Exciting news! A free personal development resource will be launched in summer 2012. Originally designed for aspiring women leaders, the pilot of the resource has proved its value to all developing professionals, managers and leaders. You can register here to be kept informed of the launch.

A meeting of two minds: In 2011, I met Fiona Gifford (Managing Director of www.theperformancecollective.co.uk) at a conference for inspiring women leaders in Scotland. There was great debate about Lord Davies’ Report and the recent research by both McKinsey and Ernst and Young into female representation on Boards and the whole question of whether we should, or should not have quotas.

Making a difference: We were both keen to develop a free resource supporting emerging (women) leaders.  Using the concept of “My Board of Directors”, we further developed a process that Fiona has used effectively in emerging talent workshops in the past.  The core aims and benefits of the free resource include increasing resilience, building an effective support network and to manage this effectively over time.

“My Board of Directors” resource: Together, we have developed this into a self-help workbook that will be provided free through a number of channels and organisations. The only request is that each person who takes a free copy “pays” for it by supporting others in some way.

We are also talking to various companies about using the tools on their intranets and seeking a partner to develop an interactive version in the future.

You can register your interest by email: rachel@firstpotential.com

10 Top Tips to Unplug from your Inner Critic

Have you ever been kept awake at night by your doubts, worries and regrets going round and round in your head? This is your innner critic at work – it’s his job to worry!

Your inner critic is a manifestation of old fears, doubts and beliefs, including other people’s programming. His little voice wants you to play it… ... continue reading

Why is self-leadership even more essential right now? In the past organisations, society and the economy thrived to a large degree on conformity.  With radical shifts in cultural/societal attitudes and expectations, the world economy, climate change and with the breakdown of  regimes that don’t support their people, now is the time for the individual’s uniqueness to come to the fore. (See below for 10 top tips).… ... continue reading

Once upon a time, I used to teach English and Drama to 11-18 year olds in a large inner-city comprehensive.  Even after a rigorous year’s training for my Post Grad Cert in Education, I still felt like I had been thrown in the deep end. What has really stayed with me are some wonderful memories and invaluable lessons which have stood me in good stead since then:

1. Inject

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea,  the world’s largest furniture brand, said that ‘Only those who are asleep make no mistakes’.  Top performers know the value of their mistakes and often view their mistakes in a particular way, so that they can take the positives from the failures.  They are somehow able to bounce back from so-called ‘mistakes’ because they take the long-term view.  They also understand that rather than… ... continue reading

What does courage mean to you?  Does it suggest people performing heroic acts and demonstrating bravery in times of great adversity?  I’d like to suggest to you that small acts of courage are made every day. It takes courage to be your best, to try, try and try again, to change direction, to be honest with yourself – and others – and it can also sometimes take courage to ask… ... continue reading

The art of listening often refers to what it means to listen and truly hear and understand what someone is communicating – and not just focusing on the content.  Active or global listening, as it’s called, is the highest level of listening.  It includes ‘reading’ the body language signs of the person, the tone of voice being used, picking up on how someone is really feeling and being able to… ... continue reading

In 1990 I broke both my heel bones during a ‘bush walk’ in Western Australia – and boy, did that hurt!  The first orthopaedic consultant said I wouldn’t be able to walk properly again – ever.  This was quite a blow to me as I’d always loved being active, riding horses, playing tennis, running and enjoying the outdoors’ lifestyle.

Naively, I didn’t really believe the surgeon’s prognosis and went… ... continue reading

How often are you seduced by the idea that an ‘instant fix’ exists for your challenges at work and life’s problems? It’s during times of significant upheaval, change and crisis that you can lose sense of the bigger picture, feel despondent and spiral downwards.

How you think and what you believe from the outset will largely determine your future progress and success. However, it can take time to put ... continue reading

The cost of constant busy-ness to our ability to perform effectively at work, as well as to our health and happiness has been well documented. We instinctively know that we’re paying the price every day, but all too often we think we’re powerless to stop the go, go, go lifestyle and mindset. Is that really the case?

Surely, it’s not a question of how much time we have or… ... continue reading