Thank you for reading my latest article. In my work as an advisor, coach and consultant to ambitious and leading boards, CEO’s, executives and teams, I come across important developments and people that are shaping the future of business and leadership. Every Sunday I share my round-up of interesting stories so you can find the views, trends and leadership and business thinking to help you grow faster and reach your potential.
- Strategy execution does not mean sticking to the plan! I have been working for over 20 years with leaders, teams, and organizations on strategy execution. I have seen many companies struggle to make their strategy work in practice and fail to improve their performance. Here are my top 6 tips to help you execute better.
- Command and control styles of leadership are dead. To be an effective leader, you need to care about the people you lead! Empathy has always been a critical skill for leaders, but it is taking on a new level of meaning and priority, especially now in our changing world of hybrid working. Empathetic leaders are winning, and I love it
- How do you collaborate with someone you don’t like? They’re not toxic or difficult, you just have different styles, and they rub you the wrong way. You won’t get along with everyone, but there is potential value in every interaction. It is always possible to collaborate effectively with people you don’t like, but you do have to take the lead.
- Why do we say we will do things and then fail to do them? Because we overcommit to avoid disappointing people. But, we are eroding trust and we must stop. Trust is a leader's greatest currency so you must avoid eroding it and make explicit commitments that you keep.
- Does climate change have a place in the boardroom? Absolutely! The decisions made over the next decade will impact the world for centuries to come. Just think about that! I think business leaders must be advocates for taking action to address climate change within their organisations.
- Failing to critically think is hurting your business. There are some simple changes to becoming a more effective critical thinker. Here are 5 simple changes you can take today to think more critically.
- More people are betting on themselves. Is fear stopping you? With the great resignation in full swing, more and more people are betting on themselves and taking the plunge and starting their own businesses. Fear can force us to focus on what we might lose, rather than what we might gain.
- Leaders who don't listen are losing out. Leaders who give others a voice are winning. Everyone has something called a "prediction engine" which makes us rush to generate an answer. This means our default position is often to "hear to respond/defend/validate" rather than listening to understand. This limits our point of view.
- When Passion Leads to Burnout. When we equate work we love with “not really working,” it propagates a belief that if we love it so much, we should do more of it — all of the time, actually. But this mentality leads to burnout, and the impact on our mental health can be profound.
- How to Make Great Decisions, Quickly. Great decisions are communicated well to stakeholders. The goal is not to seek approval but to bring everyone up to a consistent level of understanding to enable smooth implementation of the decision.
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If you like articles like this, you might enjoy my weekly newsletter. The Sentient Sunday. Every Sunday morning you’ll receive one leadership and business insight to spark your curiosity and help you grow and reach your potential.
Kevin McDonnell is a global advisor, coach and consultant with a mission to help ambitious leaders, change-makers and businesses grow faster and unlock breakthrough results. Kevin advises, coaches and consults the world’s largest private and public companies, investors, start-ups and non-profits; and he has delivered 100’s of coaching, advisory and consulting engagements across industries, and around the world. Kevin also serves on the board as Non-Executive Chairman/Director or Board Advisor for several companies. You can learn more about Kevin at kevinmcdonnell.co.
