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Category: Executive Leadership

  • Have our Government forgotten how to Collaborate?

    With all the chaos in the world and the never ending devastating and horrifying news, I believe it is time to re-visit the importance of authentic leadership. Most of our world leaders, whether prime ministers, presidents or M.P’s seem hell bent on dividing nations globally as well as locally. It doesn’t take much to find the subjects that are being used to create this great divide whether we think about ULEZ (Ultra low emission zone) climate change, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, covid or any other vaccination, limitation on freedom of speech etc, the list goes on. In this blog I don’t intend to go down the rabbit hole of why this might be, and why several governments seem to only have one goal in mind and that is the destruction of individuals, groups, countries, cities and nations, but rather focus on leadership and the key characteristic and skill that is needed to bring us all back together to be more accepting of each other irrelevant of how you identify yourself, what your beliefs and opinions are and what your nationality or religion might be. All this is irrelevant when we choose to come from a place of kindness, unconditional love and collaboration.

    What is collaboration? “Collaboration is a joint effort of multiple individuals or work groups to accomplish a task or project.” Within an organization, collaboration typically involves the ability of two or more people to view and contribute to documents, work processes and procedures, or other content through a structured and organised approach. In other words, if we don’t work together, companies will not function well, employees will be dissatisfied and unfulfilled, probably leaving for sunnier prospects due to day-to-day chaos caused by a lack of leadership that brings about collaboration and teamwork and encourages a win-win output by sitting down in a group to address issues whether that is conflict, things not going to plan, processes and procedures that are not fit for purpose and so on. Seldom if ever, in my multiple years of employment in front line and management positions have I experienced a lack of collaboration when a proactive leader has realised the need to increase communication and collaboration and therefore has encouraged this to happen through appropriate leadership.

    The next question might be; Do we need a leader to drive collaboration? Actually not, if we all make an individual decision to collaborate with others whether that is a work colleague, peer, boss or when we are out and about shopping, driving, eating and drinking, or on public transport. Every single one of us can decide through self-leadership to positively collaborate to get the issue in hand resolved or the task accomplished and in so doing will avoid the need to jump the queue, treat a fellow driver with contempt, the waiter with annoyance because things are not as fast as we think they should be or verbally attack the human who finally takes our call after several minutes of being asked by the robotic bot why we are calling, venting our frustration and annoyance at being reduced to sub-human.

    The bottom line – how can you improve collaboration and show small acts of kindness to others in your everyday life which not only makes their day, but also yours as you realise what this does for others and how you feel at being able to show that kindness and collaborate with them to achieve a particular outcome that works for both parties.

    Back to leadership and our leadership structures. In the workplace, and let’s face it government of a country is no different, just a large organisation that has a specific goal of serving the community that it governs for the best outcome for all and the nation as a whole. Examples of collaboration might include communication, conflict management and resolution, understanding through a willingness to listen, questioning to understand other points of view and problem solving in a team. It is similar to teamwork, however collaboration has no hierarchy, even though someone might be nominated to organise the collaborative process. In collaboration everyone is equal. Everyone has equal right to share their opinion and be listened to respectfully, challenge others about their opinion in a polite manner while communicating together for the common good to achieve the goal. Collaboration skills are vital for a company’s very existence as well as growth and development. Governments are no different.

    According to J. Ibeh Agbanyim in his book the “The Five Principles of Collaboration: Applying Trust, Respect, Willingness, Empowerment, and Effective Communication to Human Relationships is the foundation to effective collaboration.” When using these skills as a checklist it is not difficult to identify what is missing from our governments and world leaders today. Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” We seem to have come a long way from Churchill’s comment. I’m sure he wasn’t referring to what our world leaders are giving today, even though he served as Prime Minister during the second world war.

    Don’t sit back in your comfort zone and ignore what is going on, unless of course you are satisfied with your country’s leadership and the leadership in those unelected organisations that seek to control our lives such as the World Health Organisation, World Economic Forum and the like and the only people they are interested in collaborating with are themselves. We can all choose to collaborate with each other and show our fellow humans kindness and unconditional love. In other words, don’t wait for someone to lead you, lead yourself to a place where you want to be and encourage others to do the same. In this way as we each throw a pebble into the pool of water, soon that pool will become the ocean. An ocean of collaboration and kindness.

     

    “Extend a hand whether or not you know it shall be grasped.”

    – Ryunosuke Satoro, the Japanese father of short stories.

  • Authenticity and the New Normal

    A Guest Post by Hannah Emanuel

    In an age that demands a redefinition of ‘normal’, do we also need to redefine what it means to be ‘professional’?

    To answer this question, we must first acknowledge what our current connotations of the term ‘professionalism’. Suited and booted? Reliable? Articulate? Unemotional? The list could go on I’m sure – and would undoubtedly be somewhat different for every individual we asked.

    As offices are swapped for home studios, face to face meetings for online web-calls and synthetic shop bought sandwiches for self ‘starter’-ed sourdough, we also need to redefine what we understand the term ‘professionalism’ to encompass.

    Let’s start by exploring a new current buzzword: authenticity. Authenticity is at the heart of every successful communication, especially online. We are now required, by necessity, to bring more of our true selves to online meetings in order to try and mitigate the horribly dehumanising nature of the screen.

    True to form, corporate speak has recently stolen this term and made it the buzz word of the moment – and in so doing, its fundamental integrity has been compromised. We no longer trust the authenticity of the word ‘authentic’. To fully engage and achieve meaningful, impactful human connection, authenticity must be more than merely a buzzword, thrown around with apparent ease.

    Instead, authenticity must be clearly and uncompromisingly demonstrated through our actions, our tone of voice, our entire presentation of ourselves. It is not enough simply to demonstrate an intention to be authentic through the language we choose. It must instead be our genuine intention to engage openly and collaboratively, using the most vulnerable part of ourselves that we can muster the courage to share.

    Authenticity and the new normalWhat do we really mean then by the word authentic? And, more importantly, what is its function within our new sense of what it means to be professional?

    How authentic should you really be when working from home, joining and leading online meetings and the like? It may be more professional to have that fake background behind you, but would people be able to relate and resonate with you more if it was not there?

    To me, if we were to strip it back to its most raw, naked form, it means presenting your truest, most honest self. No performance, no mask, no armour. But there is a contradiction here that needs acknowledging. Because of course society does require us to wear masks – quite literally in these current Covid times, but also socially, from our earliest days of infancy.

    We are moulded from very early childhood to socially conform. We learn quickly who it is – and isn’t – appropriate to have a tantrum in front of. And this lesson lasts all the way to adulthood – it’s in our bones. So by being ‘authentic’, by being our true selves, does this mean we allow others to see when we are completely overwhelmed by emotion, just as we would have done in infancy? Well no, clearly not – I doubt any framing of the word professionalism would encompass such high levels of emotional freedom. But there is a new level of intimacy to our professional communication that wasn’t deemed acceptable or necessary before.

    Society will always tell us how far it is appropriate to go, and of course this will differ from one culture to another, but if we can begin to open ourselves up enough for others to see in, allow them a window into what makes us vulnerable, then I believe this is true authenticity. And it is powerfully effective.

    In practical terms, what does this really mean or look like online? Unsurprisingly it’s many things; a softening of the physical image we present, the language we choose and the tone with which we speak it, the use of a genuine rather than a virtual background.

    I’d always advocate a truthful background to a virtual one. A pile of dirty laundry might be best hidden, but a glimpse into your home life is at the very least a talking point – a little window into who you are behind the suit (if indeed you are still choosing to wear one) – and at best it can offer an insight into a part of you that we can connect with on a human level.

    Whether it’s the banjo hanging on the wall behind you, or the ‘make it at home’ mojito mix adorning your new lockdown DIY bar, show me; it’s authentic. Not buzz word, lip service authentic, but disarmingly and charmingly authentic. It’s an insight into who you truly are. And you know what? If it’s offered genuinely and with generosity, then that – quite simply – is enough.

     

    Hannah Emanuel

    In the Room Training

    Professional coach and actor

  • Building Empathy Centric Leadership

    Empathy, one of the characteristics or we might say building blocks of emotional intelligence, is an essential skill of any leader. When lacking empathy employees feel unheard, undervalued and often frustrated about an apparent lack of understanding of the challenges in any job role or for any difficulties they might be experiencing outside of their working lives, and customers less inclined to entrusting loyalty with your enterprise.

    Having a developed sense of empathy enables you to sense what is happening and how someone is feeling without them having to actually tell you. In groups a leader is able to use the same sense to feel potential areas of struggle, conflict and "holding back" of information, opinions, thoughts and ideas to maximise on the moment and open discussion. Empathy enables responses that take into consideration non-verbal cues whilst sharing openly without contradicting your own thoughts and feelings. Fostering rapport through being empathetic and showing empathy to others are key characteristics of building effective relationships, which is the very foundation to effective leadership and perhaps even business success.

    What is empathy? Empathy is not sympathy it is the ability to experience the moment in response to a customer, colleague, employee, or family member in a manner that “connects” directly to that person, sharing briefly the emotions that the person might be feeling without taking them on yourself. It has an impact on those involved in that moment as well as a longer lasting impact through building a relationship of trust. A positive customer experience makes the difference between a customer becoming loyal or choosing to go elsewhere. In most cases there are plenty of “elsewhere” companies ready to serve customers who have had a poor or even bad experience with any particular service offering. In the current labour market, it is not just the external customer who might choose to go elsewhere, but employees, also.

    The 2020 NTT Global Customer Experience Benchmarking Report stated that, “Companies who focus on a customer/employee centricity see a 92% increase in customer loyalty with an 84% uplift in revenue and a 79% margin in costs saved. 

    More recent data (March 2024 in an article by Cheyenna Eversoll Duggan “The empathy advantage: Using customer data to personalise marketing,” stated:

    • 68% of customers expect brands to demonstrate empathy, but only 37% of customers say brands generally demonstrate empathy.
    • 68% of customers will spend more money with a brand that understands them and treats them like an individual.
    • 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, but only 34% of companies generally treat customers as unique individuals.

    Empathy is the linchpin to delivering excellence in customer service both for customers and service providers. Equipping leaders through the development of emotional intelligence and the skills of showing empathy is no longer questionable in terms of importance to business performance, or even optional, but essential. 

    Empathy is an essential aspect of emotional intelligence (Daniel Goldman). Being empathetic and showing empathy has two steps, firstly picking up on others' feelings and secondly responding to those feelings and emotions while interacting with them. Not everyone tells you how they are feeling, even if you ask, but with heightened sensitivity you are able to pick up on emotions and respond if needed, with empathy. Becoming more in tune with the non-verbal and verbal cues that others' are sending increases abilities to respond empathetically. The key competencies within empathy according to Daniel Goleman (Working with Emotional Intelligence) are:

    • Sense others' feelings and perspectives 
    • Take an active interest in others' concerns
    • Sense others' development needs and support their development
    • Anticipate, recognise and meet customers' needs 
    • Read emotional undercurrents and power relationships
    • Cultivate and build opportunities through different kinds of people.

    Judith Orloff once said, “Empathy is the medicine the world needs.” This statement sums up the reason why we need this important skill to foster the growing need for businesses to encourage empathy centricity in their organisation and work culture both internally and externally. 

    AI is a major part of providing service to customers, often helping filter and channel callers in the right direction to get them the appropriate help speedily, however the ability to sense and understand feelings, concerns and perspectives of others through intuition is not yet something that AI can do, in fact it is the biggest challenge for  further development of AI. Palming off your customers to an AI assistant may not build the customer loyalty you are seeking for your business, therefore investing in employee development in this area and equipping leaders with the skill of understanding sensitive situations and responding with empathy are still for now essential to the success of any business.

     

    References

    Working with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman (1999)

    The Language of Emotional Intelligence, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D, Jaelline Jaffee, Ph.D

    https://services.global.ntt/en-us/insights/2020-global-cx-benchmarking-report#

     

     

  • Challenge or stress – it’s a fine line!

    The dictionary defines stress as “a pressure or tension exerted on another object; a demand on physical or mental energy; or forcibly exerted influence usually causing distress or strain.”    In short stress is any factor, positive or negative that requires a response or change.  In medical research it is widely recognized that chronic ongoing stress can lead to illness, aggravate existing disease conditions and accelerate aging.

    There is a need to be in constant interchange with our surroundings and it is this interchange that creates stress.  If looking at reality this is simply a fact of life.  There is no way to avoid stresses in life.  Every organism, including man must be able to adapt to changing environmental and social conditions in order to survive.  However, over time the continual need to adapt to change can disrupt the metabolic balance of the human organism.

    Common stressors for people today include most aspects of life – family, financial, emotional and environmental, nutritional factors, as well as personal and work-related stresses and relationships.    According to research nearly half a million people in the UK have work-related stress that is making them ill, leading to the need to take sick leave.  It is estimated that 12 million working days are lost each year in the UK due to stress-related illness and in some cases even injury. (HSE.gov.co.uk)

    Stress in the work place can be a result of different factors, in general there is a mismatch between the requirements of the job, the employee’s capabilities, the resources available and the needs of the worker.

    The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge.  Clearly these concepts are not the same.  Challenge, if at the appropriate level, energizes us psychologically and physically.  It motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied, proud and perhaps even excited about what we have achieved Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. The importance of challenge in our work lives keeps us learning, growing and developing.

    A challenge becomes stressful when there is either rejection that the goal cannot be achieved because it looks and feels overwhelming or when job demands cannot be met, due to employee capability and or lack of necessary resources.  Very quickly the situation can change from focused and motivated to achieve, to exhaustion from trying and the sense of ability to accomplish has  turned into feelings of stress.

    We know that what is stressful for one person is not necessarily stressful for another because of individual characteristics, including coping mechanisms, previous experience, level of maturity and possibly personality. The questions therefore are how can we as managers and leaders:

    • challenge team members, use this challenge to motivate, but not stress them to a point of no return?
    • identify when the line between challenge and stress has been crossed?

    Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory helps to answer these questions.  His theory is ensuring that there is a sound relationship for the employee between effort and performance.  These feelings of motivation and satisfaction are further increased if the individual and or team can see the relationship between good performance or outcomes and reward, especially if it is a reward that is valued.  Feedback cannot be underestimated when challenging team members, as well as working with Vroom’s model.  Both gaining feedback and giving feedback, help us as managers and leaders to understand whether the challenge is about to become stress.

  • Could your leadership be causing mental ill health

    This blog takes the form of a case study that encompasses both my professional roles as a healthcare practitioner and corporate wellbeing training provider. The aim of the case study is to encourage you to decide, for yourself, what could have been done differently.

    The client in question, is a lady late 50’s who was employed by a high school as the assistant director of the school, a job she has been doing for some years already while also continuing to teach the pupils an academic subject. An active person who was working long hours every day, five days a week in school and some part of her personal time to catch up, mark papers and do other administrative tasks, she seldom did less than a 10-hour day. Her husband also works, and her children are also of working age.

    About 3 years ago, as a part of some kind of change in status and re-organisation of the school, all teachers were asked to re-apply for their jobs to continue employment at that school. Each teacher would be hired based on the new requirements. My client was not re-hired, nor was she given an explanation as to why, she was simply told that her job was no longer needed as of tomorrow. No redundancy payment was offered. That would be a dramatic shock for most of us. Lack of appreciation, feedback and thanks would make anyone angry, likely followed by sadness at having the job and career you love crudely removed with no further contact. From May to September of that year she did not feel well, she lost interest and enthusiasm for life, but tried to regain this by taking up a role as a volunteer in a local charity shop.

    At a similar time, her father died during Covid and this seemed to tip her over the edge into mental illness, specifically severe depression combined with anxiety. Her father also suffered from depression and anxiety. She stated that she remembers shaking uncontrollably at the loss of her father, and perhaps to this day has not yet come to terms with this loss through the normal grieving process.

    Certainly, we can debate if how she lost her job was according to the law? That is not the purpose of this blog and therefore we will avoid going down that route. The client is now on four medications for anxiety and depression, some of which are also negatively affecting hair growth, leading to an increase in hair loss. In addition, she is putting on weight, both of which negatively impact how she feels about herself. Her quality of sleep is poor due to twitching caused by one of the medications she is taking. To aid sleep she has been subscribed Zopiclone, a common sleep medication which can cause drowsiness during the day. In her own words, she “has no reason to get out of bed and most of the time feels blank and tense,” therefore can spend the whole day in bed sleeping with no desire to get out of bed. In order to end this cycle, she tried to commit suicide. Luckily, she was not successful.

    She had her gall bladder removed approximately 10 years ago and despite this has no  difficulty in digesting most foods. However, looking at this energetically, the gall bladder – “How can you have the gall to……?” is a representation of rage, extreme anger that has been suppressed within the body, ultimately damaging the functioning of the gall bladder until such time as it has to be surgically removed. This is an example of how suppressed negative emotions manifest on the physical level to show us what it is we need to deal with. Does removal of the gall bladder mean we have dealt with these negative emotions, or do they still remain in the body as the person’s behavioural pattern remains the same?

    She is under the guidance of the mental health team in her area, but at best is staying numb to life, at worst is not living. After several years of guidance from this team, she and her husband, whose life has also been tipped upside down, decided to try something different and on recommendation from one of their friends who was treated successfully for similar conditions, have sought a health consultation with me. The main goals for treatment are:

    • To get better from severe depression and anxiety to live her life as before.
    • To improve her quality of life and reduce medications.

    This gives you the background of this client. Now look at this situation from a leadership perspective and answer the following questions:

    1. How did this person end up with severe depression and anxiety when previously she was a capable, active woman who up until losing her job we can assume was able to take responsibility and get things done?

    2.  What role did the school management team/leadership play in what this lady is today?

    3. What could have been done differently from those responsible to lessen the emotional impact on this individual anticipating that redundancy for anyone is often a shock?

    4. Why is thoughtful, nurturing leadership of others so very important?

    5. How can leaders balance a nurturing style of leadership with accomplishment of organisation goals? (A school is also an organisation)

    6. What are the key things for the leadership team to learn from this case?

    7. What have you learned from this case about how you address difficult, possibly life changing situations from this case. 

    If you feel affected by this case study then you maybe interested in this new course on how to lead compassionate conversations. 

  • Do Financial Bonuses Enhance Performance?

    I read with interest the article in a recent Sunday Times (Business section) “Bosses:  Is the Party Over?” by Ben Laurance.  The article was about Neil Woodford of The Woodford Patient Capital Trust, who after many years of paying bonuses to his fund managers has decided to scrap them altogether.  Woodford is compensating his team members with a rise in base pay.  The question is “Will these actions enhance or discourage performance”?

    Woodford  believes there is very little correlation between bonus and performance, which can lead to short term decision-making and wrong behaviours.

    In the banking and larger finance industry, bonuses are common place and one could argue expected, particularly by senior members of staff.   Benefits to the organisation for paying bonuses, apart from the supposed incentivisation is to focus team members to the goals and if the incentive is well thought through and set within achievable limits, financial targets will be achieved and perhaps even over achieved.   Thus, driving company growth and market share.

    What are the down sides of bonuses?  Large bonuses as seen in the banking and financial sectors experienced reckless behaviour by individuals who were taking huge risk chasing their bonuses with little regard for the stability of the bank or institution.  This is when the EU stepped in to limit bonuses for bankers to no more than double the base pay.  Research on the impact of this move by Irem Tuna of London Business School and Anya Kleymenova of the Booth School of Business in Chicago, suggest that this move did indeed reduce risk-taking.  However, at the same time turn over of executives in financial firms increased.  It is not clear if this is the only factor for this apparent negative spin off.

    The article by Ben Laurance focuses mostly on well paid executives in the finance world, but this question is still relevant to all industries and positions.  What is the solution to ensuring a company is able to recruit good people, and give an incentive to firstly do a good job and secondly remain focused to the goal, without taking undue risk as well as working effectively within a team if this is required?

    I am of the belief that poorly designed bonus schemes will drive poor performance of individuals and teams.  In my time and with personal experience, I have seen many situations where the financial incentives for one department, usually sales, creates problems for other departments who have to deliver what was promised, irrelevant of timing and other specifications of the sale.   This has the effect of creating tension, driving poor communication and teamwork as well as resentment, leading to de-motivation.    In addition, poorly set targets can have the adverse effect if the targets are set too high or too low.  In the first instance, giving up before the person has even started and in the second not trying particularly hard which again means teamwork suffers at the expense of the few.

    Some of the most effective bonus schemes I have seen and worked with have had a balance between quantitative and qualitative targets, for example financial targets and targets around positive customer feedback or decreasing customer complaints and some team goals that encourage all team members to communicate effectively and work together whilst also focusing on their own personal goals.  This means the company/team shines as a whole and not just an individual or group of individuals.

    The last question I will leave you with is “Can we solely attribute performance or non performance to a bonus scheme?”  Surely leadership plays a part in creating the right environment for effective performance in meeting department and company goals whether financial or otherwise?  It would be interesting to analyse Mr Woodford’s leadership style.

  • Do Bonus Schemes for Executives Drive Company Performance

    End of the year is the time not only for Christmas parties, but it is also when many companies pay out bonuses based on performance for the year for senior management and either 6 or 3-monthly bonus pay outs for middle management and team members. I have often heard the comment, “I am waiting for the year end to get my bonus payout before I put in my notice.” Hand on heart, I would do the same. Working hard all year to earn a lovely Christmas bonus to spend on the family, a holiday or something that needs doing around the house makes complete sense. Does this work for the company? While it might leave a bad taste in your mouth, the person has done the work and therefore the payout was budgeted. The only gap is the vacancy the person leaving creates. The reason why they have decided to leave can be many and varied and is not the topic of this blog.

    It was a couple of years ago I read an article in the Sunday Times (Business section) “Bosses:  Is the Party Over?” by Ben Laurance. The article was about Neil Woodford of The Woodford Patient Capital Trust, who after many years of paying bonuses to his fund managers had decided to scrap them altogether and compensate his team members with a rise in base pay instead. The question this begs is “Will these actions enhance or discourage performance”?

    Woodford believes there is very little correlation between bonus and performance, which in his opinion, can lead to short term decision-making and wrong behaviours. I would suggest the terms of the scheme and method of measuring performance impacts decision making and incorrect behaviours. Without knowing the content of the Woodford Patient Capital Trust particular scheme, it is difficult to validate his comment either way.

    A very recent article by Esa Employment Law Solicitors – Weighing the pros and cons of Big CEO Bonuses clearly outlines the dilemma. “These big CEO bonuses are controversial because excessive executive pay often comes at the expense of workforce pay, exacerbating income inequality and potentially harming employee morale and trust in institutions. Critics argue that these high payouts are not always linked to improved company performance and that the incentives within the pay packages don't always encourage long-term stakeholder interests.”

    In the banking and larger finance industry, bonuses are commonplace. One could argue they are expected, particularly by senior members of management. In recent years we have seen massive bonuses paid out to senior executives despite doing a poor job. Channel 4 (2024) is a case in point: “Bosses took hundreds of thousands in bonuses despite the broadcaster suffering its steepest revenue fall in 41 years, leading to significant job cuts,” reported Mark Sweney in the Guardian (October 2024). 

    Thames Water (2023): “The CEO and CFO initially agreed to forgo bonuses due to poor service to their customers, but the former CEO had received a £496,000 performance-related payout the previous year.” (Ref BBC)

    Advantages and Disadvantages of Bonus Schemes

    Benefits to the organisation for paying such rewards, apart from the supposed incentivisation is to focus team members to the goals and if the incentive is well thought through and set within achievable limits, financial targets will be achieved and perhaps even overachieved.   Thus, driving company growth and market share. Other benefits include:

    •    Attracting and retaining top talent

    •    Aligning interests with shareholders 

    •    Driving company performance – which as mentioned earlier might not always be the case on senior level.

    •    For senior executives rewarding risk and responsibility for overall company performance.

    What are the down sides of paying these rewards?  Large bonuses as seen in the banking and financial sectors experienced reckless behaviour by individuals who were taking huge risk chasing their reward with little regard for the stability of the bank or institution. This is when the EU stepped in to limit bonuses for bankers to no more than double the base pay. Research on the impact of this move by Irem Tuna of London Business School and Anya Kleymenova of the Booth School of Business in Chicago, suggest that this move did indeed reduce risk-taking. However, at the same time turnover of executives in financial firms increased. It is not clear if this is the only factor for this apparent negative spin off. Other apparent disadvantages include:

    • Weak link between bonus payout and company performance. Perhaps because the scheme guidelines are unclear, force majeure circumstances where the top executives have no control. For example, being reliant on imports from a country that has been sanctioned for whatever reason.

    •   Overly focused to short-termism and financial targets that drive their personal reward.

    •  Short-termism in making decisions for investments that will benefit the company and employees within the company in the medium to long term.

    •   Negative impact on employee morale and company culture due to the massive divide between executive pay and bonus payout and that of their teams.

    •    Short-sighted priorities by focusing on executive reward when these funds could be used for training and development or other investments within the company.

    The question around senior executive bonuses is reflective of broader questions about the purpose of leadership, fairness around reward systems, motivation and morale. Well-designed bonus schemes can be powerful tools: they attract forward-thinking leaders, align executives with shareholder goals, and motivate outstanding performance. When structured effectively, these incentives recognise the scale of responsibility and risk leaders carry, while projecting confidence and ambition to the wider market.

    The downsides are just as significant. Inflated CEO bonuses can damage employee morale, deepen income inequality, and at times reward leaders even when true business performance falls short. When these incentives are poorly linked to long-term objectives or robust performance measures, they can encourage short-termism and weaken trust both inside organisations and in the wider society.

    The question I will leave you with is “Can we solely attribute performance or non performance to a bonus scheme?” Surely leadership plays a part in creating the right environment for effective performance in meeting department and company goals whether financial or otherwise?  

    References 

    https://www.theemploymentlawsolicitors.co.uk/news/2025/08/28/ceo-bonuses/

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crg33l5rpp3o#:~:text=Water%20firm%20bosses%20forgo%20bonuses%20over%20poor,progress%20over%20customer%20service%20and%20sewage%20discharges

    Want to discuss your training needs for 2026. Contact: https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/contact

  • Are Your Company Values Laminated or Lived?

    Recently I attended the Health and Wellbeing @Work Expo at the NEC in Birmingham. Among the many good speakers was Dr Gian Power OBE who asked the question: “Are your company values laminated or lived?”

    This question resonated strongly. Sadly, I can reel off a list of companies who proudly display their values for all to see—beautifully designed posters in reception, polished statements on their website—yet forget to roll them down through the organisation to those who deliver to your customers, every day. Even more importantly, they fail to use them to shape how colleagues support one another and the message your company consistently gives out, causing a disconnect in the minds and actions of employees and customers.

    Why do We have Values?

    At their best, organisational values are not marketing slogans; they are decision-making tools. They guide how leaders lead, how managers manage, and how teams collaborate. They define how things are done when policies or procedures don’t provide the full answer.

    For leadership teams, values are designed to act as a strategic compass. They help determine priorities, shape behaviours during periods of change, and create consistency across departments, locations and leadership styles.

    For managers, they offer a framework for everyday choices—how to deal with a difficult situation, how to balance performance and wellbeing, how to respond when pressures increase.

    For employees, they provide clarity and psychological safety. When not clear and genuinely practised, people understand what is expected of them and how they will be treated. They are the bedrock.

    Without this alignment, values remain decorative or as Gian Power said “laminated” and left on a shelf somewhere, never to see the light of day. With it, they become operational, providing consistency for everyone to work with and by and to build connection with customers creating an understanding of what can be expected and delivered.

    Who do Values Serve?

    Values should serve three critical audiences simultaneously.

    1.    Your people.

    Employees want to know what kind of organisation they work for. Values signal what behaviours are encouraged, what is rewarded, and what is unacceptable. When people see leaders modelling values consistently, trust grows.

    2.    Your customers.

    Customers experience your values through every interaction with your organisation. Whether it is responsiveness, integrity, innovation or care, values influence how your people show up when representing your brand.

    3.    Your leadership team.

    For directors and senior leaders, values act as a shared reference point. They align leadership behaviour, help maintain consistency across functions, and support culture during periods of growth, restructuring or uncertainty.

    When values serve all three audiences, they become a cultural operating system, not just a communications exercise.

    What Benefit do Values Bring to your Company, Individuals and Teams?

    When values move from laminated statements to lived behaviours, the impact can be significant.

    For the organisation, values strengthen culture and brand credibility. They help attract and retain talent, particularly in a labour market where people increasingly choose employers whose values align with their own. They also support clearer decision-making during challenging moments—when commercial pressure might otherwise override long-term principles.

    For leaders and managers, values provide a practical leadership framework. They help guide performance conversations, shape recognition and reward, and provide a consistent lens for managing difficult situations.

    For teams, shared values create cohesion. They reduce ambiguity about expectations, support respectful collaboration, and strengthen accountability. When teams understand not just what they are expected to deliver but how they are expected to behave, performance and wellbeing does not compete, but reinforces one another other.

    The Real Question for Leaders

    Many organisations already have well-written values. The challenge is rarely the wording—it is the translation into behaviour. Ask yourself:

    •    Do leaders visibly model the values in everyday decisions?

    •    Are they embedded in recruitment, onboarding and performance discussions?

    •    Do managers feel confident using them to guide conversations and decision-making?

    •    Are values recognised and rewarded in practice, not just in principle?

    If the answer to any of these questions is uncertain, then values may still be closer to laminated than lived.

    For HR and L&D leaders in particular, this presents an opportunity. Culture does not change through posters or presentations; it changes through consistent leadership behaviour, aligned systems training programmes and daily conversations. Ultimately, employees rarely remember the values written on a wall. They remember the values demonstrated in the moments that mattered.

    Bringing Values to Life 

    Let’s consider the values of a well-known British company, no names – Safety and Security, Excellence, Caring and Open-Mindedness, supported by commitments to sustainability and diversity.

    Safety and Security

    Safety and security is demonstrated when employees actively protect the wellbeing of colleagues, customers and the organisation. Examples of day-to-day behaviours include:

    •    Following safety procedures consistently, even when under pressure or working to tight deadlines.

    •    Speaking up when something doesn’t feel safe, whether it’s a faulty piece of equipment, a potential risk to a colleague, or a process that could cause harm.

    •    Protecting sensitive information, ensuring customer data, company systems and confidential discussions are handled appropriately.

    When employees feel confident to prioritise safety and raise concerns early, organisations reduce risk and strengthen trust across teams.

    Excellence

    Excellence is not only about outstanding results; it is about the consistent pursuit of high standards and continuous improvement. Employees demonstrate excellence when they:

    •    Take pride in the quality of their work, checking accuracy and completeness before handing work over to others.

    •    Look for ways to improve processes, suggesting more efficient ways of working or better ways to serve customers.

    •    Prepare thoroughly for meetings, projects or customer interactions, ensuring they bring worth rather than simply attending.

    •    Learn from feedback, seeing mistakes or challenges as opportunities to improve rather than something to avoid.

    Excellence becomes part of the culture when people feel responsible not just for completing tasks, but for continually raising the standard of how work is done.

    Caring 

    A caring culture is visible in how employees treat colleagues, customers and partners. In practice this might look like:

    •    Supporting colleagues during busy periods, offering help rather than focusing only on individual workloads.

    •    Listening with empathy, particularly when someone is facing personal challenges or workplace pressures.

    •    Recognising the contributions of others, celebrating achievements and acknowledging effort across teams.

    •    Considering the impact of decisions on people, not just processes or results.

    When caring becomes embedded in everyday behaviour, organisations create environments where people feel respected, empowered and more willing to contribute their best work.

    Open-Mindedness

    Open-minded organisations encourage curiosity, new ideas and different perspectives. Employees demonstrate this value by:

    •    Welcoming new ideas from colleagues, regardless of seniority or department.

    •    Being willing to adapt, especially when processes change or new technologies are introduced.

    •    Listening to different viewpoints, even when they challenge existing assumptions.

    •    Learning from other teams, backgrounds or experiences to improve how work is approached.

    Open-mindedness helps organisations remain agile and innovative, particularly in rapidly changing markets.

    For leaders, HR and L&D professionals, the key question is not simply “Do we have values?” but “Can our people recognise what those values look like in action?”

    When employees understand how values translate into daily behaviours — in conversations, decisions and teamwork — they stop being statements on a wall and become the way the organisation works everyday building trust not only in the workforce, but also in customer loyalty. 

    Interested in a conversation with Green Key  Contact rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com or book a call https://calendly.com/greenkey/pd-consultation-meeting?month=2026-03

    #leadershipdevelopment, #leadershipmindset #empoweredemployees #customercommunication 

  • Authentic Leadership – how important is It?

    “The authentic self is the soul made visible.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach.

    Yesterday I attended the Engage Customer Summit at the Brewery in London. Another very good day laid on by Engage Media. It was my attendance at a round table to discuss “Cultivating Loyalty and Engagement through Authentic Leadership” hosted by Jamie McKenzie, CMO at Sodexo, that initiated the thinking behind this blog. The discussion was stimulating and active with those attending sharing ideas around the questions:

    •  Are you an authentic leader?
    • What examples are there of authentic leaders?
    • Is your approach the right approach for the environment in which you are in?

    Of course, from these questions the conversation broadened and deepened around a topic that I believe to be incredibly important and something close to my heart.

    Harvard Business School Online defines authentic leadership “as a leadership style exhibited by individuals who have high standards of integrity, take responsibility for their actions, and make decisions based on principle rather than short-term success. They use their inner compasses to guide their daily actions, which enables them to earn the trust of their employees, peers, and shareholders—creating approachable work environments and boosting team performance.” https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/how-to-improve-team-performance.

    From an employee perspective, research detailed in Harvard Business Review shows “that a majority of employees believe authenticity in the workplace leads to benefits such as:

    • Better relationships with colleagues
    • Higher levels of trust
    • Greater productivity
    • A more positive working environment

    For any leader who is aiming to make a lasting impact on the companies in which they work, investing time and effort into becoming an authentic leader can be extremely valuable, not only for them as individuals, but also those that they lead, the organisation as a whole and finally the shareholders.

    Points that came out of the discussion yesterday is that an authentic leader demonstrates:

    • Openness to share and to recognise the contribution of others, demonstrating how much they are valued
    • Trusting of others and build trust in all relationships
    • Consistent in their behaviour
    • Connect on the “shop floor” and walk their talk
    • Supportive of others, spotlighting strengths that individuals can build on rather than weakness that need strengthening
    • Possess a high level of emotional intelligence

    On the other hand, Harvard highlights the characteristics of an authentic leader as:

    • Committed to bettering themselves
    • Cultivate self-awareness
    • Disciplined
    • Are mission-driven
    • Inspire faith and build relationships of trust

    From these definitions and the discussion yesterday, I think we can define an authentic leader, as someone who comes from a place of inner strength, in other words they stand in their own power, and because of this are not afraid to show vulnerability, to reveal their weaknesses and to allow and enable someone else to fill the gap, recognising that you don’t need to be good at everything as true teamwork allows for individual potential to shine through at these moments and to rally round the mission, purpose and goals, while enjoying the benefits of working as a team.

    Authenticity is respecting and valuing others for what they contribute and letting them know that their contribution is appreciated through support and genuine recognition. If things go wrong, being fair and open to learn from mistakes and use these situations as growth opportunities. The result – highly motivated individuals who give their best, enjoy what they do, feel fulfilled and perform to the best of their ability having a direct impact on levels of productivity, trusting and open relationships that share a common foundation of support, openness and positivity.

    Sir Ernest Shackleton was the example that I gave of an authentic leader. I’m sure there are more recent authentic leaders but are not in the media as they humbly go about their business. Sir Ernest Shackleton had a people-centred approach to leadership. His personal values, learned from his upbringing helped him develop a progressive style of leadership. He turned bad experiences into valuable lessons, was respectful of business competition. He broke down any traditional hierarchies, was always fair in how he dealt with his staff and established a clear order and routine so that everyone knew where they stood.

    Shackleton led by example, he never expected from his team members what he would not do himself and was always willing to help get the work done. He met regularly for one-to-one conversations to build a bond with each member of the crew. He accepted the individuality of each person and their weaknesses and was always keen to help them achieve their full potential.

    In a crisis he took the lead and worked to keep spirits high. He inspired optimism, even though sometimes he might have doubted himself and he kept “his enemies close.”  He encouraged teams to help and support each other. He was always visible and aware of possible difficulties and danger.  Above all he took responsibility for getting the whole job done, kept the big picture in sight and was always there to help others.

    Shackleton’s leadership legacy needs no further explanation.

    George Kohlrieser sums it up well: “If your starting point is that people are a cost to be minimised, your organisation might survive but it won’t thrive. If, on the other hand, you fundamentally believe that human beings are valuable and a source of goodness, a true asset not in financial terms but in their very essence, you will make your decisions with an entirely different perspective. In your attitude, in your state and in your authenticity, you will be operating as a *secure base. From that position, even difficult decisions will be understood and received with a higher degree of acceptance and appreciation. You will achieve results in a way that also elevates the contribution and value of the human beings inside your organisation.”   

    *”Secure base is a person, place, goal or object that provides a sense of protection, safety, and care and offers a source of inspiration and energy for daring exploration risking taking and seeking challenge.”

     

    References:

    George Kohlreiser, Care to Dare, 2012

    Shackleton’s Way, Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell

    https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/authentic-leadership

  • A beautiful life – a lesson in leadership from Rick Astley

    Singer/songwriter Rick Astley announced that he will be releasing his eighth studio album this year which is entitled ‘Beautiful Life’. I was listening to the conversation between Rick Astley and a well-known Radio 2 DJ about the album.  More importantly about why Rick wrote a song called “Beautiful Life” and named the album with the same name.

    Rick said something very pertinent in answer to the question “Why Beautiful Life?  In his answer he explained that in fact he has had a beautiful life, with the exception of a few curveballs.  Most importantly, he continued with words to the effect that  it is all about how you look at life and how you regard things that are thrown at you and things that happen to you, and I might add things you do to yourself.

    Personally I resonate with these comments.  How you perceive something is half the battle of working with it, solving it and overcoming it.  Do you look at “setbacks” in a negative sense, react emotionally in some way and fester on the consequences, or do you take the opportunity to understand the message, learn, grow and develop, thus moving yourself forward out of the adverse condition?

    One of the most important aspects of working through perceived negative situations is the emotional side of the situation.  In the case of “it”, what ever “it” is being done to us, the emotions experienced might be anger, frustration, bitterness, disbelief, shame and many others.  In the case of us doing something inadvertently that back-fires on our self, emotions might include guilt, shame, anger and self blame amongst others.

    Harbouring emotions is both unproductive and damaging mentally and ultimately physically.  To be an effective leader we need to be able to rise above any situation and look at the cause of why something happened, rectify it with those involved through helping them understand why this particular approach was not constructive, give guidance on a more positive way to approach the particular situation, and agree on a way forward.  Always avoiding the desire or need to blame someone or something, allowing those involved to take responsibility for their actions, change behaviour, and therefore grow and develop from the experience.

    As Rick Astely so carefully and clearly put it – “Life is beautiful”.  It’s all about how you see it?  Leadership, whilst challenging on occasions is beautiful for all concerned, those being led and those doing the leading.  It all depends on how we firstly see each situation and each person, and secondly how we react to it?