Graham's Blog

Reinventing Leadership

My previous two blogs presented the basic challenge for leaders.

Deliver performance and sustain wellbeing in the most cost constrained, disrupted and unpredictable environment seen in over half a century.

We know conventional leadership practices won't cut it in this environment, and neither will the usual team development methods.

The case for reinventing leadership (and the methods of development) is compelling because enterprises simply won't recover and rebound unless their leaders respond to adaptive challenges by bringing their people with them. 

That...

An Intriguing Question

My previous blog shared the question that forward thinking CEO's and HR Executives are asking: 

How do we equip, support and de-risk our leaders and leadership teams when budgets are so tight and conventional training, development and facilitation aren't possible in the new working environment?

Let's name the elephant in the room. The biggest risks to recovery and rebound sit squarely with leaders who lack the capabilities to deliver performance and to sustain personal and team wellbeing in an environment of:

• Rapid and unpredictable disruption to...

Good News or Bad News. Which do you want first?

Let's start with the good news.  COVID-19 is no longer a health crisis in Australia. Our political leaders and health experts have not just flattened the curve of daily infections; they're on the cusp of squashing even the smallest of outbreaks. Risks remain but we're in a good place.

Now the bad news. Politicians and health experts won't fix the second crisis: the economic damage from domestic and international shutdowns which already has banks like Westpac setting aside $22 billion to cover rising bad debts and defaults,...

Bringing Your Best Self in Moments that Matter

The Chief Executive of a well known Australian enterprise engaged me last year to coach him through a difficult period. Unplanned changes to the Executive Team, misfiring  technology implementations, and slow growth in a new channel were creating a lot of 'noise' for the CE across the organisation and with a somewhat divided Board.

There were many technical challenges (structure, processes, financials), but the real issues were the complex adaptive challenges (Board confidence, strategy execution in a tough environment,...

Clarity is the Key

Imagine you are driving through the busy, jumbled streets of Mumbai.

Where do you focus your attention? How do you navigate the endlessly changing streetscape? Could you plan your way through every metre of the journey? What would happen if you turned to gesture angrily at the driver who just cut you off?

Exactly! You’d crash, and soon decide it was impossible to drive in Mumbai. You might be right. But good Mumbai drivers bring a special type of mindset - a Clear Mind.

They’re composed and alert, focused in the moment, scanning for upcoming risks and...

Adrenaline Fuelled Leadership

Have you noticed that heroic acts of leadership are more common in adrenaline fuelled environments, where people feel the need to go beyond their physical and cognitive limits to get the job done?

Is it possible to go to such levels? Of course it is in short bursts. We've all gone beyond those limits at times, however there's an inconvenient truth whenever these experiences last for more than just a few moments.

Self awareness disappears all too quickly when the adrenaline is surging through the minds and bodies of leaders, and three downsides...

Planning for Uncertainty

In the lead up to the Sydney Olympic Games, part of my role as Chief Psychologist was to co-design the pre-briefing process for every athlete and official in the Australian Team (approximately 975 people).

While preparing, I came across a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr which has become one of my favourites (apologies for the slight paraphrasing):

'I seek the simplicity on the far side of complexity'

That quote helped to shape a simple framework or tool which has underpinned my coaching of business leaders and professional sportspeople for the...

Pause for a Moment

Reflect on how we are going to navigate the emotional roller coaster of COVID-19.

Of course, that assumes it will be a roller coaster. However, if my conversations with clients and colleagues this week are any guide, then they are pointing towards a lift in emotional intensity amongst people at work, in families and across the community.

The ebb and flow of feelings seems faster and more pointed. Of course there is some joy and fun, but there is a rising tone of fear, worry and frustration.

Loss in many forms is with us, and it is spreading ahead of the virus.

• Loss of...

Our Unpredictable World

Never in the living memory of anyone except the very elderly has the world faced such threat and disruption to our way of life.

No one can predict what will happen over the next six months as the pandemic continues its spread across the globe.

Understandably, governments are clamouring to address the health risks as the number one priority. Inevitably the economy will be amongst the key casualties, and we will see more examples of politics keeps getting in the way, and the media stoking the natural reactions of people to be fearful.

You are a Leader

As a leader...