Management Blog

Leadership and Management Wales - Two New Courses of Ours Approved

Two New Courses of Ours Approved By ELMS for Up to 50% Grant Assistance

Are you 100% confident that you and your leaders are equipped with the skills necessary to deliver sustainable business growth during tough economic times?How would you like to receive up to 50% funding from the Welsh Government towards enhancing your  Leadership and Management skills?

Course Titles

We have now had two new courses approved by ELMS which means if you book theses courses you can benefit from up to 50% funding. The courses are:-

    * Institute of Leadership and Management Level 3 Award in first line management. Click here for more info on ILM Level 3 Award
    * Achieving and maintaining peak performance in challenging times through resilience and mental toughness. Click here for more info on our resilience and mental toughness workshop

Leadership and Management Training Grants Free Consultation

If you are interested in improving your or your organisation’s leadership and management skills in Wales  then contact us and we can put you in touch with a Human Resource Development (HRD) advisor who will work with you free of charge.

Leaders Born or Made - Can Leadership Be Learnt?

Welsh leadership specialist Professor Brian Morgan  addressed  members and guests of the Institute of Directors Wales on 1st February 2012.

The director of the Cardiff School of Management’s Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre talked about the recent Wales Leadership Survey, which saw 55% of those questioned say that leaders were born not made.

Prof Morgan said: “Some research in this area suggests that effective leaders have certain genes in common – up to 40 per cent in fact – but this would suggest that at least 60 per cent of leadership skills need to be nurtured and developed."

I've just been rereading Umesh Ramakrishnan book  "There’s No Elevator to the Top" (ISBN: 978-1-59184-225-5) and looking again at this issue of nature versus nurture for leadership development - are we born with leadership traits or can they be learnt.

Ramakrishnan comments on trait theory in this chapter. He says "Leadership skills can be acquired, according to many executives I interviewed. Many people say you are a born leader or you are not a born leader,” Sanjiv Ahuja of Orange said, but I think there are those people who you can observe as learning to become good leaders.” These views are shared by Russ Fradin of Hewitt who said that “Anyone can aspire to – and become- CEO material, as long as they have the right tools.”

As to contuniung professional development Aetna’s Ron Williams said “The way I think about it is, if you were trying to grow your earnings fifteen percet than what are you doing to actually make yourself a better executive… In fact for most people who get to the very top there is no option but to continue learning because as Bill Nuti, CEO of NCR Corporation, put it, “the skills that got you there are not the skills that will make you successful as a leader.” This is a good point in that most individuals are technically competent at their job but will not necessarily have had the skills required to move into management.

To read more of the book review click here. If you want to learn more about developing leadership skills then visit our Leadership development page.

 

Alex Ferguson - Does Leadership Have a "Use By Date"?

As a leader one of your key roles is to ensure that your staff are engaged and motivated. Alignment of aims, purpose and values between staff, teams and organization is the most fundamental aspect of motivation. The better the alignment and personal association with organisational aims, the better the platform for motivation.

Where people find it difficult to align and associate with the organizational aims, then most motivational ideas and activities will have a reduced level of success.  Similalrly with aligning organisational aims with the personal needs of staff, as highlighted by Hertzberg and Maslow, is a fundamental objective for leaders. But can the power of a leaders motivational skills wear off over time, does a leader as a result have an expiration date or a finite shelf life? Are there only so many times a leader can use certain tactics or rousing speeches before they become repetitive and loose their impact.

You just have to look the sporting arena and particularly coaches in football and rugby. There seems to a natural cycle whereby they are given a few years to make an impact. Often what seems to happen is that they have a big impact on performance to start with but the impact waines over time as their players become accustomed to their motivational techniques. Obviously there do seem to exceptions to the rule such as the Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. He has now been manager for 25 years. So how does he do it? If you examine his approach then some of the answers lie with the fact that he rebuilds his teams every 5 years or so. So he brings in new players who are unaccustomed to his motivational techniques. He also changes his backroom staff and assistants regularly and looks to develop people from within.

So how do you avoid becoming stale as a leader. Well it's down to the leaders themselves to keep developing their skills and knowledge. If they don't then there is a real danger that things will stagnate and performance impacted upon. Also taking a leaf about Sir Alex's book then it's not just a case of becoming an effective leader yourself but developing the people who follow you to be effective leaders as well. So it's how you perceive yourself as much as anything. One of the best ways of motivating is to create a network of leaders whom you nurture. It is they who then bring that freshness and innovation in terms of motivating and improving performance.

For more information on leadership visit our leadership development page

 

ILM's "First Time Manager" Research Project

As you know, ILM is the UK’s leading leadership and management development organisation, working in partnership with employers and training providers to develop leaders and managers at all levels. We have been asked by the ILM and David Pardey, ILM’s Senior Manager, Research & Policy to take part in this exciting research project and we would like to invite you take part.

The project is to follow some newly appointed managers for their first three months in post, to find out what they find straightforward to deal with and what presents challenges or problems for them. This has not been done before and so there is no reliable research to help employers provide appropriate support and guidance for newly appointed first time managers. The challenge for ILM is to identify these new First Time Managers (FTM) as soon as they are appointed so that we can interview them just before they start in their new role and during their first 100 days.

That’s why we are asking you to take part in the project. We need you to be prepared to ask any newly appointed FTM if he or she is willing to be part of the research and to let us know if they agree.

For more information concerning this ILM research project on first time managers clcik here.

Developing Leadership Conference at UWE

Call of the Wild in partnership with the PDC  delivered a workshop looking at Creative Leadership programmes. This was the The 3rd Developing Leadership Capacity Conference -
Leadership Development and Life Experience: Reflections on Becoming Leaders held at the University of the West of England. The keynote speakers were Professor Steven J. Zaccaro of the George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia,Professor Steve Kempster, University of Birmingham and Professor Kim Turnbull-James, Cranfield University .

The aim of the conference was to develop a research agenda and practitioner discourse around the discipline of leadership development. Our workshop focused on developing key areas of leadership development of middle managers using examples of data taken from our programmes delivered to real world client groups and delivery using our training centre and the green classroom of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The workshop focused on the practical rather than the theoretical aspects of leadership development.

One of the academic delegates commented in the Q & A session that  the transfer of learning methodology utilised and was actually better than that presentaly used by many academics.

For more information on our leadership development programmes the Call of the Wild website

The Landscape of Leadership

A recent groundbreaking study (National Ecosystems Report) published in June 2011 has provided a comprehensive overview of the value of the UK’s natural environment. The study looks at a new way of estimating our natural wealth and illustrates how we have undervalued our natural ecosystems. The study also emphasises the role that landscape plays in our general wellbeing and sense of place.

A recent DEFRA press release focuses on the economic value of protecting and cherishing our natural heritage.While in the past people may have thought that caring for the environment meant extra financial burdens, the UK NEA shows that there are real economic reasons for looking after nature. The NEA also shows that the benefits we get to our health, well being and from the enjoyment of nature have not always been fully appreciated or valued.

As an organisation based in the western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Call of the Wild has always believed in the potential of using this majestic landscape as a vehicle for the development of leadership and management skills. By attracting business delegates from all across the UK, it not only brings economic benefits to the region, but also spreads the message that South Wales is a vibrant place to work and learn. 

Over the past 12 years we have evaluated the effect of this landscape on the learning of the clients we bring into the area. Almost universally the evidence has been that the most beneficial aspect of the experience was the environment. We believe the landscape creates a place and a space for “deep reflection’, in creating a powerful and sustainable learning experience.

Call of the Wild in collaboration with the Professional Development Centre, has further developed this “green classroom” approach and combined it with a research-led theoretical structure to create an ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) programme for a global engineering company. This is delivered within the Western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park and will bring over 200 delegates from across the UK into the area.

This programme has resulted in an evolving set of crafted interventions which places the delegate at the heart of his or her learning.

The area offers a diverse and rich source of natural experiences and metaphors, which the delegates are encouraged to contextualise within their personal experience of leadership.

Some of the interventions we are using and developing include:

• A Leadership Walk, a facilitated walk encouraging the delegates to reinvigorate their relationship with the environment by really taking notice of what’s around them and then applying this to their workplace.
• A reflective exercise in a deep mine offering a new way of placing learning and meaning into a work environment.
• A guided run of exercises based around the theme of water making reference to both explicit and implicit metaphors such as reflections, sustainability and ecosystems

The real point is that the imagery and metaphor resulting from immersion in this inspirational landscape begins to create new ways of thinking and looking at the issues surrounding Leadership. This new leaning is therefore more likely to be taken back into the workplace and applied.

The ILM structure also provides a rigorous framework on which to base this environmental approach to development, adding a layer of theory to the more esoteric aspects of this approach.
We believe that there is huge potential to utilise this landscape in a sympathetic and sensitive manner, adding real economic value to the area by capitalising on the proven benefits of this approach.

For more information visit the Call of the Wild leadership website

Leaders v's Managers

In the current climate of proposed public spending cuts, austerity and prudency  it is more important than ever to make the best use of the resources you have available. This will mean doing more with less. Managers will need to get the best performance possible from the staff they are responsible for even when teams are much smaller in size than in previous years. This is why it is of the utmost importance that you and your team leaders/managers have the necessary leadership skills in the toolbox to maximise the performance of staff and get that extra discretionary effort required  in these potentially testing times.

People work for managers but they work with leaders! Which do you think is more powerful? How do you become a leader not a manager to creat those high performing teams everyone aspires to. Well here are some tips

• Create an inspirational vision that others will help you achieve;
• Develop self confidence in your people;
• The keys to building a high performing team;
• Use the power of passion – Harness and release the power of your staff;
• Facilitate change;
• Ensure results = goals;
• Unleash the creative power of your teams;
• Develop effective and open communication.

The difference between average and fantastic performance comes down to desire-the only reason that people will perform a task is because they want to.

If you would like to learn more about how to develop these skills then read about our Leadership Training Course. This course will highlight how leaders can inspire and motivate their teams to deliver their best performance.

Can Leadership Be Learnt - Nature or Nurture?

 

A question frequently asked is can leadership be taught and learnt or are leaders born? We certainly believe so  - it’s part of what we do at Call of the Wild. I refer not to the vast raft of leadership and management theory that is taught in business schools, but to the development of your own innate ability to create a dream that others are prepared to help you achieve. Leadership is not a gift given to the select few it is a skill that can be developed, the most liberating thing is that we can choose to become a leader and to begin a journey of self-development.

 

  

Broadly speaking Call of the Wild work within  there main areas of leadership development:

 

• Leadership of self
• Leadership of others
• Leadership of vision/goal

Leadership of Self

 

We have all at some point in our lives been in a situation where we felt in complete control, a situation where you know exactly how to achieve your goal and more often than not success has followed. It is in these times that you are at your most resourceful.

 

Leadership of self is all about accessing this resourceful state in moments of your life when it is needed most, tools like NLP will help to develop this resourceful state by using techniques such as anchoring. Call of the Wild' s expertise lies in the use of carefully designed and facilitated leadership ‘tasks’ . These tasks take participants on a journey of self-discovery in a safe and controlled environment. Real tasks performed in real time will enable people to discover their current leadership abilities and begin to develop strategies that bypass any perceived or real limitations. It is the development of self-reliance and self-assurance that is the first and most important step on the leadership journey.

 

Leadership of Others

 

In order to make someone want to pursue your vision, you first need to see the world from their perspective, it is only then you can appreciate the implications of your actions. Do you have the strategies and flexibility in place to ensure that your team pulls in the same direction? Again NLP provides a sound set of principles from which to develop the ability to maximize these interpersonal skills. These skills are best developed in a real-world environment, as it is here that cause and effect is most obvious. Call of the Wild’s training takes place in an environment that places great emphasis on leadership and team-building, decisions need to be made quickly and success depends on the whole team pulling together- does this sound familiar? It should because it is fundamental to success in the workplace.

 

Leadership of Vision/goal

 

The responsibility of leaders to the success of the organization requires clarity of purpose. A premium is placed on the ability to think strategically in order to determine what is important, how to achieve it, and how to overcome any obstacles that may prevent a successful outcome.

  

Call of the Wild's programmes place delegates in situations that require both goal setting and problem-solving skills which will enhance and develop this critical aspect of leadership.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploring the Landscape of Leadership Development

A recent groundbreaking study (National Ecosystems Report) published in June 2011 has provided a comprehensive overview of the value of the UK’s natural environment. The study looks at a new way of estimating our natural wealth and illustrates how we have undervalued our natural ecosystems. The study also emphasises the role that landscape plays in our general wellbeing and sense of place.

A recent DEFRA press release focuses on the economic value of protecting and cherishing our natural heritage.While in the past people may have thought that caring for the environment meant extra financial burdens, the UK NEA shows that there are real economic reasons for looking after nature. The NEA also shows that the benefits we get to our health, well being and from the enjoyment of nature have not always been fully appreciated or valued.

As an organisation based in the western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Call of the Wild has always believed in the potential of using this majestic landscape as a vehicle for the development of leadership and management skills. By attracting business delegates from all across the UK, it not only brings economic benefits to the region, but also spreads the message that South Wales is a vibrant place to work and learn. 

Over the past 12 years we have evaluated the effect of this landscape on the learning of the clients we bring into the area. Almost universally the evidence has been that the most beneficial aspect of the experience was the environment. We believe the landscape creates a place and a space for “deep reflection’, in creating a powerful and sustainable learning experience.

Call of the Wild in collaboration with the Professional Development Centre, has further developed this “green classroom” approach and combined it with a research-led theoretical structure to create an ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) programme for a global engineering company. This is delivered within the Western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park and will bring over 200 delegates from across the UK into the area.

This programme has resulted in an evolving set of crafted interventions which places the delegate at the heart of his or her learning.

The area offers a diverse and rich source of natural experiences and metaphors, which the delegates are encouraged to contextualise within their personal experience of leadership.

Some of the interventions we are using and developing include:

• A Leadership Walk, a facilitated walk encouraging the delegates to reinvigorate their relationship with the environment by really taking notice of what’s around them and then applying this to their workplace.
• A reflective exercise in a deep mine offering a new way of placing learning and meaning into a work environment.
• A guided run of exercises based around the theme of water making reference to both explicit and implicit metaphors such as reflections, sustainability and ecosystems

The real point is that the imagery and metaphor resulting from immersion in this inspirational landscape begins to create new ways of thinking and looking at the issues surrounding Leadership. This new leaning is therefore more likely to be taken back into the workplace and applied.

The ILM structure also provides a rigorous framework on which to base this environmental approach to development, adding a layer of theory to the more esoteric aspects of this approach.
We believe that there is huge potential to utilise this landscape in a sympathetic and sensitive manner, adding real economic value to the area by capitalising on the proven benefits of this approach.

For more information visit the Call of the Wild leadership website

Why Leadership Development is So Important

Any good leader realises that learning new leadership skills is always beneficial. Good leaders are truly passionate about what they do – and that includes learning as much as they can to ensure that they do the best possible job.

There are distinct differences between leadership and management. Managers tend to be focussed on the day to day running of a company. Leaders tend to be focused on the bigger picture and on inspiring others to aspire to an ultimate goal. Although these skills are distinct it is possible to combine them to create a fantastic figurehead for any company.

However, for many it can be hard to find the balance between leadership and management and decide when it’s most appropriate to utilise different skills. Training can offer leaders  a great opportunity to think carefully about which skills are required for which situation. In addition, training is a great opportunity for leaders to take time to explore where their strengths and weaknesses lie and to focus on improving their abilities where they feel they could do better.

Part of good leadership is being able to admit that people are not perfect and realising that although you may love your job and feel truly passionate about what you are trying to achieve, not everyone is going to feel this way. Undertaking training can help leaders to discover ways to motivate others and to share your passion in such a way that it inspires and guides your workforce.

Embarking on a development course offers leaders and managers the chance to meet with like minded people and to share skills, techniques and experiences. The opportunity for open discussion can generate lots of great ideas and also help leaders to distinguish more easily between what works and what doesn’t work.

Becoming a great leader is all about realising that tried and tested techniques work, but perhaps more importantly it’s also about understanding that learning new skills can have a truly positive effect and can improve the running of any business. A great leader knows that if he expects his staff to constantly strive to improve themselves then he must expect the same from himself.

 

 

Call of The Wild is a fully accredited  centre for the Institute of Leadership and Management Qualifications.