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Mar 22
1 min

Boosting Board and Team Dynamics

Good article from Core Strengths about managing conflict in the workplace: https://www.corestrengths.com/managing-conflict-workplace/ It is difficult to overestimate the importance of fostering a culture of healthy and open debate when making a decision, but it remains elusive for many organisations. Often, time-pressed executives will push the 'discussion' to their pre-selected answer. Even when there is a genuine desire for more input, just asking for challenges frequently

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Ian Kirkby

Mar 12
1 min

Client Testimonial

Always encouraging to know that clients are benefitting from our services. Delighted to receive this recommendation from a finance director for a multi-national pharmaceutical company: "...an outstanding coach [who] guided us smoothly while we thrived as a team. His insightful approach to each team member during our program has been remarkable. I look forward to working with Ian in other programs." More testimonials can be found on our all-new website here: https://www.aspire

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Ian Kirkby

Jan 12
1 min

Building Resilience in Times of Turmoil

Below is a short but very helpful article by the Belbin team on 3 approaches to work that researchers identified as being helpful to managers in times of volatility. In summary, they are: - Organisational routines, which are also efficient when work is predictable. Many established work processes fall into this category. - Simple rules, or heuristics, which are rules of thumb that can provide shortcuts, speed up processes and decision-making, and prioritise the use of resour

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Ian Kirkby

Dec 3, 2020
2 min

What Really Causes Burnout at Work?

In previous articles and blogs, I have made much of the business benefits of having engaged staff: lower staff turnover, fewer sick days and accidents, greater resilience and agility, etc. Higher profitability is the obvious outcome. In this blog I am going to look briefly at the costs and causes of burnout. A 2019 report by Gallup (https://bit.ly/AspireMCL121) found that 28% of employees experienced burnout 'always' or 'very often' (a further 48% experienced it 'sometimes').

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Ian Kirkby

Jun 29, 2020
1 min

National Podcast by Aspire

Ian was interviewed by The Leaders Council for a national podcast last week. The Leaders Council is headed by Lord Blunkett and aims to equip the people who run the country and who keep the country running. The interview discussed what effective leadership is, what it looks like in the current crisis, and advice for new and senior leaders. The second part of the podcast features Sir Andrew Strauss, former England cricket captain, who also shares his thoughts on leadership. He

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In a Crisis, Leaders are Needed More Than Managers

Ian Kirkby

Apr 4, 2020
1 min

In a Crisis, Leaders are Needed More Than Managers

It's not that management is unimportant; far from it, but it is at times like this (crisis/massive change) that good leaders come to the fore and make a difference. Here's a useful article by HBR on leading through a crisis: https://bit.ly/3dRopD3 I would add that a key requirement is the need to be decisive (not rash!). Pushing into the unknown means that mistakes will be made, by you and by your teams. Acknowledge them, learn from them and move on. Want to develop your lead

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Ian Kirkby

Mar 17, 2020
1 min

Leading Through a Crisis

Leadership is especially important in times such as these and it is particularly important for those in senior positions to act accordingly. Rule number one is: 'be decisive (but don't panic!)'. To quote from a helpful article by McKinsey and Co, "What leaders need during a crisis is not a predefined response plan but behaviours and mindsets that will prevent them from overreacting to yesterday’s developments and help them look ahead." (https://cutt.ly/XtjZmlj). Aspire MCL of

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Ian Kirkby

Jul 30, 2019
2 min

Employee Engagement

The benefits of employee engagement are well quantified and well known. They include higher morale, greater agility, lower staff turnover, better customer service and higher profitability (see the MacLeod Report for a full listing). However, Gallup's 2018 survey showed that only 11% of British workers are engaged. Despite the obvious competitive advantages of investing in programmes to increase employee engagement, too many managers and executives insist on using 'carrot and

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Ian Kirkby

Jun 13, 2019
1 min

Visionary Leadership

Good, short article from Management Today about visionary leadership: http://bit.ly/Aspiremcl The reality is that there will always be some who are self-centred and will do almost anything to climb the 'greasy pole' for more money, power or to boost their egos. However, such an approach is not leadership and whilst it MAY generate some short-term wins, those who are willing to make more considered choices will create more value and growth for others as well as themselves. Vis

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The Importance of Leadership in Promoting Engagement

Ian Kirkby

Apr 2, 2019
1 min

The Importance of Leadership in Promoting Engagement

The business benefits of employee engagement are well known and include lower accident rates, fewer sick days, increased profits and lower staff turnover (saving not just money but time and stress as well!). The MacLeod Report, commissioned by the UK Govt, quantified some of these benefits. There is a clear link between good leadership and engagement. Here's a short article which elaborates on this fact with particular focus on the need to be respectful, communicate well and

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Ian Kirkby

Mar 15, 2019
1 min

Comfortable with Conflict?

Promoting healthy conflict (which is about the issues) is essential for getting the best ideas on the table, challenging assumptions and getting buy-in. Here's a short HBR article that shows one way of increasing your team's ability to deal with it: https://hbr.org/2019/03/an-exercise-to-help-your-team-feel-more-comfortable-with-conflict However, before healthy conflict can take place, there must be trust on the team. This is the first step on 'The 5 Behaviours' ladder which

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Ian Kirkby

Feb 18, 2019
1 min

New Subscriber Group

It's here! Aspire MCL has just created a secret subscriber’s group on Facebook. Every month we will post a new video, slideshow, article or questionnaire to boost leadership, team and organisational health development. Posted materials can be used without limit in your company for no additional fee. The group already has access to 4 leadership and team building videos which can be used for in-house workshops. You can see the trailer on Aspire’s Facebook page here: https://www

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How Effective Leadership Boosts Business Performance

Ian Kirkby

Jan 22, 2019
1 min

A Leader can ask for Help

Interesting article from HBR on how the best leaders are not afraid to ask for help: https://hbr.org/2019/01/the-best-leaders-arent-afraid-to-ask-for-help The article rightly makes the point that we all need help in some things at some times, and asking for it can help boost our engagement with those who work for us. Of course, it depends on who, how, when and how frequently we ask, but being willing to seek assistance appropriately can make a very positive difference to our

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What do Exceptional Leaders do Differently?

Ian Kirkby

Aug 10, 2018
2 min

What do Exceptional Leaders do Differently?

There is no shortage of material about the traits of good leadership and some of the pointers and lists can be helpful for assessment and development. However, it is not uncommon for someone to possess many of these traits but still be uninspiring as a leader. What makes people willing to follow one person but not another in similar situations? There are many factors to this of course, but in decades of study and experience, I have found that the most inspiring and effective

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Ian Kirkby

Jun 11, 2018
1 min

Asking Great Questions

The ability to ask great questions is a key leadership skill: they unlock/reveal information, stimulate thinking and boost engagement. Knowing how and when to ask closed ('yes' or 'no') and open questions will empower your leadership. Here's an article that expounds the subject: https://hbr.org/ideacast/2018/05/ask-better-questions Aspire MCL can help you develop coaching and analytical skills. Call us on 020 3904 7501 to learn more. #Coaching #Engagement #Communications #Mee

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The Importance of Compassionate Leadership

Ian Kirkby

May 16, 2018
1 min

The Importance of Compassionate Leadership

It is really important to show compassion as a leader. It is also important to understand that being compassionate does not mean being soft. It's a shame that HBR used the GIF with this article (https://goo.gl/Ze1Nhu) as it conveys the wrong image: Truly compassionate leaders care enough for their team to make tough decisions and have those difficult conversations when they are necessary. #Engagement #TeamBuilding #Leadership #StaffDevelopment #Effectiveness

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What Successful Executives Do Differently

Ian Kirkby

May 8, 2018
1 min

What Successful Executives Do Differently

Another telling survey has shown that between 50-60% of new executives fail within 18 months of their first appointment (HBR – The 4 Things Successful Executives Do, 7 March 2018). The same survey showed that 61% said they were not prepared for their new role and 76% received no or inadequate help from their organisation to make the step up. On a more positive note, here's what the survey identified as the key traits of the successful 40-50%: - They had a wide-ranging perspec

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Ian Kirkby

Apr 5, 2018
1 min

How Does Poor Leadership Show Itself?

Great article highlighting the most common traits of bad leaders: https://www.td.org/insights/19-traits-of-bad-bosses How does your boss score? How do YOU score? Need help to develop your leadership skills and confidence? Call us now for a no-obligation initial consultation. #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #Aggressive #Effectiveness #Leadership

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Ian Kirkby

Apr 2, 2018
1 min

The Damage Done by Invisible Leaders

Invisible leaders are a plague in many organisations. This article illustrates the damage they can do: https://goo.gl/DsZgy5 As it notes, such 'leaders' tend to be good at 'flying under the radar'. If you are an executive or other senior leader, it is important that you proactively seek to identify and remedy any such situations. If you fear the article is describing you, don't despair: get in touch and let Aspire help you become the leader you really want to be! #ExecutiveLe

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