Risk is the currency of progress.....

Last week I attended a business breakfast and when everyone was asked “what would you tell your younger self when you started out in your career or business?”, the resounding response was “just get out there and do it”.

So, risk  – and that intangible fine line between taking the plunge compared with convincing yourself not to do something.

Being a bit of a Jason Statham fan (we all have our guilty pleasures…), I was watching The Mechanic the other night and one quote which stuck in mind was “good judgment comes from experience and experience from bad judgment”.

And it’s these bad judgments or negative experiences that prevent so many of us from ‘just getting out there and doing it’ - whatever the ‘it’ is for you. It seems to be the standout trait that we hear about time again that separates the achievers from the also-rans; the ability to take the hits, adapt and evolve stronger.

When I wrote my last newsletter, Dakar Team GB had just set out on one of the greatest challenges known to man (in my humble opinion anyway). They’re all back safe and sound - a stupendous achievement, especially for Toby Younger who had entered the Dakar for the first time and finished, got a medal.

What an inspiration. He took the risks that others wouldn’t – not only life and limb but also that slightly more indefinable element around mindset and getting out there and going for it, come what may.

Extraordinary things can happen when we take the risk, embrace the mindset and become alert to the potentially life changing opportunities that may lie ahead.

There are no guarantees of success. But things will most definitely ‘happen’ and the world will look a little different.

So, if risk is the currency of progress, what will you spend yours on today? From working with boards and senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies, through to some of the most innovative and creative SMEs, I’ve seen first hand that risk taking pays off; new territories, products, people, ideas, experiences, luck… profits.

On a more ephemeral note, another quote from the movie - “listen to your heart, it may be homesick for somewhere you’ve never been”.

Be it a new role, product, business or speaking opportunity, the New Year always brings with it a yearning in all of us for change, progress, new experiences and new ideas – the leap of faith (listening to your heart) that takes us on a journey we never knew was out there for us (to be homesick for).

Can you get that new business, position, adventure or board seat you might crave if you don’t take a risk? Perhaps.

But what would happen if you did take that leap?

Festive cheer and holding your nerve.......

At this time of year one can't but help observe, and get wrapped up in (excuse the pun), the flurry of excitement and momentum building up to Christmas.

There is also an uplift in humility and genuine goodwill to all men and women, which is never a bad thing.

But for businesses it can often be a lean period. The economy is undoubtedly experiencing a downturn and many individuals and businesses are finding it a very difficult time indeed – resulting in what seems to be a slight panic in the air (which is nothing to do with the hypothetical Aunt Bessie or having to face sprouts on Christmas day).

There's no question it's tough out there, but it is what it is, and if ever there was a time for resilience and grit, it’s now.  These are the qualities that so often see us through the troubled times.

I heard a song this morning on my way into London and one of the lines was 'don't look back, have faith in what you choose'. I like that - and how true. Keeping faith in our choices, especially when the stakes are high, can be particularly challenging. Yet always looking back will leave us rooted in the past, and perhaps not equipped to deal with the present. Things move quickly and we need to move with them.

Not wanting to let go (be it personally or in a business environment) can sometimes mean doing things that just don’t make sense anymore. The secret is about being bold, making tough decisions and then backing yourself.

Don’t let setbacks knock you off your stride.

Earlier this month, I had the fortune of going to the launch of DakarGB; the Dakar rally which, to my mind anyway, is very possibly one of the most gruelling races on the planet. There are not only extremes of temperature and unimaginable dust, but also an almost certain likelihood of chronic sleep deprivation and genuine personal risk of injury if not worse.

It requires supreme levels of fitness and stamina, and incredible reserves of mental strength to hold one's nerve and keep faith in your ability.

As some of you know, I learnt how to ride a motorbike this year in order to take an off road trip for charity across the Pyrenees and I'm not ashamed to say that it was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

But during the dark days, and the euphoric highs, it made me realise that the rules are essentially the same if you’re riding a motorbike, running a business or building a career. The barriers stopping us from progressing are as much about self-belief, perception and inspiring confidence in others as they are about aptitude or capability.

So if the going gets tough in the coming months keep remembering that one simple thing - hold your nerve.

As the song I was listening to earlier also says, ‘life can sense your attitude’! 

Positivity and optimism can go such a long way.

Wishing you a magical festive season filled with joy, fun and inspiration. 

The art of effective leadership

Did you ever see an engineer rushing?  No, I haven’t either, from the pits in a Formula one race to the construction of an astonishing multi level skyscraper.

Someone recalled a well-worn statement, yet nevertheless true, to a colleague earlier in the week.  You can choose how you behave or what thoughts will define your day, if you really want to.  He went on to say, it’s a bit like choosing what to wear in the morning.  It’s a cognitive choice, wallowing in whatever current upset or perceived disaster that may or may not be around the corner or just taking the day in hand, what comes with it and with an open heart. 

Uh oh  - I realize, I may have just left a few readers cold.  With an open heart, at work, in my professional environment, at a tough board meeting, in a challenging sales negotiation, on an oil rig, in the desert under fire.  Yes, is the short answer.  Having had the privilege to work with individuals that run oil rigs, race teams, engineers, those the boards of Fortune 100, FTSE 250 companies and decorated servicemen amongst others, I’ve observed first hand that the most effective leaders are very aware of their people ( and of course themselves) and have an ‘open heart’ and an ‘open mind’. 

So, what do I mean by this: -

Anyone who gets to a leadership position has not made it  (yet!).  It is only the beginning.  Being a leader doesn’t make you one, however by doing the things that great leaders do and influencing and encouraging your teams behaviour you’ll be 9/10’s of the way there. 

Effective leaders establish values, model behaviour, encourage, nurture and support, reward, are firm when necessary and give feedback. Great leaders will foster self-leadership in individuals, teams and the wider organization. 

One very good way of measuring a leader’s success is by measuring the success of his or her people.  A strong leader will facilitate the self-leadership in others.  After all, the first step is self-leadership and if there’s none of that, the leadership of others is going to be mighty difficult. 

Set the vision:-

·      Face reality  - how are your thoughts going to command today

·      Focus on the future

·      See change as an opportunity

Be who you are:-

·      Live & breathe your values, lead by example

·      Create a positive self-image and believe in it

·      Display integrity and openness to learning and discovery

Build capability:-

·      Build infrastructure

·      Leverage diversity

·      Leverage skills

·      Build teams

·      Enable change to happen

·      Allow people to think, challenge and experiment

Enable individuals:-

·      Believe in people especially when you don’t agree

·      Allow emotions and listen in the moment

·      Manage attention, pay attention

·      Share power and authority

·      Build collaborative relationships

And ……..enjoy!

And as for the rushing……we all have to sometimes, even engineers I’m reliably informed(but it’s rare?!)

'Caught or Taught'

Caught or taught?

I was at my daughter’s school this week for parents’ evening and one of her teacher’s stands out as being exceptionally good at what he does. Undoubtedly a very good teacher i.e. the ‘taught’ bit however it also occurred to me that the way he speaks and behaves is ‘caught’ perhaps by the kids too.

He has a certain way about him when the children are getting a bit wayward shall we say (some might say challenging) however I don’t think I have once heard him raise his voice or shout at the children. This hasn’t been reported back either and it often does – stories about the ‘shouty’ teachers as they’re affectionately dubbed! There is certainly a sort of ‘inspiring mood’ in the room when he is teaching.

It got me thinking about a group I worked with last year who have a rather challenging boss, abrasive, somewhat insensitive and inconsistent to boot. Whilst this boss is remote, it occurred to me that some of these behaviours were being ‘caught’ even though the team in question, were focusing on ‘upping their game’ and behaving much more effectively as a team. Some of the behaviours we came across were around territories, responsibility and accountability, blame games – a number of which I believe were being ‘caught’ from on high.

Their development as a team and as individuals came from unpicking some of these less successful behaviours and finding a mechanism both as a group and as individuals that would help them stay true to their purpose. They have also identified the ‘taught’ and the ‘caught’ - not that we identified it as such at the time.

As a leader what are you teaching and what are people catching from you? It will be your brilliance as well as those little behaviours or habits that don’t serve us so well?

Question:-

As a leader what did you teach someone today?

As a leader what did your people ‘catch’ from you? Inspiration, eloquence, calm under pressure or something altogether different?