Welcome to the new style REAL. Leadership newsletter. Shorter and snappier, giving you more time for leadership. 

We’ve conducted some research amongst our clients, highlighting that many of you are underestimating the strength of your leadership, the results below might surprise you…

The relentless pursuit of results is critical for any business, but this has to be balanced with care and compassion for the people that we are leading, who are equally challenged professionally and personally. There’s a well known phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. That’s equally true of leadership – it’s easy to lead when everything is going well, it’s when things are tough that you have to truly lead and motivate those around you. We’ve included some great articles below to inspire you.
 REAL. Leaders are self-aware and compassionate.

 

According to McKinsey’s The State of Organizations: 2023,” one of the top 10 shifts impacting organisations today is the rise of leadership that is self-aware and inspiring. Read more from Forbes on the importance of compassion in creating effective leadership.
REAL. Leaders are acutely aware of the power of their words.

 
Words, when said and articulated in the right way, can change someone’s mind. They can alter someone’s belief.
Listen to this speech by Mohammed Qahtani, winner of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, where he highlights the power of words, explaining how they can be a source of strength and such inspiration.
REAL. Leaders make mistakes.

 
If you love to listen to podcasts then don’t miss this interview with Emma Clarke who is Chief Executive of Weston Park Cancer Charity. Emma says she makes mistakes every day, but the important thing is not to dwell on it. She says “mistakes happen, they’re part of everyday life.” Imposter syndrome held her back for a long time, and she has had to work hard to challenge her limiting beliefs. 
 

REAL. Leaders actively seek feedback.

 
We’ve done some research amongst our leadership community, we thought you would be interested in the results. Where do YOU think you would score on these and more importantly how would your team score you – take our assessment here.
  • 81% of employees thought their leaders were comfortable having difficult conversations, yet only 15% of leaders agreed!
  • A huge 92% of leaders believe they are putting their team first, compared to only 58% of their employees.
  • 23% of leaders are happy with their work/life balance, compared to 58% of their teams who believe their leaders promote a great balance.
  • Only 8% of leaders think they are very strong under pressure, whereas 58% of their employees think this is one of their strengths.
Please see here for the full results and get in touch if you want to know more.

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