In today’s edition:

• Quote - Action Is Everything

• Leadership Stories - Max De Pree

• Insight - The Importance Of Self-Awareness For Strong Leadership

Quote - Action Is Everything

“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” - Max De Pree

If we want to change anything, action is everything.

Change is essential for our progress. If we want to grow - whether in our businesses or own our lives - we must embrace change and let go of our old habits. There is a level of discomfort we must endure in order to achieve transformation.

Yet, if we take steps beyond our current state, we will put ourselves in a better position to grow and reap the rewards that change can bring.

[Read more about Max De Pree in this week’s Leadership Stories 👇]

Leadership Stories

Max De Pree

Max De Pree was the CEO of Herman Miller, a furniture company that grew from a family firm into an international business.

The Herman Miller Furniture Company was formed in 1923, when D.J De Pree (Max’s father) renamed the Michigan Star Furniture Company into Herman Miller. Max’s father had started at the company in 1910 as a clerk; he was 18 years old. From his father, Max understood the power and benefits that a focus on change can bring.

As a leader, Max looked at change in its broadest sense - not just of the business, its products and service lines - but in relation to the most important aspect of any company: its people.

In his 1989 book, ‘Leadership is an Art’, Max De Pree focused on the human aspects of leadership, emphasising values like service, integrity, and the importance of people in organisations.

When De Pree wrote his book, he was in the later stages of his career, having played a significant part in transforming Herman Miller from a modest family business into an international leader in design and innovation. His leadership philosophy was deeply influenced by his time at the company, where he fostered an open, employee-centric culture. He wanted Herman Miller to be a company where creativity thrived, not just in its designs but in terms of how the company treated its workers - with respect, autonomy and a shared sense of purpose.

This week’s quote from De Pree is a call to embrace the discomfort of transformation. Companies - and individuals - cannot achieve their highest potential by holding onto the old ways of working even if for the moment, those old ways are working; the focus must be on improving. To become a better leader or organisation, one must be constantly questioning one’s behaviours, assumptions, strategies, and step into new, sometimes uncertain territory.

Truly transforming our companies and ourselves so that we remain relevant and resilient for the future requires the courage to face change head-on, knowing that progress and success will demand it.

Personal and professional growth only happens when we are willing to let go of what is familiar and move towards what is necessary for future success.

Insight

The Importance Of Self-Awareness For Strong Leadership

How well do you know yourself?

Not just in terms of everyday things - like the material things you like, or the favourite foods you want to eat - but in terms of your ability to understand and recognise your own values, behaviours, thoughts, feelings and emotions. In my time as a senior leader, emotional intelligence - or EQ - has always been one of the most important aspects of my leadership. In challenging, novel, or unexpected sets of circumstances, the ability to understand my strengths vs the team; to understand how the team are reacting, managing and coping; and the ability to ‘read the room’ and galvanise opinion - these have all been critical to getting through the more testing periods in my working life.

In many of the instances where high EQ has been necessary, the team have often thrived on the experience, in circumstances where they could otherwise have easily ended up ‘burned out’.

Here are three pieces of insight I have garnered through my career:

Before We Understand Others, We Must Understand Ourselves

Management may sometimes be a one-way street that focuses on skills and knowledge; leadership is not.

We can’t begin to properly understand others until we really have an idea about ‘who we are’ on a deeper level. Leadership is about understanding how to get the team to effectively work together, and this has to start with understanding your own strengths, values and behaviours first.

The leader must get the best out of the team on the bad days, as well as when the waters are calmer. It is more difficult to do that without understanding what innate personal strengths you are bringing to the team. As an individual, I have understood that some of my core strengths are my ability to maintain perspective and joining the dots; to think of new ways of looking at the problem; to be interested in how others are thinking through the problem and seeing where they are struggling; and my ability to identify the core strengths of others and what types of work they will not thrive on. This latter point also contributes to being able to understand my own weaknesses, and to give certain aspects of the work to those other members of the team who will thrive on them. The reason this is important is that the team can maintain high pressure work for bursts without burning out; they will actually thrive on the pressure, as each member is working to their own strengths.

When we understand our own strengths, we understand ourselves more fully beyond our qualifications, skills and knowledge. A quick way to understand your own strengths is to do a strengths assessment - the VIA Character Survey is a good one - it will likely throw up a few surprises! Our own ‘superpowers’ come so naturally to us that we don’t often acknowledge them or are sometimes not even aware of all of them.

By starting with your own self-awareness, you will become a much clearer leader with a strengthened ability to sustainably and positively get the most out of your team when the work level heats up.

Be Emotionally Tuned-In

If we understand our own strengths, we can be more tuned-in to the needs of others.

When a work crisis hits, we can often feel like we want to retreat into our own thinking-worlds to assess the situation from our perspective; sometimes this can be to the exclusion of others. And this is where the problems start, as your team feel that you are not valuing their input, you are distanced from how they are coping and managing, and/or you start to develop blind spots due to your own lack of strength in some areas.

As human beings, we all want to be heard. For someone to properly listen to what we are saying, thinking or feeling, this can really elevate connection and build relationships into much stronger forms. However, many leaders feel that they either don’t want to be seen as someone without the answer, or worse as someone who is temporarily feeling vulnerable. Yet, it is at these precise moments that leaders should be engaging with their team, seeking their opinion and benefitting from the strengths of the whole team. The team will feel more involved, heard, trusted, and valued.

So, we need to be emotionally tuned-in to the needs of others, particularly in times of crisis. It is easy to feel that you want to retreat to find the solution, but this will just isolate you from your team. In addition, your team will feel that they don’t have value to add and cannot support you - this doesn’t help contribute to their own self-worth and will likely demotivate the entire team.

Showing vulnerability as a leader by engaging them where you don’t always have the answers will not cause you problems with respect; quite the opposite, it will help reinforce that you are human and you value your team highly…and that is a huge motivating factor for all of us.

Reading The Room And Galvanising Opinion

As leaders, we get paid for making decisions.

We are often removed from the day-to-day ‘doing’. Yet, without self-awareness we may struggle to ‘read the room’ on certain decisions - either regarding our team or in higher levels of governance - and this can cause our performance to suffer.

In order for there to be high performance levels in any organisation, we need to

• understand the different opinions,

• listen to and value those opinions; and

• galvanise those opinions so that all are aligned in the direction of travel.

Lack of strategic alignment - from top to bottom - is one of the main reasons why teams and organisations fail to perform, leading to disjointed efforts, wasted resources, and missed opportunities. Individuals, teams or the organisation as a whole are invested in conflicting goals without a unified direction.

A team or company is really just a collection of people and, whilst it might have products and services that it sells, nothing would exist without the people involved in generating activity. If you have an inability to temperature check your team or organisation’s feelings, emotions, thoughts and opinions, there will be conflict and a lack of belief in the worthiness of the goal or cause. As a leader if you are unable to pick up on dissenting opinion, non-verbal cues and lack of real buy-in vs stated buy-in, you will have difficulty in aligning everyone behind what you want to achieve.

Having a high level of, or improving your own, self-awareness will help you better understand the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others, which is a critical part of galvanising others behind a plan that they will feel invested in.

That’s it for this edition, I hope you enjoyed it.

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In today’s edition:

• Quote - Simplify Your Approach

• Framework - Focus on Less

• Article - The Importance and Benefits of Nature in the Workplace

• Poem - The Peace of Wild Things

• Post - 8 Japanese Techniques to Stop Overthinking Everything

Quote

“It’s not the daily increase, but the daily decrease.” - Bruce Lee

This week on 10 October we celebrate World Mental Health Day 2024.

Sometimes, the different lives that we lead - parent, spouse, friend, colleague - lead us to into periods of unnecessary overthinking. Fortunately, today the world is becoming a lot more accepting of the reality that exists for every human on the planet: all of us have times when we have poorer mental health. This is the human condition.

I love how simple this week’s quote is. It tasks us with getting clear on what really matters to us and what gives us purpose in life; to cut out the noise and get to the essence of life.

Check out 5 key points on how to reduce overthinking in the section below 👇

Framework

Focus on Less

Lee believed that true mastery comes from stripping away unnecessary tasks. In life and work, this means focusing only on what truly matters.

Where can you advocate for the straightforward over the complex? Whether in problem-solving, communication, or daily routines, simplicity helps lead us to greater efficiency and better outcomes.

Lee designed his martial art philosophy (Jeet Kune Do) around the idea of using the most efficient movement to get maximum results. Cut out redundant work, meetings, processes. Instead, think about what activities can you complete today that will have the largest impact on your life, wellbeing and personal goals.

When we are our authentic selves, life gets a whole lot easier. For Lee, he encouraged people to strip away society’s expectations, pretences, or complicated identities and focus on just being you; freeing you from unnecessary mental clutter and leading to a more content, grounded life.

Instead of overwhelming yourself with excessive information or methods, focus on the knowledge and techniques that truly resonate with you.

Article

The Importance and Benefits of Nature in the Workplace

Let’s conduct a quick experiment: take a look at the below photo, imagine yourself in the photo, and take some slow and deep breaths whilst you do so. Notice for a moment how you feel:

Hopefully, you will have benefitted from a few moments of relaxation in what may be an already very busy day and week.

However, I wanted to just show for a moment how impactful nature can be on our day and, given that our lives are a culmination of the days that we live, equally impactful on our lives if we experience it every day.

Being in nature and surrounded by nature is central to human existence. We have evolved in nature and it is only very recently (in evolutionary terms, at least) that we have been living in more urban environments.

This week’s ‘article’ is less of an article but more of a guide to the 14 patterns of biophilic design (read: nature-inspired design) as applied to workplace or other built environments. What is of particular interest is the response that certain environments automatically produce in us - this relies less on the genius of the designers, but more on the genius of our evolution in natural environments.

Nature, at its core, taps into our limbic system which is our earliest brain, regulating emotions and feelings.

If we want to find ‘new systems’ of productivity, wellbeing and great mental health, then learn a lesson from a system that has worked well for millennia: nature itself.

The “14 Patterns of Biophilic Design” highlights how incorporating natural elements into built environments can improve well-being and productivity.

The patterns are divided into three categories:

1. Nature in the Space (e.g., visual connections with nature, natural light, water features),

2. Natural Analogues (e.g., biomorphic forms, natural materials), and

3. Nature of the Space (e.g., creating prospect, refuge, and a sense of mystery).

These principles are designed to enhance health, creativity, and comfort in the spaces we inhabit.

For more details, you can view the document here or click on the title above.

Poem

The Peace of Wild Things

Wendell Berry is an American novelist, poet, essayist and environmental activist. One of his poem’s (The Peace of Wild Things) is a perfect accompaniment to the philosophy set out above: namely, that in times of stress, hardship, or worry, nature has the amazing ability to help us put everything back into perspective.

If you find yourself this week (or indeed at any point) in a place where ‘despair grows in you’ or ‘taxing yourself with forethought’, take solace in nature. It will not let you down:

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Post

8 Japanese Techniques to Stop Overthinking Everything

Continuing the theme of human wellbeing this week, we are going to finish this edition with Dr Marcel Vollmer’s post on LinkedIn which provided 8 techniques you can use to stop overthinking everything. Take a look through, something of use here for everyone. I have posted the post below, and also the first photo from the post, on Ikigai.

That’s it for this week’s edition, I hope you enjoyed it.

Please remember to subscribe if you want to keep up to date on future editions:

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In today’s edition:

• Quote - The Essence of Leadership

• Framework - The Pomodoro Technique

• Article - The Power of Small Wins

• Poem - The Road Not Taken

• Post - Create Your Own Advisory Board with AI

Quote

“Leadership is all about building relationships, understanding people, and inspiring them to be their best.” - Barrack Obama

This quote boils leadership down to its very essence.

It is powerfully simple.

But, we need to think through ‘how’ we can best accomplish each part. How would you uniquely approach each area, to become a better leader?

Framework

The Pomodoro Technique

Earlier this week on LinkedIn I posted about the power of accountability. As part of this, I talked about the importance of owning your work and, once there is greater transparency in a company, it allows the whole company to become more productive.

So, once we have clarity on what is in our own yard, how can we cut through our work in the most effective way?

One technique is called the Pomodoro technique. Again, powerfully simple.

The secret is to think in tomatoes 🍅 rather than time (Pomodoro being the Italian for tomato).

Each tomato represents a block of time and the technique asks you to replace a block of time (25 minutes) for a Pomodoro, interspersing each ‘tomato’ with short breaks.

The Pomodoro Technique - How it works

The Pomodoro Technique was invented in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, in an effort to avoid overwhelm and burnout.

If you have ever felt a project too big to start, the technique is great for both perfectionists and procrastinators at the same time, by splitting the work into 25 minute chunks which are easy to commit to. This method of working, particularly taking regular breaks, helps:

• Improve focus

• Minimise distractions (stay away from mobile or computer notifications!)

• Prevent burnout

• Promotes accountability

• Boosts motivation

Three rules to stick by

To get the most out of the technique, and to get the most from each interval, follow the below:

1. Break down complex tasks - if a task requires more than four Pomodoros, break it down into smaller, actionable steps.

2. Combine smaller tasks - for those items that are smaller jobs, combine them into whole Pomodoros.

3. Once a Pomodoro is set, stick to it - remove distractions and focus solely on the tasks requiring completion. You must work for the duration of the Pomodoro.

Next time you approach your task list, give this a try.

Article

The Power of Small Wins

So, with this week’s framework helping us maintain focus on tasks - via breaking them down into ‘pomodoros’ - this week’s article from Harvard Business Review expands on the theme. In particular, how celebrating the small wins really helps us win the large ones also.

I have posted a link to the article above, but three key takeaways for me are:

1. The Progress Principle: celebrating small wins and progress in meaningful work helps us enhance motivation and engagement.

2. Inner Work Life - it may sound obvious, but how often do we actively think this and put into practice: your emotions, perceptions, and motivations greatly impact your productivity. Positive progress drives a more positive “inner work life”.

3. Daily Feedback - recognising and celebrating small wins regularly helps us to maintain a momentum, and promote a culture of continuous improvement. Everyone leading teams in the whole organisation need to be on board and facilitate this.

These were three of my key takeaways from this article, but there are lots more to learn by reading the full article. Enjoy!

Poem

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost’s poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ was written in 1915 and is a celebrated piece of American literature. In particular, it has been referenced as a poem for leadership, where there is a need to set out a clear example of triumphant self-assertion. Yet, Frost’s poem is also misread. The poem also portrays that both roads bear similarities, essentially helping illustrate the struggle and comparisons we make to routes not taken, irrespective of the route we choose.

But, that is the essence of leadership and decision making.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Post

Creating Your Own Advisory Board with AI

A fascinating post that I saw this week was Adam Blecker’s post on LinkedIn, where Adam wanted to set up an advisory board using ChatGPT’s new advanced features.

Adam’s video shows the conversation and its outputs, which, even just a number of months ago, I could not have envisaged. The pace of change with AI is astounding and transformational. Whilst we do need to ensure that AI is used within ethical boundaries - and there is a high need to regulate it - observing the impact that this technology can have is super interesting.

That’s it for this week’s edition, I hope you enjoyed it.

Please remember to subscribe if you want to keep up to date on future editions:

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In today’s edition:

• Quote - Changing Your Perspective

• Framework - Using Curiosity at Work

• Article - Culture: The Importance of Living What You Stand For

• Idea - How to Boost Creativity

• Podcast - Leading by Nature

Quote

“A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.” - Confucius

There’s always a different way of looking at things in life. Not only can we look at a negative situation in a positive light, but often we gain something we didn’t have access to without the situation.

Change your environment - go for a walk - and see how your perspective can shift.

Framework

How to use the ‘four stages of curiosity’ to help you at work

Terry Heick is a leading critical thinker. He has worked with a whole range of organisations - from start-ups, to schools and universities, to corporations like Microsoft, to political bodies like The White House.

Terry created a learning model called the ‘four stages of curiosity’ to explain how, as human beings, we use our curiosity to carry out self-directed learning:

The four stages of curiosity in Terry Heick’s model can be used in a wider application for approaching new topics, to quickly understand their relevance and wider impacts on you, your business and its customers:

1. Process: I want to understand the process; the system; how something works - begin by mapping the system, part of the system or process you need to understand; you can use a mind map for this. This process helps us to join dots either now or at a later stage.

2. Content: I want to understand this content - what information can you find on what you have mapped; what is it telling you? This could be from within your organisation or outside of it (eg private companies, regulators, research institutions).

3. Transfer: Look at my knowledge within new contexts - following review of your content, what findings are produced if you transfer your learning into new contexts? Can you see new or consistent themes emerging in different areas?

4. Self: Why is this important for myself; my business, my customers - understand why what you’ve learned may be important and impactful for you, your organisation or your customers. Look at how this might influence your actions or direction.

Next time you approach a new topic requiring some in-depth investigation, actively think about how you can use your curiosity to help you.

Article

The Value of Authentic Culture

Don’t pretend to be something you’re not

An interesting article on the importance of being authentic when it comes to defining your culture at work.

Some key highlights:

• Understand the market you are operating in; its restrictions and limitations - if you are a regulated financial services firm, setting a freewheeling, high risk-taking culture won’t work. Encouraging your employees to act like they are in a small, disruptive start-up when they need to manage risk, will lead to cultural misalignment and lack of clarity. This will impact business performance.

• Remove the ‘Say-Do’ gap - understanding your market as well as your purpose will allow you to ensure that the cultural values are realistic, and employees and business purpose are culturally aligned. This will reduce the ‘say-do’ gap, increase engagement and help employees feel ‘at home’ in the organisation (provided you have hired for the same values).

• Align cultural values to business strategy and performance - if you are working in a highly regulated environment, it doesn’t mean that the company cannot be a great, innovative place to work. But, being honest about the strategic factors important to the business will allow everyone to be working towards the same, common goal - ‘…And this is where the real magic starts to happen’.

Idea

Try something new to get creative

We can all fall into the safety trap, particularly as we get older, of doing the things we know we are good at…and avoiding those that we are less proficient in.

Yet, learning something new, or approaching a task we think we suck at, is a great way to force the brain to problem solve and get creative juices flowing.

So, embrace more of the new, and don’t worry about the results - you’ll be benefitting in any event.

Podcast

Leading By Nature

Giles Hutchins is an Executive Coach, Author and Podcaster, and current Chairman of the Future Fit Leadership Academy.

His podcast is a great listen for anyone with an interest in how business needs to better align to principles of sustainability, and for those who want to ensure business exists to also benefit the natural world.

His latest podcast is with Dinah Nieberg, Co-Founder and COO of Blue Green Future.

That’s it for this week’s edition, I hope you enjoyed it. It is a first edition and so, like the advice above advocates, I have certainly boosted my own creativity during this session of writing.

Please remember to subscribe if you want to keep up to date on future editions:

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