Leadership Tool: Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
The capability that decides whether inclusive intent and adaptive strategy actually land. Download article here or below. What is emotional intelligence? Edward Thorndike described a “social intelligence” as early as 1920, but the modern construct dates from 1990, when Peter Salovey and John Mayer defined emotional intelligence as the ability to monitor one’s own and […]
Leadership Tool: Tolerance of Ambiguity (TOA)
The leadership muscle for a world of unknown unknowns Download article here or below. What is it? Tolerance of Ambiguity (TOA) is the capacity to function effectively – to think, decide and lead – in situations that are unclear, incomplete or unpredictable. The concept was first proposed by psychologist Else Frenkel-Brunswik (1949) and given its […]
Leadership Tool: OKRs – Objectives & Key Results
Leading teams through change by focusing on what matters Download article here or below. What are OKRs? OKRs – Objectives and Key Results – are a goal-setting methodology built on one simple structure: an Objective states where we want to go (qualitative, inspiring, fixed for the cycle), and three to five Key Results state how we will know […]
Leadership Tool: The Three Cs of Trust
Competence – Character – Concern Download article here or below. What is it? The Three Cs of Trust come from one of the most striking field studies in leadership psychology. In the early 2000s, military psychologist Colonel Patrick Sweeney surveyed soldiers during active combat operations to find out what made them trust their leaders. Three factors emerged […]
Leadership Tool: The Nine Influencing Strategies
Winning commitment when influence is your only currency Download article here or below. Why influencing is the leadership skill of the matrix In a matrix, often global, organisation, most of the people you depend on do not report to you. To get stakeholders to work towards your objectives – or deliver their part in coalition with you […]
Leadership Tool: Immunity to Change
Uncovering the hidden commitments that keep people – and teams – from changing Download article here or below. Why people don’t change – even when they want to Resistance to change is rarely stubbornness. When individuals or teams struggle to adapt or stay productive through transformation, something in them is usually working hard to protect them – an […]
Leadership Tool: The Mutual Gains Approach
Negotiating value with stakeholders – because we are always negotiating Download article here or below. We are always negotiating In a matrix, global organisation, negotiation is not something that happens in a formal setting with contracts on the table. It happens every day: diverse stakeholders, each with their own agenda, objectives and constraints, deciding how much of their […]
Leadership Tool: Highly Aligned, Loosely Coupled
Clear on the destination, free on the route – designing teams for aligned autonomy Download article here or below. What it is – and where it comes from “Highly aligned, loosely coupled” describes an operating culture in which the organisation’s strategic objectives are crystal clear and non-negotiable – everyone is highly aligned on what must […]
Leadership Tool: The CIA Model
Control – Influence – Accept & Adapt Download article here or below. What is the tool? The CIA Model (Control – Influence – Accept & Adapt) is a practical framework for navigating uncertainty and ongoing change. First described by Neil and Sue Thompson in The Critically Reflective Practitioner (2008), it invites you to sort any […]
Leadership Tool: The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model (TKI)
Five ways to handle conflict – and how to choose between them strategically Download article here or below. First: what is conflict? Conflict is a natural disagreement arising when individuals or groups differ in attitudes, beliefs, values or needs. In organisations – and particularly in matrix organisations – it is structural: differing agendas, competing objectives, contested resources, budgets […]