<\/p>\n
I was lucky enough to be invited to facilitate a group of 60+ people on a 2-day strategy development workshop recently with the EMEA team of a pharma MNC.\u00a0Given the brief: a recently restructured business, a new leader and a tough environment, my co-facilitator and I carefully designed a workshop that encouraged creativity, networking, best-practice sharing and courage-building.<\/p>\n
The leader is an unprepossessing man.\u00a0In a leadership line-up, he is not the one I would select.\u00a0But looks can be deceiving.\u00a0He opened the gathering on day 1, standing casually to the side of the lectern. \u00a0No notes.\u00a0No stories. No slides or graphs.\u00a0Just quietly speaking to the group.\u00a0But something about the way he spoke, his flow, captivated me and after a few seconds I grabbed my pen and started writing some of the words he was using: responsibility, pace, team, career, SMART, dream, vision, capability, dynamic, speed, change, challenge, direction, journey, entrepreneurial, nimble, first, potential, success, attention, creative, competence, focus, speed, honesty, response, better, growth, innovation, knowledge, excitement, robust.\u00a0The words came so naturally but the effect was electric.<\/p>\n
Over the two days, I was impressed by his participation; the quiet way he engaged, standing at the back of groups, observing, listening, asking questions, challenging respectfully, broadening discussions.\u00a0His participation and focus was one hundred per cent \u2013 no phone calls, no nipping out, no side meetings.\u00a0He stayed the pace, encouraged the group to think big \u2013 and a challenging 2022 goal was set.<\/p>\n
At the end of day two, he closed out the session.\u00a0Again, his sentences were short and to the point.\u00a0This time I had my pen ready: challenge, belief, dare, tough, ready, competition, drive, share, team, support, possibility, standards, build, sustain, serve, share, encourage, impressed, certain, proud. thank-you.<\/p>\n
Had he spent hours preparing or did these words just come naturally?\u00a0I have no idea.\u00a0But watching the participants leave , it was clear that his words had sparked excitement and determination.<\/p>\n
And I contrast this with another true story (sadly not experienced by me but reported by someone who was there): A recently merged organisation.\u00a0It\u2019s day 1 and all members of staff have been called into the boardroom to hear from the MD\/business owner.\u00a0Two groups of people wondering how they are going to work together, move forward, and make the business successful.\u00a0All of them know that right now is important.\u00a0Right now is a moment they will all remember.\u00a0The MD enters the room and the silence intensifies.\u00a0He looks around the group of people \u2013 some look thoughtful, others have worried faces.\u00a0\u201cAll right\u201d<\/em>\u00a0he says\u00a0\u201cyou\u2019re either on the bus or you can f*** off\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n My take on leadership is that it happens through conversation – interviewing, inducting, goal-setting, delegation, sharing feedback, coaching, brainstorming, information-sharing. A series of great conversations that engage, ignite, focus, challenge, forgive. Words matter. They are the leader\u2019s number one motivational tool. To some, they come naturally, others have to work a bit harder. But they are free and powerful and available to everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"