In a modern business, traditional command-and-control leadership will no longer produce the best results. As part of my coaching, I encourage leaders to assume a more creative, visionary role.

As time has gone by, the role of company leader has changed. Treating your employees and colleagues with respect is more likely to obtain better results. Whilst it is important the relationships with your staff remain professional, modern leaders are expected to have greater emotional intelligence and demonstrate this in the way they interact with others.

Storytelling has been a valued art since the beginning of human civilisation. Those who could most effectively communicate gained authority and prestige. The fact that Homer’s Odyssey is still studied on syllabuses today is testament to the value our society puts in telling a good tale. Beyond fiction however, creating an engaging narrative is also a vital tool in inspiring others and recruiting them to your cause.

An enormous part of what makes professional athletes so successful is how they utilise their ‘off season.’ This is time outside of the competitive calendar, where they rest and prepare for upcoming events. I would suggest that businesses and their leaders would also profit from similar periods of recuperation and preparation.

As a leader, you must inspire those around you. This might sound quite grandiose, but this essentially means utilising other people, whether this is employees, clients, or suppliers. Beyond having a concept for the future of the organisation and knowing what actions to take to attain this, getting others to understand these concepts and buy into them, is the mark of a truly inspirational leader.

As your business grows and matures, it is important that your leadership style evolves alongside it. This will mean that there is total alignment between your actions, the directions you give and where you want your company to be.

It is vital for the further growth and development of your business that you do not let ‘OK syndrome’ take hold. This is where aspects of your organisation might be deemed acceptable, without any intention to improve them.

I advocate servant leadership, where the leader serves the company and its people, rather than the more outdated belief where the processes must be subservient and controlled from the top. From an outside perspective, this may sound like diminishing the leadership role, but in fact opens up a new avenue of opportunities to assume a more forward-thinking and fulfilling position.

We all have uncertainties that play on our mind; they might worry us unnecessarily or restrict our actions in some way. These limiting beliefs may be triggered by an experience, such as a bad interview, but often they live within our head, troubling our perception rather than reality. Whether conscious or subconscious, it is important we challenge these restrictive thoughts and build confidence in areas of uncertainty.

It can be too easy to let the gap between the organisation you actually run and the business you would ideally want to run grow. Conscious action must be taken, because aligning these two things will not happen naturally. Continuing as normal and leaving those aspects that frustrate and overwhelm you is not an option, because their inhibiting influence will only increase. It requires you to take the first step.

As an effective leader, visualising the future has no value if you cannot communicate it.

Storytelling has been a valued art since the beginning of human civilisation. Those who could most effectively communicate gained authority and prestige. The fact that Homer’s Odyssey is still studied on syllabuses today is testament to the value our society puts in telling a good tale. Beyond fiction however, creating an engaging narrative is also a vital tool in inspiring others and recruiting them to your cause…

Black & Decker are a company who realised that by empowering their employees they could improve their current processes. Stocking a multitude of different products, Black & Decker’s sales staff must have a wide knowledge that covers their offerings. A two-week training period could get them to a reasonable standard where they had a basic knowledge…

If a business wants to achieve sustained growth and improvement, responsibility must be shared effectively across it. Over reliance or one or a few leaders will result in a workload imbalance which will affect efficiency and productivity. Therefore, empowering different members of staff to hone and expand their skillsets is a good way to attain this…

Stories of success have certainly been overshadowed during the past year; however, one standout example of good news has been New Zealand’s effective coronavirus response, due in part to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern…

The traditional ‘strong’ and uncompromising leader figure seems outdated in a modern context. Today, leadership should be as much (if not more) about persuasion as rhetoric. I believe that the best way to encourage someone to their full potential is to make an emotional connection with them, whether this is trust, loyalty, or respect – I call this pathos persuasion…

It is testament to his success that Jürgen Klopp has admirers even amongst the greatest rivals of Liverpool FC. His commitment to reinstating the club to its former glory has impressed many, not just because of its undeniable results, but also because of the way he has inspired belief from his players, the supporters, and the club hierarchy…

Being able to visualise the future is probably the essential element that all leaders need to have. A vision is vital to progressing productively, it’s an aim that is both constant and consistent. Having this target can unify a group of people, guiding their separate efforts in one cooperative direction…

Organisational growth can be restricted by a lack of proper leadership training and development…