Bite Sized Business Tips
2 minute reads for the values-led business leader
Snippets for purpose and values-led business leaders about meeting our responsibilities to our team, customers, owners, communities and suppliers. Context is everything, so these aren't dogma - rather a stimulus for thought. Subscribe below.
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Shall we rebuild the same unequal, vulnerable and high-carbon economy we had before?
"It would be a tragedy if after spending $10-20tn of public money we simply rebuild the same unequal, vulnerable and high-carbon economy we had before." Dr Andrew Steer, president and CEO of World Resources Institute. I couldn't have said it better. But beyond saying it, we actually need to act ...
Leading in crisis (5) – Communication
I was asked on Monday if I know a leader who over-communicates. Honestly? I've neither known nor often been one who's communicated enough. It's a top 3 concern in every leadership team I've worked with. Often number 1. (Though I have known many a leader who sometimes talked too much! Guilty ...
Leading in Crisis (4) – Be open
Out of 7 roles of authority, business leaders currently rank last in public opinion of response to the Covid Crisis. Behind journalists. Behind government leaders. Why is that? My guess would be that it's because most are doing a shocking job of listening to and looking after their teams. It's ...
Leading in crisis (3) – Confidence
If you lead a business, the last thing your team needs right now is brazen acts of vulnerability. (Let the trolling commence!). In times of crisis, we need leaders who inspire confidence in the direction we're going. Because confidence turns purpose from fantasy to hope. But most of us can't ...
Leading in crisis (2) – Hope
Crisis brings fear; crisis wreaks havoc; crisis destroys. Crisis brings hope. Crisis presents opportunity. Crisis creates. With everything around us, most people only see the first set of options. But If we want our teams and businesses to emerge stronger and create a better future, we \*have to\* show them ...
Leading in crisis (1) – Values
{Leading in crisis - Video 1 of 5, Values} There's this great quote about Abraham Lincoln that I love. "If you wish to know what a man really is, give him power". (Note that if you look at the relative success that many countries with female leaders have had dealing ...
The need to lead
If you're a business leader, your leadership will not be defined more clearly than it is right now. How you lead your team will deepen trust. Or shatter it. We're facing extreme uncertainty. High stakes. Health AND livelihoods at risk. How do you lead through it? Most important, lead with ...
Is your policy serving a purpose or masking your inability to deal with uncertainty?
Are your policies up to scratch? Consider this. True story. For 11 years, a company has an expense policy that says "don't take the piss". That's it. Not a word more. This serves them well for 11 years. Then, one night at a works drinks gathering, someone orders a several-hundred ...
Remote working increases your need to align at 4 levels
Remote working should force most business leaders to think hard about how they lead. Especially as tomorrow's world of work will be a lot more remote than yesterday's. For many team members, it creates much higher levels of independence than they've felt in an office. That level of autonomy can ...
What do you want to rebuild?
We've been forced into an opportunity. Top of mind for every CEO is team, then cash flow. Maintain sales and payment, and control cost. Rightly so. No cash flow, no business. But unless you're planning to rebuild a business that just goes from hand to mouth, you also need to ...
This time may be testing your values
What does a values-led business do in the current climate? Well, it can do a lot actually. Reach out to clients to deepen relationships rather than transact. Explore how to provide stability for its workforce through times of volatility. Honour its suppliers where it can, or find ways to minimise ...
Making commitments is easy. Delivering them, not so much.
A diversified portfolio is a really bad idea when it comes to strategic initiatives. A big part of my work is helping SMEs and scale-ups turn their vision, values and strategies into reality. How do we take a list of goals, or our grand vision, or what we say we ...
