Leadership In Chaos

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed. it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead   It’s almost 2 years to the day since I began this podcast and 50 episodes later, I wanted to pause and momentarily to Zoom Out and reflect.   It was Friday 13th (the clue was in the date?!) when I sat in the Cheltenham racecourse car park on a 1hr ca...

“In every situation there is a space between the situation and how you respond”. Viktor Frankl     Think about this : The quality and situation of your life right now is the aggregate total of every decision you have ever made. Luck certainly plays a part - and there have been many “sliding doors” moments I’m sure, but ultimately, it is not what happened in those moments, but rather how you respon...

“There is no way to Happiness. Happiness is the way.” Thich Nhat Hanh   In response to the reaction from the “Leadership Manifesto – 22 Principles for ‘22” episode, I have been persuaded to build out the Manifesto into a season, with each episode delving into the principles one by one, and in greater detail. Starting with #22 we will work backwards principle-by-principle until we arrive an #1. Tha...

Frank Capra’s seasonal classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” turned 75 years last year and, like many, once again I watched the movie during the holiday period. This time around, however, coloured no doubt by our present environment, I saw something different. I saw it primarily as a treatise on the fragility and uncertainty of life.    George Bailey has big dreams of adventure way beyond small-town Bed...

The popularised phrase “New Normal” is at best lazy, and at worst destructively misleading for leadership in every dimension – language, expectation and mindset. Yet people continue to strive for and promote it. For 30 years, the most popular remark I’ve consistently heard from leaders going through change is “I can’t wait until this is over and we can return to normal”. Funny thing is, it never h...

COP26 represented the world’s greatest “strategy off-site” in Glasgow recently, featuring the not insignificant, high-stakes leadership quest of safe-guarding our planet. Whilst our own leadership challenges are, by definition, less lofty and smaller in scale, the same conundrums of clarity of vision & purpose; stakeholders buy-in; sustaining commitment and much more, still very much apply.  I...

Last month saw the passing of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow – the seminal work that describes the human state of happiness, optimal experience and high performance. The book (and his research) has subsequently influenced everything from office design, to how to train soldiers, website and video game design amongst everything else. In this episode, I commemorate the author by synthesizing...

According to Peter Drucker – if management is about doing things right, then leadership is doing the right things. I took a break from the Podcast for some Zooming Out time during summer but, since my return, have found it a very big challenge to return to the discipline of the broadcast because of competing pressures. This episode uses this most typical challenge to ask (and answer!) the question...

In this sub-set of the mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos I focus on Trust. Isn’t it peculiar that whilst everyone agrees that Trust is a crucial ingredient to growing high performance in a team, I have never - in almost 30 years working with teams globally - been asked to host a conversation to discuss the topic specifically. In this episode I explore why this is. I also share a more workable...

In this fourth part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos I reflect on how nearly all leaders know what it’s like to be part of a highly effective team, but very few know how to build one. I also consolidate the 5 Agreements a team needs to make, and explore the 4 Commitment Cards to arrive at those agreements so that the team members feel committed, not just compliant.   Insights include: Ho...

In this third part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos as leaders look to Reset, Realign and Refocus their Teams, “Agreeing the How” concentrates on the importance of common understanding and commitment to How we best work together to get things done. Insights include: How Behaviour is the orphaned child of Effectiveness Why Task is consistently prioritised over Behaviour Why talking about...

In this second part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos as leaders look to Reset, Realign and Refocus their Teams, “Agreeing the Why” concentrates on the importance of connecting a team to its purpose, as a chief source of meaning and motivation.   Insights include: Why Purpose and Mission gets a bad rap (and why it’s richly deserved). Why it’s so important to approach it right & the pa...

In this first part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos , Part 1 observes how the Covid story is writing itself, chapter by chapter, and how the latest chapter is giving grounds for optimism, as Leaders are gradually now looking to Reset, Realign and Refocus their Teams. This mini-season focuses on helping you with the how and why.   Insights include: ·        The 5 Chapters of Covid (so far...

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?”  In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here. Insights include: Revi...

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland, and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode, I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?” In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here.  Insights include: Re...

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland, and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode, I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?” In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here.  Insights include: Re...

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland, and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode, I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?” In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here. Insights include: Rev...

People out there are really struggling. And the Chaos has moved from external disruption (economy and autonomy) to internal questioning as we struggle for meaning. In this episode I focus on what this means for leaders and their role.  Insights include: How the Leader today has now become the white-collar frontline worker The 3 Migrating Stages of people’s struggle during the pandemic Finding Mean...

In this episode I focus on what the leader’s role is in restoring a sense of control to help with people’s struggle around morale, motivation, and mental health.  Insights include: Insights from Flow CEO Forum on what keeps them awake at night Facebook CFO’s advice to graduating accountant for their future career The real answer to “Why people don’t do what they’re supposed to do” Motivation Psych...

In this episode I focus on why, counter-intuitively, Prioritising & Planning become even more crucial in Chaos.  Insights include: How Leadership is a delicate blend of feeling and action What is the leadership contribution Why Prioritise and Plan when there are no right answers The real reason Leaders resist setting direction 3 Cs – How to set a Direction that inspires Related Episodes: Episo...

In this important Omnibus episode, the first of 2021, I share a simple but profound and effective way to prepare yourself for a better 2021 – in spite of the Chaos.  The Leader's PPE stands for: P – Perspective (Scripting the right Story) P – Priorities (Choosing the right Action) E – Equilibrium (Maintaining Resilience)   The method is both holistic and human, and can be applied by both lead...

In the final Episode of 2020 I select the top 5 Leadership lessons we can extract from the most trying of years.  Lessons include: Leadership is critical & not just necessary during Chaos Life is random, discriminating, and unfair: meet it where it is The “What’s Possible” mindset The Old World wasn’t perfect anyway People double down on their real self during Chaos Support the show

At a time when people are feeling increasing disconnection, this week I explore how to deepen connection. In this episode I explain: What Star Wars has to do with building connection How we often think we’re building connection when in fact we’re not How our Tacit Wisdom is stronger than our intellectual knowledge What to focus on to deepen connection …And ..our discomfort with silence Support the...

This week Ian discusses how to approach those Difficult Conversations. In this episode Ian explains: Why conversations are more difficult during a pandemic crisis How you need to get “Comfortable with Uncomfortable” How your Mindset influences the conversation outcome The opportunity in the Difficult …And how – approached correctly – there is often an even better way Support the show

In this episode Ian explains how leadership impact is real, and really matters. Also: Leadership and the Law of Cause and Effect How the CEO is also the CCO (Chief Culture Officer) Leadership’s Great Underestimation The link between autocratic leadership and gun sales What 19th century detective novels have to do with Leadership Support the show