• 1. Lead by example 

The first step to preventing burnout is to lead by example. When your employees see you taking time off to rest and manage stress, they will be encouraged to do the same. A leader who is always working without maintaining a work-life balance can give his team the impression that it is unacceptable or wrong to relax. It can also discourage them from coming forward with their requests for a much-needed vacation. Ensure you put your physical, emotional, and mental health first, and let them observe its effects on your work performance. That will motivate them to follow in your footsteps. 

• 2. Regulate workload and time management 

It is important to ensure your employees are not burdened with workloads. You can assess your staff and help them meet their deadlines more effectively. Consider providing tools and software to help them work faster, manage their time and be productive. You can also provide time management resources and training to help your employees handle projects better. If there is an ongoing project that is causing a lot of stress to a particular team or department, consider delegating some of the tasks to other team members or employees with the relevant skills and experiences. For maximum results, you can also seek free HR advice to help you allocate your workload responsibly. 

• 3. Watch out for feedback 

Taking care of your employees includes ensuring that they are heard and supported. It would be beneficial to ask questions and seek feedback about their work, concerns, and impressions of their workplace. Consider creating a space to express themselves openly without fear or judgement. Listening attentively and proving they can trust you with their feedback is also essential. It will help you spot any signs of burnout and take steps to prevent it. 

• 4. Cultivate a culture of fun 

Working without an ounce of fun can feel monotonous and tedious. Inspire your employees to take short breaks and rests. You can allow them to play office games or chat with their colleagues during this time. That will give them time to regroup and form stronger relationships which will benefit your business. You can also hold events, host business dinners, or take trips to introduce them to a new, refreshing environment. 

As an employer, you must ensure your employees are in good shape to give back to your company. Following these tips can reduce and prevent burnout and keep your employees efficient. 

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While I believe that Simplicity and Focus are self-explanatory, I am not sure that everyone understands what I mean when I talk about Transparency, and why I believe it is essential.

When I  talk about Transparency, what I am really talking about is Truth and Knowledge.

The Truth about where we are and what our real performance is, the Knowledge of what we need to do in order to be successful, and where we are on the journey towards our goals.

Without this Transparency, it’s impossible for us to be able to communicate our Vision, and the Plan to achieve it, to our teams, in order to inspire them.

Nor can we communicate the progress we have made towards our goal, which we can then use to motivate our teams to continue onwards, during the final stages to ensure success.

Whilst I was running a very large and very tough transformational program, which lasted about 2 years, when we were about 50% of the way through it, the motivation and belief of the team was flagging a little.

We were receiving a lot of criticism from the business, and from some of our colleagues, and it seemed that we would never see the light at the end of the tunnel.

At this time I remembered a quote from Churchill, “When you’re going through Hell, keep going!”, and that as leaders, one of our key jobs is not just to point the way; but to show people how far they have come; to show them how much they have already achieved; to praise them for that great effort; and then to inspire them to continue to push on through Hell and onwards towards success.

So I decided that I would have a meeting with the entire leadership team, both my direct reports and their direct reports, approximately 50 leaders, to look to re-motivate them.

Because I see Transparency as a key to success, we had plenty of metrics available to us, key performance indicators, which simply and clearly showed the progress we had made.

When I started the presentation, I highlighted right a the start how tough this was, and how, if we had to do it all again, I might choose to be a little less ambitious, and I apologised for my aggressive goal-setting. With which the team fully agreed.

I continued with this tone as I went through the presentation, which was in line with the mood of the audience.

However, the presentation and the metrics I had put together showed a different story, they showed that although we were 50% of the way through the program, we had achieved 60% of the overall results, and our performance was higher than we had planned it to be at this stage.

This then allowed me to change my tone to be in line with what the figures were telling us, yes this is tough, but you know what, we’re ahead of schedule, our performance is higher had we had anticipated, we’re making great progress

You could feel the mood tangibly change in the room as we went through the details, which clearly showed we were being successful, and that we were progressing, they could now see the light at the end of the tunnel and that it was now a lot nearer than they had previously believed.

The mood in the room now was one of pride, a sense of achievement, and a strong belief that we would be successful, and that we would exceed all of our goals.

I finished the presentation by telling them how proud I was of them; that they had taken on and had accepted extremely aggressive goals; that they had allowed me to really challenge them and push them outside their comfort zone; and yet here we were ahead of schedule and on the brink of major success.

The leadership team were now re-inspired, and able to pass that message on to their team and motivate them to keep pushing on to the end.

Without this Transparency we would never have been able to do this, we wouldn’t know how far we had come, or how far we still had to go.

This is why for me Transparency is a key Leadership Principle. 

If you want to learn more about creating highly engaged teams or being a better leader click the link to make an appointment to talk about how I can help.

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Vindictive bosses can make going to work feel like hell: they can try to get us out of the company we work for, simply because they don’t like or can’t control us; or, if they are extremely vindictive, they can use their influence to prevent us from getting jobs elsewhere once we have left.

I have definitely experienced the first two issues, and to be honest there is not really a lot you can do, other than suck it up and try and outlast them. Do your best, makes sure that others see you doing your best and try and give your boss no opportunity to criticise you.

This last part can be difficult, we are not all perfect, and Vindictive Bosses can blow even the smallest error into a full-scale international incident.

In the companies where I had issues I often thought about going to HR to raise the issue, but it looked in both companies as if HR was set up to protect the bosses rather than the employees.

One of my colleagues who experienced the same issues as myself, approached HR to raise the issue, and he ended up leaving with a financial settlement, but this was small comfort for losing a job he really liked, and I know I wouldn’t have liked to have been dependent on a reference from HR to get a new role.

One boss I worked for, I actually overheard him say to one of my colleagues, ‘and be warned if you choose to leave, then know that my reach is very, very long and I will make it impossible for you to work again in this country or for any of the leading consultancies’.

If you end up in this situation I would suggest that you look to find someone who knows your work, who has a fair opinion of you and ask them to be a reference for you. There are always people in our companies who will provide this, or go back to a previous boss and ask them to provide the reference.

Also, I would look to use services such as LinkedIn to get yourself recommendations to build a broad picture of your skills and expertise, personally, I have over 100 recommendations, and whilst you might not accept 1 or 2 good write-ups, when you have over 100 then, there must be some substance to the positive messages that are being written.

If you don’t have this, then I would suggest being honest with your new firm, or with the headhunter.

Tell them that ‘people generally leave bosses, not firms’ and that’s definitely true in your case, and that you would prefer not to use him as a reference under these circumstances.

In my case, I had the opportunity to use the many recommendations I had, and also to provide another person as a reference, from a previous firm and this was accepted by my new potential employer.

Vindictive bosses are an issue, I have tried confronting them, but this never works, it just seems to make them more vindictive.

I would love to have a better answer to this than I do, but unfortunately in all my experiences, the only time it worked out for the best was when the vindictive boss left the company.

I did work for one Boss on contract, he brought me in to find out why Testing was way behind schedule. After 4 weeks of analysis, it turned out that the bottom line was he was not prepared to purchase the required Testing Equipment, so this was why testing wasn’t working.

He called me into his office to give him my report.

Which I did, he read it, and then he looked at me and said ‘ok I’m going to ask you one more time why we are not making progress in Testing, and if your answer is because of me, then you’re fired!’

What could I say, I had done all the analysis and everything pointed at him as the root cause.

So I just smiled and said ‘I’ll show myself out’.

I could have changed my answer, but to be honest, he wasn’t a boss that I wanted to work for. I’d only been here 4 weeks and he was already threatening me with the sack, even though I had done good work and the facts were correct.

I would also suggest that prior to joining a company, you do some research into who your Boss will be and if he has a reputation for being a Vindictive Boss, and if he does then don’t take the job.

Vindictive Bosses tend to leave a trail, and sometimes we ignore this because we want that new job too badly.

I know this is probably not the answer people are looking for here, but in my experience, it is what it is.

If you want to learn more about creating highly engaged teams or being a better leader click the link to make an appointment to talk about how I can help.

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“Because I want it to be perfect,” he says.

He aspires to be a professional musician, and he understands that practise and perfection are essential.

We are all born with some natural talents, but unless we nurture them, practise, practise and then practise again, we will never achieve our full potential.

There is a view that anything that at which we practise for 10,000 hours, we will become World Class.  That means practising 4hrs a day, 5 days a week, for 10 years.

Many of us dream of being World Class, but how many of us are prepared to put that kind of effort into our practise?

Bruce Lee didn’t become a Kung Fu Legend by training 2-3hrs per week, it took years of dedicated training, in groups or on his own, day after day, week after week, year after year.

The same is as true of Leadership Skills, as playing the Guitar or doing Kung Fu, the more we practise the better we will get, and we cannot just practise by doing, we also need to work on our skills, trying different approaches for different scenarios.

For many of the skills, such as Active Listening, which is a great Leadership Skill to develop, we can practise at home, we can even practise this on our partners, and with our children, not only will it help improve our skills but it will possibly also increase our private lives too.

We can also learn and improve by reading, picking up new techniques, new thoughts, which we can then try and add to our repertoire.

We can all do more to improve ourselves, the day we stop learning and improving is the day that our skills begin to fade.

I know that writing this blog helps me improve, as it makes me think about things, how I apply them, what works and what doesn’t, and it also makes me read up on things that I can comment on or share, but I know I could do much more, and will look to do so, especially working on Active Listening in the home.

So what are you going to do to improve?

If you want to learn more about creating highly engaged teams or being a better leader click the link to make an appointment to talk about how I can help.

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Benefits

Improved decision-making: Leaders who take ownership of their actions and decisions are more likely to make informed and confident decisions. They are less likely to shy away from making difficult choices, knowing that they will be held accountable for the outcomes.

Increased trust and credibility: When a leader takes ownership of their actions and decisions, they earn the trust and respect of their team and stakeholders. This, in turn, strengthens their credibility and helps to build a positive reputation within the organization.

Better performance: Leaders who practice accountability drive better performance from their team by setting a positive example and holding their team members accountable for their actions. This leads to a more productive and motivated team that is committed to delivering results.

Enhanced accountability culture: When leaders take ownership they create a culture of accountability within the organization. This leads to greater transparency and accountability and reduces the risk of unethical or irresponsible behavior.

Increased motivation: When leaders demonstrate ownership of their actions and decisions, they inspire their team to do the same. This leads to a more motivated and engaged team. A team that is committed to delivering results.

Improved communication: Accountable Leaders are more likely to communicate openly and transparently, which helps create a culture of trust and cooperation. This leads to better collaboration, increased teamwork, and improved problem-solving.

Enhanced reputation: Being known as an Accountable Leader enhances your reputation as a trusted and responsible leader. This, in turn, enhances the reputation of the organization and strengthens its position in the market.

Conclusion

Taking ownership and practicing accountability are two essential traits of effective leaders. These principles help to create a culture of responsibility and accountability, leading to numerous benefits for both the leader and the organization. Leaders who own their actions and decisions earn the trust and respect of their team and stakeholders, leading to improved decision-making, better performance, enhanced accountability culture, increased motivation, improved communication, and enhanced reputation. Accountable leaders can build strong and successful organizations that deliver results and inspire others to follow their lead.

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Embrace Empathy

A leader with empathy has the ability to understand and connect with their team on a deeper level. This helps build stronger relationships, fosters a more positive work environment, and inspires trust. To develop your empathy, practice active listening and put yourself in your team’s shoes to better understand their challenges and perspectives.

Communicate Clearly

Effective communication is a critical aspect of good leadership. You must be able to articulate your vision, goals, and expectations in a way that is easy for your team to understand and follow. Regular check-ins with your team will help ensure that everyone is on the same page. Keep your language simple and avoid jargon to make your messaging more impactful.

Lead by Example

Leaders who lead by example inspire their team to do their best work. Demonstrate the values and behaviors you expect from your team, including ethical and responsible behavior, hard work, and a commitment to excellence. Lead by example and watch your team follow in your footsteps.

Continuously Learn and Grow

Leadership is not a static skill. Stay informed about the latest trends and best practices in your field, and continuously work to improve your skills and knowledge. Attend conferences, workshops, and seek out professional development opportunities to stay ahead of the curve. Consider mentorship or coaching to further develop your leadership abilities.

Encourage and Empower Others

Great leaders know how to inspire and motivate their team. Provide guidance, resources, and opportunities for growth, and empower your team to take ownership of their work. Delegate responsibilities and give your team members the chance to take the lead on projects. Regular feedback and recognition will help boost morale and keep your team motivated.

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Just recently I was looking at the definition of empowerment and in Merriam Webster’s dictionary, their definition of empowered is having the knowledge, confidence, means, or ability to do things or make decisions for oneself.

If we don’t make sure that each of those boxes are ticked, the chances of our teams feeling empowered and taking the actions we desire is low.

So here are my five tips for ensuring your teams feel empowered and deliver the outcomes you are looking for.

1. Encourage autonomy:
   Give team members the freedom to make decisions and solve problems on their own. This helps to build confidence and improves problem-solving skills. It also means that they don’t need to keep coming back to you for approval.
2. Provide resources:
   Make sure team members have the resources and tools they need to do their jobs effectively. This can include training, access to technology, and support from other team members. Companies can now utilise the new AI tools that are available to them to help, such as ChatGPT for customer service. When teams feel they have all the resources they need they will feel confident that they can deliver the desired outcome.
3. Offer opportunities for growth
   Encourage team members to take on new challenges and responsibilities. This helps to build skills and expand knowledge, leading to personal and professional growth.
   Offering opportunities for growth is a desirable quality in a leader and once you build a reputation for doing this it will help you attract more, and better quality talent.
4. Recognize and reward success
   Acknowledge and reward team members for their successes, both big and small. This helps to build motivation and reinforces positive behaviors. Remember what gets recognized gets repeated and when our teams do good work, this is exactly the kind of thing we want them to repeat.
5. Foster open communication
   Encourage an open-door policy and regular check-ins with team members. This helps to build trust and improve communication, leading to better collaboration and decision-making. It also makes your teams feel safe and supported. It’s a bit like having a safety net, and even though it might not be used it does help increase their self-confidence which is critical for growth.

Just follow these 5 simple tips and it will help you create teams that are knowledgeable, confident, capable, and empowered that will drive your performance and outcomes to the next level.

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Recently I have been spending time defining my Core Values, Vision, and Mission Statement, i.e the steps I would take to achieve my Vision

We all likely believe that we know what our vision or dream is: perhaps it is to become wealthy and well-known, to be a rock star or a great leader, or perhaps it is as simple as being a great parent.

Initially, my Vision was related to things I wanted to achieve, such as writing a book, opening a leadership centre, be a great parent, create my own charity, etc., etc., but as I went through the process I realised that as in many things, it’s not about the destination it’s about the journey.

So my vision changed from things I wanted to achieve, to the person I wanted to be and the person I wanted to be remembered as.

So my Mission Statement changed from being about actions achieving specifics, to how I would look to live my life, about how I would be on my journey and not about solely focusing on the destination.

We never know what we can fully achieve, so I decided not to try and define that, as it might limit what I think is possible, I would just look to take my journey, be myself every day, and any achievements that I make would be a bonus.

My achievements do not define me.

Who I am, and how I live are what define me.

So here is my personal Mission Statement, these are the things I need to do each day in order to be the person I want to be and to be remembered as I would like.

• – I Believe in myself!
• – Carine and my children feel my love and I help them grow into the people that they want to be through my unconditional support
• – I am loving, enthusiastic and unconditionally happy
• – I make people smile and feel special and good about themselves through my love and compassion
• – I am conscientious about my health, exercise regularly and eat well
• – Carine and I enjoy our life together through travelling, quiet times, good food, good wine & good company
• – I give back by donating my time, and my ideas, and raising money for charity
• – I inspire people to follow their hearts and dream big: through my actions and my example; through my love and compassion; and helping them see their potential and helping them believe anything is possible
• – I leverage my skills by: speaking more; writing more; coaching more; helping more; giving more; and leading more
• – I Believe in myself

Everyone’s Mission Statement will be different, as I mentioned it’s linked to our Core Values, our Vision and our Dreams.

I share this because for me, having gone through this process of defining it, gives me greater clarity and I can fully recommend going through the process. To do so you need to find calm and be able to listen to your inner voice.

Only you can define it, no one else, this is about our very essence.

It’s about who we are, about who we will be and about who we want to become.

If you want to learn more about creating highly engaged teams or being a better leader click the link to make an appointment to talk about how I can help.

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I have personally witnessed instances where excellent ideas were rejected because they weren’t developed in that location. And this isn’t always just a corporate vs regional issue, where many people think that if an idea didn’t come from corporate headquarters, it couldn’t be a good one.

I have seen Regions reject ideas from Corporate, I have seen Corporate reject ideas from Regions, and even Regions reject ideas from other Regions.  I think this is all just part of human nature that we think that only we can have good ideas.

As leaders this is something that we need to combat, we need to facilitate collaboration and sharing of best practices across regions and corporate.

We need to promote the view that great ideas can come from anywhere, and that they should be accepted and embraced, not rejected just because one group didn’t come up with them.

At one company where I worked in order to help with this, we used to have a “Not Invented Here Award” which would be given to a team or group that implemented a best practice or idea from another region.

This really helped reduce the barrier but it didn’t eliminate it completely – human nature is tough to change.

As leaders, we need to be open to ideas from other areas and regions, and we need to set an example, if we are not seen to do this then why should others?

When it comes to great ideas, no one group has cornered the market, and if we restrict our search to just one group or region, then we limit ourselves and will not reach our full potential.

If you want to learn more about creating highly engaged teams or being a better leader click the link to make an appointment to talk about how I can help.

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