The Leadership Challenge Middle East

The year is done and we move on to the next.  Do we leave the problems of the past year in the trashcan and move on? Hopefully each of those problems were a lesson, a learning and what arose from the ashes, hopefully became a significant success. “How can we do it better? “ should be a mantra for all leaders. The leader’s role is to look to the future, certainly not to live in the past, but to tak...

Another year is finishing and we prepare for the next year. Another major project has been completed and we prepare for the next one. Of course, both of these events have one thing in common for all leaders. That is, the review: where were we successful? What are the successes we can celebrate? What did we learn? What can we improve next time? Because we’re about to enter a new year, the leader wi...

Three things are certain in this life: death, taxes, and you will leave your job. Maybe not this week, maybe not next year.  There may be a promotion there may be a position in another organization. Or you may resign or retire. What happens when the leader leaves, for any of those or other reasons?  If you’re planning on leaving, maybe due to retirement in the next year or so, have you thought abo...

Leadership has one objective. It’s always and only the outcome which is the reason for leadership. Leadership brings everyone together with a 'shared vision'. Everyone knows where they are going, the view to the mountain peak is clear. And performance is the ‘engine’ which will take the team there, to reach the objective. Leadership is personal, leaders build relationships. So how does t...

If leadership is a behavior and leadership is 24/7, how and when does the leader’s day begin? Leadership is also an attitude and that attitude drives behavior. If leadership behavior is 24/7, then typically the leader will be looking forward to the day ahead. The leader might begin the day by reflecting - “what can I do today to be a better leader than I was yesterday? “ Remember – leadership requ...

In the organizational environment… the corporate world… we tend to regard leaders as operating with their team, their division and the company overall.  These same people – at whatever level – also operate or interact with external clients or business partners.   So at what point does the leader stop being a leader?   Consider a situation where a difficulty arises in the arrangement: the client or...

Leadership and the Value of Appreciation  Leaders inspire. Leaders motivate. Quite possibly the simplest and most powerful way to achieve both of these is the appreciation shown genuinely to individuals and the team by the leader. Research continues to show that 98% of people so they perform at their best when they’re given encouragement. Encouragement is appreciation. It might be a simple “Thank...

Leadership and Unethical Behavior  Un - ethical. Without ethics.  How would you feel working for someone whose ethics were at least questionable? Is that person a leader? Surely not as without ethics, how will that person build relationships? How can that person be a leader if his or her values are not aligned with the values of the organization … And may even be the polar opposite. Consider Ahmed...

Leadership and Resilience  Your client has just ‘pulled the pin’ on a project you’ve given your heart and soul on for six months. They blame budget cuts. Two key members of your team have just decided to move on. How will you find replacements? A new player has just entered the market as direct competition for your company and three of your major clients have ‘jumped ship’. You’re having significa...

Leaders Who Don’t Want Promotion  “But of course I want a promotion. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it? It’s called career progression. Oh, and a salary increase - of course.“    We keep saying in these weekly videos that leadership is everyone’s business – but let me be very clear : leadership is not about the promotion. The discussion this week is based on an instance where someone was promote...

Leaders and Workplace Politics  “Office politics ? Here ? Nah ! Except maybe…one person… occasionally. “ Of course we’re all working as a team. Of course we’re collaborating to get the best results. And of course, sometimes just sometimes there is ego in the room. Ego unfortunately drives behaviors which are directed at gaining personal power and influence. Collusion, withholding information, and...

Leaders Create Learners “Why should I encourage you to learn? You’re here to do a job.” We could call that ‘manager-talk’. We know that the best leaders are the best learners. They may even say: “I learn from my people every day.” They also know that if they provide learning opportunities for those they are leading, all of those respond positively not only because of the new learning which they wi...

Leaders Are the Best Listeners Leadership is everyone’s business. Listening is leaders’ business. We all take listening for granted. We are all, at some stage and in some situations, guilty of poor listening, of not focusing on the speaker’s words and what they are really saying. And listening is a critical skill for leaders. Listening, especially in times of pressure, may seem unnecessary but in...

“Whaaat ?  No, that cannot be.” “I have more experience that’s why I’m in charge.” No, that may have been the case twenty years ago, when managers became managers because they could handle every job function. Often they were promoted because of the level of functional experience. Leaders do not have to know ‘every competency’ in order to successfully lead.  Issues of the levels of competency may a...

We’ve all been ‘told’ what to do. We’ve all been ‘told’ how to do it. But being asked : “How will you feel when we’ve achieved this amazing outcome together?” Or  “What do you need from me to make this happen?” creates a very different feeling in the mind of person hearing it, from the directive of ‘Do it this way’. Managers are really good at reminding their staff what they should be doing.  The...

Leaders Create Meetings Which Motivate Meetings ! Meetings are an essential part of our working lives. Whether it’s three people or thirty… in person or virtual…short or … painfully running over time, we must be part of meetings. When the manager calls the meeting, the focus is more likely to be on timelines, budgets, procedures, and systems. But the leader conducts a very different meeting. It ma...

We’ve all heard the pre-flight safety briefing: “Take the oxygen mask and place it over your nose.”  You can’t help anyone unless you first look after yourself. Then you can share your oxygen mask when you first take care of the most important person.  The same applies to leaders. Even as a leader, you may take on stress during the day …  Even though the team are all working extremely well to achi...

Leaders Have Impact with Stories  As children, we are told or read stories from a very early age. Parents tell their children stories and the children are engaged and enthralled in the telling of the story. Stories are told in every culture. Stories are fundamental in every faith. They are passed down from generation to generation.  Because we are so conditioned to listening to and enjoying storie...

Uncertainty is real.  By definition it is unexpected. Organizations are faced with uncertainty ... from economic factors, to pandemics, to climate change... to meeting sales targets and even if the client meeting will begin on time. Uncertainty can lead to significant impacts on resources and  time  or the impact may be minor, and even fleeting. Leaders will have built relationship with their foll...

We all know the old saying that employees don't leave companies or organizations - they leave managers. This is still very true today. The simple solution is to LEAD. Leaders create followers who want to stay, who are productive and who are engaged. The impact of employees leaving is significant. Not only is there the immediate impact on the recruitment team to find replacements  but the ulti...