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How does effective leadership create success for organisations?

By creating a culture in which individuals are enabled to contribute at their highest level of capability and continue to develop towards their full potential. Then, by harnessing those individual contributions in the service of the organisation’s purpose with wisdom, energy, decisiveness and humility.

Where does your passion for leadership come from?

I learned lessons about what constitutes good leadership from many sources long before I thought about these qualities as ‘Leadership’. I was lucky to know and work with people who set examples of moral courage, sense of purpose, steadfastness, humanity and so forth.

When I joined The Leadership Trust under its founder, David Gilbert-Smith, in 1990 I began to see how profoundly the experience of its leadership development programmes could affect people and – in some cases – radically change their lives and their thinking for the better. This capacity for change was what inspired and excited me then and it still does!

Background

• Early career teaching English and Drama
• Course Director at Leadership Trust 1990 – 1994
• Leadership & Team development in UK and South Africa 1995 -2005
• Head of Learning & Development (UK construction sector) 2005 – 2010
• Senior Associate at Leadership Trust 2011 to present

How does effective leadership create success for organisations?  

Successful organisations thrive through an environment that embodies trust, openness, creativity, honesty, adaptability and purpose. As leaders we set the tone and atmosphere within our teams through our words, actions and behaviour. All too often we see organisations where the leadership stifles these essential qualities – effectively condemning themselves to mediocrity or failure.  

Where did your passion for leadership come from?  

My passion for Leadership stems from two sources. From my 25 years as a Director and Leader in the financial services and professional services/consultancy sectors learning how to lead diverse teams sometimes spread across 4 continents – often learning the hard way! In parallel, 20 years as an associate coach/facilitator and more recently as a course director at the Leadership Trust, has allowed me to see the huge personal growth people can make through leadership development.  

Background

• 25 years of real leadership experience at executive level.
• Masters degree in Coaching & Mentoring.  
• Course Director for the Leading Change, Strategic Leadership and many bespoke Integrated Leadership programmes.
• Delivered leadership programmes across Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and N. America.
• Specialises in creating and delivering long term integrated programmes blending
multiple experiential modules with coaching and action learning.

How does effective leadership create success?

This is a very complex question. Leadership is essentially about building and sustaining cultures of high performing, energised, and motivated teams in order to enable creativity, innovation, collaboration, and adaptive thinking and action. 

Effective leadership creates sustained and embedded success when leadership is shared. This happens most effectively when top leaders encourage and inspire acts of leadership across all levels of the organisation. Effective leadership, then, means developing leadership capabilities in others, and enabling people to make their unique contributions to the organisation’s success through their many cumulative acts of leadership.

Where did my passion for leadership come from? 

Many of us initially learn about leadership from personal experience when working for both good and bad role models. I was no exception. In the early years of my career I encountered both outstanding leadership and appalling leadership. The difference in how I felt about my work when inspired by an outstanding leader compared with being demotivated by a poor leader was enormous. Later in my career, I began to examine the wider implications of good and bad leadership on organisations, society, and the planet. My passion for leadership grew when I realised how fundamental leadership is for enhancing the quality of all of our lives, not only by creating high performing organisations, but also by building a successful, just, and balanced society.

Background 

• 25 years working in management and leadership development, teaching and developing leaders and mangers globally.
• PhD in Management, widely published in the fields of organisational behaviour and leadership, including authoring three books.
• Previous Director of Research at the Leadership Trust, and continues to advise the Trust on leadership and organisational research.
• Research and teaching specialisms are in the field of international, global and worldly leadership.

How does effective leadership create success for organisation?

Potential. Imagine if everyone in your organisation could bring just 10% more of their potential. With effective leadership throughout the organisation, a good atmosphere is created allowing for mutual trust and respect for everyone’s potential. Rather than competing, support and encouragement draws out strengths that are lying dormant, confidence builds and contribution increases. I believe success comes faster with a focused team using their potential.

Where did your passion for leadership come from?

My passion started whilst working at Akzo, an organisation that truly believed in effective leadership. That resulted in most of us attending the Leadership in Management course, creating a culture and language that was common to us all. I personally love the complexity of leadership. I like variation and each time either the team or the context changes, my leadership has to change or evolve providing new and intriguing challenges that keeps my passion for leadership alive.

Background

• Leadership Trust Facilitator since 1992.
• Leadership Trust Coach and Course Director since 2007.
• 22 years in various Supply Chain/Logistics roles in Pharmaceuticals/Paint/Packaging.
• Leadership experience in Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Change.
• Love to talk about Global and Remote leadership.

How does effective leadership create success for organisations? 

Through generating Followership. It’s a simple and as complicated as that! In organisations with many people it’s not feasible to direct achievement of goals. People have to understand for themselves what is needed. Then they need the skills to do what is required. Finally, and crucially, they need to feel motivated to apply their knowledge and skills. Effective leaders know where their people are on each of these because they have trust. They ensure understanding, skills and motivations come together to create success. 

Where did your passion for leadership come from? 

Originally from great historical leaders like Winston Churchill and more recently from seeing the benefits of great leadership for myself. Churchill said “success is not final, failure is not fatal it is the courage to continue that counts”. I believe that authentic leaders live this by being themselves, showing their mistakes and weaknesses, enabling others to be confident in their actions. Making the best decisions you can, in the moment, creates momentum and I have been lucky to work with some great leaders who have brought this alive. 

Background

• 25 years in FMCG – Mars, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Carlsberg.
• Broad early career including Royal Air Force, GCHQ and B&Q. 
• Qualified coach, for over 12 years, to teams and leaders.
• All about making a difference through good, purposeful conversation.

How does effective leadership create success for organisation?

It is chicken and egg for me. People with leadership intent and capability need broader environments in which they can thrive, whilst it is the leaders at the higher levels of the organisations that need to define and embody that organisational purpose and culture. I believe that accelerated and sustained performance will only come for organisations when confident leaders, are allowed to run effective teams within very clear, ambitious and supported culture. 

Where did your passion for leadership come from?

A curiosity of people, as a fifth generation officer in the British Army, a constant need for purpose and progress, leading professional cricket and rugby teams, a belief that things can always be better, and as a previous and current Director of retailers, hospitality companies, service sector organisations and charities. 

Background

• 10 years as an officer in the British Army.
• 10 years as a Director for Whitbread, Showplace Hospitality and National Car Parks.
• 15 years as a Director, Coach, Facilitator, Consultant and Trainer in Strategic Clarity, Leadership Development, Organisational Change, Management Development and Customer Service.

How does effective leadership create success for organisations?

Lao Tzu effectively summed up leadership when he said that ‘a leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves’. What was true over 2,500 years ago is still true today. Leadership releases potential throughout an organisation to enable people to be better than they might think they can be. In doing so, it helps the individuals and the organisation meet unexpected challenges, seize opportunities, and meet customers’ ever growing expectations. Give people the opportunity, and they will never cease to amaze you with their ingenuity and brilliance. 

Where does your passion for leadership come from?

Initially from the sports field where Aristotle’s maxim that ‘the sum is greater than the parts’ is as relevant for the amateur, the professional, the corporate, the public sector and the not-for-profit organisation. Having been fortunate to play in truly high performing teams, I then spent 24 years in The Royal Marines where teamwork and leadership at all levels was a requirement and was present on a daily basis. I then became fascinated with the difference between command and leadership and after a seminal week at The Leadership Trust was a Programme Director for five years. I simply adore what I am privileged to do – walk along side people and organisations as they grow and develop to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. 

Background

• 24 years as a Royal Marines Officer – mainly operational including working in The Ministry of Defence (Central Planning Staff for the 1st Gulf War), Northern Ireland, Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• 5 years as a Programme Director at The Leadership Trust.
• BSc in Systems and Management.
• MA in Leadership.
• Adviser to the BBC on defence matters.

How does effective leadership create success for organisations?

Effective leadership recognises the need for balance across all aspects of the business including risk, innovation and stakeholder engagement to create a healthy entity. As such it embodies humility, tenacity and passion at every level to develop a culture in which everyone it touches feels significant whatever their involvement or role. For this to happen, leaders who are effective seek to understand themselves, engage with their emotions in an authentic manner, surround themselves with great people, develop everyone and share success.

Where does your passion for leadership come from?

There is no one single source; a range of people from my parents, (some) teachers and outstanding people I have worked with have had a terrific influence on me and have led me to firmly believe that leaders and leadership is down to nurture not nature. As such, searching for and utilising potential in everyone – rather than a select few – is both the most important and most rewarding responsibility of every leader. To work with people and aid them on their journey to be at their best is a marvellous privilege. I also have 4 rules by which I look to live my life – do things that make you happy, do the right thing (without exception), do something that stretches and challenges you and live your life with purpose. My work helps me strive to all four!

Background

• Varied career in engineering, manufacturing, computer and financial services organisations.
• Fifteen years experience running programmes on personal leadership, strategic leadership, team-building, change management and crucial conversations across 5 continents. 
• Twenty years experience in coaching a range of clients from high potential graduates to Board Directors. 

How does effective leadership create success for organisations?

Ask anyone working with a poor leader what the impact on the organisation is and you start getting some answers; low morale, poor performance, conflicts, inefficiencies… by contrast, effective leaders create success by engaging their people, giving them a sense of direction, purpose and belonging. They know themselves well and they also know, trust and value their people. They sense when to steer and more importantly when to get out of the way (or in one of my colleague’s words “take their hands off the hand break”)

Where did my passion for leadership come from?

I had the privilege of experiencing superb leadership in my early 20s while at BT and my boss at the time, Loic Le Friec sent me to the Leadership Trust for a week long course. I fell in love there and then with both leadership and experiential learning. Leadership was not the mysterious gift of a few chosen ones after all! It could be taught and it worked! I have not looked back since. 

Back ground

• Training and coaching delivered in Swahili to small businesses and NGOs business and fund raising skills in Africa as part of Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO).
• An associate of The Leadership Trust since 1996.
• Executive Coaching, Facilitation and Leadership Development training in numerous countries across Europe and Africa. 
• Actively working with NGOs and charities in women’s development and in education. 
• Training and coaching to many organisations including HSBC, PwC, DuPont, World Health Organisation, Ardagh, Forum for the Future, Concern Universal and TE connectivity. 

How does effective leadership create success for organisation?

Through encouraging and enabling their people to give their best, at all times, in all situations, at all levels. Effective leaders do what they say they will do, gaining trust and respect from others. Success for an organisation goes beyond a set of learned behaviours, effective leaders draw on their courage, show integrity, have tolerance, understand the needs of their team and the organisation whilst being decisive and getting the job done. 

Where did your passion for leadership come from?

Over 20 years ago I attended a leadership programme here at The Leadership Trust. I enjoyed the feeling of being challenged experientially in a safe environment. I went on to become an Associate Trust Facilitator, building on from that early experience through enabling and developing others. I applied this learning to my clinical and leadership roles both in the NHS and charity healthcare sector. I love to work alongside people who are both enthusiastic and determined, willing to learn together, and take responsibility in times of success and challenge. 

Background2

• 25 years experience as a Facilitator.
• Accredited Corporate and Executive coach.
• Accredited Course Director.
• BSc, Clinical Studies and Leadership.
• PG (Dip), Leadership & Management.

How does effective leadership create success for organisations?  

“I am listened to.
I know I can make a difference.
I feel motivated to do more.
I am valued.
I feel energised as I understand.
I am respected and respect others.
I know I am supported.
I feel empowered to think for myself.
I believe in what I am doing.
I am inspired by those around me.”

If there is leadership throughout an organisation which enables each of us to be as above then success is being created.

For success in an organisation there needs to be leadership which enables individuals to be themselves and think for themselves. Many of us would like to be “better” leaders and thus we need to build upon on our natural abilities and learn new skills. Effective leadership needs development of our self-awareness to continue to do what we do well and practice what we don’t do so well.

Where did your passion for leadership come from?  

Through teaching marine conservation I realised that the way I behave and the words and actions I use influence and impact on all those around me. It led me to understand and believe that we all have the capacity to inspire and create an inner energy in others. My passion for leadership comes through knowing that leadership is a balance, an art, a science and above all else a thought-provoking learning curve.

Background

• Marine biologist with a PhD and with a passion for exploring.
• Course Director, facilitator and coach with a passion for learning.
• Former lecturer at the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Cardiff University.
• Coordinator of marine conservation programmes in the UK and Tanzania
• Designer and creator of innovative and impactful leadership, sustainable future and conservation learning experiences.