Einstein felt that a definition of insanity was to keep doing the same thing, but expect different results.  It makes no sense at all, yet is a widely adopted practice.  Perhaps it is because, as leaders we have reached our position by doing things in a certain way, therefore doing what we know is somehow easier than taking the personal risk of trying something new.

However, doing what we have always done will only achieve the current level of results, if we want to step up and improve performance, we have to try new things.  Understanding how others see us and the impact our behaviours have on them, is critical to recognising how taking a new path of action could achieve outstanding results.

Learning about ourselves through feedback from those who work with us is the first valuable step to developing our leadership capabilities.  Asking for, encouraging and supporting feedback from our team is vital, whilst recognising that it may not be easy for them to give.  For many people, giving feedback to the boss feels a bit like corporate suicide, so they need to feel totally safe and secure in order to do it.  When they do speak up, we need to thank them, without defending our position; otherwise they will never offer feedback again.

The next step is often harder.  Now we know what we need to do to change their perception and experience, we are faced with a choice.  Do we choose to learn more about ourselves, do something different, take a different course of action and potentially improve performance? Or do we choose to carry on as if nothing happened, behaving as if our way is the only way?

Our leadership programme provides insights into the clear benefits of choosing small, but consistent behaviour changes.  Many of our clients have seen significantly improved relationships and results.  More importantly they are creating sustainable leadership environments within their organisations, where listening to and acting on feedback is the norm.

“Everytime people have gone on the programme, I’ve been aware that others have made comments such as,  ‘I don’t know what happened, I don’t know where that person has been, but what a difference they are now making with their new approach’.  It is difficult to explain, but it’s almost like a switch where suddenly it goes from off to on and people just change… “   Steve Back, COO, Monsoon Accessorize PLC

If you would like to hear more about the role that responsibility plays in the Personal Leadership Programme (PLP) and the Masterclass programme, speak with the team at leadership development company The Living Leader. The latest PLP dates for 2012 have been released, so email Emma@TheLivingLeader.comto find out more or call the team on 01635 276 333 to arrange a meeting.

This week HR website People Management has reported that a number of leading practitioners in HR have called for businesses to “devolve more responsibility to line managers in order to realise the organisation’s full potential”.

We absolutely support this principle, so much so that we have embedded this learning into our Personal Leadership Programme, which has been experienced by nearly 40,000 people across the world. However, devolving responsibility is more than just passing on the task. We need to develop individuals so that they can confidently succeed in taking things on.

Outstanding leaders take 100% responsibility for every part of their lives, and resist the temptation to blame what goes on around them for situations they find themselves in. They own every decision they make and recognise that in every situation there is a choice that they have control over.

It comes up in everyday life every single day, which is why the example given by Penny Davis of Balfour Beatty in the People Management piece feels so apt: “It’s a bit like being a parent, you want your child to grow up and be successful but actually letting go of them knowing that they are going to make mistakes is very hard.”

Imagine if ‘responsibility’ was something that was fundamentally embedded into the culture of your organisation. Not just something that HR talked about at conferences or something management teams discussed at quarterly appraisals – but actually a part of the company DNA. How powerful would that be?  What would be the potential for growth and people development in your organisation?

Truly enabling individuals to take responsibility and supporting them to develop their ability to assess risks and make decisions has a significant impact on motivation and production. Unfortunately, so often, as we look around our organisations we see individuals who are displaying the tell-tale signs of presenteeism. In other words, they are at work, but just going through the motions, and not necessarily stepping out of line.  But, are they really motivated and absolutely committed to the vision and objectives? Almost certainly, far from it.

Making the change

It’s sad to think that many people want to make changes in their lives but don’t really understand what it means to take responsibility for their own situation.  The result is that they fail to make the change they crave and continue to allow the world outside of themselves, over which they have little or no control to dictate their lives.  When we begin to affect a mindset shift and focus on the things we CAN control; start to ensure that we fully contribute everything we are capable of offering, this is taking responsibility, and it’s a powerful leadership training lesson.

As leaders, when we begin to create this kind of responsibility through our organisations, we are starting to develop personal leadership at every level.  The impact on the contribution and performance is immense.

It’s great to see the word “responsibility” being seriously debated in the HR press, and being given the platform it deserves. We believe it’s at the heart of outstanding leadership, and once understood and acknowledged can be developed throughout everyone within the organisation.

For all of us at The Living Leader, the mark of outstanding leadership is not just about how good a leader you are, but about how many leaders you develop. How are you taking responsibility for your contribution and for developing those around you right now?

We would love the opportunity to talk with you about responsibility and the other features of our Personal Leadership Programme (PLP). The open programme is running throughout 2012, and you can get more information on this three-day leadership training programme by calling 01635 276 333 or email Emma Littmoden direct on Emma@TheLivingLeader.com.

But, at the moment it is. It appears that Johnson and Livingstone are becoming obsessed with their egos, which goes against every precept of leadership development.

Newsnight saw the two attack one another as the arguments became personal rather than political, and reports have alleged that the pair almost came to blows recently. Here are two men, battling to secure a position of significant authority and influence, demonstrating very few characteristics of what we at The Living Leader would class as “outstanding leadership”.

Yes, there’s fire and passion in abundance, which are certainly two great attributes of a leader, when appropriately channelled. There are signs that these are two individuals who are fighting for something they believe in. The problem is that there seems to be little focus on what might be good for everyone else.

The foundation of outstanding leadership, that’s sustainable and creates improved results, is truly understanding that, whilst your own performance is important, it is just as vital to be developing the potential and the leadership abilities of those around you, for the overall benefit of the organisation. There is a danger that leaders become so embroiled in their own success and achievement that they neglect the real issues in leadership – the issues that when addressed actually drive up success levels.

In the business environment…

If we take a look at this in a business context, there could be two regional heads of sales teams in the UK – both competitive and both determined to hit target first, to gain a special incentive on offer.

They spend the majority of their time looking to derail the plans of the other team, seeking opportunities to undermine them to gain personal advantage. The likely result is that their teams fail to achieve their true potential, clients are not supported as they expect and the business will probably fall behind the competition and maybe end up failing.

However, if instead these leaders were to concentrate on how they could support their teams to perform at their best they would begin to develop their abilities and increase levels of motivation. If both leaders were to be focused on winning by being the best they and their team could possibly be, the result is likely to be outstanding performance across the business, many happy clients, everyone ending up exceeding target and feeling a sense of achievement, whether or not they win the ‘prize’ this time for being first.

Johnson and Livingstone are showing certain qualities of the first scenario, and should be careful not to let personal battles and desire get in the way of leadership performance and doing the best they can possibly do for London.

It can be easy for leaders to allow personal ambition and passion to spill over. How often do you see this in your organisation? If you do, are they aware of it? Lastly, have you considered what kind of impact these people may be having on the rest of the organisation? Outstanding leaders are mindful to ensure that they focus their passion to inspire others and positively impact their leadership performance.

The Living Leader’s Personal Leadership Programme (PLP) focuses attention on “outstanding” leaders. How do outstanding leaders think and act at home and at work? The programme has been experienced by nearly 40,000 people across the world, and has led to improved engagement levels, individual performance and bottom line results.

Read the article and leave comments now by clicking here.In the series of The Living Leader Learnings, Emma is tackling hot topics in the leadership arena and showcasing how the in-house leadership experts at The Living Leader can help companies tackle common challenges.

If you would like to suggest an issue for us to tackle in this monthly feature, please email the team on contact@thelivingleader.com today.

For more information on the leadership development programmes that we deliver, call the team on 01635 276 33 or click leadership training for details.

If this sounds obvious, you should write in to The Apprentice, because despite several warnings of poor performance and pushy sales tactics, Jane McEvoy was at it again this week – but this week was her last.

What was interesting from a leadership training point of view was that Tom wanted a great deal from his team (at one point Adam Corbally voiced his concern that the team weren’t “miracle workers”). Outstanding leaders are ambitious; of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem was how Tom expected to get those miracles from his team.

When asking for high performance you need to give to that end result as well and while Tom wanted to get, get, get he showed little sign of give, give, give. It would have been useful to see him ask some powerful questions of his team at the start to get the team to buy into his ambitious objectives.

As a leader, Laura showed some creativity with the promotional flyers idea and the team got right behind her. They threw all they had at the promotion and got the results. As a leader, her team fell short at the end, but that wasn’t necessarily through lack of motivation or energy.

No lack of energy…

And, energy is the right word for Jane. Laura’s undoing was potentially partly down to the fact that she allowed Jane’s energy to be channelled in all the wrong directions. We’ve seen her sales style and her confrontational attitude before, and it was blatantly obvious (as Karren Brady pointed out) that it was upsetting potential customers. Sadly, Laura’s leadership skills did not stretch to dealing with the likes of Jane – and with a loss for the team came the end of the road for Jane.

The Apprentice last night has plenty of positives – from creative leading to driving up motivation levels at the crucial points. What it lacked, as it has all series, were signs of outstanding leadership where individuals extract the very best from each team member for the good of the team.

Perhaps, they just need some more time working together. In business we have that time but do we always understand and utilise the strengths and ideas of the people we work with? What are the powerful questions that you could ask those who you work with every day to improve your end results?

We’d love to talk with you about the leadership styles at your organisation. The Living Leader’s Personal Leadership Programme (PLP) has been experienced by nearly 40,000 people across the world so get in touch today on 01635 276333 or email contact@thelivingleader.com.

Just click the video below to watch – and please let us know what you think by commenting at the bottom of this page or by emailing contact@thelivingleader.com.

Why is this surprising? Why does a report into the intelligence of footballers that shows many have high IQ levels, command an entire news page of a national newspaper? Well, it’s because this news appears to go against what the majority of people assume about footballers: that they have physical fitness but their intelligence levels are below the national average.

We naturally make assumptions about people when we meet or see them for the first time, because it is an inbuilt survival instinct, and whilst in this day it is less about physical danger, these sub-conscious judgements, still exist. This report in The Times is an incredibly powerful example of how assumptions, based on impression rather than evidence, are very often misleading. As leaders, the consequences of our assumptions can seriously limit business performance.

Outstanding leaders are mindful that their assumptions and not necessarily based on reality. They take the time to understand and really get to know their people in a way that gets beyond the surface. They are open and authentic, creating a safe environment in which individuals are prepared to share their thoughts and more of themselves.

Critically, assumptions create limiting beliefs about the potential of individuals.

Here’s an example…

For example, we may assume that a member of our team, who is quiet in our meetings, lacks real interest in the projects we are working on and therefore would not want to be involved in preparing a major presentation for the board of directors.  We may therefore not even invite them to participate. However, just because that particular individual is quiet, why would we assume that he or she is not interested?  We may be limiting their potential and possibly our team performance with this assumption.

What if we knew that this individual is simply nervous about speaking up in group situations, but is highly creative and has a real talent for preparing unique and interesting formats to present data in an interactive and stimulating way? How quickly would we now ask for their involvement on this important project?

Think about many of our most talented footballers. Often, when you hear them interviewed they sound coy and unsure, which may drive an assumption that they are not particularly confident or lack intelligence. However, once they are on the field of play, they are a self-assured team player, with the intelligence to judge, with pinpoint accuracy, just how to kick and bend a shot into a goal from 30 yards. Just because someone doesn’t conform to our initial perceptions of how they should behave, doesn’t mean our assumptions are correct.

As a leader, what are you doing right now to see beyond the surface of those who work with you? What are you doing to make sure you are creating an environment that draws out and develops the potential of those around you?

Think about the assumptions you may be making about each and every person you know at work – the chances are, by taking time to get to know more about who they are and their values, you will begin to discover more of their true potential.  Outstanding leaders understand how each person in their team thinks and feels – they know what ‘really’ motivates them and what it is they value in life. This is a critical foundation for creating high performing teams.

If you knew that Chelsea’s Frank Lampard has a GCSE in Latin, Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba has ten GCSEs and three A’Levels, and ex-Leeds United player Clarke Carlisle featured on Question Time, how would you listen to them differently, next time you hear them interviewed?

Limiting assumptions is just one key element of the Personal Leadership Programme (PLP) at The Living Leader. Our approach to leadership training helps individuals to understand how their beliefs drive behaviour – and the impact that this can have on the performance of those around them and the organisation as a whole. Read more by clicking here or get in touch by emailing Emma@thelivingleader.com or calling 01635 276 333.

Sadly, as we touched on (or rather, stamped all over) last week, these weekly projects require leadership from start to finish. Great ideas are all well and good, but carrying out the work and successfully delivering the work to market are also pretty damn vital.

I think most business leaders would be torn by Ricky Martin’s performance last night. While his appalling initial plan to completely undermine the project leader showed a complete lack of respect for the team as a whole, his ability to think quickly and salvage something from the production line wreck towards the end was encouraging. He clearly has high hopes for himself as a leader, opting to be the sub-team head early on. Outstanding leaders take responsibility for situations and stay positive and focussed on the goal. Good to see some of this, at least until they got to the board room.

More positive attitude showing in team Stirling, with Duane Bryan’s leadership skills coming to the fore when the chips were down. He organised and rallied the team, communicated to them all and encouraged top performance. Being a good leader in the full sense of the word, is about having the ability to bring leadership and increased performance from those around you, and it was good to see this demonstrated.

Lord Sugar once again chose to fire one of the less vocal members of the losing team, which should be feedback enough for the remaining candidates: Make your presence felt when you’re out and about. Michael Copp, who I hadn’t even realised was involved in the competition until he was given his marching orders, made a cringe-worthy attempt to tug on Lord Sugar’s heartstrings with his ‘rags to riches’ story. It was a last resort – he was, as Lord Sugar mentioned, “out of his depth”.

Read more about The Living Leader’s approach. Our Personal Leadership Programme (PLP) has been experienced by nearly 40,000 people across the world – read what a selection of them had to say about their experiences by clicking here. Get in touch today to discuss our leadership development programmes, call 01635 276 333 or email emma@thelivingleader.com.

According to the report, Phil Langstaff, who has held people management roles at banking and insurance firm HBOS and Halifax previously, will be in charge of launching a new approach to learning and development across the group.

Langstaff worked as Head Executive Resourcing and Emerging Talent at Lloyds prior to taking up the new position.

Find out more about The Living Leader’s approach to leadership training and development by seeing what others have said about our leadership programmes – click here. If you would like to speak with a team member, call 01635 276 333 or email contact@thelivingleader.com.

In this episode, watch Karen Murphy, head of operations at The Living Leader, talk to Rachael Oakes about the PLP and its positive influence over client relationships. Click below to watch…

Speak with The Living Leader today by clicking here to hear more about the Personal Leadership Programme (PLP) and find out why almost 40,000 people across the world have experienced this leadership development programme.