ENLIGHTENED LEADERSHIP BLUEPRINT VIDEO 2
TRANSFORMING THE QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP
Hi – Its Gina Gardiner here. In the first of the Blueprint videos I talked all about how things go wrong when the quality of leadership is poor.
When you fail to lead with integrity and heart or when you don’t the team right there will be a significant and negative impact on the ongoing success of the business.
Leading in a bullish way which promotes fear and erodes confidence is pretty common these days. In the short term it can increase productivity but this will not be sustained.
Ill health – both physical and mental, causing high levels of absenteeism, confidence is eroded and huge amounts of potential are wasted.
Being the leader or manager of other people can be very challenging. But it doesn’t have to be so.
It can also be extremely rewarding. I know because I’ve used these strategies approached myself and with others developing and refining them over the last 30+ years.
I ran an award winning organisation for over 20 years and since 2004 I have worked with many organisations in a variety of industries sharing with them the principles, strategies and approaches which underpinned the success in my own organisation
and have since then transformed the way other organisations operate with great results which have been sustained over time.
The widgets don’t matter, it is people who are the common denominator in these. I know this approach works – it transforms leaders who in turn work with their staff differently, empowering them and supporting them in their development as individuals and as a team.
Perhaps the best way to help you see how it might help you is to share a couple examples. I’ve changed the names to uphold their confidentiality.
I began working with the owner of a company which was already successful. However that success came at a huge cost.
He was very, very stressed, both he and his staff worked incredibly long hours to ensure they gave their customers great service.
Terry wasn’t sleeping well, he was bad tempered at home and at work he swung from being one of the gang to exploding because things had got on top of him.
One of the things he found most annoying was that every member of staff came to him for his approval.
He was constantly being interrupted as staff checked something out with him. He thought he was being clear with his staff but they lacked the confidence to solve any issues without direct involvement by him. There was a culture of blame so people avoided taking any responsibility.
Each of his staff had their own tasks to do, there was little or no team work going on.
Covering absence or holidays was a challenge and he often found himself working late into the night to ensure production wasn’t compromised.
His customers often made things more difficult as they failed to send in the necessary documentation.
He and his staff spent a great deal of time chasing customers to get the correct information so they could get on.
Family life was suffering, his blood pressure was high and he often found it difficult to sleep.
Our work focussed on transforming the way in which Terry led his company. He has learned that Enlightened Leadership requires him to take full responsibility for his words and actions or lack of them. His understanding that everything starts with him was a real breakthrough.
He has learned to manage his own emotional state well.
As he gained confidence he was able to communicate his expectations in a way which others wanted to deliver.
He now monitors performance consistently and provides developmental feedback which is both motivational and focused on continuous improvement.
He has created a sense of ownership within the staff, people no longer work in silos. The staff have become a co-hesive, learning team.
Terry has learned to use open ended questions and solution finding approaches to encourage his staff to think for themselves, to take the initiative and to look for a constructive way forward. He now has far more time to work strategically.
There is now a learning culture within the business. When things go wrong he and the team use it as an opportunity to learn.
Thursdays are Development Day when everyone within the organisation is involved in research, developing their own skills and in supporting the development of others.
Terry has the time to meet with customers to help them understand how they can help Terry and his team deliver the best possible service for their clients.
When we started working together Terry’s business has a turnover of a little under £500,000 everyone worked incredibly long hours.
Terry had no time to work strategically on his business, he had lost his enthusiasm and couldn’t see how he would be able to continue in the long term.
Terry now has the time to take a step back and to reflect on how to make things even better. The rewards have been great. His business turned over nearly £900,000 last year.
Even though they have invested a great deal on buying the most up to date technology and training the business is far more profitable.
The staff work together incredibly well as a team. Work starts at around 8 am and finish at 5. They frequently finish mid afternoon on a Friday and go to have a drink together.
Terry enjoys time with his family and have been able to go on holiday more frequently as he is secure that his team can operate successfully in his absence.
They have a vested interest in the ongoing success of the business as they enjoy share in the profits.
Terry and the team are busy embracing new technology. He is now full of happier, full energy and enthusiasm for the future as are his staff.
There is a sense of excitement when you visit.
Terry has become an Enlightened Leader.
My second example is of a business which was very close to bankruptcy when I started working with them. The CEO had recently taken over a business which employed around 80 people plus seasonal extras.
Susan the CEO had no idea how dire things were when she took over.
Getting accurate information from each of the departments and financial information for the company as a whole was impossible as the infra structure didn’t exist to do so.
Staff were unused to taking the initiative and the business was failing badly.
The structure was top heavy, people worked in silos and were unable to think for themselves as they were so used to being told exactly what to do.
The situation is vastly different, the business is thriving, staff are fully involved in the many developments taking place. They now have a large team of volunteers to help.
Managers receive ongoing training and have worked with their teams to deliver the organisations vision. ( Created with them by the CEO)
Shirley models the behaviours she wishes to see from her staff, She has been clear about her expectations and why they are important.
There is a great focus on employing the right person for the job, on inducting and developing their potential.
The staff feel valued, they have great enthusiasm and are highly motivated to ensure the long term success of the company.
They have moved from being suspicious of every potential change, from being obstructive and challenging to fully involved in moving the organisation forward. They share their ideas and make these become a reality. Morale, relationships and work life balance are all improved.
They now have a thriving volunteer scheme. They have a succession plan in place so when key people leave they are prepared and can offer a seamless service.
They both productive and profitable and the future looks very different than it did before.
They have embarked on an ambitious programme of capital development and have a 10 year Strategic Development Plan in place.
It is easy to see the value Enlightened Leadership brings to an organisation and people within it.
Why wouldn’t you want to achieve such results? If you want to grow your business, even if it is doing really well but you want to take it to the next level and you want to sustain that success over time you need to be really aware of how you can achieve this.
If you stay still your business will start to decline. Enlightened Leadership allows you to make the very best of yourself and others.
The principles and strategies are based on over 30 years’ experience of developing transformational leadership for individuals, teams and whole organisations.
The Enlightened Leadership Programme is designed to help you in your own development
and also in your developing the potential of your team or whole organisation depending on where you sit within the organisation.
In the next video I’m going to share with you how the programme works.
The quality of leadership determines the success or otherwise of any organisation. It also impacts on the happiness and wellbeing of you and your team. It makes sense to l be the best leader you can be. To recognise that everything starts with you.
I look forward to seeing in the next video.
I believe it is incredibly important to recognise that we are all connected, to look at how we can support and help one another from a place of love. For people to step into their genuine, authentic power, to have the courage to live a fearless life.
