Front Row Speakers’ Post

In my opinion, the recent tragedy at EY highlights the severe consequences of toxic management. When leaders push employees to the brink, neglecting their well-being, it creates a harmful work culture that can have tragic outcomes. This is a stark reminder that leadership isn’t just about meeting deadlines or targets; it’s about fostering an environment where employees feel valued and supported. A good leader listens, shows empathy, and prioritises the health of their team. Ultimately, it’s this approach that leads to sustainable success. #Leadership #WorkCulture #EmployeeWellbeing #EY

𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘'𝐒 𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐍 Leaders, Experience has taught us that a person's extensive tenure in a role doesn't automatically confer wisdom, sound judgement, competence, and positive results. We all know a few “Highly Experienced Incompetents.” I always ask new executive coaching clients, “How long have you served in a leadership role?” They always respond with... “I've been in leadership roles for over XX years.” I then ask them, “How much of that time were you actually leading well?” Those with humility and self-awareness typically say something like, “Well, let's just say that during several of the early years of my 20 years in leadership roles, I was not a very good leader at all.” Those with oversized egos and a lack of humility and self-awareness often look at me as if they don't understand the question. They seem incapable of contemplating that they may not always have been the type of leader their teams deserved. The executives in the first group are usually a pleasure to work with, because they have long ago realized that to become the best leader possible, they must engage in continuous personal and professional development. Those in the second group are often quite challenging to work with, because it is very difficult to help a person learn and develop when he is unwilling or incapable of acknowledging that he might have room for improvement as a leader. I'm almost 68 years old, with over 48 years of serving in leadership roles and training and developing other leaders, and I remain and will always be a student of the “Science & Art of Leadership.” 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: I’m still learning! Food for thought leaders. Have a Great Day, and as always... 𝗚𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 & 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹! Semper Fidelis, Mike “𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀.” – 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 #FidelisLeadership #Leadership #Management #ToxicLeadership #Marines #MikeEttore

What is the key to effective leadership? A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of delivering a keynote for PwC Italy's 300 recently appointed managers. During the talk, I shared my 3 golden rules when it comes to leading teams. #1 ONLY DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO. As a manager, you can't do everything yourself. List all tasks for the month, identify what only you can do, and delegate the rest with clear expectations. 🗣️ #2 LEAD, DON’T LABOUR. Create the right conditions for your team to thrive. Check-in periodically, provide feedback and resources, celebrate milestones and recognise efforts. 🏅 Your success depends on helping your team grow and achieve their goals. #3 QUIT AS SOON AS YOU CAN. Aim to become unnecessary as soon as possible. Empower others to grow and inspire them to become teachers themselves, continuing the cycle of growth and improvement. … Curious to know more? Keep reading on the last issue of my newsletter! 👇 https://buff.ly/3T36ArN -gs P.S.: Thanks to Giulio Ravanelli and the whole PwC Italy team for the invitation and InSpeaker for the amazing coordination 🙌🏽🙏🏽

Another step in the development of my leadership skills is completed :)

You might think that the high-powered job title, leading a great team and interesting work opportunities are enough. Here’s why that’s not necessarily true. I was there, it was A YEAR AGO TODAY that I made the leap into living my purpose so that I could show up as 100% me. I’d realised that, as much as I loved EY, I was only at 50%. 50% as happy,  50% as impactful,  50% of truly being me. I won’t lie, it wasn’t an easy leap, in many ways life was sweet. 🍯 I’d been promoted to Global Talent Director, something I was super proud of. 🍭 I was working with a fantastic team who challenged me and made me a better leader. 🍯 Some super-smart Global leaders who made me feel like I was doing an MBA part-time. 🍭 Despite the long hours, I had lots of responsibility, autonomy and flexibility. I thought that this was enough. It wasn’t. During COVID I’d become hyper aware of when I was doing something that pumped me up (working 1-1 with leaders to make a difference), and when I was doing something that flattened my batteries (navigating bureaucracy and BS). I’d got a bit lost, easily done in a firm of nearly 500,000 people. I hadn’t found my way to the leaders who needed my truth. I was coaching partners at EY and charity CEOs pro bono off the side of my desk…. As well as giving me my coaching fix, I could tell it was supercharging my batteries, and theirs. We were making a difference. I wanted to be doing this all of the time. Having brave caring conversations with leaders, unlocking what it is that makes them shine, so they can go make the world a better place. I’ve put all of this into my 1-1 Leadership coaching: 🎯 Getting you clear on exactly what you were put on this planet to do, connecting it with your business goals, 🎯 and most importantly letting your true self and your values shine bright… because, as I know, when you do this magic happens.

Leading from your Being Authenticity is one of the many ingredients of Leadership Presence. Authenticity comes to fore for every leader whether it is while being courageous in difficult situations or while speaking with empathy to employees. Leader's authenticity is something which everyone in the room can feel or see. That authenticity comes only when the leader is operating from her 'Being'. This program is amazing for everyone who wants to get Leadership Presence effortlessly. This program not only enables authenticity but many more aspects of Leadership.

Definition of STRESS: when external demands exceed internal resources. We are delighted to have completed the first three workshops within our LEADING WITH RESILIENCE programme for this year’s new Tax & Legal Directors at Deloitte UK. The programme is in its fourth year of running, having been tailor-made to complement Deloitte’s Tax & Legal Wellbeing Initiative. It includes four workshops focusing on resilience, stress and leadership, plus multiple one-to-one coaching sessions for participants. Once again, it is rewarding to see progress in individuals’ approach, resulting in more resilient leadership.  If you would like to discuss a tailor-made programme for your team, please get in touch; we would love to help. www.lifeforward.co.uk #resilience #stress #leadership

Choosing the Middle Path In the early stages of our careers, we often lack a strong stance on key issues. Particularly in large organizations, aligning with the company’s perspective is often seen as the safest and most prudent approach. However, as we grow in experience and rise through the ranks, we begin to develop our own perspectives—rooted in personal ethics and values. But what happens when those personal beliefs clash with the organization's stance? This delicate dilemma requires careful navigation: balancing professional responsibilities while staying true to yourself. In Courage Talks S5E5, Nishath Moheb Usmani shares profound insights on how to address this challenge gracefully. Nishath Moheb Usmani is the Associate Partner and Chief of Partner Learning at KPMG India. With over two decades of experience, Nishath has transformed leadership development practices across organizations like Deloitte Consulting, Capgemini, and KPMG. At KPMG, she designed and implemented Taxila, a learning ecosystem that has redefined leadership learning, winning multiple Brandon Hall Gold Awards. Find the complete episode via the link in the comments.

Definition of STRESS: when external demands exceed internal resources. We are delighted to have completed the first three workshops within our LEADING WITH RESILIENCE programme for this year’s new Tax & Legal Directors at Deloitte UK. The programme is in its fourth year of running, having been tailor-made to complement Deloitte’s Tax & Legal Wellbeing Initiative. It includes four workshops focusing on resilience, stress and leadership, plus multiple one-to-one coaching sessions for participants. Once again, it is rewarding to see progress in individuals’ approach, resulting in more resilient leadership.  If you would like to discuss a tailor-made programme for your team, please get in touch; we would love to help. www.lifeforward.com.sg #resilience #stress #leadership

"It all feels uncertain now..." It's a common lament that VPs have shared with me over the years. The work, the goals and the decisions all exist in a higher state of ambiguity. In previous roles, VPs encountered complexity, but there was typically some clarity associated with that complexity. Often, VPs feel as though the clarity rug has been pulled out from under them. The uncertainty and ambiguity are not going to change. It's a feature of the position. The good news is the VP themself can change. We can evolve as leaders to feel grounded in ambiguity. We can learn to face the uncertainty and lean into it with confidence. If you're a senior leader who feels overwhelmed with the uncertainty that you face everyday, and feel yourself scrambling to hold on to the concrete decisions that once made you feel confident and safe, I can help. Shoot me a message. _________________________________________________________________ Hi, I'm Walt. I'm a retired Naval Leader and Helicopter Pilot who became a Leadership Coach. If you feel stuck or you're ready to be more productive, more focused, more grounded or better in relationships, please message me. I'd love to hear about you. #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #TLiftCoaching #VPWhisperer