Leadership is in your DNA - is it time to develop those instincts?

Instinct is essential to making good decisions. If we only use our heads, we may never be fully happy with what we choose to do. But if your instinct is telling you now that you're a natural born leader, why not take a little time to think it through before you act. Here's a short checklist.

1. Is the time right...
... in your industry or market sector? Can you see a hot new area where you could work on something innovative and accomplish something particular? You will achieve a higher profile as a leader if you make a distinctive success on a niche project. Big Fish/Small Pond gets you ready for bigger ponds in future.

... in your company? Is the firm in need of new leaders? Sharp pruning often means that new shoots can develop, so company downsizing and growth can present opportunities. Does your organisation need your kind of leadership - are they open to innovative approaches or needing the security of a safe pair of hands?

... in your career? What risk do you see when assessing whether to seize the leadership opportunity: A) It's High Risk, but you have to take it in order to move onwards; B) It's Medium Risk, looks attractive - but maybe you could wait to see if there's a better time; C) It's Low Risk, a natural progression for you.

2. Ensure that when the opportunity to lead is indeed something you want, you get your timing right. Be prepared.

- Examine your past. Consider what relevant experience is evidence of your leadership capabilities. Think too about the mental baggage that you have accumulated - past failures, dashed hopes, others' expectations and so on. See what you can drop right now and work on how you can use the rest in a useful way, to spur you on.

- Assess the present. Use a SWOT analysis to help check your assumptions. Different people will be very bullish about the Opportunity and ignore the Threat, or vice versa. Either way, being unrealistic will harm your chances of success. Check your assumptions again.

- Look into your crystal ball. What do you want to see in there? When you are a successful leader, what will you be doing, where, how, with whom, saying and hearing what? If you create that vision, then you can specify objectives, set out your routemap, see any gaps. What are you doing to prepare yourself?

3. Go for it! Your instincts have been put to the test by your thinking. Leadership is in your nature but it still needs nurture.

- Get training and/or coaching to help you transition into your new role. You will have new peers, bosses and reports to deal with and you need good skills and effective leadership behaviours.

- Communicate well to all your stakeholders. This improves your chances of success by creating positive perceptions of you and your team. Let people know what you are working on, for which client and do share lessons learnt and success stories.

- Keep thinking ahead. Stay proactive with your leadership of yourself and others. And before making any more big decisions, tap into those instincts - they're essential!

Communication Tip - eye contact

Your awareness of eye contact and its effective use can improve the quality of all face-to-face interactions. Eye contact is a silent dialogue that helps us better understand each other's intentions.

Get comfortable with giving and receiving both more and less eye contact that you typically do, so that you can flex your approach easily when you need to. For example, you might need to work with someone from a different culture who may prefer less eye contact, or you may find yourself needing to increase your assertiveness level without raising your voice.

Here are some ways to enjoy practicing eye contact:

- Make eye contact with a stranger you pass on the street and as you do so, think something positive about them.
- Open your eyes a little wider instead of responding immediately to someone, and see what they say next (I'm reading 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel and the hero Thomas Cromwell is very adept at this).
- When standing up to present, align your feet with the direction of your gaze to increase your impact.
- When seated around the table, move your body to align with your gaze as far as reasonably possible. You will make each person you look at feel fully attended to.
- Learn the technique of One Thought to One Person for your presentations. Ask me how if you don't know it yet!

Have a good looking week.

Honk! Honk! Leadership lessons from Geese

From the website: www.stuartgrayassociates.co.uk.

Leadership Lessons From Geese
1. Much greater flying range is added by flying together in a ‘V’ formation, not alone. - People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are travelling on the thrust of each other.
2. When a goose falls out of formation, it moves straight back in to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. - If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.
3. When the lead bird tires, it rotates leadership.- It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others' skills, capabilities, and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, or resources.
4. Geese honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. - We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and to encourage the heart and core values of others) is the quality of honking we seek.
5. When a goose gets sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. - If we have as much sense of geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we're strong.

Make your ideas stick

Dan Heath is a speaker and author, writing on 'How managers can make their ideas stick'. It's worth ensuring your company presentations or your next client pitch incorporate any or all of his six principles:

1. Simplicity
2. Unexpectedness
3. Concreteness
4. Credibility
5. Emotion
6. Stories

Read more on his blog: http://madetostick.com/blog/

"You don't have to be sick to get better"

I had a discussion with my Mum about stress the other day. She's quite a fan of stress. Thinks that nothing would get done without it. Well, of course humanity wouldn't have evolved this far without fight or flight and all the heavy breathing, sweating and thumping heartbeat those two options entail. In the 21st century, we find stress comes from a variety of sources and requires a more subtle approach to harness its power to our best interests.

One particularly nice way to deal with stress is to pre-empt it. Here's a recommended daily stress management technique that will make you feel good inside and out, ready for whatever the day may bring:

On wakening, take a couple of minutes for the following ...

1. Become aware of your breathing
2. Become aware of your body, from your toes right up to the top of your head
3. Repeat any phrase or affirmation that makes you feel good e.g. I am the right person; this is the right time; there is nothing between me and being X (whatever you like to be)
4. Set your intention for the day - e.g. ask yourself 'What will I enjoy today?'
5. Focus on what you have to be grateful for

Now,I wonder if I can persuade my Mum to try that and maybe change her mind about stress?

Mystery Shopper

A close friend works in the wine department of a magnificent London department store. He told me that their manager had been expecting a visit from the Mystery Shopper for several weeks. During this time, the manager continually exhorted the staff to greet every customer within 60 seconds, thank them courteously, adhere strictly to the Four Key Principles (whatever they are) and generally, offer a consistently excellent standard of customer service.

The staff duly made the effort.

This week, the manager reported to the team with glee that the Mystery Shopper had at last visited the wine department and given them a rating of 95%. This was an outstanding result, way above the store average.

Who should get the recognition?
The manager, for motivating the staff to do their very best? Or the staff, for doing their best?

I don't know how the manager was recognised or rewarded for achieving a great result. My friend tells me that the team were given... nothing. Maybe people are happy just to have a job, or maybe the next time the Mystery Shopper is around, none of the same staff will be.

Poetry again! Written for 3i, by Christopher Logue

Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.

It's too high.

COME TO THE EDGE!

And they came,

And he pushed,

And they flew.