No Bullsh!t Leadership

Episode #297 // “If you ever find yourself thinking, "How could the company possibly do without me?" Well, trust me, they'll work it out!”

For as long as I can remember, the business media has been awash with stories about the job market… how to get a job, how to keep a job, how to juggle your job with other demands, and how to climb the corporate ladder. 

Since the Covid pandemic, it seems as though the volume of this advice has grown exponentially...

Moment #67 // You’ll often hear people explain away someone else’s success by saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know!”

It’s easy to discount another person’s achievement by putting it down to their position of privilege… to believe that the only reason they made it was because they received a leg-up, or a head start… to succumb to the dangerous thinking that says, “they have something that I don’t”. 

Don’t lull yourself into surrender...

Episode #296 // I produced a podcast episode over 4 years ago, titled “The Curse of the Middle Manager”. So, when I recently came across an HBR article that signaled a resurgence in middle management roles, I figured it was time to take another look!

In many businesses, the role of the middle manager is by far the toughest. If you’re in that position now, you’ll know exactly what I mean...

Moment #66 // Leaders who have been passed over for promotion are often told, “You need to be more strategic”... whatever that means!

There could be a number of possible explanations for this… but you can’t always rely on your boss to explain exactly what she means! 

In this Moment, I give you a few suggestions for how you might be able to interpret this feedback, and use it to work on the things that will better prepare you for the next level...

Episode #295 // “We make mistakes, at each new level that we move to – it's an essential part of our growth and development. But the higher up you go, the bigger the impact that those mistakes have.”

One of my recent social media posts went viral (this one - 2.7mill views as of writing this), as I outlined the three biggest mistakes I made when I was finding my feet in my first few senior leadership roles...

Moment #65 // If you want to be a great leader, you have to learn to read the play – to know when it’s appropriate to push one of your people harder, when it’s appropriate to work more closely with them, and when it’s appropriate to stand back and let them get on with it.

In this Moment, I take a look at Situational Leadership Theory (SLT)...

Episode #294 // “If you can create a culture that values momentum, you will almost always outperform teams that don't!”

I often talk about the need for speed. As a leader, placing a premium on forward progress is one of the most reliable tools you have to achieve execution excellence in your team. 

If you can create a culture that values momentum, you will almost always outperform teams that don’t...

Moment #64 // Many CEOs and senior executives talk a good game when it comes to culture change and transformation… it’s almost expected. But, even though they might make the right noises, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have the commitment to set a higher standard, or generate the level of momentum it would take to lead the change successfully.

Pretty much every senior leader says they want a constructive, high performance culture...

Episode #293 // “I look at my high performers with one thought in mind: What will it take for them to get to the next level?”

When you focus on setting a high standard for performance, it’s easy to fall into the habit of managing the exceptions — to focus on the people who fall behind, or don’t meet the minimum standard you’re trying to preserve...

Moment #63 // Times are tough and, when the pressure is on, it doesn’t take long before companies start to squeeze their suppliers in an attempt to find cost savings.

Unfortunately, your suppliers are facing exactly the same pressures you are. Their costs are rising too, and they’re experiencing the same difficulty in finding and keeping their best people...