Your Managers Do Not Need More Coaching. They Need Better Access to It.
Here is what I see inside organisations every month. You invest in leadership development. You run workshops. You bring in external facilit
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Topic guide · 38 articles
Communication
Communication frameworks for leaders who need clarity, not more meetings. How to have conversations that move work forward.
Most leadership friction is a communication problem in disguise. These articles give you the scripts, frameworks, and mindset shifts to communicate with impact.
Communication frameworks for leaders who need clarity, not more meetings. Learn how to have conversations that move work forward, align stakeholders, and cut the misunderstanding that drives escalation.
How to Get Buy-In When Everyone Has Competing Priorities
How to get voluntary commitment when your project isn't their top priority
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The One Leadership Lesson Most Senior Leaders Learn Too Late
An Amazon executive once shared that he receives 1,500 to 2,000 emails every single day. Out of all those messages, only 15 to 20 are genuin
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Why Telling a Manager to Be More Strategic Changes Nothing
Every month, thousands of performance reviews include the same vague feedback: "You need to step up" or "Be more strategic."
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How Your Energy as a Leader Shapes Every Result Your Team Gets
Your leadership impact isn't just about what you say or do. It's about the energy you bring into every room, every meeting, every decision.
Read article →How a Wrong Turn in the Grand Canyon Changed How I Make Decisions
Standing in the depths of the Grand Canyon as the sun set, I faced a problem that would later define how I think about leadership decisions.
Read article →How to Tell If Your Team Is Doing Busy Work or Breakthrough Work
When I coach managers of managers, I see the same pattern. Diaries full. Meetings that update but do not decide. Teams busy, yet the results
Read article →Why Working Harder and Longer Has Stopped Producing Results
When I was a young Army officer, I trained by running as fast and as far as I could until I dropped. I wore the pain like a badge. It worked
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How to Spot When Your Leaders Are Optimising for Headlines Not Results
Walk into any leadership team meeting and you'll witness it: leaders who've mastered the art of looking busy while accomplishing little.
Read article →Why Simpler Practices Outperform Sophisticated Models Every Time
Picture your last leadership training session. Competency frameworks stacked like ancient scrolls. Behavioural matrices are more complex tha
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How Fear of Getting It Wrong Is Slowing Your Team Down
When was the last time you watched a child learn to walk?
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How to Manage Up So Your Boss Removes Obstacles Not Adds Them
Some managers arrive asking you to make the call. Others arrive with a proposal and a question. The difference decides whether your manageme
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How Asking One Question Strips Complexity Out of Any Problem
I spend a lot of my time asking myself multiple "hard" questions in pursuit of being the "best business I can be" – whilst being remote.
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How to Rebuild Team Connection When Everyone Works Remotely
If you're anything like the leaders I work with, you may have been struggling with creating a sense of connection amongst your team members
Read article →How Your Leadership Skills Shape Every Employee's Experience
The conversation that I have found myself experiencing multiple times this last week is how COVID has impacted the Employee Experience.
Read article →How to Stay Sharp Under Pressure When It Counts Most
We all know that feeling before we have to do something important. As a facilitator, I have faced it a couple of times myself in the last co
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How Being Reliable Builds the Trust Your Team Needs to Perform
The easiest way to think about reliability in terms of building trust is to imagine your leadership like a vehicle that takes you from A to
Read article →How Getting Clear on Your Values Cuts Decision Fatigue
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks packing up my life, dropping various possessions into friends’ attics for storage, and moving from NZ ba
Read article →How to Lead with Empathy Without Losing Your Authority
Empathy enables you to know if the people you’re trying to reach are actually reached. Without empathy, you can’t build a team or nurture a
Read article →How Asking One Question Gets More from Your Team Than Telling Them How
As hybrid work becomes the norm for many companies, your team members are not the same people who headed home during the first lockdown.
Read article →How to Set Up Hybrid Working So Your Managers Can Still Lead
The concept of the Great Resignation and how businesses can configure themselves differently for the future which will
Read article →How Agreeing Ways of Working Stops Team Friction Before It Starts
When my team and I were putting together the Ways of Working (WoW) program we wanted to create something really impactful, cost-effective an
Read article →How a Four Step 1:1 Format Transforms Your Weekly Check-Ins
When I talk to leaders at the start of Ways of Working Sponsor Sessions, I often ask how they conduct their 1:1s and how they support their
Read article →How Defining Your Leadership Brand Cuts Decision Fatigue
Do you have a leadership brand? Do you know what one is?
Read article →How Building Connection Reduces Burnout and Lifts Engagement
Do you remember when you were younger, and the feeling of trepidation as you walked in the front door of a new school or club?
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Why AI Cannot Replace Your Purpose as a Leader
AI can write the report and model the forecast. It cannot supply the purpose, judgement and trust your managers lead with. Here is why that
Read article →How Getting Clear on Your Personal Purpose Changes How You Lead
Most successful leaders know that it is essential to understand the power of having a clear Team Purpose.
Read article →How Clarifying Role Purpose Lifts Productivity by 20 Percent
In our previous blog posts, we explored the significance of having a personal purpose and how to find it. Now, we're moving to the next leve
Read article →How to Build a Team That Performs When It Matters Most
We recently had the pleasure of hosting an engaging and insightful conversation on our podcast with the remarkable Jill DePompei Morales
Read article →How to Lead Through Tough Periods Without Burning Your Team Out
Caption – Leadership is a relentless journey, fraught with numerous hurdles that test the mettle of even the most seasoned individuals.
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How Better Executive Communication Moves Your Numbers
In the fast-paced world of business, success often hinges on effective leadership and stakeholder engagement. As a senior leader
Read article →How ADHD-Inclusive Management Gives Your Team a Hidden Edge
In the latest episode of The High-Performance Leader podcast, I sat down with productivity coach and industrial organizational psychologist
Read article →How to Build Lasting Leadership Impact Instead of Short Bursts
Have you ever stopped to think if you're truly making a difference in your leadership role? We all like to think we are, but what if we coul
Read article →How to Keep Your Best Managers When Pressure Is at Its Peak
Ever wonder why your managers keep leaving despite all the effort you put into creating a thriving environment?
Read article →How the PVC Model Stops Your Team Cracking Under Peak Load
The middle of the year can be when teams really start to get busy. Whether it be the result of team members on leave and others picking up t
Read article →How Being Too Available Is Making Your Team Less Capable
Many leaders think that being "always available" is the hallmark of effective leadership. But here’s the reality: being constantly available
Read article →Why Forcing High Performance Backfires and What Works Instead
It's a common and frustrating experience for leaders – you invest in programs, you try to motivate your team, but that spark of high perform
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How to Get Out of the Detail and Back Into Strategic Work
You promoted your best operators into management because they get things done. Now they are buried in the detail and the strategic work you
Read article →Podcasts and media on communication
PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers get recognised for team impact not tasks
Struggling to get recognised as a manager? Learn how to shift from task reporting to value creation and boost your promotion prospects.
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers can lead teams effectively in a true crisis
Leading a team through crisis can be daunting. Discover proven crisis management strategies and communication tips for operational leaders.
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers handle abrasive leaders without harming teams
Abrasive leaders can destroy team morale. Learn how managers can address abrasive behaviour and build a healthier workplace culture in this
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers build staff buy in for organisational change
Struggling to get staff buy in for change? Discover proven strategies for managers to boost engagement and drive lasting results. Listen now
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers influence senior stakeholders with clarity
How managers can improve communication with senior stakeholders. Gain practical tips to build trust, credibility and stronger leadership imp
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers lead teams when facing personal challenges
How managers handle personal challenges while leading teams. Learn strategies to support staff, prioritise wellbeing and maintain performanc
Listen to episode →Questions leaders ask about communication
How do I communicate more clearly as a leader?
Lead with the decision or the ask, then give the context, rather than building up to your point. Busy people need to know what you want from them in the first sentence, and clarity up front prevents the follow up questions that eat your time.
Why does my team keep misunderstanding my instructions?
Usually because the outcome and the priority were left implicit. State what good looks like, why it matters, and when it is needed, then ask them to play it back so you catch the gap before the work starts.
How do I get my message across to senior stakeholders?
Frame it around their priorities and the decision you need, not the detail of your work. Senior stakeholders buy outcomes and risk, so open with the impact and keep the supporting detail ready but out of the way.
How can I reduce the number of meetings without losing alignment?
Replace status meetings with a short written update and reserve live time for decisions and problem solving. Most alignment problems are a clarity problem, not a meeting shortage.
What is the best way to communicate change to my team?
Be honest about what is changing, why, and what it means for them specifically, then leave room for questions. People handle change better when they understand the reasoning and trust that you are not hiding the hard parts.
Explore More Topics
Team Performance (79)Culture Change (46)For Senior Leaders (41)Employee Retention (37)Remote Leadership (36)Work-Life Balance (33)Coaching Skills (30)Building Trust (27)Decision Making (25)Accountability (25)Delegation Skills (24)Having Hard Conversations (22)Leadership (19)Change Management (11)For New Managers (8)Emotional Intelligence (8)Dealing with Burnout (5)Management (4)For HR Leaders (4)Gen Z Workforce (4)Running Better Meetings (3)Managing Difficult People (3)
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