Until recently many organisations in the western world enjoyed a long period of growth and prosperity. As a consequence, organisations are often short of leaders with the experience and skills to lead others effectively through a period of unprecedented change in their internal or external environment.
Unprecedented change may require an organisation to:
- Find innovative ways to deliver traditional services faster and more economically
- Enter new, unfamiliar markets and quickly return a profit
- Transform from a local to a global business
- Maintain service levels and profitability whilst embracing new skills and ways of working
- Provide new and different services compared to the organisation’s traditional services
- Effectively respond to rapidly changing market conditions
It can be challenging to deal with a complex array of unfamiliar circumstances, particularly when a leader does not have personal or contemporary experience of such situations. Producing the desired results under such circumstances calls for clarity, courage, confidant decision-making and, above all strong, non ego-centred leadership. Paradoxically, uncertain, unfamiliar situations often bring up anxiety, resistance and disempowering emotions in those who need to be part of creating a new way forward.
Importance of a leader’s presence and stance
A person in a position of authority or power within an organisation has a substantial affects those around them. Their qualities, behaviour, stance and attitude are frequently seen by others as what they need to emulate, in order to “get on” and be “well-thought-of” in the organisation.
Leaders are continuously transmitting conscious and unconscious messages that shape the way others think and behave. A leader’s presence is like “shadow” that permeates throughout the entire organisation, impacting others in both positive and negative ways. The effect of the leader’s “shadow” is most acute during a period of uncertainty or substantial change; which means that during such periods an effective leader needs to consciously monitor and manage the messages they are transmitting to their organisation.
Mastering leadership
Irrespective of the circumstances, highly effectively leaders deal with the challenges and pressure that come with the job in a way that is measured, mature, confident and transmits a calming, empowering and centring effect on those around them.
At Performance Impact we understand that in order to provide effective leadership in a period of uncertainty or substantial change, leaders need be conscious of and responsible for the “Shadow” they cast in their organisation. We have therefore created this programme to support leaders and teams of leaders to acquire the capabilities and skills to lead the organisations effectively in such times.
The programme addresses what is required for a leader to reliably transmit confidence, maturity and a calming, empowering presence in times of uncertainty or substantial change. It also provides practical tools, skills and support to produce results that would otherwise not be possible in such circumstances.
Part 1 – Foundation workshop
- Setting up your environment to achieve aspirational results in challenging times
- Securing the alignment of important others to your goals and aspirations
- The transformation cycle and the style of leadership most relevant to each stage
- How to powerfully create, hold, manage and review your “transformation agenda”
- Securing buy-in - to objectives, ways of working, conditions for transformational change
- Dealing with resistance without forcing or manipulating people
- Understanding the human dynamics that are active in a period of uncertainty
- How to work effectively with people with different interests, styles and levels of maturity
- Supporting others to go well beyond where they normally stop
- Appreciating the limitations of the “traditional paradigm” for work and life
- Exploring the opportunities of a “new paradigm” for work and life
- Expanding your self-awareness and presence
- Assignments to produce breakthrough results in your work environment
Part 2 – Momentum workshop
- Deepening your “partnership” with key stakeholders
- Increasing your capacity to reliably create the conditions for performance breakthrough
- Managing the critical path to realising personal and professional aspirations
- Structuring conversations, meetings and projects for optimal results
- Adjusting for social, cultural and individual differences
- Working with unconscious, “un-centred” or obsessive people
- Resolving complex and sensitive issues
- Holding disappointments and unfulfilled expectations
- Acknowledging and celebrating accomplishments
- Being responsible for the “shadow” you cast over others
- Reliably maintaining balance & perspective
- The hero’s journey
- Creating a “ frame” for the next stage in your personal and professional development
Bespoke programme consulting
We can provide a bespoke in-company programme tailored to the particular needs of individual organisations. Our bespoke in-company programmes also provide the sponsor with objective counsel and the opportunity to use Performance Impact as an independent “sounding board”, in order to support the organisation through a period of uncertainty or substantial change.
Individual coaching
For those charged with leading through a period of uncertainty or substantial change we also recommend individual coaching for key leaders. This coaching is tailored to the needs of each individual and the challenges they are dealing with.
Contact us
Please contact us for more information about this Performance Impact leadership programme