ASPIRE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY LTD

This is the first in a series of blogs in which we will look at some of the common issues faced by modern leaders and how they can be addressed. Today, we will consider impostor syndrome. What is it? Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon, is a term originally coined by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978. Merriam-Webster.Com defines it as “a false and sometimes crippling belief that one's successes are the product of luck or fraud rather than

The business benefits from having positively engaged staff are irrefutable and well documented (see, for example, the MacLeod report into engagement in British organisations): fewer sick days, lower staff turnover, greater innovation, more resilience, keen advocacy, etc. This excellent article by HBR identifies factors that facilitate effectiveness during times of uncertainty and anxiety: https://bit.ly/AspireMCL052 The list includes a combination of personal, interpersonal/r

Yes! As long ago as 2009, around 90% of organisations were using coaching and the trend continues upwards (https://bit.ly/AspireMCL021). The most common uses include leadership development (23%), enhancing good performance (23%) and improving poor performance (20%). But does it really deliver? According to a study by The Association Resources Centre and PWC (Starr, J. The Coaching Manual, Pearson Education Ltd., Harlow, 2011, p.7), coachees reported the following improvement

Good article by McKinsey on how CEOs and other leaders can succeed in the new environment: https://bit.ly/AspireMCL101 Covid has accelerated some of the trends that were already evident, e.g., more home working, and, as with any change, there will be winners and losers. The winners will be those who recognise the emerging trends and are agile enough to adapt quickly. The 5 priorities identified by McKinsey offer a good starting point. It is the third of the 5 new priorities,

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast" as Peter Drucker is often quoted as saying. It is in fact debatable whether or not he actually used those words, but the sentiment is certainly true. Put simply, in any kind of organisation, culture is 'the way things are done around here'. If the way things are done, informally as well as formally, is at odds with desired strategic behaviours, it is highly unlikely that the organisation will enjoy success. Every organisation has a cultu

Even after Covid, remote teams will be here to stay. In reality, the lockdown only accelerated an already clear trend towards remote and homeworking. Doubtless, many lessons will have been learnt over the last year or so, but do you have a plan to boost the effectiveness of your remote staff? This insightful article from Gallup provides a guide to the questions that should be asked and the steps that can be taken to maximise your chances of success: http://bit.ly/AspireMCL063

With businesses coming out of lockdown, the challenges for leaders are greater than ever: making hybrid teams work, building resilience and agility, dealing with more ambiguity and cultural diversity, etc. Aspire MCL offers leadership and team development services to equip leaders and their businesses to not only survive but to thrive in the modern environment. Get in touch today and take the first step towards unleashing your potential: Email: enquiries@aspiremcl.co.uk Tel:

Whilst crises and other disruptions can cause difficulties and turmoil, "the best leaders defy the odds while others merely get by" (http://bit.ly/AspireMCL045 ). This is not to deny or downplay the significant suffering and problems caused by the pandemic, but the reality is that there will, as always, be winners and losers. Good leaders, whilst recognising the concerns of their stakeholders, will use the situation to spark deep change where it is needed. The process starts

The trend towards remote and home working was already apparent before Covid-19 made it a necessity. As a return to normal edges closer, many companies and their workers are trying to weigh up the pros and cons of returning to the office or sticking with current arrangements. Many of those whose staff are relatively local are leaning towards a hybrid model with, say, 2 days per week in the office and the remainder spent working from home. In short, it appears that for most, re

'Compared with low-trust companies, high-trust companies experience 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement and 40% less burnout'. These are just some of the findings of an extensive survey by Paul Zak published recently in a HBR article: http://bit.ly/AspireMCL042 He goes on to say: "In its 2016 global CEO survey, PwC reported that 55% of CEOs think that a lack of trust is a threat to their organization’s

Aspire MCL has long used the excellent 5 Behaviours (5Bs) model to help develop high-performing boards and teams. Now, Patrick Lencioni has collaborated with Wiley to produce a version of the assessment that can be used by individuals to give them personalised insights on how they can work more effectively in all their teams to manage conflict and boost collaboration and other productive behaviours. Aspire MCL is a certified facilitator for The 5Bs. Get in touch with us today

Aspire MCL is pleased to offer a one-year, online or face-to-face (post-Covid restrictions) leadership development programme. This will be an ideal programme for those in or aspiring to senior leadership/executive positions, and for those looking to achieve sustainable business growth through the competitive advantage of inspiring leadership, high-performance teams and organizational health. The programme consists of 10 sessions of up to 2 hours each, supplemented by personal

Aspire MCL has long argued that inspiring leadership and high-performance, 'healthy' boards and teams offer one of the few sources of sustainable competitive advantage in today's rapidly changing business world. Why? Because this combination is both incredibly powerful and very rare. It is not that business leaders fail to appreciate the potential benefits of such a combination, it is that they are too often unwilling to invest the resources necessary to properly cultivate

Although a return to the office later this year is looking likely, many businesses have stated that they will allow teams to keep working from home. Still others will adopt a hybrid approach where a team is split between those present in the office and those connecting remotely. This LinkedIn article gives some useful tips on leading remote teams: http://bit.ly/AspireMCL022 The importance of good communications and a more emotionally intelligent approach to working with other

Belbin Team Roles is a great tool for helping to ensure that people are suited to the nature of the work required. It can be used to complement SDI 2.0, or DiSC, and 'The 5 Behaviours of a Cohesive Team'. SDI 2.0 and DiSC help us to understand individual motivations, preferred work behaviours and reaction to stress/conflict, whilst 'The 5 Behaviours' provides a framework to guide overall team dynamics. Here is a short overview which shows what an understanding of team roles c

■ As a leader, do you know how to bring out the best in each of your team members? Do you know what drives them to do their best work? SDI 2.0 will help you understand and tap into these drives. ■ How well does your team collaborate? Do good ideas flow freely or do people tend to work in silos? Are they riven by conflict? SDI 2.0 introduces people to the skills needed to work better together. ■ Have you ever thought about what it’s like to be on the receiving end of you? Do y

SDI 2.0 is a simple but practical tool that helps leaders and teams interact more effectively. By understanding our own and others' motivations and preferred behaviours better, we generate better ideas, have more healthy debates about issues, coach and mentor far more effectively, reduce personal conflict, boost engagement, and much more besides. Get in touch to find out how SDI 2.0 can propel your business to the next level. #leadershipdevelopment #teambuilding #sdi20

Delighted to have become a Certified Core Strengths Partner for SDI 2.0. This is a great tool for building leaders and teams. I used its predecessor, TSDI, regularly and to good effect. Here's a short video that will explain how SDI 2.0 can help you become a more effective leader and build cohesive and dynamic boards/teams: #leadershipdevelopment #teambuilding #psychometrics #SDI20

Ian was delighted to have been interviewed by Chris Kirkby (no relation) of 'The 23' on leadership traits, boosting organisational health, building great teams and coping with the increasing mental demands of leading in the modern world. This is a useful summary Aspire's approach in these areas and has some good, practical tips you can start to apply immediately. Here is the link: https://bit.ly/AspireMCL11-1 #leadershipdevelopment #organisationalhealth #teambuilding #boarddy

Do your employees trust your leadership? Does it really matter? An all too common answer to the first question is ‘probably not’, but the proven answer to the second is ‘definitely!’ An extensive Gallup survey showed that only one in 3 employees strongly agree that they trust their organization’s leadership* But why does it matter? There are many reasons why trust is essential not only to good leadership but to good teamwork. Pat Lencioni’s ‘5 Behaviours of a Cohesive Team’ r