Be it political discourse, workplace clashes, family dinner debates or relationship dilemmas, engaging in conversations with individuals who hold opposing viewpoints can be frustrating. How can we prepare ourselves better before we enter such conversations?

The departure of star employees can leave employers scratching their heads in bewilderment. As employers, what are we not seeing?

Leaders are humans too, and need immediate acknowledgement to know that we’re on the right path.

The problem is that it’s not as simple to measure success in leadership. Unlike games with clear rules and defined endpoints, the pursuit of impactful leadership is an infinite game.

Getting 80% done is better than 100%? This idea might seem counterintuitive to progress but there is some wisdom behind this mantra.🦉

You see, the pursuit for 100% often leads to delays, burnout, and even missed opportunities. In contrast, focusing on reaching the 80% mark acknowledges the diminishing returns associated with achieving absolute perfection.

Stage plays vs films: What’s the difference?

🎭 Given their limited proximity, stage plays often emphasise heightened expressions to ensure visibility and impact for the audience. Plots in stage plays are generally simpler as immediate and continuous engagement is required. Also, it needs to regard practical considerations such as limited sets and swift scene changes.

🛠️ When developing aspiring leaders in your organisation, consider the 4Es of leadership development (Environment, Equipping, Exposure, and Execution); a framework that offers a holistic approach to nurturing leadership skills.

Shu-Ha-Ri is a Japanese martial art concept, describing the stages of learning to mastery. The word “shuhari” roughly translates to "first learn, then detach, and finally transcend."

💪 “Don’t give up because we’re outnumbered!”

In a world often obsessed with sheer numbers and size, there's another perspective that emphasises the importance of quality over quantity. This quote, “What we lack in numbers, we will make up with quality”, suggests that success can be achieved through a focus on excellence rather than sheer volume.

⚽️ “Life is not a game, but a SERIES of games.”

If this is true, then we had better be purposeful in how we play these “games”. I did some research and analysed some existing frameworks to develop this modest framework with the hope of helping us leaders assess our team members better based on how they are playing.

Facilitation is collaboration, and the success in collaborative efforts is a multi-dimensional affair not solely defined by results. When a leader puts on their facilitation hat, they should do so with the mindset of balancing these three dimensions (see image):

🎙️In a recent podcast, Adam Grant asked Brene Brown if the word ‘leadership’ didn’t exist, what would she replace it with?
She replied: “Facilitation”

🎯 Goal Setting For Success in 2024!

The only thing powerful enough to continually push us towards where we want to be in life is a firm and unwavering commitment to our goals.

If only it were that easy!

I’ve been asked a few times to define the role of a mentor and what exactly goes on between a mentor and their mentee. The purpose of a mentor is to help their mentees grow to become the best version of themselves.

⚠️ Previously, I shared a step-by-step guide in walking the friend-manager tightrope. Now let’s look into what to do if the friendship crosses the line.

Young leaders dream of building a team where camaraderie and team performance thrives. I myself have been there before, and I stepped on many toes trying to strike the right balance.

🙅🏻‍♂️Because of a deep-rooted fear of upsetting others, I’ve always avoided conflict. Through the years, my misguided belief that conflict avoidance was a healthy way of dealing with problems caused me and my relationships - both personal and professional - to unnecessarily suffer.

Real connections and growth happens when we choose to embrace and give the unfiltered truth.

As professionals and leaders, acknowledging that our actions can create ripple effects leads to us becoming more intentional and mindful in our decision-making process.

Presence doesn’t just mean being there physically, it also means being fully conscious of the person we are engaging with, creating a safe and supportive environment for exploration, growth and learning.

When it comes to being an effective coach-leader, an often overlooked but incredibly powerful skill is listening.