For Episode 30 of ‘The Word is Leadership’ our random word is the verb to prevail.

I continue to reflect on what it means for a leader to have power and break down the definition of prevail into four imperatives of leadership power.

First, I discuss ‘the mastery imperative’, emphasising the importance of gaining mastery in one's field to stand out as a leader. I, then, explore ‘the safety imperative’, highlighting the need for leaders to be the prevalent feature that provides safety and stability for their teams. Next, I introduce ‘the community imperative’, stressing the importance of building a strong community of followers as a leader. Lastly, I outline ’the possibility imperative’, which involves persuading and inspiring others to believe in the limitless possibilities ahead.

I conclude with a, hopefully thought-provoking, question of the week asking you: "Are you prepared to prevail over yourself in order to lead others?"

In episode 29 of ‘The Word is Leadership,’ we tackle the word mercury.

Inspired by Gordon Mackenzie’s delightful book ‘Orbiting the Giant Hairball’ I look at what it takes to navigate the complexities of organizations without getting stuck in them, along with the importance of maintaining the right distance to make an impact. I propose three key steps for anyone aspiring to leadership, or wanting to affect change: being good at their role, gaining perspective to avoid fixedness, and cultivating gravitas to engage senior leaders effectively.

As usual, I conclude with a question to encourage listeners to reflect on whether they possess the expertise, perspective, and gravitas necessary for success in their orbit.

In this new episode of "The Word is Leadership," I have to find insights using the random word ‘logos’ (defined as the rational principle expressed in words and things).

I discuss the significance of rhetoric in leadership, emphasizing Aristotle's three elements: logos (logic), pathos (emotion), and ethos (credibility) and look at how leaders can create followership as well as give examples of how they craft (last week’s word!) resonance using each of them.

I conclude by highlighting the importance of coherence, credibility, and emotional appeal in effective leadership communication, urging listeners to consider these factors in their own messages.

In Episode 27 of ‘The Word is Leadership’, I use our random word ‘craft’ to try to finally put to the bed the needless management versus leadership conversation.

Putting aside my dislike for quotes and memes, while reiterating my caution against blindly accepting and sharing them without verification, I mention Steve Jobs’ ideas about innovation and the iterative process of turning ideas into products, emphasizing the importance of craft in this journey.

Taking craft as the convergence of science and art, combining precision with imagination and experience with experimentation, I argue that it represents the blending of what is often perceived as "hard" and "soft" elements in leadership and management.

I challenge the distinction between leadership and management, describing it as a flawed and oversimplified caricature of reality, I argue for the need to see management and leadership as one for organizational success.

As always please I welcome your comments at thewordisleadership.com along with your ratings, subscriptions, likes and shares!

For episode 26 of ‘The Word is Leadership’ our random word is survey.

Emmanuel highlights the significance and prevalence of surveys in organizational processes and offers the concept of working IN/ON/ OUT of the business as a way to understand whether we are surveying the right things that add the right value.

Akin to surveying a body, he explains that working "IN" involves performing tasks that bring immediate value, contrasting this with the survey of a house which entails working "ON" to build capabilities and processes for future value. Finally, he shows how to survey the landscape leaders need to work "OUT" by observing external factors to anticipate opportunities and disruptions.

Emmanuel emphasizes underscores the increasing significance of working "ON" and "OUT" as individuals progress, challenging listeners to reflect on whether they are effectively surveying the body, the house, and the landscape.

‘The Word is Leadership’ Ebook was launched this week. Containing the first 25 lessons from this first podcast series you can find it online by logging into your local amazon store.

In episode 25 of ‘The Word is Leadership’ the random word ‘amiss’ helps us tackle a fundamental area of leadership - vision.

While there is an abundance of literature on the importance of having a vision and how to communicate it, there is a real scarcity of resources on how to formulate it.

In the context of leadership, a vision is essentially about hope, defined as goal + will + way.

To find a vision, I encourage leaders to reflect on what is amiss (i.e. aspects of the current situation that are incorrect, inappropriate, or defective), concluding, as usual with a question to prompt listeners to consider potential areas for improvement and envision a future state that addresses current deficiencies.

This week, for episode 24 of ‘The Word is Leadership’ our random word is ‘palm’.

We focus on the symbolism of the palm tree, drawing parallels between its resilience and ability to thrive in adverse conditions to the potential for leadership growth in any context.

Building on previous episodes, I emphasise the importance of a strong core (trunk) in leadership, supported by flexible roots and flourishing leaves. I underscore the necessity for leaders to develop their core values and adaptability while maintaining a clear vision of their impact.

I outline the steps necessary to build a strong root and trunk system.

As usual, I conclude the episode with a question to prompt listeners to reflect on their leadership approach and consider the strength and flexibility of their core values: ‘Are you a palm tree or a broom handle with dead leaves on top?’.

In this 23rd episode of ‘The Word is Leadership’ our random word is ‘grain’.

Associating the notion of seed with change and the notion of the grain of the wood with resistance (as in going against the grin) Emmanuel focuses on unveiling why people resist change and what leaders can do about it.

Introducing the notion that not all change is resisted, using the mnemonic HURT, we discussed the elements that make some changes painful (Hurried, Unnecessary, Relentless, and Top-down). Emmanuel emphasises the importance of understanding the existing structure and social networks within organisations to transform potential irritating grains of change into pearls of progress.

The episode concludes with a thought-provoking question prompting leaders to reconsider their approach to change and embrace strategies that align with the existing organisational fabric. ‘Have you thought about going with the grain rather than against it to turn your grain of sand from an irritant to a pearl?’

In this episode of ‘The Word is Leadership’ our random word of the week is dumb (lacking the power of human speech).

Delving into its leadership implications of the word, Emmanuel introduces the concept of leaders having the power to facilitate or impede speech. He identifies three crucial areas of impact: giving people a voice, a platform, and a mic.

Giving a voice highlights the importance of leaders helping individuals find their unique contributions by providing content, context, and confidence.

Giving a platform is about creating conditions where people feel safe and appreciated so they feel able to express their views is crucial.

Giving a mic is about leaders ensuring that individuals' messages are not only heard by them but also reach the right audience.

Emmanuel concludes, someone colloquially, by challenging leaders to consider how ‘dumb’ they might be if they fail to give their team the power to speak.

In this episode of ‘The Word is Leadership’, Emmanuel has to draw a leadership lesson from the random word: nectar. Highlighting the association between the word nectar and value, level he poses the question, ‘How do we find our nectar?’ emphasising the uniqueness that attracts others.

He looks at how listeners can uncover the core value (CV) that lies in their or their organization's unique story, choices, successes, and struggles. Emmanuel emphasises that whatever your core competence is, it only becomes nectar if it creates value for others, attracting followers or customers just like nectar attracts bees.

He therefore warns against becoming caricatures of oneself by overly focusing on core competencies rather than combining these with what customers are looking for, ensuring this uniqueness translates into valuable nectar.

To prompt listeners to reflect on their unique value propositions the episode concludes with the question, ‘Do you understand what attracts bees to your nectar?’