We’ve experienced the global GFC and hopefully learned from it. One would start to wonder what got us there? What went wrong? Many prestigious business schools are busy collecting data. I am sure that we will start hearing more and more of their opinions and the initial results of studies.

Let me be a little controversial here.

My belief is that we need to search for and develop new leadership skills. Skills that we do not have, skills that will allow us to be agile yet pay attention to risks and be able to see the consequences of the potential of another crisis.

I see you shaking your head and saying…

Why do we need “new skills”? What is wrong with the “current skill set”? After all we invested in our current leaders, paid handsomely for their various degrees (Law, Accounting, Leadership, MBA…)

There is a danger that once the GFC pain is over we may revert to doing what we learned in 20th century and the first decade of the current millennium. In a nutshell those were the skills we relied on and skills that got us into the GFC pain. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you want to know how to fail with your projects? In this light-hearted view of project management, I’ll tell you how to go about everything wrong! Yes you heard me right. That way, you can learn what NOT to do on your project. Hope it helps!

Step 1 – Never Plan. “What’s the point of planning when no-one follows my plans anyway? My plans get printed, forgotten and put on the shelf. I’m just going to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in to the project?”
Step 2 – Don’t Communicate. “Why do I have to tell everyone what’s happening all the time? It’s pointless. All they have to know is what their daily task list is. Communication takes too much time. It’s not worth it!”

Step 3: Forget leadership, it’s over-rated. “My team had better do their job or else they will get a kick up the bum when I come into the office tomorrow. You have to constantly crack the whip to get your staff to work effectively.”
Step 4 – Fall in love with Scope Creep. “Who cares if the customer has asked for more changes. If the project is late then it’s their fault. If they want to constantly change the scope of the project, then I’m not going to stop them.”
Step 5 – Forget your customer once the project has started. “Once I have my customer’s approval, I don’t need to hear from them until the project’s complete. The less I involve them in the project, the less havoc they can wreak. If I don’t talk to them then they won’t hassle me.”

Based on advice from Method123

So many of us know person X or person Y or person Z. What do they have in common? They are always busy, have little time for anything and anyone. They are often subject matter experts who know more than most others. They try to help everyone and as a result end up with more things to do than they can handle. We try to help them by allocating resource (say Paul) to help them. Do they appreciate our help? NO. “I’ll do it faster if I do it myself” they say, another classic is “I don’t have time to teach Paul, I am simply too busy doing (enter here long list of tasks that they have to accomplish)”. By now you will have realised that I am talking about “Hero”.

To be a Smart Leader “Hero” may consider the following strategies:

• Learn the art of delegation. There is only so much you can handle. Spend time teaching others and share your knowledge.
• Start small. Break complex projects into smaller tasks and delegate them.
• Trust and empower your employees. They will perform better with your encouragement.

What are your suggestions for transforming “Hero” into a Smart Leader?

Today’s post is based on the HBR Management Tip Of The Day.

We’ve all experienced times when things slowly fall into place and everything seems to be going well. What a fantastic feeling… finally we have everything working like clockwork or a well oiled machine. No problems, no complaints, squeaks or even little noises. This is every Smart Leader’s dream. Total serenity (an Australian joke related to the movie “The Castle”).

Suddenly though, someone wants to talk to you. You find yourself sitting in a glass conference room and listening to “constructive feedback”. You think to yourself… what happened to “serenity”? What went wrong? How come suddenly everything you do seems to be inadequate? What about the good things you did? If you don’t  have good a coping mechanism you can feel emotionally overpowered.

How would a Smart Leader handle surprise criticism? Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Spring in Australia however we have cold weather (max temperature around 15C). OK, OK  I can hear all of you from Canada, US and Northern Europe having good belly laugh reading this. Needless to say many people run out of energy reserves and felt tired. My friend was complaining about being busy with work, issues with her company, kids, homework, housework … list went on and on.

I started to wonder… what can we do to have more energy? Perhaps exercise or diet is the answer? Is there a magic pill we can take? What is the secret. I started my search and came across an article by Tony Schwartz who shares with us his ideas on how to supercharge our energy and productivity. In a nutshell he recommends that we should:

• Make sufficient sleep a top priority. Yes, yes, I hear you say… Seriously though, how many of us really get enough sleep. From now on try to schedule your bedtime,and start winding down at least 45 minutes earlier.
• Create one to-do list that includes everything you want or need to do, on and off the job — and I mean everything, including any unresolved issues that merit further reflection.
• Do the most important thing first when you get to work each morning, when you’re likely to be have the highest energy and the fewest distractions.
• Live like a sprinter, not a marathoner. When you work continuously, you’re actually progressively depleting your energy reservoir as the day wears on. Make it a point to relax, eat good food and be kind to yourself
• Monitor your mood. When demand begins to exceed your capacity, one of the most common signs is an increase in negative emotions. Notice your mood, have short break and “choose your attitude”.
• Schedule specific times for activities in your life that you deem important but not urgent.

Do you think that looking after your health is important?
What are your secrets to maintain or increase your energy?
What is your secret?