The Power of Feedback in Leadership Development

Posted on 8 November, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

giving and receiving feedback“One key to successful leadership is continuous personal change. Personal change is a reflection of our inner growth and empowerment.”
– Robert E. Quinn

Getting feedback may not always feel comfortable but it’s definitely a powerful ally and gift in the leadership journey.  Regardless of whether its formal or informal feedback – it invariably enables us to consider things which may previously have been out of our sight, even a blind spot.

The insights received from feedback leads us to adapt, modify or change a perceived behavior flaw resulting in improved performance and greater positive impact.

Feedback on our strengths is an even greater enabler.  It helps us leverage and maximise our strengths for even greater results.

And ultimately it helps us grow as people.

Joseph Folkman addresses 35 principles for turning feedback into personal and professional change in his very easy to read and highly recommended book “The power of feedback.” 

Here is a random list of 12 from his 35 principles: Continue reading →

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12 Leadership Lessons from the World Class All Blacks

Posted on 2 November, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

fireworks RM and groupGreatness is the ability to consistently deliver peak performance regardless of opponent, occasion or what happened the week before.
– Steve Hansen and Ritchie McCaw views as quoted in the New Zealand Herald

The All Blacks are the first team ever to have won the Rugby World Cup three times including back to back titles.

And to achieve this, they have shown nothing short of high performance, excellence in teamwork, composure, self and team knowledge, and a grounded self-belief throughout the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

On the emotional front, who can resist the following – the spiritual power of the haka as it throws out a challenge to the opponents while acknowledging and drawing on the energies of all those giants who have worn the jersey before them; the indelible joy on the faces of the players, team management and all the supporters when an unexpected try has been scored or when a practiced move has come off in actual play; the natural show of group hugs and flying leaps of the ecstatic players as they land in a delirious mound.

But it is not just about Rugby.  There are some powerful leadership, team and life lessons we learn from this world-class team with a win ratio percentage of 90 plus.

Here are 12 lessons:  Continue reading →

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Watch Your Inner Saboteur

Posted on 24 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

stressed manAre you hampering your success or perhaps the next move by focusing on what you don’t have rather all that you do?

Is there a strong heartfelt desire, a felt sense, calling or aspiration which,  as yet remains unfulfilled?

If you do, just check in with yourself that you are not hampering this by focusing on the block(s) rather than all the resources and enablers already in your toolkit.

When we are energetically blocked, in the grip of the “small me” and stampeded by the inner saboteur – conscious or unconscious, we are not doing justice to all those we could be serving or indeed ourselves.

This point was highlighted to me in my unexpected conversations with several colleagues this week.

Watch that the inner critic is not running the show! Continue reading →

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12 Questions for Building a High Performance Team

Posted on 24 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

jrfuThe power of teamwork was proven in a very dramatic and unexpected way with the result of the Japan and South Africa pool match in the Rugby World Cup this last weekend.

Japan, the underdogs faced the seeming insurmountable odds in taking on the might of South Africa – one of the world’s great rugby sides.

Japan summoned an incredible self-belief  and energy in not backing down from the physicality imposed by their opponents.

There is a great lesson here in teamwork for us in the workplace. Despite any obstacles, how could your team harness its resources to achieve the desired results?

Here are twelve key questions to discuss with your team: Continue reading →

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Leaders in Transition

Posted on 24 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

Hilary PottsI am delighted to have Hilary Potts as my guest this month.

Hilary Potts is a leadership strategist, and business coach specializing in organizational change and executive transition. A former C-suite executive with vast global experience, she helps senior leaders navigate today’s intensively competitive business world with success. She is the author of “The Executive Transition Playbook.” As the Founder of The HAP Group, Hilary is devoted to enabling others to perform at their best during times of change. With her guidance, leaders get clear on the direction, and people work together to make better decisions and execute plans more efficiently. You can find more at www.HilaryPotts.com.

1) What prompted you to write this book?

I wrote The Executive Transition Playbook to share proven strategies to successfully maximize the short time frame leaders have to get up-to-speed and make key contributions.

As a change expert, business coach and operating executive, I have seen the challenges incoming leaders face in entering new roles. The entry of a new executive signifies a change which is often overlooked. Unfortunately, over 40% of executives entering new roles fail within the first 18 months and many struggle silently as they try to figure out how to navigate in the new environment.

Throughout the years I’ve noticed some consistent themes in successful transitions and the potential traps experienced by leaders who move too quickly to action without fully understanding the business or the role. The Executive Transition Playbook shares a step-by-step approach for executives to create a leader transition strategy and to look at all the key aspects of the business. Continue reading →

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Leadership: Fostering a Culture of Inclusivity

Posted on 5 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

InclusivityRelationships change us, reveal us, evoke more from us. Only when we join with others do our gifts become visible, even to ourselves.
– M. Wheatley & M. Keller-Rogers

How much of you, your full self can you bring to work currently?

Or are you having to try hard, to make a case and to show how actually despite your different looks, gender, culture, skin colour, language, practices and other differences, you are just like everyone else and not too dissimilar from the majority or dominant group.

The need for a sense of belonging is a fundamental wiring of being human.

I had an interesting discussion on culture and identity with a Maori elder a few weeks back.

As a cross-cultural consultant, he works with community, religious and organisational leaders in how to engage better with Maoris.

He said he loved his job because all he had to do was to be a Maori.

How wonderfully empowering for him and those he is serving!
Continue reading →

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Three Simple Strategies for Networking Success

Posted on 5 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

Networking“Authenticity is what makes a relatable person believable. It is what makes the relatability sustainable. Anyone can fake relatability for a time, but authenticity is what makes it real.”
– Michele Jennae, The Connectworker

Are you a reluctant networker?  So many times, I have heard my smart, capable and savvy clients cringe when the word “networking” comes into the conversation.

There is an immediate reaction – almost like a physical recoiling – especially for those with a more introverted nature.

The common phrase is “I do it but I don’t enjoy it or feel comfortable.”

And yet in our business and personal lives, networking including meeting, greeting and getting to know others is an essential part of business development.

And remember, the time to build a network is not when you need one!

This point was really brought home when I was coaching executives who were looking to change jobs. They had been so ‘into their jobs’ that they had chosen to  ignore this essential relationship and business building side of their personal and professional lives.   They failed to realise the value of networks until they needed it.

So here are three simple points which could help you next time be it with your internal or external networks.

Continue reading →

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Leadership: Receiving Feedback

Posted on 5 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

Feedback-2-blond-women1Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
– Winston Churchill

Okay – hands up  if  you have gotten defensive in the face of expected or unexpected feedback sometime this year?  Yes?  Me too.

Our neurobiology is such that we do end up having the threat response of fight
(if not flight or freeze) well up and even take over on occasions.

The other reaction we commonly have to feedback is that we ASSUME that  the other person has a motive and worse, sometimes even justify our defensiveness because ‘WE KNOW’ what that motive is!

And more often than not,  we can also be wrong on both counts.
We don’t really know the other person’s intent or motive; only how we feel.

Following on from the theme of my last post here are seven considerations to keep in mind when receiving any formal or informal feedback:

Continue reading →

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Leadership: Giving and Receiving Feedback

Posted on 5 September, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

giving and receiving feedback“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
-Ken Blanchard

Giving and receiving feedback helps us grow both at work and in our personal lives.

At work, giving and receiving feedback  is a key part of a manager or leader’s life. And it has a significant bearing on performance outcomes, individual and team morale and the organisation culture.

At work, some examples of when feedback to team members or peers is required include – not keeping agreements, making cynical comments to suggestions in meetings, not delivering on time, putting the company down,  the blame approach that “it’s always someone else’s fault”  and or not living the company’s values.

Unaddressed, negative behaviour and attitudes become more pervasive, entrenched and toxic with time.

All these behaviours become a hindrance to good working relationships and performance as well as being a potential career breaker.

Unfortunately though, living and receiving feedback is something that we aren’t naturally good at. Whether at work or home, sometimes it feels easier to ignore, avoid or minimise than to have the needed conversation.

Continue reading →

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What is Your Leadership Style?

Posted on 9 August, 2015 by jasbindar.singh

leadership styleTo lead people, walk beside them … As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate … When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!
– Lao-Tsu

How effective is your current leaderships style?

Is it getting the results you want?
Even if your style is working, it is not uncommon that a different organisational context and culture will challenge and test you.

Some years ago, research by consulting firm Hay/McBer and  Daniel Goleman in his article, “Leadership that gets results” found six distinct leadership styles, each arising from different components of emotional intelligence.

The six styles along with the common phrase are:

Continue reading →

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