Articles Tagged with: Business Strategy Brisbane

5 Positive Leadership Styles to Drive Your Teams

By running strategy days and helping businesses get clear on what they want for 2020, we get exposure to different leadership styles. Some have teams inspired to do whatever is needed to deliver success. These teams tend to be made up of leaders, taking ownership of their own standards and performance, which in turn adds value to the business.

Then we have other leadership styles, which are somewhat dysfunctional and act as a handbrake on both business and personal growth. These leaders can still be inspirational…. generally highlighting the behaviours that don’t work and drive team members to “not be like them”. Most of us have experienced this leader at least once in our careers…..

Being part of a strong team relies on each team member recognising their leadership qualities and how these contribute to the team's success. Positive Leadership styles help deliver the success desired ! — Being part of a strong team relies on each team member recognising their leadership qualities and how these contribute to the team’s success. Positive Leadership styles help deliver the success desired !

So how can you implement positive leadership styles in your circles to drive success and growth… here are some tips:

Have vision and purpose
A great leader goes above and beyond to explain why they are moving in the direction they are moving. They effectively share the strategy and action plan to achieve that vision, why achieving this matters and what it will feel like when it is achieved.
Be the example
Teams look up to leaders and if you want top shelf results, your passion for setting the standard needs to be obvious. When fellow teammates see you getting your hands dirty, they too will do the same. It helps infuse new energy in to the team and renews the energy to create even greater success.
The Team come first
“the true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest..” – Simon Sinek
Empower and Delegate
As leaders, it’s important to recognise we can’t do everything. Seeing opportunities to have others take on tasks, developing their skills and elevating their status in the business, is a key growth strategy. Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve the objective and give them a chance to own the responsibility.
Openly communicate
A great communicator can be a good leader. Words have the power to motivate people and influence them to want to do more than what’s required… be open and transparent within your teams and you will get quality results..

2020 is an opportunity for us all to embrace positive leadership styles that will benefit both us personally and the business. Be the energy, be the example, share your vision and inspire others to also be a leader… just like you.

Please forward this to anyone who needs help managing this process. If you need help getting the best result in these circumstances… let’s chat about how we can help.

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

1 December 2019

December is hectic. How will your business leaders handle the chaos?

With the Black Friday sales now done and the pre Christmas sales continuing, it signals just over 3 weeks until Christmas. Some will be in countdown mode, looking to simply finish off the work they currently have and slip in to the break feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy quality time with friends and family.

For others, the next 3 weeks will include extra long hours, taking on everything that comes at them and choosing to try and ensure every stakeholder’s expectations are met…. generally at the expense of their own. It’s always been a time of year where you can have both dynamics happening in the same business.

Locking in your 2020 strategic conversation for early January allows you to get it in the diary now. Photo | Paul Lewin Photography — *Locking in your 2020* *strategic conversation* *for early January allows you to get it in the diary now. Photo | Paul Lewin Photography*

As business leaders, we can choose to proactively manage the pre Christmas party rush and continue to deliver value. So how can we ensure a positive impact on our business… here are some tips:

Contact with your “A class” clients now
This acts as dual purpose. Firstly, you thank them for being quality clients throughout the year… something that shows you value them as humans and as clients. Secondly, you give them the opportunity to lock in a date for any work pre Christmas. It shows that you see them as a priority.
Set deadlines for taking on work
What is your cut-off point when you put up the “Thank you for your enquiry. We have hit capacity of work we can guarantee for delivery pre Christmas. Internally, this is also a conversation that needs to be had with your teams. Get aligned with timelines and expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Set up 2020 activities
Saying no to work is challenging at the best of times, especially with the fear that potential clients might go elsewhere. By managing expectations (using No not Yet) and challenging whether work is truly a pre Christmas delivery, where possible we can lock in a January date for delivery. This way the team and the client are aligned.

As business leaders, we have expectations from multiple stakeholders to close work out before Christmas. Proactively managing this expectation will ensure customer satisfaction levels are in tact and work gets locked in on your preferred timeline.

Forward this to anyone who may be challenged managing this process and saying no when timelines are tight. If you need help getting the best result in these circumstances… let’s chat about how we can help.

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

24 November 2019

How Cricket Australia’s “Sandpapergate” burnt trust and forced business leaders to change

With the Australian summer of cricket starting this past week, the national team’s ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal in 2017, where players were banned from the game for using sandpaper to alter the ball during a game, is being re-examined. The drama that engulfed the team and Cricket Australia led to a far reaching and brutally honest review highlighting failures in leadership and culture.

“We don’t pay you to play, we pay you to win” – a quote from the former CEO of Cricket Australia demonstrates the expectations of senior management on the team to deliver the management strategy. The demand to do whatever it takes to get the winning results had become the culture of the team…. and it had blurred the line between results, morals, values and ethics. The consequences of this were dire and played out very publicly on the world stage. Trust in the organisation, and consequently the sport in Australia had been broken and it would take time to rebuild.

How has the Australian cricket team rebuilt? Hard reflection and making the hard decisions; transparency and authenticity at all levels; taking things back to the basics and working their way back from the grassroots; and lastly, time.

Kevin Roberts (CEO) and Earl Eddings (Chairman) are rebuilding the culture within Cricket Australia, including all those from the ground up. Photo / Facebook — *Kevin Roberts (CEO) and Earl Eddings (Chairman) are rebuilding the culture within Cricket Australia, including all those from the ground up.* Photo / Facebook

As business leaders, and we are all leaders in the organisations we work in, we all have the ability to influence the culture of the business. Often we feel like it is management’s responsibility to drive culture, and to a point it is…. yet we all have the ability to help shape the way we deliver the strategy of a business.

So how can we learn from this to impact our business culture?

Create the Environment
Building an environment where all team members feel heard, have direction, have the support of management and feel like they matter is an amazing starting point. Regular check ins like weekly meetings, status update sessions, group workshops and team catch ups give opportunities for all to contribute to driving the culture. More interaction between members has been implemented by the Cricket Australia board.
Manage through inclusion and open communication
One of the biggest assumptions we see is the Business Owner having all the answers and knows the best way to drive culture. They will know the culture they want, so add open communication and team members feeling empowered to include management in the culture conversations helps to create trust and see more relevant behaviours being exhibited.
Be clear on Values
Like Cricket Australia, most businesses have a list of values that they suggest shapes the behaviour of the team. Yet when these are unclear, non-existent, hidden away or not focussed on, especially when things get hectic it’s easy for these to be forgotten. Have them visible, raised at regular meetings and included in our everyday so to keep them front of mind

As leaders within an organisation, we all have the ability to influence its culture. Being clear on the environment we want, maintaining open communication through all levels and being clear on what we value will help build a business driving towards quality results.

Consider the culture in your business this week and the impact you are currently having. If you were to action the above tips, how would you impact the culture of your teams and what extra momentum would you create?

Need help building the culture you want… let’s chat about how we can help.

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

17 November 2019

What leadership are we seeing with our recent fires?

Australian news is currently dominated by the bush fires alight across the nation. From the politicians trying to work out who’s at fault…. to the firefighters at the front line saving humans and homes – both are exhibiting leadership with different degrees of effectiveness.

The best form of leadership I’ve seen has been in the note left by a guy named Kale.

Paul Sekfy returned to his New South Wales home to find a note signed by the Urunga Rural Fire Service (RFS). Kale and his team of four managed to save the house of Paul. Shortly afterwards they found themselves in a firestorm and took shelter in Paul’s house with sixty foot high flames surrounding them. Following the passing of the fire, with the water in the fire truck hot an undrinkable, they raided Paul’s fridge finding the milk however before leaving, Kale penned the following note leaving it on the kitchen bench.

Kale Hardie-Porter left the note after taking refuge in a house he was protecting from the fires. Photo / Facebook — *Kale Hardie-Porter left the note after taking refuge in a house he was protecting from the fires.* Photo / Facebook

“PS – we owe you some milk” … The note was shared by Paul on Facebook and has since gone viral.

The leadership shown by Kale and Paul demonstrates commitment, resilience, integrity and a healthy dose of gratitude and old school honesty.

So how can you, like Kale (and Paul), make more quality decisions and continue to remain true to your values? Here are some tips to help:

Know and live your Values – being aware of what you truly value allows you to quickly assess whether a situation is asking you to go against these. Not being clear means you are more likely to go against what you believe in if making decisions under pressure.
Be aware of who you are (Be Authentic) –when we deal with others, what they are buying first is the person. The product or service will be secondary… so give them the best version of you so they know the feeling they will get when they choose to sign on. (See more on Authenticity in this article https://mentorisgroup.com.au/motivational/authenticity )
Value you and your Ability – when faced with a choice, back you and your skills to be able to take on an opportunity, or if not refer to someone who may be a specialist. Either way, you are helping someone who had a pain point which you are helping find a solution for. This will have them coming back to you as you have solved their problem. See more on valuing yourself at https://mentorisgroup.com.au/motivational/value-yourself

Today is a day where fortunately, we have the ability to choose. We can choose to exhibit the standards we expect and inspire those around us by setting a quality example, or we can watch others do it and wish we had chosen differently. Either way, we are making a choice so why not make one that sees you be in control.

Consider the decisions you are being called on to make. Are you able to make these seamlessly and create momentum or do they get put off until you are forced to make an under pressure coin toss type decision. Focus on your today’s actions and you will develop the ability to make quality decisions on the fly.

Local RFS brigades, like the one Kale is a part of, rely heavily on volunteers and contributions from their communities to sustain their efforts. If you’d like to help them out you can donate via this link.

Stay safe!

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
h ttp://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

15 November 2019

Strategy Mentors bring a fresh perspective

Have you ever muttered or heard these muttered by those around you:

I’m frustrated we aren’t getting the results we want
I need new ideas to improve my business efficiency
I don’t know who to talk to for ideas on growing my business
I need a business mentor who can be a business sounding board and help me create momentum
My team aren’t on the same page
I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT MY BUSINESS TO BE

There are the most common items we hear from small medium sized businesses. The frustration felt is partly from a lack of results, partly from not knowing who can help reset the strategic direction of the business.

Can you find up to 2 hours in your schedule to invest in getting this CLARITY and DIRECTION?

This two hours will set you up to be able to lead your teams… as your clarity can then be passed on to them…. because you know where you are going.

The two hour investment will see you walk away with the following:

Clarity of where you are NOW and a path of what you want your business to BE
Clear “One Page Plan” for the next 12 months
Fresh perspective of what’s possible and what your time, effort & money is going to create
Renewed motivation to create even more value
Clear Action items and Next Steps

To book in a FREE no obligation 20min call, click on the attached link as we would love to chat about helping you add heaps of value….. https://calendly.com/mentorisgroup/20min

11 November 2019

Think Long Term Strategy and Win Win

“From my experience, the best advisors help in three ways: encourage you to look at the problem or opportunity from multiple angles; help you balance the tug of the short-term with important long-term priorities; and ask the tough questions you need to know to reach the best solution”.
Margo Georgiadis

When we get really busy and don’t seem to have enough time to get everything done, we tend to focus on the “here and now” and what needs to be done now to get things out the door. Some work late, some cut corners, some overlook inefficiencies in favour of delivery speed, most take the work on themselves just to get it out the door… I’ve seen cases where all of these have happened.

Although necessary, how is it contributing to building a more efficient and effective business in the longer term. How is it creating opportunities to allow those in more senior positions to spend more time building the business? How long can this strategic plan continue before the business results are impacted?

Taking these actions shows our effectiveness to manage expectations. Proactive conversations up front set timelines that will allow both the successful delivery of the activity and have the long-term opportunity also included. For example, delegating a task to someone for the first time will take extra time. Setting the expected delivery time to factor this in allows the skills transfer needed for this person going forward… that’s Win Win in my book.

So how do you achieve this in your role or business? Here are some tips that can help deliver long term benefits:

When “is” the right time – there never seems to be a best time to consider mixing things up. “If nothing changes, nothing changes” then comes in to play and we find the process gets put off until next time. Make the decision, create the opportunity to include others where possible and make it happen
Always be thinking long term – taking this view will bring results. Including another person in a client visit, someone who will ultimately be dealing with the client going forward, will let them take over and free you up to spend more time building the business.
Always ask the question – who could be doing this? Automatically doing is one way to get things out the door. Before you start, check in to see if there is someone else who can take on the activity. Is there an opportunity to pump up their tyres and show your belief in them? This can be a powerful recognition tool for your team members.

Consistently thinking of how to build the capabilities and skills of the team will empower them, show them that you care about developing their skills, create an environment where delegation is considered positive and deliver more strategic time for those running the business.

Consider where your focus is and how the above tips can help you in the coming months. Please forward to those who will benefit from our ongoing tips and get in contact if you need to reset your current strategy.

Have an awesome week !

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

4 November 2019

Getting our Strategic On

“What I found over the years is the most important thing is for a team to come together over a compelling vision, a comprehensive strategy for achieving that vision, and then a relentless implementation plan”
Alan Mulally

As the Christmas party season approaches and we wonder where the past year has gone, it prompts us to reflect on the plan we set out to achieve in January 2019… we did set a plan didn’t’ we?

For some this will have been a stellar year, meeting and often exceeding expectations and delivering personal growth in many areas. For others it will have been a year to commit to history. What’s guaranteed is that successfully handling challenges would have delivered the quality results.

So how can we get strategic about what we want to achieve and ensure we are setting ourselves up for great things in the coming years? Here are some tips to help you get this in place before the new year:

Reflect and take on the Lessons – whether it’s in your business or your career, learning from the past is key. Using this information to proactively shape your future direction and implement positive change will deliver even more impressive results. Include those things that will build you and those around you.

Get clear on your End Goals – Having an understanding of what we are creating gives you an understanding of what your effort is going towards building. A promotion, more security, dealing with better clients, servicing another market… all these things will help you get “somewhere”. Be clear on what this looks like and the strategic plan will help get you there.

Tie it to what matters to you – we all look to get something from putting in the effort and overcoming the challenges. Whether it is the opportunity to spend more time with our families, a bonus that goes towards a deposit for a house, giving time to support charities… we build our career/business so we can experience more of those things that really matter to us. Focus will deliver the opportunity to do more of these.

How strategic have you been this year and is it time to shake up your direction. Consider how the above tips can help you in the coming months and help deliver an awesome 2020. Get in contact if you proactively need to set your strategy for next year.

Have an awesome week !

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

23 September 2019

Leaders Get Lost Sometimes Too

“Most people stop playing the game (living their dreams) and instead are cheering with the crowd (following the masses)… just because they missed a penalty, a chance, an opportunity. Let nothing stop you! It’s time to start playing again, it’s your dream, it’s your baby, make it happen” ― Bernard Kelvin Clive

Over the past week there have been moments where quality leaders, successful in either running a business or their career, have confessed to losing track of the path they were on. They were wrapped up in comparing themselves to others and not focussing on what was happening in their lane. Being in Business strategy we see this regularly.

It can easily be done and with so many distractions in front of us now, through social media and the “Instant society”, we can replace our expectations with those we think others have of us. So remembering that our path is our path is key… it’s our feet that are going one after another to keep us moving forward.

Next time you feel this happening, here are 3 tips that have helped get quality leaders back on track:

Your journey is your journey – be clear on what you want, why it matters to you and how you will take steps to create that end destination you want. Sometimes it takes saying “this is what I need” and seeing what turns up to allow you to stay on track
Focus on the problems you solve for others – too often we get wrapped up in what we are getting out of a situation. By seeing the benefit someone else gets from you working with them, this can add to the rewards you get from being a quality operator
Enjoy what it is you do – we invest significant time, effort and money while running our race. Surrounding yourself with quality people, who care about you and helping you be super successful, will help create something you enjoy. Doing what you do with a smile on your face allows you to keep seeing the upside you have.

This week, take a moment over a coffee to reflect on how you are running your race. Are you on your path, or that path that others expect you to take. Your skillsets solves problems for others… how good does this feel.

Forward this on to those in your networks so they too can get value from our regular tips. If you would like to be a leader who sets their standard at a level for others to follow, send us a note at strategy@mentorisgroup.com.au and let’s chat about how we can add value.

Have an awesome week!

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

15 September 2019

Leadership – We Lost our Mojo

“Common sense would suggest that having ability, like being smart, inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges. People with a growth mindset welcome setbacks with open arms.” Travis Bradberry

Sport is such a wonderful arena for providing opportunities to be challenged, to learn about yourself and to grow. It provides so many parallels to business and lessons in overcoming challenges.

On Sunday we played in a knockout competition. To progress in the competition, we needed to win… so the pressure was real. At times we were in flow and scoring points seemed to come easier to us than our competitors. Yet when we got “comfortable”, we would take our eye off the ball and let our competitors back in to the game.

So when you take your eye off the ball or things don’t go your way, how do you work to keep on track? Here are 3 tips that helped us:

Get perspective (What is the reality of your situation) – too often we get wrapped up in the disappointment of not performing or not meeting expectations we have set for ourselves. Reality is, we are probably still performing and just need to tweak how we are doing things to get better results
Where is your focus – challenges happen and setback occur, yet dwelling on these and spending your time wondering what you could have done differently isn’t where you need to focus. They’ve happened, you can’t change that… so accept this and shift your focus to what next action you need to take
Keep one eye on what you want – a number of times throughout our game we checked in on why we were playing well, and it came back to playing smart. Assessing our situation and consistently making the right choices for where we were now, with one eye on where we needed to get to. This works equally for business, always needing to keep one eye on the long term.

This week, as Nick and I did on the weekend, keep checking in to see how you are going. Are you on track to achieve your desired results and if not, what can you do now to create change to get back on track. You are the one who can then take action to make this change.

We would love for you to forward this on to those in your networks so they will get value from our regular tips. If you want to be that leader who sets the standard, send us a note at strategy@mentorisgroup.com.au and let’s chat about how we can add value.

Have an awesome week!

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

8 September 2019

Vision, Performance and Business Process

Brisbane based Business Strategy with interstate interests…

“Champions are not the ones who always win races – champions are the ones who get out there and try. And try harder the next time. And even harder the next time. ‘Champion’ is a state of mind. They are devoted. They compete to best themselves as much if not more than they compete to best others. Champions are not just athletes”. Simon Sinek

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the feelings surrounding you, your performance, your “perceived” performance and meeting expectations. Are we producing the right content so our ideal customers jump at the opportunity to work with us? Am I doing all I can to exceed my KPI’s to ensure I get recognised for my performance. Am I providing the vision that those around me need to get where we are heading? All great questions that have come up in conversations over the past week.

To be honest, the focus of these questions tends to be on the Results…. not the Process. They say “If you focus on the process, the results will take care of themselves”. This has been proven to be a stumbling block for many quality leaders, spending too much time on what they don’t have now, rather than what they need to do to get that.

How do we keep our focus on the process and not the result? Here are 3 tips to help:

Know where you are going – when we know what we are ultimately striving for, we have set the goalposts and can bring our focus back to the tasks at hand. Having said that, as we get stuck in to taking action, we must keep one eye on the long term, to make sure what we do in the short term is getting us towards these end goals
Take control to eliminate distractions – without structure in our schedule it’s too easy to get distracted. Social media, group chats about the football on the weekend, group chats about social media…. the opportunity to procrastinate is ever present. Scheduling dedicated time for potential distractions will remove the urge to be taken off course at other times.
Enjoy the process – you’ve chosen to be in the work space you are in and to be doing what you are currently doing. If we choose to stay in this space, then we get on with things and find ways to enjoy the space… like creating games for you and your teams, rewards for hitting targets each week, Fri afternoon off when work’s sorted by lunchtime. Have fun and the results will come.

This week, check in to see if you have a clear idea of where your plane is heading, whether you are thinking about what you will do when you get there or how you are going to get to your seat and what movies are on offer, and how you can make your flight enjoyable… all things you can control to end up at your desired destination.

We’d love for you to forward this on to those in your networks so they will get value from our regular tips. If you need help being the real and best version of you, send us a note at strategy@mentorisgroup.com.au as we would love the opportunity to chat about how we can help.

Have an awesome week!

Cheers
Paul Farmer
Managing Director
http://www.mentorisgroup.com.au

About Paul Farmer, Mentoris CEO and Business Coach

With a background in finance, business strategy and leadership, Paul has built a reputation as a business mentor responsible for getting the best out of business owners and leaders. His calm and measured ways help create an environment where quality results are created, and growth is delivered for any business or large organisation.

For the best business mentor Brisbane and the Gold Coast has to offer, contact Paul Farmer at Mentoris. If you are a business owner seeking business mentoring support from someone with many proven years experience, you’ve come to the right place.

Find Out More

Read more about how we work with you for:

5 Positive Leadership Styles to Drive Your Teams

December is hectic. How will your business leaders handle the chaos?

How Cricket Australia’s “Sandpapergate” burnt trust and forced business leaders to change

What leadership are we seeing with our recent fires?

Strategy Mentors bring a fresh perspective

Think Long Term Strategy and Win Win

Getting our Strategic On

Leaders Get Lost Sometimes Too

Leadership – We Lost our Mojo

Vision, Performance and Business Process

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