gone right. Every week, a new interviewee explores what their failures taught them about how to succeed better.

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Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff and Amy Sandler

A show about how to kick ass at work without losing your humanity by practicing the principles of Radical Candor. Host Amy Sandler leads discussions with Radical Candor co-founders Kim Scott and Jason Rosoff about what it means to be Radically Candid, why it's hard and why it's worth it. Tune in to get actionable tips for doing the best work of your life and building the best relationships of your career.

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A show about how to kick ass at work without losing your humanity by practicing the principles of Radical Candor. Host Amy Sandler leads discussions with Radical Candor co-founders Kim Scott and Jason Rosoff about what it means to be Radically Candid, why it's hard and why it's worth it.

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Parcast Network

I've spent over 20 years studying the emotions and experiences that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and if there's one thing I've learned it's this: We are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation. I want this to be a podcast that's real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human. Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little. I'll also have direct conversations with you about what I'm learning from new research, and we'll do some episodes dedicated to answering your questions. We don't have to do life alone. We were never meant to.

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I've spent over 20 years studying the emotions and experiences that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and if there's one thing I've learned it's this: We are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation.

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We will look beneath the surface and examine the underlying processes through which humans learn, innovate and become more creative: whether in business, politics or in our own lives. And we will find that in all these instances the explanation for success hinges, in powerful and often counter-intuitive ways, on how we react to failure.
What links the Mercedes Formula One team with Google?

What links Team Sky and the aviation industry?

What connects James Dyson and David Beckham?

They are all Black Box Thinkers.

Black Box Thinking is a new approach to high performance, a means of finding an edge in a complex and fast-changing world. It is not just about sport, but has powerful implications for business and politics, as well as for parents and students - for all of us.

Drawing on a dizzying array of case studies and real-world examples, together with cutting-edge research on marginal gains, creativity and grit, Matthew Syed tells the inside story of how success really happens - and how we cannot grow unless we are prepared to fail, even catastrophically and learn from our mistakes.

From the Bestselling Author of comes a book about how human beings progress, develop and make ground-breaking strides all through accepting and learning from moments of crisis.

MEDIA REVIEWS

'In a congenial, easy-to-grasp style, it introduces some of the major research in the field of cognitive flaws and points out that empirical method is superior to gut feelings and unconfirmed experience.' - The Telegraph

'An extraordinary, inspirational book which reveals how great performers and teams are driven by an insatiable curiosity for marginal gains, together with the intellectual courage to challenge their most cherished assumptions' - Sir Dave Brailsford

'Highly persuasive' - Daily Mail

'Will transform your entire perspective' - The Times

Matthew Syed

Matthew Syed is a British journalist, author, broadcaster and sportsman. Formerly a leading table tennis player, Syed is now a leading theorist in the field of high performance and achievement. His latest book is Rebel Ideas.

Visit the Matthew Syed author page

I was totally absorbed by this book: the evidence was overwhelming. This should be required reading for any person aspiring to be - or in - a position of influence and leadership.

This is the century of Karl Popper. Read this book to find out why.

"A Stirring Call to Arms."

Whatever you say about failure, we frequently fail to learn from it but Matthew Syed takes us on a welcome journey around the psychology with both wit and effort, offering solutions to long held problems. Its a... More

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Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed | Waterstones

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We will look beneath the surface and examine the underlying processes through which humans learn, innovate and become more creative: whether in business, politics or in our own lives. And we will find that in all these instances the explanation for success hinges, in powerful and often counter-intuitive ways, on how we react to failure.

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Dare to Lead by Brene Brown | Waterstones

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Buy Dare to Lead by Brene Brown from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

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New York Times bestseller - over 25 million copies sold
The No. 1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century

"[Thirty] years after it first appeared, the wisdom of The 7 Habits is more relevant than ever. On an individual level people are burning out, and on a collective level we are burning up the planet. So Dr. Covey's emphasis on self-renewal and his understanding that leadership and creativity require us to tap into our own physical, mental, and spiritual resources are exactly what we need now." Arianna Huffington
One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, teachers and parents - millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the 7 habits with modern additions from Sean Covey.
The 7 habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!

With Sean Covey's added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders.

They include:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 6: Synergise
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

This beloved classic presents a principle-centered approach for solving both personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and practical anecdotes, Stephen R. Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Stephen R. Covey dedicated his life to demonstrating how a person can truly control their destiny with profound yet straightforward guidance. As an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organisational consultant, and author, his advice gives insight to millions. He sold more than 20 million books (in 40 languages), and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was named the No. 1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century. He was the author of The 3rd Alternative, The 8th Habit, The Leader in Me, First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, and many other titles. He held an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate from Brigham Young University, USA. He was the cofounder of FranklinCovey, a leading global education and training firm with offices in 147 countries.

Sean Covey is President of FranklinCovey Education and oversees all of Franklin Covey's International partnerships which cover over 140 countries. He is a New York Times best-selling author and has written several books, including The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into 20 languages and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

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The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People: Revised and Updated by Stephen R. Covey | Waterstones

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New York Times bestseller - over 25 million copies sold The No. 1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century "[Thirty] years after it first appeared, the wisdom of The 7 Habits is more relevant than ever. On an individual level people are burning out, and on a collective level we are burning up the planet.

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Simon Sinek's recent video on 'The Millennial Question' went viral with over 150 million views.

Start With Why is a global bestseller and the TED Talk based on it is the third most watched of all time. Why are some people and organisations more inventive, pioneering and successful than others? And why are they able to repeat their success again and again? In business, it doesn't matter what you do, it matters WHY you do it.

Start With Why analyses leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Steve Jobs and discovers that they all think in the same way - they all started with why. Simon Sinek explains the framework needed for businesses to move past knowing what they do to how they do it, and then to ask the more important question- Why? Why do we do what we do? Why do we exist? Learning to ask these questions can unlock the secret to inspirational business.

Sinek explains what it truly takes to lead and inspire and how anyone can learn how to do it.

MEDIA REVIEWS

'This book is so impactful, I consider it required reading.' - Tony Robbins, bestselling author of Awaken The Giant Within

'A deep, abiding understanding of what you want to inspire, and how you want to lead is the basis of this inspirational book.' - Forbes

'One of the most useful and powerful books I have read in years. Simple and elegant, it shows us how leaders should lead.' - William Ury, co-author of Getting to Yes

'A powerful and penetrating exploration of what separates great companies and great leaders from the rest.' - Polly LaBarre, co-author of Mavericks at Work

"Isn't for me but if you have a keen interest in Business then research this book"

Another day, another work book, this will be the third work book I've read this year and scarily I doubt it'll be my last.

Quite possibly a very unpopular opinion but if I could get away with this review being... More

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Start With Why by Simon Sinek | Waterstones

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Simon Sinek's recent video on 'The Millennial Question' went viral with over 150 million views. Start With Why is a global bestseller and the TED Talk based on it is the third most watched of all time. Why are some people and organisations more inventive, pioneering and successful than others?

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Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

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TED Talks are influential videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity, with subtitles in 100+ languages. Ideas free to stream and download.

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Featured Content

From Brené

A primer for navigating the progression of my written work.

By Brené Brown

From Brené

I'm not here to make people comfortable or to be liked. My purpose is to know and experience love. This means excavating the unsaid. In the world and in me.

By Brené Brown

From Brené

Cultivating meaningful connection is a daring and vulnerable practice-and one that isn't possible without being a good steward of the stories we tell and the stories we hear.

By Brené Brown

Conversations with leaders, change-makers, and those who help unlock the deeply human part of who we are.

Books by Brené

Looking to dive deep into reading and resources? Check out the hubs.

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Brené Brown is a researcher and storyteller who's spent two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.

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Leadership Training & Employee Development Platform

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Leadership development training programs that can enable your employees and build great teams.

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The Patient Safety Executive Development Program begins March 17, 2022 and can help you provide clarity and direction to health care organizations on the key strategic, clinical, and operational components involved in achievi​ng safe and reliable operational excellence - a "system of safety."

​Use diagnostic tools to measure:​​​​

​ Leadership

​Psychological Safety

​Accountability

Teamwork​

​Negotiation

​Transparency

Reliability​​

​Measurement

​Continuous Learning

Determine which data currently generated by your organization is most relevant to measuring a culture of safety, and which additional data could be captured​

Develop new systems for continuous learning including learning from what works and what harms

Construct new systems that accommodate for human factors and team resource management principles to reduce harm, errors and mortality within your organization​

Generate buy-in from the executive and board-level leadership in your organization - a senior leader from your organization is invited to help develop its a strategic plan

Apply a sustainable, systemic culture of safety - not just a collection of stand-alone safety improvement projects - to your organization/area of responsibility​

Begins March 17, 2022
Boston, MA

​​​ ​

This program is intended for those responsible for implementing and maintaining a patient safety program in an organization, hospital, department, or inpatient or outpatient facility, including:​

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IHI Patient Safety Executive Development Program

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With today's shrinking health care budgets and growing focus on costs, it has never been more important to have a robust safety plan. Maintaining a powerful safety program is essential to the long-term health of your department, organization, or health care system - and to ensuring that your patients receive the safe and reliable care they deserve.

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Coaching Skills for Leaders equips participants with the skills and awareness to have effective coaching conversations, enabling people to bring the very best of themselves to their work, even in very challenging contexts.

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Be seen, heard and understood

Who is this for

Middle and senior managers who:

are increasingly involved in cross functional projects and need to be more influential across their organisation and networks.

need to be more impactful during client facing scenarios.

require more visibility and confidence when contributing to executive discussion.

are working under pressure and need to project greater credibility in challenging situations.

Our 9 & 10 June 2022 iteration of Impact and Influence programme is currently fully booked. However we're pleased to be offering an additional date in June, 21 & 22 June 2022. If you would prefer to discuss your options, please contact us on execdev@cranfield.ac.uk
What you will get

Develop an understanding of how to use different tactics to engage and influence others within different environments. Discover how to be authentic in terms of your personal impact and influence and how to communicate your messages with greater clarity and purpose, which creates stronger engagement. Learn how to maintain your inner confidence, and think on your feet, especially in pressured situations. As part of the programme, you will create a personal and goal-orientated Action Focus Plan to sustain and develop your learnings from the two days.

Case studies

"My biggest fear was having to stand up and present in a very different environment with people I didn't know. But having done it time and time again, I feel more comfortable now doing it in my workplace."
Peter Bullock, Lead HR Business Partner, Babcock International
"I'm often in meetings with colleagues and trying to portray a message, and I see other people around me that I felt did a better job in getting the message across. I wanted to pick up some skills and tools to be able to do that. It's given me more confidence in terms of going back to work and delivering some key messages."
Jack Thompson, Director of Revenue Operations, ARM
"There's so much that you can learn about yourself, your team and about the environment you work in. I'd recommend it for anybody. I'd tell people to come in open, ready to renew yourself essentially."
Katie Burgum, Programme Manager, EBS Automation

At a glance

Structure

This two day course gives you the opportunity to bring a specific leadership challenge to the room and a chance to practice how you communicate your message, receiving honest feedback from your peers on how you come across in what you say and how.

Concepts covered within the programme include:

Framing impact and influence,

Techniques for getting focused,

Connecting and engaging - first impressions,

Self-awareness,

Personal performance awareness stories,

Environment mapping,

Analysing your performance,

Journaling,

Impactful communication,

Delivering key messages,

Managing your energy for high performance.

What you will experience

Roleplaying your own leadership challenges helps you understand how you come across to others, both verbally and physically, and establishes the situations in which you perform at your best, identifying what you need to hone in on, to present yourself authentically with heightened credibility.

Co-coaching with your peers throughout the programme teaches you how to give and receive constructive feedback and understand how you can be more influential across, up and down your organisation.

You will understand and practice goal setting and action planning to gain clarity and confidence to create clear intentions for successful communication in conversations, meetings, presentations and other critical messaging.

Unique and practical programme features

Cranfield was the first business school to bring the art of theatre into executive development. The use of performing arts and other disciplines such as storytelling, sport and psychotherapy, brings a radical and innovative edge to business leadership, while still grounded in research.

A truly holistic and mindful approach, engaging managers on another level, incorporating elements to challenge and work with the whole person.

Peer-to-peer learning and co-coaching.

Creation of specific elements to really understand your current and potential levels of impact and influence; a self-awareness audit, a map of your sphere of influence and a goal-orientated action plan for tackling your leadership challenges to sustain and develop your learnings.

Programme Directors

Diana Theodores
Josie Sutcliffe

Concessions

20% discount (tuition fee only) for Cranfield School of Management Alumni who have attended one of our eligible leadership programmes.

Accommodation options and prices

Tuition, course materials and full board accommodation are included in the price of this course.

Location and travel

Cranfield School of Management is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire.

The School is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.
For further location and travel details
London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world.

Location address

Cranfield Management Development Centre
Wharley End
Cranfield
Bedford
MK43 0HG

Read our Professional development (CPD) booking conditions.

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Middle and senior managers who: are increasingly involved in cross functional projects and need to be more influential across their organisation and networks. need to be more impactful during client facing scenarios. require more visibility and confidence when contributing to executive discussion. are working under pressure and need to project greater credibility in challenging situations.

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Michael West: Compassionate and inclusive leadership

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70 Coaching Questions Using the GROW Model

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Explore a list of coaching questions for managers who use the GROW model, the most common coaching framework used by executive coaches.

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We're glad you asked! Our 60- and 90-minute classes offer: more detail, more connection with your fellow attendees, more activities, and more interaction with your instructors. The 25-minute classes are more like lectures. They feature more information-per-minute, but the shorter timeframe also means fewer opportunities for active participation.

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Storytelling for Social Change - Online Course - FutureLearn

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Discover how storytelling can capture and inspire an audience and drive social change in this free online communications course from the University of Michigan.

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Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)

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This new programme from the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the University of Birmingham is designed to support practice leaders to demonstrate leadership through engaging with academic insights, critically reflecting on their own leadership, and developing a community of practice with their peers.

More about strengths-based approachesOpen

Social care now has a greater emphasis on building on the strengths of individuals and families, and the assets within communities. This reflects a recognition that whilst professional expertise and support can play an important role, wellbeing for children and adults is built on our personal skills, capabilities and interests, informal networks and personal resilience.

Strengths-based practice requires professionals to move from traditional models which emphasised what people could not do and how such deficits could be met by professionals, to instead work with children, adults and families to understand their aspirations and how to support them to achieve these.

A strengths-based approach requires a new kind of leadership, which draws strength from many more sources: the whole team, voluntary sector and other partners, and most importantly, from citizens themselves ... the key measure of success is not their own strength, but the combined strength and capacity of the whole system.
Alex Fox, CEO Shared Lives

This programme builds in the learning from an initial pilot programme and our considerable experience of supporting education and research on strengths-based practice, as well as being co-produced with people who draw on care and support.

Overview of programme

Who is this programme for?

The programme is designed for practitioners working in children's and adults' social care, including (but not limited to): Team leaders or managers and assistant leaders or managers, senior social work practitioners, consultant social workers or senior occupational therapists.

How much time will I need to commit?

The programme will typically run for seven months. Participants will be expected to commit at least 15 days. This will include engaging with formal learning and undertaking work-based activities. Employers will be expected to support participants through providing them with time to engage with the learning and to undertake the work-based tasks.

How to access the programme?

We do not often get the time and space to specifically work on leadership skills during our day job. The programme was a real opportunity to reflect on and explore in-depth what leadership not only means to you, but also what it looks like for you in practice.
Senior Social Worker

Study from home and learn remotely. Our courses are delivered by subject experts to ensure their relevance and practical application. Including bespoke training, e-learning and webinar sessions.

View more: Training courses

Endorsement

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This new programme from the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the University of Birmingham is designed to support practice leaders to demonstrate leadership through engaging with academic insights, critically reflecting on their own leadership, and developing a community of practice with their peers.

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This two day programme explores how you lead yourself and others to achieve collaborative influence and impact in the changing system of health and social care.

You will hear from influential guest speakers: current and former politicians, Directors of Nursing, Chief Executives and others, who will provide examples of policy making within the health and social care sector.

This programme is suitable for all health care professionals working at Level 8 or equivalent.

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System Leadership Programme | Royal College of Nursing

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This two day programme explores how you lead yourself and others to achieve collaborative influence and impact in the changing system of health and social care. You will hear from influential guest speakers: current and former politicians, Directors of Nursing, Chief Executives and others, who will provide examples of policy making within the health and social care sector.

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The Committee rightly points to high levels of turnover created by a vicious circle of staff shortages and excessive workload that is the most cited reason for staff leaving health and social care organisations. The high levels of stress this causes are linked to medical and nursing errors, patient dissatisfaction and poor care quality. For staff, sustained stress is associated with cardiovascular disease, addictions, cancers, diabetes, depression and early mortality. It is a bitter irony that many of those working to care for the health and wellbeing of people in their communities are having their own health damaged in the process.

Chronic excessive workload has become like the pattern on the wallpaper we no longer see. Some leaders avoid naming it because they feel powerless to find lasting solutions. It is not a problem that will be solved easily or quickly. But it will never be solved if we do not have the courage to name it and address it. Workload should be discussed as core business in team meetings, departmental meetings, executive team meetings, Board meetings, appraisal meetings and national policy meetings. The Committee has started that process. Everyone must now take responsibility for maintaining momentum.

It is essential to explore all the means available to eradicate chronic excessive workloads by using the knowledge, skills and experience of staff to continue to develop new solutions. First, as the Committee demands, there is a need for national (and local) workforce strategies based on long-term assessments of staffing and skill needs and system demands over the coming decades. This requires adequate funding to provide the staff needed to deliver the services for communities need. This is not the case now, nor has it been for some years, so delivering this funding will require some difficult choices and trade-offs.

Second, national organisations must ensure their own cultures and behaviours are not part of the problem. When arm's-length bodies are reporting stress levels above the (very high) average for the sector, they are also part of the problem. Regulators also exacerbate this by placing unnecessary burdens on provider organisations, especially in making the category error of assuming that improvement means adding processes rather than taking them away, or when they inadvertently contribute to fear and blame cultures with excessive demands on the system.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, leaders can help to create environments in which staff feel psychologically safe and supported to help design, test and implement necessary changes as part of continuous improvement.

Some organisations are addressing these issues. East London NHS Foundation Trust staff have named the issues of excessive bureaucracy and unnecessary rules, a cacophony of meetings, and having to seek managerial permission for every initiative. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made staff and patient experience a core focus for the chief executive and executive team via a chief experience officer on the executive team.

In other organisations, the use of new technologies has contributed to improvements in care and patient experience while helping reduce unnecessary workload. We also know that demands are intensified by extended hierarchies. Every reporting level adds an estimated 10 per cent more bureaucracy and some of the most effective organisations in the world operate with no more than three or four reporting levels. In contrast, in most NHS trusts, the number of reporting levels is well into double figures. There are shining exceptions such as the Langley Green Hospital at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust with its leader-leader model where patients (named as 'service leaders') play a key role in service improvements.

There is a pathology in the health and care system that assumes the only way to manage more demand is to spin the hamster wheels ever faster. In fact, we must stop. Time and space for reflection, learning, creativity and innovation are essential. Leaders, teams, organisations and sectors must work together to develop and nurture cultures where time and space for pre-briefs, debriefs, after action reviews, learning spaces, compassion circles, Schwartz Rounds© and reflection become the norm. Teams that take such regular time to reflect are on average between 35 per cent and 40 per cent more productive and are far more innovative than teams that simply keep spinning the wheel. And it is in the space created that ideas for new and improved ways of avoiding chronic excessive workload will be developed.

The simple reality is that when staff feel they have voice and control and can influence key decisions in their workplaces; when they feel valued, respected and cared for in their teams and organisations; and when they have manageable workloads that enable them to deliver the compassionate and high-quality care they aspire to; then they find joy and meaning in work. And then quality of care, patient/user satisfaction, staff retention, financial performance and care outcomes are all far better.

Excessive chronic workload is the key barrier standing in the way of this vision. Now and for the future it must be named and courageously and effectively addressed. Otherwise, in the words of the Health and Social Care Committee, staff burnout will continue to be 'an extraordinarily dangerous risk to the future functioning of both [health and social care] services'.

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Naming the issue: chronic excessive workload in the NHS

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The Committee rightly points to high levels of turnover created by a vicious circle of staff shortages and excessive workload that is the most cited reason for staff leaving health and social care organisations. The high levels of stress this causes are linked to medical and nursing errors, patient dissatisfaction and poor care quality.

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This is the phenomenon of 'reverse presenteeism': instead of being in the office and not working, people are at home and working out of hours.

When the feeling of social and status recognition is less direct and less frequent, we end up craving it even more. But those who send out-of-hours messages often don't realise the effect it's having. Research by London Business School PhD candidate Laura Giurge, published in Harvard Business Review recently, showed how the senders of such messages consistently underestimate how compelled receivers feel to reply right away - even if the message isn't urgent.

Initiatives to help employees carve out clearer boundaries

Employees at Hedgehog Lab, a digital product agency, are encouraged to change their Slack status emoji when having lunch, exercising or walking the dog during the working day.

Wieden + Kennedy London, an advertising agency, trialled asking people not to email between 7pm and 8am.

Jimmy Etheredge, the CEO of Accenture in the U.S., recently issued a rallying cry for people to "take back lunch", mandating an hour of screen-free time to recharge in the middle of the day.

A raft of email and Slack extensions allows people to schedule messages to be sent the next working day, instead of at ungodly hours.

The rise of holiday guilt

In the overheard words of a software engineer recently, "the ROI of holiday has plummeted in the last year." The irony of holiday needing to have an ROI aside, there appears to be truth to the sentiment: with not much to do during time off besides stay at home, the allure of rolling over annual leave to the next year increases.

And, as everyone knows you'll probably just be sitting at home during your time off, it can be harder to mentally switch off from work, and feelings of guilt can set in. Leaving your colleagues with a deadline to hit is one thing when you've got a flight to catch; leaving them with a deadline when you'll be in your living room is another.

Fifty-one per cent of the people we surveyed reported feeling guilty about taking their full holiday allowance in 2020, and 30% of tech workers in particular took less holiday than previous years out of feelings of guilt.

Why is this a problem? Because people need regular time off to perform effectively. One study showed that a vicious cycle begins when people don't take time off for a while: being tired, they perceive work demands to be greater and get overwhelmed, causing them to focus more intently on their work, with a detrimental effect on communication and collaboration, which in turn causes them and the team to be less effective.

Initiatives to help people take more time off

One thing we're doing at Spill is to make the percentage of quarterly team holiday days taken an official company KPI, because what gets measured gets focused on.

The best way to avoid holiday FOMO could be to give everyone a holiday at the same time. That's what UK TV broadcaster Channel 4 did recently when it gave everyone an extra 'wellbeing day' off work to spend however they liked.

Restaurant chain Honest Burgers is letting every employee take a one-month paid sabbatical between now and the end of 2023.

Feeling less supported and less understood

Half of the employees surveyed felt their manager wasn't equipped to support them with their mental health, and perhaps it's no surprise that 38% of UK workers surveyed felt less supported by their colleagues over the last year: physical separation removes all the water-cooler chats, lunch breaks and so on while working next to each other.

But what was less expected was the rise in interpersonal work issues during 2020: 50% felt there were more instances of misunderstanding, 41% agreed that passive-aggressiveness had become more noticeable, and 75% thought interpersonal issues took longer to resolve. Why does this lead to burnout? As burnout is as much to do with how we manage our workload as the workload itself, if we feel we don't have a strong and supportive base around us, the same amount of work can be perceived as much more difficult to deal with.

Initiatives to help people feel more supported and understood

User manuals are a great way to proactively avoid misunderstandings. London tech company Unrival uses them to help employees be clearer with each other, especially when remote. A user manual is basically a cheat sheet on how to work with someone: how they like to receive feedback, how to know if they're annoyed, and so on. It's all the stuff we pick up over years of working with someone - but it's far more helpful to know it explicitly and upfront.

Line managers are key to employees feeling supported. As burnout and poor mental health became more prevalent over the last year, the need for managers to be properly trained in this area became clear.

Therapy and counselling are proven to help employees feel more emotionally stable in as few as one or two sessions. Last year saw many companies increase their mental-health support offerings to employees.

Will Allen-Mersh is a Partner at Spill, a startup offering mental-health support to employees through Slack. He is a Guest Speaker on the Strategic Brand Management elective of London Business School's MBA and Executive MBA programmes.

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Tips for burnout-proofing remote teams | London Business School

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This is the phenomenon of 'reverse presenteeism': instead of being in the office and not working, people are at home and working out of hours. When the feeling of social and status recognition is less direct and less frequent, we end up craving it even more.

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Human Factors for Safe and Effective Teams

Cultural Awareness in Healthcare
A critical aspect of team working, both with colleagues and patients, this latest course from Atrainability aims to raise personal cultural awareness, with the ultimate aim of maintaining a positive influence on safety.

This course has been co-developed with Dr. Katrin Alden, an NHS clinician and clinical lecturer for Cardiff University, and looks to offer a more engaging learning opportunity than the many e-learning solutions emerging.

The training can be delivered either on-line as an eLearning course or by one of our instructors on-site if appropriate Covid secure measures are in place.

Intro by David O'ReganI invited Trevor to write a blog about the airline industry. Aviation, safety, human factors and crew resource management have taken centre stage in health care. My discussions w...

Dr Alka Patel is a lifestyle medicine physician and health coach. She has been a medical doctor for over 20 years and she began her professional career on a high, driven to build her career and find s...

Dr Ken Catchpole is a cognitive scientist and human factors practitioner who seeks to understand and improve human performance in complex systems. Ken currently works at the Department of Anesthe...

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human factors training nhs healthcare team building moral communication stress patient safety e-learning medical clinical error elearning distance learning online course cbt dentistry coronavirus covid19

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Human Factors Training Healthcare NHS quality improvement QI elearning online courses

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Human Factors for Safe and Effective Teams Cultural Awareness in Healthcare A critical aspect of team working, both with colleagues and patients, this latest course from Atrainability aims to raise personal cultural awareness, with the ultimate aim of maintaining a positive influence on safety.

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FutureLearn: Online Courses and Degrees from Top Universities

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Learn with 260+ world-class institutions and educators

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Change starts with learning - that's where we come in. Discover courses on climate issues, learn from top experts and take the first steps towards climate action.

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Explore your career options with FutureBot, the AI-powered chatbot that brings you tailor-made course recommendations. Get started and make your next career move.

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FutureLearn: Online Courses and Degrees from Top Universities

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Join millions of people learning on FutureLearn. Find online courses and degrees from leading universities or organisations and start learning online today.

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Leadership Excellence Course Overview | Disney Institute

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Learn about Disney’s approach to leadership in a professional development class at Disney Institute.

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About the Inspire Improvement Fellowship

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Are you a frontline clinical nurse/midwifery leader? Leading a team of nurses and /or carers? Keen to expand your skills in leading and facilitating culture change? Interested in person-centredness and continuous improvements in care and services at the frontline of practice? The Inspire Improvement Fellowship is a development programme for frontline clinical nurse leaders (any setting UK-wide).

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For most of human history the rules of power were clear: power was something to be seized, and then jealously guarded. Under this 'Old Power' we lived in a world of rulers and subjects.

Now, we all sense that something has changed. From #MeToo to Harvey Weinstein; Corbyn to Trump; from YouTube sensations to darker phenomena such as the emergence of ISIS - in our new hyper-connected world, ideas and movements can spread and flourish with astonishing force and speed.

In New Power, Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms confront the biggest story of our age and trace how New Power is the key to understanding where we are and will prosper in the 21st Century.

Drawing on examples from business, politics, popular culture and social justice, as well as case studies of organisations like LEGO and TED, they explain the forces that are changing the course of our age.

In a world increasingly shaped by New Power, this book will show you how to shape your future.

MEDIA REVIEWS

Clever, witty and creative, Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans are baby-faced wunderkinds of digital activism. -- Decca Aitkenhead * The Guardian *
A vital book. New Power can light a flame bright enough to outshine the glinting fangs and tiki torches' -- Russell Brand
An essential lens to use when thinking about how the world has changed, how to spread ideas or start a movement, or create change -- Richard Branson
The Networked Age has revolutionized the way the public engages with institutions and organizations. New Power is an essential and extremely insightful guide for anyone who wants to maximize the opportunities for progress and impact in today's new tightly connected world. -- Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and co-author of the #1 NYT bestsellers The Alliance and The Startup of You.
Jeremy Heimans has been working to change the world from a very young age, and with remarkable impact. Here with his co-author Henry Timms he distils a lifetime of experience into a fantastic primer on how the rules of the game have changed. It's packed with vivid examples that show how organisations as diverse the Pentagon, Uber, Kickstarters and Black Lives Matter are trying to shape our world, and gives vital insights into who will succeed. * Geoff Mulgan *
Power is shifting as never before, so New Power is addressing a vital issue for our times: how to make the voices and choices of all, not just a few, count for something. Plaudits to the authors for their determination to help shape the future. * David Milliband *

Understanding the concept of 'new power' and how that differs to 'old power' is essential for any leader in politics, business or nonprofits. This book will inform and inspire all those wanting to make change in the world today. It will help citizens to understand the power we have as individuals to influence others, and the collective power of many to achieve a goal against all odds.

-- Jane Goodall PhD, DBE, Founder - the Jane Goodall institute & UN Messenger of Peace
A wonderfully incisive contribution that not only explains how the dynamics of power are changing, but also provides the tools - and, importantly, the confidence - to harness those changes to spread our ideas and make a better world. -- Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever
If you do not understand new power, you will not fare well in the new networked world of the 21st Century. It's that simple. -- Annie-Marie Slaughter, President & CEO, New America
New Power masterfully draws out the big battle of our times - whether all this new power will end up being used for good or bad. -- Craig Newmark, founder of Craiglist
A must-read, New Power is a gift to our movements. It's not just about going viral - it's about connecting millions of people * Alicia Garza, co-founder, Black Lives Matter *
We all feel like life is spinning out of control, in our lives and in our politics - and it's hard to to know where our power has gone, or how to get it back. This brilliant book is where the answer begins. * Johann Hari *
A thought-provoking and eye-opening book. * Booklist *
Heimans and Timms provide fascinating examples of new power at work: how NASA enlisted the crowd (nonexperts) to foster open innovation; the heightened participatory experience of worship at Denver's House of All Sinners and Saints, where whoever shows up is in charge; and how crowdsourcing of ideas rejuvenated the Lego brand. The authors also offer a cogent analysis of the contrasting campaigning styles of Barack Obama (participatory) and Donald Trump ("leader of a vast, decentralized social media army" via Twitter). Their accounts of how diverse groups like the National Rifle Association and TED use both old and new power approaches with great success may well inspire many. These ideas-first introduced in the Harvard Business Review -will intrigue anyone who wants to channel the new power of the crowd. * Kirkus Review *
A good place to start understanding a world in which you have to 'occupy yourself' before the hashtags start coming for you. -- Miranda Green * Financial Times *
A window to a whole new world. -- David Brooks * New York Times *
There is a potent new force to be reckoned with, it is called New Power and it is causing a seismic wave in politics and workplaces. -- Katie Strict * Evening Standard *

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New Power by Jeremy Heimans, Henry Timms | Waterstones

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For most of human history the rules of power were clear: power was something to be seized, and then jealously guarded. Under this 'Old Power' we lived in a world of rulers and subjects. Now, we all sense that something has changed.

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In a rapidly changing world one of the key skills to possess is an ability to adapt rigidly held beliefs and rethink your position on specific issues, argues Grant in this cogent and persuasive volume.

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

Discover the critical art of rethinking: how questioning your opinions can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life

Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, the most crucial skill may be the ability to rethink and unlearn. Recent global and political changes have forced many of us to re-evaluate our opinions and decisions. Yet we often still favour the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt, and prefer opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. Intelligence is no cure, and can even be a curse. The brighter we are, the blinder we can become to our own limitations.

Adam Grant - Wharton's top-rated professor and #1 bestselling author - offers bold ideas and rigorous evidence to show how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, encourage others to rethink topics as wide-ranging as abortion and climate change, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You'll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, and how a vaccine whisperer convinces anti-vaxxers to immunize their children. Think Again is an invitation to let go of stale opinions and prize mental flexibility, humility, and curiosity over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what you don't know is wisdom.

MEDIA REVIEWS

In a world of aggressive certitude, Adam Grant's latest book is a refreshing mandate for humble open-mindedness ... not just a useful lesson; it could be a vital one * Financial Times *
Think Again is a must-read for anyone who wants to create a culture of learning and exploration, whether at home, at work, or at school. With warmth and humour, Adam Grant distils complex research into a compelling case for why each of us should continually question old assumptions and embrace new ideas and perspectives. In an increasingly divided world, the lessons in this book are more important than ever -- Bill and Melinda Gates
Wise, frank, and funny; a fabulous book about how to think more clearly and more kindly. Think Again offers a spellbinding mix of storytelling and groundbreaking research -- we urgently need this book right now * Tim Harford, bestselling author of How To Make The World Add Up *
Adam Grant believes that keeping an open mind is a teachable skill. And no one could teach this hugely valuable skill better than he does in this wonderful read. The striking insights of this brilliant book are guaranteed to make you rethink your opinions and your most important decisions * Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner in economics and author of THINKING, FAST AND SLOW *
Rule number one: never miss a new Adam Grant book! I loved this one! * Malcolm Gladwell *
THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more -- it requires choosing courage over comfort. In THINK AGAIN, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I've never felt so hopeful about what I don't know * Brene Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of DARE TO LEAD *
In his latest book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know, [Grant] is in vintage form * Wall Street Journal *
Delivers smart advice on unlearning assumptions and opening ourselves up to curiosity and humility * The Washington Post *
Adam Grant makes a compelling case that if we have the humility and curiosity to reconsider our beliefs, we can always reinvent ourselves. Think Again helped me learn about how great thinkers and achievers don't let expertise or experience stand in the way of being perpetual students * M. Night Shyamalan, director of THE SIXTH SENSE and SPLIT *
Pushes us to reconsider, rethink, reevaluate and reimagine our beliefs, thoughts, and identities and get to the core of why we believe what we do, why it is so important to us, and why we are steadfast to hold on to those ideas and beliefs. . . . It teaches us to stop digging our heels and doubling down and consider other people's points of view so that we may grow our own. Once again, Adam Grant succeeded in turning our very way of thinking upside down as he pushes us to examine the obvious * Forbes *

Blends psychology and self-help to prove how doubt, failing, and rethinking are instrumental to improving ourselves and our world. . . . In three sections, he outlines why we struggle to embrace feedback, how we can help others rethink effectively, and how our communities can shift to encourage rethinking

* Business Insider *
Grant is a born communicator-engaging and impossibly articulate. . . . Think Again . . . digs into the synaptic weirdness of why we think how we do and how we know what (we think) we know. The bottom line: In a world that's constantly changing, we could all benefit from deliberately reassessing our cherished opinions * Goodreads user *

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Out with consistency and in with rethinking. It's time to question and rethink everything that we do. Develop a growth mindset and look forward to a better future. Thought provoking.

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In a rapidly changing world one of the key skills to possess is an ability to adapt rigidly held beliefs and rethink your position on specific issues, argues Grant in this cogent and persuasive volume.

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A revolutionary system to get 1 per cent better every day.

People think when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions - doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call. He calls them atomic habits.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter.

Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy. These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.

MEDIA REVIEWS

'A supremely practical and useful book. James Clear distils the most fundamental information about habit formation, so you can accomplish more by focusing on less.' - Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

' Atomic Habits is a step-by-step manual for changing routines... Inspiring real-life stories.' - Books of the Month, The Financial Times

'James Clear has spent years honing the art and studying the science of habits. This engaging, hands-on book is the guide you need to break bad routines and make good ones.' - Adam Grant, author of Originals

'A special book that will change how you approach your day and live your life.' - Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle is the Way

"Excellent... I'm almost done with my PhD in organisational psychology and James did a brilliant job describing much of the science in psychology and neuroscience.' - Inc.

'I'd attribute about 60 per cent of my good habits to [James Clear's] blog and this book is rapidly filling in the other 40 per cent.' - Tim Urban, creator of Wait But Why

'Zeroes in on the science behind building good habits and breaking bad ones... enlightening.' - Business Insider

'Atomic Habits [is] a new book by James Clear that I'm relying on to develop realistic goals.' - The Financial Times

'In Atomic Habits, author and self-improvement guru James Clear outlines a practical framework for improving just about every aspect of your life through the power of habit.' - Globe and Mail

'James Clear argues that the key [to changing your behaviour] is in making tiny changes that, over time, compound into large transformations. This book shows you how.' - Books of the Year, Fast Company

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Atomic Habits by James Clear | Waterstones

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A revolutionary system to get 1 per cent better every day. People think when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way.

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How Great Leaders Inspire Action | Simon Sinek | TED

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Jeremy Heimans: What new power looks like

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employee engagement for leaders training

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Training and Events Learn how to create a remarkable workplace - and life - at a virtual or in-person event! Schedule a call today CUSTOM, MEMORABLE EVENTS ENERGIZES YOUR STAFF

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As with all good things, Project Lift has evolved into a larger programme of work called Leading to Change.

All of our best bits have been archived into resources that you can access on the new website and the team are now supporting this new programme for all those in social work, social care and health.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Visit LEading to Change

As with all good things, Project Lift has evolved into a larger programme of work called Leading to Change.

All of our best bits have been archived into resources that you can access on the new website and the team are now supporting this new programme for all those in social work, social care and health.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Visit LEading to Change

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As with all good things, Project Lift has evolved into a larger programme of work called Leading to Change. All of our best bits have been archived into resources that you can access on the new website and the team are now supporting this new programme for all those in social work, social care and health.

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TED

You spend a quarter of your life at work. You should enjoy it! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world's most unusual professionals to discover the keys to a better work life. From learning how to love your rivals to harnessing the power of frustration, one thing's for sure: You'll never see your job the same way again. Produced in partnership with Transmitter Media.

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You spend a quarter of your life at work. You should enjoy it! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world's most unusual professionals to discover the keys to a better work life.

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Becky Margiotta

Each episode we interview a badass social change leader and learn the ins and outs of what they're doing to make the world a better place. This podcast will help you feel optimistic that we can make a difference and give you practical tips about how to go about doing so in a big way.

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Each episode we interview a badass social change leader and learn the ins and outs of what they're doing to make the world a better place. This podcast will help you feel optimistic that we can make a difference and give you practical tips about how to go about doing so in a big way.

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The year 1777 was not a particularly good time for America's newly formed revolutionary army. Under General George Washington's command, some 11,000 soldiers made their way to Valley Forge. Following the latest defeat in a string of battles that left Philadelphia in the hands of British forces, these tired, demoralized, and poorly equipped early American heroes knew they now faced another devastating winter.

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning's online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Leading People. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

What you need to know about being in charge.

Learn More & See All Courses

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15 signs you have emotional intelligence - World Economic Forum

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15 signs you have emotional intelligence - World Economic Forum

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Dr Travis Bradberry looks at the qualities shared by people with emotional intelligence, based on data from more than a million people.

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Maya Angelou on Courage and Creativity - HBR

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Maya Angelou on Courage and Creativity - HBR

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In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

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How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are - TED Talk

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How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are - TED Talk

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Your body language may shape who you are

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(NOTE: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility. Read “Corrections & Updates” below for more details as well as Amy Cuddy’s response.) Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can boost feelings of confidence, and might have an impact on our chances for success.

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This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here. Do you remember that day in November 2018 when 20,000 employees walked out of Google to protest over the handling of sexual harassment claims at the company?
The protest was dramatic, headline-grabbing and done as a clear signal that employees would no longer check their identities and values at the workplace door. It was also the exception rather than the rule. While certainly brave, Google employees felt safe enough to organize without fear of reprisals. Even if they did lose their jobs, they'd still be highly employable somewhere else. Not everyone has that luxury, and not everyone feels OK about speaking up at work.

When we feel psychologically unsafe or unvalued, we protest quietly and often unconsciously.

Yet walkouts happen every day in the workplace; they're just not usually done with our feet. Instead, they're checkouts - invisible walkouts that happen with our hearts and our hands and our voices.
But let's be honest: All of us have checked out at some point in our careers, haven't we?
When we feel psychologically unsafe or unvalued, we protest quietly and often unconsciously. Maybe we stop trying as hard at work. Or maybe we act in ways that subtly undermine leadership or act against our organization's objectives just a little bit. We become disengaged or actively disengaged - at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars a year to the global economy.
So if you're a leader and want to avoid walkouts or checkouts before they become issues at your organization, there are three things you can do.
1. Unblock communication

Walkouts and checkouts happen when we feel we're not being heard or not being respected or considered. Just about all of us have had our ideas shot down or ignored in the workplace. When it happens, we tend to experience this as an identity threat. Some of us respond by closing down and shutting off when we feel that we don't belong or that we're unimportant. And we stop caring as much about our work and caring as much about the people around us.

When I was a new manager, I remember a time that I encountered this. I asked a colleague of mine with decades of work experience for a recommendation on a problem she brought to me. While she searched for an answer, we stood there in silence. After a long pause, she looked up and said to me, "I've never been asked what I think at work before now." Her attitude was tragic, and it's all too common.

To avoid this pitfall, we need to continually invite people to speak up at work and make these invitations a routine part of how we engage with each other in the workplace. This lays the important groundwork that's needed for those times when people want to speak up on issues that might be hard for management to hear.

In that fragile moment when people have the courage to challenge us, leaders need to embrace them for it and be responsive.

2. Be responsive

Backed into a corner by the scale and the intensity of the protests in 2018, Google CEO Sundar Pichai had a choice. He could respond in a way that would close the door to people who were acting in line with their values, or he could choose to open it wider.

His public response was not defensive. He sent an email out to the whole company, saying he understood the anger and disappointment that many of them felt because he felt it too. And saying that he was fully committed to making progress on an issue that had persisted for far too long in society and at Google too. Pichai's public response was admirable, but whether the protests were effective is still an open question.

But invisible checkouts are much harder to notice and address than a 20,000 person walkout. Instead, leaders must proactively work to unblock the organization. They need to ask questions, invite input and foster creative conflict. And in that fragile moment when people have the courage to challenge us, we need to embrace them for it and be responsive. Because it's not enough just to hear people out - words without action breed cynicism and leave seeds for future walkouts and checkouts.

Now when leaders and employees are on the same page, action is a natural next step.

Can we stay unified even in dissent? Or will we allow our relationships to become inauthentic and our identities to become diluted?

But here's the thing: We're not always going to agree. Sometimes employee activists will raise issues that leaders don't agree with, and in that fragile moment we will determine what kind of culture we will have. Will we engage in dialogue and debate? Can we stay unified even in dissent? Or will we choose to skate over our differences, allowing our relationships to become inauthentic and our identities to become diluted? Which will it be?

At a minimum, we can have a dialogue. We can try to resolve our differences and find some common ground that even if it's not ideal for any one party may be acceptable for all. At times, though, that's just too hard; common ground simply can't be found. In that difficult place, we have three choices.

First, if we feel we can't live with the resolution, we can choose to leave the company and find employers whose values are more closely aligned with our own. Second, we can choose to stay with the company. We can compartmentalize, keep doing a good job and look for a time to address the issue again in the future. Third, we can consider a tactic from Amazon's Jeff Bezos. He'll say, "Let's disagree and address the issue head on." He'll ask his team, "Look, I know we don't agree here but will you gamble with me on it? Can we disagree and still commit?"Now you can't do this every time. But if the reservoir of trust is deep enough, you can respectfully acknowledge your differences on important issues where you can't find consensus. You aren't walking out or checking out. You can continue to move forward on the work and agree to keep working on the issue as you go.
Regardless of which choice you make, any of them are better than the alternative of checking out, which is a surefire path to organizational demise and professional misery.

When everyone can bring the entirety of their life experiences, we have so much more to offer each other.

3. Aim higher

Doesn't it seem like we're setting a low bar if we're just trying to avoid checkouts and walkouts? Shouldn't we strive for more? Shouldn't we aspire to invite people to bring their whole selves to work?

When everyone can bring the entirety of their life experiences, we have so much more to offer each other. We are more than the sum of our resumes.

Joan Bohan is a finance director at Disney Europe. She's also a mother, and her son Roman has dyslexia. Did you know that 1 in 10 people live with dyslexia? That's a huge population to serve for a company like Disney. So when Disney announced an internal contest for new and impactful business ideas, Joan applied. She'd heard about modifications that could make it easier for dyslexics to read - changes like different and larger fonts; wider spaces between letters; ruling between lines. Her idea was put into practice. And because Disney invited Joan to bring her whole self to work and all of her unique strengths, values, passions and experiences - not just her finance resume - they can now better serve millions of people with dyslexia.
If this - unblocking communication, becoming responsive, aiming higher - all sounds good to you as a leader, where should you begin?

Ari Weinzwig, CEO of Zingerman's Deli, likes to say that success doesn't mean you have no problems - it just means you have better problems.

Here's a quick way for you to find out.
On Monday morning, I'd like you to go to work, talk to 10 different people in your organization - in person or online - and ask them this question: "What don't we talk about around here that we really should be talking about?"
You'll probably experience one of those awkward silences, and that's OK. They'll probably come to you later with an answer. But if no one has any answers, then your organization is probably blocked. Still, by asking this question, you have signaled an openness to keep going and keep asking questions.

Ari Weinzwig, CEO of Zingerman's Deli, likes to say that success doesn't mean you have no problems - it just means you have better problems. My closing wish for you is that you earn your organization some better problems by unblocking communication, becoming responsive, and aiming higher.

As more and more people open up and start sharing more of themselves, their ideas and their unique offerings, over time you will have a new better problem - harnessing all of their energy and creativity.
This post was adapted from Chris White's TEDxAtlanta Talk. You can watch it here. And to get another take on organizations and how they can build (and rebuild) cultures of trust, watch Frances Frei's TED Talk now:

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3 ways to create a work culture that brings out the best in people

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It's possible to stop employee checkouts or walkouts before it's too late, says organizational culture expert Chris White. Just follow these three basic principles.

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LeaderFactor | Psychological Safety Online Course

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This online course is a simple way to show your commitment to creating psychological safety no matter your workplace.

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Fifty years have passed since the publication of The Peter Principle, but its rule still applies today. "In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties," noted Laurence J. Peter, the educator behind this famous work. His theory postulates that most competent people are promoted until they reach a position that is above their skill level, at which point they cease to grow.

Academic studies show that promotions are still largely a reward for past performance, and that organizations continue to assume the attributes that have made someone successful so far will continue to make them successful in the future (even if their responsibilities change). This may explain why there are still a large number of incompetent leaders.

Organizations that wish to select the best people for leadership roles therefore need to change how they evaluate candidates. The next time you are filling a managerial position, ask yourself three questions:
1. Does the candidate have the skills to be a high-performing contributor or the skills to be an effective leader?
The performance level of individual contributors is measured largely through their ability, likability, and drive. Leadership, by contrast, demands a broader range of character traits, including high levels of integrity and low levels of dark-side behaviors born out of negative attributes likes narcissism or psychopathy.

The difference between these two skill sets explains why great athletes often end up being mediocre coaches (and vice versa), and why high performers often fail to succeed in leadership positions.

We all know that the most successful salespeople, software developers, and stockbrokers have exceptional technical skills, domain knowledge, discipline, and abilities to self-manage. But can those same skills be used to get a group of people to ignore their selfish agendas and cooperate effectively as a team? Probably not. Leaders do need to obtain a certain level of technical competence to establish their credibility, but too much expertise in a single area can be a handicap. Experts are often hindered by fixed mindsets and narrow views, which result from their years of experience. Great leaders, however, are able to remain open and to adapt, no matter how experienced they are. They succeed because they are able to continually learn.

This has been proved in many situations, particularly in the area of sales. A recent academic study of over 200 firms found that performance as a salesperson was negatively correlated with performance as a sales manager. If you promote your number one salesperson to management, you create two problems: You lose your top salesperson and you gain a poor manager.
2. Can I really trust this candidate's individual performance measures?
The most common indicator of someone's performance is a single subjective rating by a direct line manager. This makes measures of performance vulnerable to bias, politics, and an employee's ability to manage up. Although peer-based and network-oriented performance management is growing, it is still in its infancy. As a result, performance measures may not be as reliable as you think.

This is likely why women still tend to be promoted less than men, even when their performance is identical. Many organizations promote people into leadership positions because they " create the right impression," even if their actual contributions are minimal.

If you ask yourself the above question, and the answer is "no," take some time to think about what good leadership looks like at your company. Are you looking for leaders who can drive great results? Bring people together? Listen and develop others? Or are you looking for leaders who can connect, innovate, and help evolve the business? Every company needs different types of leaders at different times, and someone who performs well in their current role may not be the right person to help you reach your most immediate goals.
3. Am I looking forward or backward?
The secret to selecting great leaders is to predict the future, not to reward the past. Every organization faces the problem of how to identify the people who are most likely to lead your teams through growing complexity, uncertainty, and change. Such individuals may have a very different profile from those who have succeeded in the past, as well as from those who are succeeding in the present.

Avoid promoting entirely based on culture fit. Although you may have good intentions in doing it, it often results in a lack of diversity of thought and outdated leadership models. In today's ever-changing world, businesses are expected to grow as fast as the technologies surrounding them. Their models must be in constant transformation. What worked in the past and what is working in the present may not work at all in the future. Companies, then, need to get more comfortable thinking outside the box. This means taking "misfits" or "people who think differently" and placing them into leadership roles. Give them support and time to prove themselves. This is just one way to deepen your leadership pipeline.

You should also take an extra look at the people who "may not be ready," and analyze them on the basis of their ambition, reputation, and passion for your business. Often the youngest, most agile, and most confident people turn into incredible leaders, even though their track record may not be the best. Mark Zuckerberg, one of the most successful CEOs in decades by many measures, had almost no business experience before he started Facebook. Steve Jobs had not run a large company before Apple, yet he had the insights, connections, and drive to make it a household name.

It's time to rethink the notion of leadership. If you move beyond promoting those with the most competence and start thinking more about those who can get you where you want to go, your company will thrive. In other words, start considering those who have high potential, not just top performers.

Josh Bersin is founder of Bersin by Deloitte, and now the Josh Bersin Academy, the research and professional development academy for HR and business leaders. He is a global research analyst, public speaker, and writer on the topics of corporate human resources, talent management, recruiting, leadership, technology, and the intersection between work and life.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Talent Scientist at ManpowerGroup, a professor of business psychology at University College London and at Columbia University, and an associate at Harvard's Entrepreneurial Finance Lab. He is the author of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and How to Fix It), upon which his TEDx talk was based. Find him on Twitter: @drtcp or at www.drtomas.com.

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Listen to Gwella On Air on Spotify. The Gwella On Air Podcasts explores compassionate leadership in action through a series of one-on-one discussions with a range of leaders. These informal sessions will look at how compassionate behaviours have been embedded across the system and what compassionate leadership looks like in action .

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