How to Take the Lead

We are back with our third series, and in this first episode we are talking about how you can lead when things are tough. We are all tired, we have moved from one crisis to another with no time to catch a breath, we have lots going on in life AND we still need to lead.

In this episode we share our own views, thoughts and experiences:

• 04:08  – knowing where to start
• 05:10 – working out what you can control and act on
• 11:15 – we don’t have to be the saviour
• 17:09 – leadership mindset
• 22:55 – don't demote development
• 28:48 – How to ... do things differently in 2023!

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode we are all about actions not words – work out where you can add the most value and take action. Ask people what they need from you as a leader but don’t ask for permission to make changes. And look after yourself, it’s important for you and to role model to your teams.

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

We are now also over on YouTube if you want to see what's going on behind the scenes as we talk!

Plus, we've launched our new Substack community, where you can get extra bonus goodies, network with a community of leaders and get direct access to us both.

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

Well, we’ve got two series of the podcast under our belts now and we couldn’t finish 2022 without a bonus episode. It’s a bit of a review of the year, what we have learned about leadership, what we’ve loved and loathed and also a look ahead to our leadership hopes for 2023.

• 04:23  – is it important for leaders to make time to reflect and reset?
• 10:53 – how do I take steps to have the impact I desire as a leader?
• 18:43 – overwhelm and being kind to yourself
• 26:02 – has 2022 been a good year for leaders?
• 30:46 – leadership wishes for 2023
• 32:08 – what should leaders firmly leave behind in 2022?
• 38:07 – final thoughts

In our final thoughts for 2022 we share a huge thank you to all our listeners and everyone who has supported us this year. We launched the podcast in June and we are so grateful to everyone who has been part of our How To Take The Lead community, there will be more from us in 2023 so stay tuned.

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

In this episode we explore quiet quitting, what it is, how it is impacting people and whether or not it's a gen Z phenomenon.

The conversation flows toward boundary setting more than once as we discuss the reasons people are disengaging in the workplace. And we talk about the different demographics who are choosing to quiet quit.

• 04:36  – what is quiet quitting?
• 09:03 – sticking to your boundaries
• 11:58 – only 1 in 3 managers are engaged in the workplace
• 15:32 – is quiet quitting only a Gen Z thing?
• 23:19 – feeling in control of your career
• 25:57 – the How To...

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode we ask want you to think about how you are engaging your workforce in and around purpose. We also share a reminder not to make assumptions about who in your workplace is in a quiet quitting frame of mind.

In this episode we reference research by Gallup  https://www.gallup.com/workplace/398306/quiet-quitting-real.aspx

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

We share our thoughts in this episode about whether culture trumps strategy and how we as leaders can consider this in our work. Strategy is, of course, important, but the culture you create impacts on so many factors, including how effective you are as a leader. 

As always we share our own views, thoughts and experiences:

• 05:06 – culture isn’t it’s own workstream
• 07:54 – culture supporting a changing strategy
• 11:15 – decision making hierarchy
• 15:00 – redefining the culture in your organisation
• 20:30 – aligning behaviours and experiences
• 25.40 – what if you can’t influence the macro culture? 
• 32:30 – the How to...

We share our top takeaways focused on how we can make culture part of our leadership manifestos. It’s important to demonstrate behaviours and actions that match your culture and move your strategy forward and show accountability in dealing with poor behaviours.  

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

In this episode we share our thinking for leaders who may well be questioning if they should stay or if they should leave their organisation.

At various points in your career you may find yourself in the situation where you feel like it might be time for you to move on or there might well be signals that you should be considering your next steps as a leader. We talk about the things you should consider, owning the narrative and ensuring you have the right support.

As always we share our own views, thoughts and experiences:

• 05:02 – sometimes your face doesn’t fit anymore
• 07:54 – leaving a corporate role
• 10:52 – understanding if you’re ready for a new challenge
• 17:15 – what sort of leader does your organisation need?
• 23:23 – handling being managed out of an organisation
• 33:38 – how do you support your team if you are moving on? 
• 40:55 – the How to...

We share our top takeaways focused on how you create the conditions to consider whether you should stay or go as a leader. We recommend using the career priorities wheel to support your thinking and making time to reflect and consider your circumstances - DM Lee or email [email protected] if you would like a copy.

In this episode we reference The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. 

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

This episode is an in-depth exploration of psychological safety, what it means for you as a leader, for your teams and your organisation. We share our own experiences, thoughts and advice and really do get personal to help you understand the importance of psychological safety.

In this episode we share our own views, thoughts and experiences:

• 02:50  – what do we mean by psychological safety
• 11:42 – imposter syndrome and safety
• 17:30 – the nuances of trust and psychological safety
• 19:54 – fear, innovation and risk
• 28:17 – psychological safety for your stakeholders
• 35:15  – reputation management and a safe culture 
• 40:55 – how to...

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode, we encourage you to have conversations about psychological safety and listen to your colleagues and stakeholders. Being mindful of the impacts of your own behaviours will go some way to supporting a psychologically safe environment and demonstrating your appreciation for feedback, no matter the outcome, will also help. 

In this episode we reference The Fearless Organization by Amy C. Edmondson.  And we also mention the McKinsey research referenced in Leading Off. 

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

In this episode we explore what it really means to listen as a leader. Listening isn’t just about what you hear through your ears but what you see and experience. Working out who to listen to and how is one thing but you also need to decide what to do with what you are hearing.

• 04:27  – cutting through the noise
• 07:39 – what have you put in place to listen well?
• 09:14 – don’t just listen to those who shout loudest
• 15:52 – what gets in the way of truly listening?
• 21:21 – reading the room
• 23:43 – you can’t promise to fix everything 
• 30:55 – our top takeaways

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode we ask you to consider the channels and mechanisms you have in place to listen as a leader. And we encourage you to work on not taking feedback personally or being overwhelmed by the idea of actively listening. Remember to be present when you are listening. 

We reference statistics from the Forbes article ‘6 Ways Effective Listening Can Make You A Better Leader’. 

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

In this episode we question what charisma really is and if you need it to be a good leader. We discuss how much personality impacts how effective you are as a leader. And we ask whether charisma is only associated with male leaders.

• 08:48  – building rapport and charisma
• 09:22 – is charisma inspirational?
• 11:52 – charisma as a label
• 14:05 – being likeable doesn’t always get the job done
• 16:04 – charisma – is it a man thing?
• 24:57 – personality transplant
• 30:30 – the how to...

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode we share our thoughts on owning your personality and being authentic. We also talk about focusing on strategy, connection and communication.

We reference ‘Too Much Charisma Can Make Leaders Look Less Effective’ published by the Harvard Business Review.

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/ download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

In this episode we share recent research as well as our own thoughts and experiences on women in leadership. We ask if women are still facing the same challenges as leaders and what needs to happen to support more women in leadership positions:

• 02:19  – setting the context, Lean In and McKinsey report
• 04:47 – is it because I’m a woman?
• 11:17 – have the challenges for women changed?
• 13:42 – the positive impact of women leaders in organisations
• 21:58 – causes of imposter syndrome
• 24:06 – challenging stereotypes
• 28:40 – How to...

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode we discuss ways to advocate and support women leaders. We discuss the need to present evidence and impacts to our organisation and whose role it is to support women in leadership. 

We reference the Women in the Workplace report carried out by McKinsey and Lean In. You can download it here:  https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace

We also reference the Women Count report by The Pipeline: https://execpipeline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Women-Count-2022-1.pdf

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen / download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.

We explore when you are a leader from a few angles, including your perception versus the perception of others, if you ever switch off as a leader and how your home life might be influenced by your leadership role and vice versa:

• 02:15  – is there a difference between management and leadership?
• 05:33 – the role of organisations in leadership development
• 09:39 – perceptions of when you are a leader
• 17:04 – exploring feedback about your leadership
• 19:24 – is leadership 24/7?
• 28:40 – How to...

As always we share our top takeaways and in this episode we strongly recommend revisiting your purpose and why you want to be a leader, focus on developing your leadership brand (even if that feels a bit icky) and make sure you consider your own wellbeing. 

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If you enjoyed this episode why not subscribe to the podcast. We would love it if you left us a rating or review and feel free to share the link to this episode with anyone else you think would find it interesting, using #HowToTakeTheLead

New episodes will be released every Thursday and you can listen/download on your favourite platform.

To find out more visit www.howtotakethelead.com  

Enjoy this series and let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes on Instagram @howtotakethelead or Twitter @How2TakeTheLead

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the How to Take the Lead community

We're now on substack. Join a community of people who want to lead their own way. Get extra content and behind the episode discussions, take part in 'ask us anything' bonus episodes and a new leadership book club, plus much more. Visit www.howtotakethelead.com to sign up.