Leadership Today - Practical Tips For Leaders

Summary

Research demonstrates the background we choose for video calls has a significant impact on how trustworthy and competent we appear. This week we explore how to boost your first impressions on a video call in three simple ways.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 218 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to boost your first impressions on a video call in three simple ways.

Your choice of background on a video call has a greater impact on how you're perceived by others than you might expect. You might be tempted to choose a novelty background to communicate a sense of fun, or a home background to reflect that you're not in the office. But there are risks with these choices.

Selecting a novelty background or a simulated home background saw ratings of trustworthiness drop. Blurring a home background resulted in better ratings of trustworthiness for the person, but the best ratings were for a background with plants or a bookcase.

The research also found that facial expressions, not surprisingly, also mattered. Happy faces were rated as more trustworthy than neutral or sad faces.

Ratings of competence also varied by background, with bookcases, plants and blank walls leading to the highest ratings. Novelty backgrounds, home backgrounds, and blurred backgrounds saw lower ratings. Again, happy facial expressions resulted in more positive ratings of competence.

Interestingly, women were seen as more trustworthy and more competent than men across all backgrounds in the experiment. Our gender impacts the first impressions we make on a video meeting. Men will likely benefit from additional efforts to demonstrate trustworthiness and competence during the meeting.

Here are three simple ways to boost your first impressions on a video call:

1. Keep backgrounds professional. Avoid a home or novelty background when you can. Blurring a background is better, but choosing a virtual background with a bookcase or plants helps to boost first impressions.
2. Demonstrate warmth. Smiling helps perceptions of both trustworthiness and competence. Try to maintain your interest in others on the call and keep your facial expressions positive and engaged.
3. Build confidence in your competence. Research suggests it's always best to start with warmth and build perceptions of your competence over time. Being helpful, responsive, on-time, and interested can all boost how confident you appear.

Give these practical ideas a try on your next video call.

Research - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291444

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Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks

- Five five day challenges with workbooks

- Nineteen recorded webinars

- A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Summary

Research demonstrates a risk of detachment and reduced connection on video calls. This week we explore ways to be more real when we're not meeting in-person.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 217 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at how to be more real on video calls.

We make rapid judgements about people based on visual and other information we receive. While this can lead to us making incorrect judgements when we meet people in-person, the risk is increased through video calls.

Research demonstrates an increased risk that we treat a visual representation of someone as less real than if we meet them in-person. On a video call we can treat other people as abstract rather than real. This effect is likely increased on a call that has audio and video challenges.

In experiments, participants viewed others as having fewer conscious feelings and less ability to make free choices than when meeting in-person.

As a leader, this could make us seem detached and lacking empathy during the conversation. It can, in turn, lead us to give less ethical consideration to the person on the other end of the video call. Our decision making may lack the warmth, concern and consideration that we would normally provide. So what can we do about this?

When making video calls, we need to be conscious of the risk of detachment and make conscious effort to see people as real human beings. Here are some tips to try:

1. Connect as human beings first. Rather than just getting straight down to business, spend a few minutes enquiring about the other person, how they are, and what they have been doing. You might share something personal about yourself to enhance this connection.
2. Ask open questions. When we treat people as an object rather than a person, we can tend to "talk at" people rather than "talk with" people. Asking open questions helps avoid this trap.
3. Increase your ethical consideration. Explore the impact of any decisions you are making upon people. Great decisions are a combination of logic and emotion.
4. Acknowledge the challenge. You might share this research with your team members. This will help everyone to manage the risk of detachment.
5. Make the most of in-person opportunities. When you do meet together in-person, use this time to connect on a personal level. Save more administrative activities to video calls and don't waste the time you have physically together.

Give these tips a try on your next video call, and we can all become more real.

Research summary - https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/medusa-effect

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.leadershiptoday.com and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks

- Five five day challenges with workbooks

- Nineteen recorded webinars

- A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Summary

When you're in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 216 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

When you're in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. Whether it's a financial downturn, a global pandemic, or internal organisational challenges, we all need to navigate through uncertainties to ensure the survival and success of our teams and organisations. Here are some practical strategies backed by research on how to effectively lead through a crisis.

1. Maintain Transparent Communication: Research suggests that leaders who communicate clearly and honestly during a crisis build trust and enhance team resilience. Sharing information about the situation, potential impacts, and the organisation's response plan helps employees feel informed and engaged. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders like Microsoft's Satya Nadella held regular virtual town hall meetings to update employees on the company's response, addressing concerns and providing a sense of direction.
2. Foster a Culture of Adaptability: In times of crisis, adaptability becomes a crucial trait for both leaders and their teams. Research suggests that organisations promoting adaptability are more likely to thrive during crises. Leaders can encourage a culture that embraces change and innovation, empowering employees to contribute ideas and solutions.
3. Prioritise Employee Well-being: The well-being of employees is a cornerstone of effective crisis leadership. Research by Gallup indicates that companies focusing on employee well-being experience higher levels of employee engagement and productivity. Leaders must demonstrate empathy, provide emotional support, and implement practical measures to ensure the physical and mental well-being of their teams.
4. Help Others See the Potential for Development. The times when I have learned the most have also been times of crisis. Fortunately I had leaders and others who encouraged me to focus on what I could learn through these tough times. That brought a sense of purpose and opportunity to what otherwise might have appeared to be entirely negative situations.
5. Develop a Robust Crisis Response Plan: Having a well-defined crisis response plan is essential for leaders to navigate uncertainties efficiently. Leaders should proactively identify potential risks, develop response strategies, and regularly test and update their crisis plans to ensure relevance. You can build this into your regular business planning. Each year I look at risks across one year, five year, and ten year time horizons. This helps me to anticipate what might go wrong and have contingencies in place ready to go.

Leading through a crisis demands a combination of strategic thinking, effective communication, and a focus on well-being. Crises present opportunities for growth and transformation when met with thoughtful, prepared and decisive leadership.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Summary

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 215 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. Courage is often associated with the ability to face fear and adversity head-on. From a psychological perspective, it involves factors such as self-efficacy (a belief in your own capabilities), resilience, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. To be courageous you need confidence to act and an ability to push through negative emotions. There are a number of steps you can take to increase your courage at work.

1. Set Realistic Goals and Incremental Challenges: Research suggests that setting realistic goals and gradually increasing the difficulty of challenges can enhance courage. Start by identifying a specific work-related goal that requires a step outside your comfort zone. Break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, and tackle them one at a time. As you achieve these incremental successes, your confidence and courage will grow.
2. Develop a Growth Mindset: Embrace a growth mindset, a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck. Individuals with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. When faced with a daunting task at work, shift your mindset from a fixed view of your abilities to a belief in your capacity to develop and improve. This shift can empower you to approach challenges with a more courageous attitude.
3. Seek Social Support: Studies show that social support can be a significant factor in promoting courage. Cultivate relationships with colleagues who inspire and motivate you. Share your goals and fears with trusted coworkers or mentors, and seek their guidance. Having a support system not only provides valuable insights but also boosts your confidence to face challenges head-on.
4. Practice Emotional Regulation: Being aware of our emotions helps us to manage our emotions more effectively. By learning to manage your emotions, you can face difficult situations with greater composure and courage. Take a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness techniques, focusing on your breath, noticing your emotions and developing a sense of calm. This can enhance your ability to navigate challenging workplace situations.
5. Celebrate Failures and Learn from Them: Research indicates that viewing failures as opportunities for growth can foster courage. Instead of fearing failure, see it as a natural part of the learning process. When things don't go as planned, reflect on what went wrong, extract lessons from the experience, and use that knowledge to improve. Celebrating failures as stepping stones toward success can build resilience and a willingness to take calculated risks.

Remember, courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it, and with intentional effort, you can become a more courageous and impactful leader.

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Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Summary

Whether it's working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 214 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively.

Whether it's working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. Understanding the fundamentals of negotiation can help to achieve a great outcome for you, while also seeking to build the relationship with the other person.

Before we work through some tips to help your negotiations, it's important to understand position versus interest. People come to a negotiation with a particular position in mind. This is the stance they are taking and sharing openly with the other person. For example, a colleague might have a position that a particular project will take six weeks to deliver. Behind every position is a set of interests. Interests are the reasons behind the position. So your colleague's position around the project taking six weeks to deliver could be based on interests such as not overworking their team, delivering other projects on time, or not wanting to over-promise a faster turnaround. As we negotiate it's important to move past positions and towards interests. Being aware of interests provides much more flexibility for all parties in a negotiation.

Beyond that, there are several points to be aware of before and during a negotiation:

1. Be clear about your goals and priorities. Entering a negotiation without being clear about what's important to you and what you want is very risky. It's helpful to write down what you want to achieve and why. Think about where you are willing to compromise and what's not negotiable. Writing these down can be helpful.
2. Research and gather information. Make sure you have facts, data and documentation ready to go. This will help you to make informed decisions, anticipate counter-arguments, and establish credibility in the negotiation.
3. Work on your communication skills. Be confident, clear and concise when expressing your views. Also recognise that communication is two-way. Listen to the other person, ask questions, stay curious, and work towards uncovering their underlying interests. A respectful, empathetic and collaborative approach will help you to build rapport and avoid the negotiation becoming overly adversarial.
4. Be open to compromise. Negotiation typically involves give and take. Sometimes we need to be flexible and creative in the pursuit of an outcome that will work for both parties.
5. Know when to walk away. There will be times when you can't reach an agreement that is adequate for you. Go into a negotiation knowing what alternatives you have available if you can't reach an outcome. This will help you to know when you need to strategically disengage and explore other options.

Becoming more effective at negotiating takes time and preparation. Give these tips a try as you seek to increase your negotiation skills.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Summary

With so much uncertainty and change it can be difficult to map out your career. However there are still steps we can take to build a great career.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 213 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to build a great career.

In just a few generations the number of jobs someone is likely to have in their lifetime has increased markedly. Estimates vary, but it's likely a young person commencing their working life today will have around 15 jobs and 3 separate careers. Even across 50 years of working, that's changing jobs about every 3 years. Career planning is becoming more challenging and complex.

When it comes to building a great career, you will find many people propose finding work with a combination of:

• Skills - what you're good at
• Interests - what you enjoy
• Opportunities - what the world needs and is willing to pay for

The missing factor in this equation is growth - what you can develop. A job without growth opportunities will ultimately cause your career to stall. Life expectancy continues to increase so we will be working longer, which has implications for our training and development. The old model of completing training, then working in a career until your skills are bordering on redundant will no longer work. We have to continue learning, growing and adapting right across our career.

But how can you plan for a career when the job you might have in 10 years may not even exist now? Here's how. A great career comes down to your mindset and actions. Despite rapid change and uncertainty, we can adopt a mindset that welcomes change, where we are willing to take calculated risks and learn from mistakes. We can invest in knowing ourselves and regularly improving our capabilities. And we can also build connections with others.

So in order to build a great career, I suggest you:

1. Ask "What is a great career… for me?" Your career is a personal expression of who you are and your broader purpose in life. Don't fall into the trap of blindly following others' careers or what your organisation is laying out for you as the accepted pathway. It's very easy to drift without having a clear idea of what a great career means to you. Factor in opportunities to develop, breaks from work for holidays, or whatever else matters to you.
2. Set goals that matter. Approach life in a goal-oriented way. Keep stretching yourself forward towards clear goals.
3. Apply pathways thinking. When the initial path to a goal is blocked, find a different way to achieve that goal. When you hit an obstacle, ask yourself how else you can get to your goal.
4. Celebrate progress. Stop occasionally and reflect on what you can do now that you couldn't do 12 months ago.
5. Don't worry so much about making a career mistake. Even the seemingly poor career decisions we make are opportunities to learn and grow. The biggest mistake I made in my career turned out to also be one of my biggest development opportunities, and a stark reminder of the kind of career I really wanted. Even though it seemed like a career mistake, it actually helped me in my career.

Building a great career takes some effort. While we can't necessarily plan every step, there are actions we can take to help build a great career.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

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Summary

Leadership is about achieving results through people. With the demands of managing people, it can be easy to lose sight of results we need to achieve and deliver. In this episode we explore how to drive for results.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 212 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to drive for results.

Leadership is about achieving results through people. With the demands of managing people, it can be easy to lose sight of results we need to achieve and deliver. We can become distracted or even become unaware of the key outcomes expected, and therefore not provide the direction, feedback and support our people need to achieve the right results. We have all seen leaders that fail to deliver. People are left wondering what they're spending their time on, given the shortfalls in performance for them and their team. But there are practical things we can do to help us and our teams to drive for results.

1. Determine what results matter. There are many potential things you and your team could focus on, so it's crucial to uncover the fewest most crucial results. This should involve consultation with your manager and other key stakeholders. Try to arrive at results that reflect a range of aspects of your work. For example, rather than just focusing on financial returns, you might also include customer satisfaction metrics. Otherwise we can risk chasing short-term results that lead to longer-term issues.
2. Link results to purpose. Results by themselves don't provide meaning. Take the time to link results to a broader purpose. This will likely include the vision and purpose of your organisation. It's also worth helping individuals and teams link the results of their work to things that matter to them personally. Your team members might engage with their work for very different reasons to you and your manager.
3. Communicate clear measures and targets. These should be shared and discussed with your team, but also with others within the organisation including your manager. You may need your manager to sign these targets off first so you should factor this additional time into your planning. It's best to capture these in writing to ensure clarity and agreement.
4. Talk about the "how" not just the "what". There's no point chasing after results and causing damage to others and the business along the way. How we achieve results is just as important as the results themselves. You should encourage people to reflect on the organisation's values and team commitments that encourage people to work collectively towards shared outcomes.
5. Undertake regular updates and check-ins. Research suggests that making results visible and freely available helps people to drive towards these metrics. A literal scoreboard can help, particularly where people can see the change in results from week to week. For dispersed teams, there are plenty of tools that allow you to share results through the collaboration platforms you already use.
6. Focus on continuous improvement. If we use a driving analogy, a car has a number of forces operating on it including acceleration, momentum and friction. We want to find ways to gradually accelerate our performance, adding to our momentum and reducing the friction of things that hold us back. It can help to frame a discussion with your team in these terms - what's taking us forward, what's keeping us stable, and what's holding us back.
7. Celebrate efforts and outcomes. Some people prefer to be recognised for their efforts, while others prefer to be praised for their outcomes. It's helpful to see both areas of recognition as important. Sometimes people do all the right things but the results just don't come together for reasons outside of their control - we should celebrate this. Equally, we shouldn't be shy about celebrating great outcomes when people have reached or exceed the targets that we have set.

Achievement drive is a common feature of effective teams and individuals. We can help our teams to establish and chase after purpose-filled results, providing feedback, support and encouragement along the way.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

Get Connected

Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect

Summary

It's common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 211 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to maintain composure under pressure.

It's common to experience stress at work and then struggle to perform at our best. We might even react in ways we regret later. Perhaps it's a comment from a colleague that annoys us, or our computer crashing and losing what we've been working on for hours. We then say or do something that's not us at our best, or we might even feel unable to say or do what we'd like in that moment. But there are practical things we can do, both in the moment and as part of our daily routines, that can significantly improve the way we handle pressure.

Here are four things you can do beforehand:

1. Get plenty of sleep. Find a sleep routine that works for you and stick with it. Getting to bed around the same time and ensuring you have around 8 hours a night boosts your energy levels and resilience.
2. Start your day with exercise. This burns off stress hormones and allows you to begin your day with greater resilience to stressful situations that might arise. Find exercise that works for you. For example, if you commute, you might build a slightly longer walk into your routine. Or if you're working from home, set an alarm to prompt you to take a walk.
3. Structure recovery time into your day. This might include taking breaks away from your work, going for a quick walk during the day, or even catching up with a colleague for a coffee away from the office. We are not great at sustained work and attention beyond 60 to 90 minutes, so short breaks across the day will help you to recover and reset. Even 5 minute breaks to step away from one task and mentally prepare for the next one make a huge difference.
4. Deal with any relational difficulties. Poor working relationships can place a lot of strain on our work day and lead us to become frustrated. We may then say or do things that don't reflect us at our best. We don't have to be best friends with everyone at work, but having open conversations with others about how you can best work together will help reduce stress and annoyance.

And now five things you can do In the moment:

1. Notice your emotional state. Just as we have a stream of conscious thoughts during the day, so we also have a steady stream of emotions. Tune into your body and emotional state. If you sense yourself moving up the emotional curve, do something about it before you reach the top.
2. Name it to tame it. Naming the emotion we are feeling helps us to manage it more effectively. Research even shows that putting a label on an emotion reduces the intensity of that emotion almost immediately. So if you feel angry, note that emotion.
3. Focus on your breathing. Simple techniques such as box breathing can rapidly calm our emotional state. Think of it like a box - breath in deeply for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale fully for four seconds, then hold for four seconds.
4. Have an escape plan. If you are feeling close to losing control of your emotional state, have a plan for how you might exit the situation.
5. Say sorry. If you do go over the edge and say or do something you regret, apologise to those involved. This will help others to understand that you weren't at your best and that you intend to do better next time. An honest apology goes a long way to maintaining and building effective relationships.

These are just some practical things you can do beforehand and in the moment to help us maintain our composure and respond well when under pressure. If you found this helpful you can check out our Harnessing Your Emotions five day challenge for more tips - https://leadershiptoday.vhx.tv/challenge-harnessing-your-emotions . Have a great week.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

Get Connected

Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect

Summary

Artificial Intelligence is all around us and provides great opportunities to improve the quality and efficiency of our work. This week we explore how to use Artificial Intelligence at work.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 210 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we examine how to use Artificial Intelligence at work.

Artificial intelligence is a complex and evolving field. It can feel overwhelming to consider how to use AI at work. In reality, AI is built into so many things, that you're already using AI multiple times per day. To help clarify, AI expert Juliette Powell talks about Artificial Intelligence as triple A systems - algorithmic, autonomous and automated. With this definition, it's easy to see how your organisation is already applying AI. Here are some steps you can take to implement and use AI well at work.

1. Collaborate with Artificial Intelligence experts. While leaders don't need to be AI experts themselves, collaborating with professionals in the field is crucial for successful implementation. AI is not just a technology upgrade, it's a completely different way of approaching work. There are risks implementing something that we don't understand, so using experts to guide your thinking will help.
2. Establish clear governance. The application of Artificial Intelligence has ethical considerations. It's possible to create adverse impacts on minority and other groups through the use of AI, so we need to proactively measure fairness and equity implications. Establishing clear governance around the use of AI will assist with this. We also need to consider data protection principles. Providing AI systems with access to your data may create privacy risks that need to be actively managed. Those accountable for AI governance should develop clear guidelines for employees to minimise these and other risks.
3. Identify high-impact use cases. Not all tasks require the intervention of AI, so leaders must strategically identify areas where AI can make the most significant impact. Conduct a thorough analysis of your business processes to pinpoint repetitive, time-consuming, or data-intensive tasks that could benefit from automation.
4. Education. Provide employees with the resources and opportunities to upskill and reskill in areas related to AI. Workshops, training programs, and online courses can help employees understand AI concepts, its applications, and how to integrate it into their daily tasks. By investing in education, leaders not only empower their teams but also create a workforce that is adaptable to the dynamic nature of AI technologies.
5. Encourage safe-fail experiments. It's best to apply Artificial Intelligence in a way that minimises risk. Many organisations implement AI by first running the work through parallel processes to measure the impact on quality and efficiency. They are then able to objectively compare any benefits of AI with the traditional process without risking the quality of delivery.
6. Invest in quality data infrastructure. Artificial Intelligence is only as good as the data it uses. It's easy for the implementation of AI to be let down by poor quality and out of date records. Assessing the quality of data being fed into AI will improve the outcomes you are likely to achieve.

Artificial Intelligence will continue to provide benefits to organisations looking to improve their performance. Being informed and considered helps us to manage the implementation of new systems in a way that maximises benefits and minimises risks.

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Starting a new job can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. We are often keen to deliver results quickly, but taking action too soon can sometimes backfire. This week we explore how to transition into a new role.

Hello and welcome to episode 209 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to transition into a new role.

Starting a new job can be exciting and slightly terrifying at the same time. We are often keen to deliver results quickly, but taking action too soon can sometimes backfire. We've all seen people come into a role and quickly institute change without fully appreciating the context for their work. Or others that focus on the wrong things and end up not delivering what's required. There are some simple steps we can take to increase our chances of starting a new role well.

1. Plan your approach. While this step seems so obvious that it's barely worth listing, it's remarkable how many people start a new role without a plan in place. I recommend having a clear plan for your first day, your first week, and your first month. During those first few weeks you can then develop a broader 60 to 90 day plan. You can involve your manager in this planning to ensure your objectives align with their expectations. Look at what's already in place, and resist the urge to make many changes in your first few weeks until you've had a chance to meet with others.

2. Connect with People. You want to use the first few weeks in a new role to meet with your manager, peers, direct reports, and customers. These meetings will vary in their objectives, but the main goal is to develop a connection with people - to introduce yourself and find out more about them. Where possible, you should meet with people in person. Be clear about the intent of the meetings - if it's just to connect and find out more about them, then say that. The personal connections you establish in your first few weeks will serve you well into the future. They are also likely to provide further insight into the role and their expectations.

3. Connect with Purpose. Be clear about how the role contributes to the organisation. While this should be clear through the recruitment process, it's worth clarifying with your manager how the role makes a larger contribution. This will help guide your decision making and also provide motivation for the role.

4. Determine Priorities. Identify the not-negotiable outcomes that need to be achieved. We've all seen people become excited about new initiatives and opportunities, only to neglect the core deliverables in their role. Once you've achieved the key elements of your role, you can then look towards other contributions.

5. Metrics. As you transition into a new role, it's helpful to determine how to measure your progress and performance. In some roles it's easy to identify metrics, but others can be a bit more challenging. Work with your manager and others to identify important metrics that provide a genuine insight into your performance.

Moving into a new role presents lots of opportunities and challenges. Taking these five steps will help you to make the transition successful.

If you are moving into a leadership role, you'll find our free Leadership Practices Assessment and supporting videos helpful - https://leadershiptoday.vhx.tv/leadership-practices-1

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Our annual conference including a range of leadership experts - valued at $450

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 140+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $350

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect