Dream Dare Dazzle

If you are in a leadership position, you have likely read about how to have teams and workers you lead do something they may not want to do. A day doesn't  go by that you don't directly or indirectly persuade someone. You have high hopes for having people follow your lead and act in ways that foster innovation, growth, and passion. But in everyday life, leaders are dealing with the realty that, all too often, people don't do what they're asked and/or behave in ways that don't support the best interests of the customer, team, or organisation. Let's se how we navigate this in an empowering way....

Persuasion in transformational leadership is not about eloquent and stirring speeches like  Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.Persuasion in transformational leadership is about positive influence, not manipulation. In its purest form persuasion is the shaping with full integrity the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviours of others. Let's examine in more detail....

Every organisation has deep reservoirs of talent that are not achieving their full potential. There are many reasons why full potential is not achieved and excellence is not cascaded throughout an organisation.You will no doubt have your own list, but after working with organisations for many years I have found a set of 20 reasons why talent is not realising its full potential - let's explore, then look, hear and feel a holistic leadership development process that is focussed on talent maximisation, barrier elimination and results acceleration....Resource:Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peoplehttps://www.sachem.edu/assets/north_important_information/seven_habits_of_highly_effective_people.pdfTED Spark: 4 ways to keep growing in a changing worldhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-ways-keep-growing-changing-world-ted-conferences-kuyhe/

There is a common misconception that people resist change. I believe people don't mind change. What they mind is feeling bad about it.If you want transformational levels of growth, understanding how the change impacts workers and stakeholders,  how the change makes them feel must be recognised, respected, reflected on with a warm heart and responded to accordingly - let's explore....Support DataRocking your Strategyhttps://rockyourstrategy.com/how-to-cascade-strategy-to-deliver-excellent-results/

Far too often leaders feel overwhelmed by the everyday demands of their jobs and they in turn disengage from the ideal of workers flourishing and doing their best work. They love the idea of workers flourishing and of a flourishing bottom line, but are not actively engaged in a leadership project that allows it to happen.For me, it's about shining LIGHT:ListeningIntegrityGenerosotyHeartTruthLet's explore....

I would suggest that flourishing is in short supply because of lowered standards. Customers have become accustomed to airlines and railways that regularly delay flights/trains and dismiss passenger frustration; they've come to expect banks and other financial institutions to be more concerned with the bank's financial wellbeing than the customers.  Also, political narratives has been degraded to unimaginable levels. Let's explore in more depth.....

Are you, your workers and customers flourishing? Are you faring well, prospering, highly productive, excelling, and living boldly? Let's explore and see what that means to you and your stakeholders.Resource:Flourishing at Work and Flourishing in Lifehttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/human-flourishing/202109/flourishing-at-work-and-flourishing-in-life

If you are a financial advisor, accountant, attorney, engineer, IT professional, Human Resources specialist, or in any technically trained profession, you need to fall out of love with what you do and change your Focus to falling in love with making your clients', customers', and worksrs' lives better for having worked with you. This sends a powerful message that this person can improve the quality of my life. This is transformational leadership in Action.

In many organizations the word project creates a negative response. Too many projects arecumbersome and lumbering. They're populated with people who view the project as a time suck and who lack creativity and enthusiasm for doing meaningful work.Also, because they feel over scheduled, overworked, and overwhelmed, they want to check off the project team meeting on their to-do list and go back to more important work. Let's explore what this really means from a Transformational Leadership perspective.....Resource:Mind Maps for Effective Project Management: Free Online Access to 40 Mind Map Templates Kindle Edition by Maneesh Dutt (Author)

When everythig is a priority, nothing is a priorityWhat is a priority? The word priority comes from the Anglo-Norman French word priorie, which means “elder or superior of a religious order.” A priory is a small monaster y or nunnery governed by a prior or a prioress. In today's world, a priority is something governed by a higher order.In this podcast I'll make the case that your highest priorities are best derived from your purpose and promises. Doing this purposefully as opposed to accidentally is the purpose of our podcast....Resource:Force Field Analysis https://asq.org/quality-resources/force-field-analysis

When you work through the exercises of the Purpose Principle, you come to the Promises Principle with high hopes of having your purpose become real.This is a substantial piece of leadership development that while challenging, will provide you with 10 significant advantages. When viewed together these advantages become the catalyst for you accomplishing transformational work and creating a mindset of passion, innovation, and growth.....ResourceThe Meaning of Life: Letters from Extraordinary People and their Answer to Life's Biggest Question, James Baileyhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Meaning-Life-Letters-Extraordinary-Question 

Promises influence people's behaviour in one of two ways:A promise kept builds trust, respect, and credibility.A promise broken does the opposite. Broken promises not only have an impact on the task and technical aspects of work, but they also have a much greater negative impact on the relational aspects of leadership. In order for promises to have a positive influence on other people there are three must have aspects of a promise that have to be considered. Let's explore....

What is the root of apprehension, ambiguity, and uncertainty?At the centre of each word is fear. If I am apprehensive, I am afraid of the unknown. When ambiguity is present I am unsure of what might happen. With uncerainty, I might be afraid about what I should do next. I don't want to fail or lose something important, so I hold back.In each case, smart, talented, and well-meaning workers stand on the sidelines rather than running onto to pitch and 'having a go". This is a recipe for underperformance.Far too many of us live in fear when it comes to our business lives - let's see "what we can do"...

A promise is an abiding commitment, an assurance to others that we will or will not do something. Promises are voluntary and not ever forced. Promises must be voluntary. When promises are made solely to placate someone or to get a foot in the door only to turn the tables and renegotiate the outcome, the promises come across as hollow and manipulative.They are about so much more - let's explore.....

Can every day be an ideal day? No, it can't. Will the choices we make increase the possibility that the number of days we experience as an ideal day increase? Yes, most certainlyHere's my bold ascertion: living an ideal day is a choice. There's no way around the fact that we have a choice as to how we choose to plan and live our days.Let's Explore this principle in more depth.....Reference:Mans Search for Meaning, Viktor  Franklhttps://archive.org/download/frankl-viktor-mans-search-for-meaning-1963/FRANKL_Viktor_Man%27s_Search_For_Meaning-1963_text.pdf

Organisations know about the power of brands. Brands create value, loyalty, and, when compelling and distinctive, they create profound emotional experiences for customers that attract more customers who want the same experience. What is not recognised as much is that a leader's brand can be a catalyst for transformational growth.Transformational leaders no longer rely solely on their organisation's brand to guide their behaviour. Transformational leaders develop their own individual brand. Resource:Personal Branding Exampleshttps://ohhmybrand.com/personal-branding-examples/

The key idea about being distinctive is less about being something to people that you aren't and more about aligning what you are gifted and talented at doing in highly differentiated ways for people who value it. Resource:This I believe....https://thisibelieve.org/

 Dramatic performance  personally and professionally, are closer than you think when you have a clearly defined purpose. Improvements of almost all types in organisations start with one word: clarity. It is used with respect to expectations, results, value, competencies, accountability, and what makes us feel alive and vibrant. Without clarity there is little-to-no likelihood that focus can follow. With clarity and focus come new insights, new strategies, and new behaviors that move individuals and organizations forward in unprecedented ways. We can help find our Puspose by exploring our Talent, Love and Values.

Dramatic performance as well as engagement and satisfaction 'are within your grasp' when you have a clear and empowering Purpose.Improvements of almost all types in organistions start with one word: clarity. It is used with respect to expectations, results, value, competencies, accountability, and what makes us feel alive and vibrant.  With clarity and focus come new insights, new strategies, and new behaviours that move individuals and organisations forward in exceptional ways. Let's explore....

If you want a flourishing business - one that has top-line growth, greater profitability, high levels of customer satisfaction, and top talent retention you must have flourishing relationships with your workforce, colleagues and customers.In today's world of work, the customer experience must be so compelling that customers wouldn't  consider going elsewhere. This leads to a happy workplace where all srtive to be in 'top form', having fun in an empowering workplace.Let's explore the principles.....

Designing for people is a design process that focuses on the needs and characteristics of the users or operators.Good design takes into account how the operator is expected to interact with the workplace set up, the work equipment and how the work equipment fits into the system as a whole. As a result, facilities, hardware, systems, equipment, product tooling, materials, layout and configurations are adapted to human skills, limitations and anatomy.The design process requires an analysis of the work tasks that operators have to carry out and the effect of any constraints that the design and its influence on the environment (e.g. noise, vibration) is likely to have on the operator's health, safety and well-being.Resource:Designin for performancehttps://www.iogp.org/workstreams/safety/safety/human-performance/

Let's look at leadership initially from a senior management level - having a duty of care to look after everyone within an organisation and all stakeholders.Understanding what human factors are about, how it applies to your business and where you can get additional support. Having People, Processes and Plant/Equipment effective for the tasks, environment and people from a human and organisational factors perspctive. Enhancing the the health and wellbeing of all and protecting our environment.Leadership is a philosophy. It's an attitude. It's a state of mind - it's about hearts and minds. And, it's available to each one of us. In safety, we talk about leadership without title - we all can make a difference and influence others around us in a positive way. It can be as simple as uplifting someone by a smile....Resources:Leadership for major hazards industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg277.pdfEnergy Sector Hearts and Mindshttps://heartsandminds.energyinst.org/ZeLeadership Serieshttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/zeleaders-1-top-10-things-dazzling-leaders-do--51647600

Human and Organisational Factors (HOF) on one level are 'straigtforward' on another, they are pretty complex with many factors 'in play' simultaneously. The key elements involved are:LeadershipDesigning for PeopleHealth and Safety CultureFitness for WorkStaffing and WorkloadUseable proceduresMaintenance, Inspecting and testing errorTraining and CompetenceSafety-critical CommunicationsOrganisational ChangeManaging Human ReliabilityAccident Investigation Root Cause Analysis and Lessons LearnedToday we will 'headline' them giving a 'taste' for the future - let's explore.

This is an introduction to a series of podcasts on a  Field Guide to Human and Organisational Factors that introduces, in a practical manner, the key principles and techniques to make our organisations and communities Stronger, Smarter and Safer.These insights are from a career of 4 decades spanning the Globe from the Artic Circle to Auastralasia within the Oil and Gas, Petrochemicals, Aviation, Logistics and Maritime Sectors as a Chartered Safety Engineer, Leadership Coach, Business Consultant and Accident Investigation Team Leader.Human and Organisational Factors (HOF) are about People who are involved in all aspects of work within our communites.  These are all the key elements within  workplaces in all Sectors that have an impact on the people who work there and the communites they impact that are fundamental in keeping everyone safe.Human and organisational factors affect how effectively and safely people are able to do their jobs.When managed well, human and organisational factors set people up for success. When they are poorly managed, or have not been considered, safety, productivity and wellbeing are compromised to the detrimment of everyone.Over the next few months we'll introduce the key aspects of this empowering area in an ever changing world to help our communites be more resilent and grow to the wellbeing of all.BibliographyDame Judith Hackitt, Safety Leadership – a moral and ethical imperativehttps://youtu.be/xaBMKnUqjeY?si=mrzhPBc4SaLJgXJLPiper Alpha Tragedyhttps://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/workgroups/major-accident-hazard/remembering-piper-alpha/Grenfell Tower Disasterhttps://youtu.be/PR4VhqZV9_I?si=K2K05_NyaabIdbI3Cardiac Journeyhttps://youtu.be/UeKTsfISp9E

Let's explore resilient organisational cultures - my research and experience has identified ‘signalling channels' that  people use to pick up clues, cues, signs, and signals to determine ‘the way we do things round here'. (our culure)These are 'leading performance indicators' that allow us to pick up through each of the  channels if the organisational clues, cues, signs, and signals that we pick up are aligned and  logical as opposed to misaligned, illogical or at cross purposes”?This can help us identify if we have a resilient culture or one that is 'self- defeating"..... In which case we can look at 'nudging' our culture "back on track" ......Reference:Intentional Revolutions - A Seven-Point Strategy for Transforming Organizations,MIT, Ed Nevis, Joan Lancourt , Helen VassaloISBN: 978-0-787-90240-7

Alone time in solitude can boost our weelbeing. This can be from relaxing and recharging to problem solving and emotional regulation.Solitude can benefit personal growth, contentment, creativity and our relationships with ourselves and others. Learning what makes us better at spending time alone can help us move to our best possible selves...It's about being in the NOW...Supporting LinksTED talk: How to Master the Art of being Alonehttps://youtu.be/34ttspXxYlw?si=Jpjxs3HXPtafr3z4The Power of the Present Momenthttps://youtu.be/UklFtkyOVK8?si=lSou1rp5XunpEr37

Here are some peak perfromance insights Ive jotted down from my global Leadership coaching over many years....Hope it helps - have fun exploring!

Let's explore the challenge of the so called 'Monkey Mind' and its relationship to Meditation. Some years ago I was curious about meditation and how to silence my 'manic maind' that was "all over the place". My initial 'foray' into meditation was quite a revelation - I had no control over my 'Monkey Mind'. In fact, meditaion appreared to make it worse! Let's explore my insights after many peaceful years...More to ExploreThe Chimp Modelhttps://chimpmanagement.com/the-chimp-model/How to Meditatehttps://www.brahmakumaris.org/meditation/how-to-meditate

Let's explore increasing our safe operating zone, some would call this their safe zone so that we can reach new heights.By taking little daily steps that feel a littel scary we can get stronger and stronger taking 'more risks' that once seemed unsurmountable...Motivational ResourceReal risk takers:https://youtu.be/T4HwVrK2vRE?si=1DdjQ64CmytIoNRX

Building a brand isn't about being a fake. It's about showing people the real you. That should always be enough. You need to be authentic if you want to build a brand that lasts.Don't try to create a fake persona, and pretend you're someone you're not, as eventually people will see through that.Worth a LookDesigning a Purposeful Personal Brand...https://youtu.be/Alqt7pIbp_o?si=PgR84R64fauwnQlG

It's important to celebrate your successes, and you should acknowledge to yourself that you've achieved your goals. But you need to be careful that how you celebrate success so that it doesn't damage your long-term ambition or become destructive to your life.It's OK to feel relief rather than joy when you accmplish a goal..Motivational Success Storieshttps://www.yescoachlisa.com/blog/true-motivational-stories/

Be curious - it'll give you power. I'm a level beyond curious - I'm inquisitive. I'll keep asking questions because I want to know everything. The more information you have, the more opportunites there are to ethically increase your knowledge and power to grow and transform - increasing your 'operating envelope....'That's true inside and outside public and private life....For furhter explorations:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-reboot/202311/the-psychology-and-neuroscience-of-curiosity

You'e probably hearf the expression "fake it until you make it!"  Yes, it can sort off work in the short term - in my expereince, not in the long term.People waste a lot of time thinking about their body language when they should be working on how they really feel on the inside and then their body language will reflect that.It's tempting to pretend to yourself and to others that you're OK. You don't want to admit that anything is wrong because you see that as a weakness or a failing, as if going through a hard time somehow makes you less of a person.Showing vulnerability doesn't reveal weakness. Actually, it's the opposite. It's a sign of strength. You need to have a certain level of confidence to show vulnerability.'Worth a Read'Feeel the Fear and Beyond, Susan Jeffershttps://susanjeffers.com/books/feel-the-fear-and-beyond/

How do you prepare for the punches that are going to come your way in life? Like anything, it takes practice.If you're going to succeed at anything, you have to practise, and you have to practise how you want to perform. That means bringing the same level of intensity and focus to your preparations that you're going to want when you're performing.Resource:Achieving Peak Performance: A Conversation with Anders Ericssonhttps://behavioralscientist.org/achieving-peak-performance-a-conversation-with-anders-ericsson/

Whatever you're doing, try to use fear as a positive force in your life. It can be the fuel that makes you work harder than ever before.When you're preparing, feel scared that you're not going to achieve your dreams. But when the day comes, you mustn't allow fear to cloud your judgement as you can't think clearly when you're afraid.If you've done enough preparation, you don't need to be afraid.Resource:"Feel the fear and do it anyway", Susan Jeffershttps://susanjeffers.com/books/feel-the-fear-and-do-it-anyway-25th-anniversary-edition-uk/

Positive energy goes a long way: everyone responds better to positive energy than to negativity, and to being around optimists rather than pessimists. In life, having a sunny outlook goes a long way. I would like to think I'm an upbeat person. I'm happy with who I am and what I'm doing with my life and that allows me to have a positive energy.Have a think about how you might come across to other people, and whether they view you as positive or not. Consider the language you use and how you express yourself. Let's explore....

If you want to change your life, and push yourself to new heights, you're going to have to take some risks.Playing it safe gets you nowhere in life. At best, you'll stay where you are today. More likely, you'll drift backwards as others will rush past you. Ultimately, if you don't take any risks, you can't expect to enjoy different results and new, bigger rewards. If you only stick to what you know and what you've done before, you might also end up regretting why you limited your chances.

Whatever you're trying to accomplish in your life, it's a good idea to have 'numbers' that allow you to track your progress. This is the era of data – you should be able to find a way, maybe even an app, of quantifying the progress you're making.I've founf, over the years, that it's preferable to have targets that are measurable. Numbers put everything in black and white. Numbers mean you can't lie to yourself. If you have a target that's measurable, you'll know when you're on track...Goal Setting Support Info:SMART Goalshttps://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-smart-goalsBHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/big-hairy-audacious-goal-bhag.aspFitbit health fitness statshttps://www.techadvisor.com/article/742445/fitbit-health-and-fitness-scores-and-stats-explained.htmlGarmin Health and Sports Statshttps://www.wareable.com/sport/every-garmin-metric-explainedApple Watch Health Datahttps://www.apple.com/healthcare/apple-watch/

You've figured out how you want to transform your life - now you need to start thinking about how you're going to create that change. You can't rely on luck – you can be sure you won't get far without a strategy and without having measurable goals to work towards.When someone calls you lucky, it devalues all the hard work and sacrifice that have gone into achieving your dreams.

Can impatience be a Dream Killer?People today are more impatient than ever. Our celebrity culture is damaging because it creates the impression that overnight success is most people's experience, that you usually don't have to be patient and persevere. We understand people don't want to work for years. They want to go directly to being successful, skipping out the tough part in-between. But that's not how the world works.Let's explore in some more depth...

Problem Solving by Writing it DownOver the years I've discovered,that sometimes, there's nothing more powerful than a pen and paper. When I'm going through a hard time, or feeling low, I've learned that one way to deal with my problems is to write them down. Often the best and the quickest therapy is scribbling my concerns on a piece of paper. Getting it out of my 'scrambled brain' and connecting with my gut for a solution. Yes, logic also has a 'part to play'. Let's explore....

Don't waste precious energy being jealous of others. Jealousy gets us nowhere. Actually, it's much worse than that -jealousy pulls you back and drags you down.Jealousy means you've allowed yourself to be distracted from the person you should be focusing on: yourself.We have an opportunity to take reponsibility for our lives and decide where our life is heading.

If you're going to be successful in whatever you do, the belief and confidence has to come from you, not from strangers who don't know you. And you certainly shouldn't allow strangers on the internet to negatively affect how you feel about yourself and your ambitions.If you're comfortable with yourself, and have a strong sense of who you are and what you're hoping to achieve, it won't matter what others say. Be Strong, Be Smart, Be Safe....

If you're going to change your life, or do anything meaningful, you have to truly believe. You can't do anything half-heartedly. You've got to keep on telling yourself: "I can do this, I can really do this, I can see, hear and feel it." Sometimes you'll know where you want to get to, but you don't know how you're going to get there. If you truly believe, you'll eventually find a way to make that dream become a reality - step, by step, by step.... 

The challenge for many prople in the 'adventure world' is  that threir ambition lies on the reaching of a single goal. Then to be 'met' with a profound emptiness once it has been reached. "Where to now?" jumps up! For me it's about keeping dreams alive - Big, Bold and Beautiful ones. It's about re-setting our compass once we've achived our first 'Biggie"....

I've heard that the way to achieve your gols is to imagine in great detail all the different ways success will affect your life. perhaps in some istances this will work. However, I am inclined to believe that's not as necessarily true.Rarely there is only one single reason for what we do. While some motives aren't easy to identify, I believe there are some that are behind almost every journey. Momentary flashes of experience can be compared to eternity. Let's explore them in some more depth.....

Don't chase happiness, let it find you...Have you ever wondered properly why you are happy? Although I've felt I was happpy when I asked that question of myself I beagn to doubt myself.A good life is about using your senses, seeking knowledge, living in companionship with others and being engaged in striving. Does contenment come from someone who is content? Let's explore furhter...

I believe that a zest morning routine is one of the most important habits for an exceptionally great life. The way we begin our day very much sets up how our day unfolds.Of course we may choose to start with MVP [Meditation, Visualization, Prayer] is also powerful.Doing a sweaty workout while hydrating and listening to a fascinating audiobook or pulsating music adds magic to our morning.I've also started writing a few lines in answer to the following 5 questions, which, in the spirit of service I share with you....

It is sometimes easy to reach agreement smoothly, painlessly, and quickly. Other times it takes a lot of tugging and pulling to finally arrive at “Yes.”There are four main reasons why peo-ple do not ask for that “Yes”:Fear of rejection;Lack of appropriate vocabulary;Insufficient practice;Lack of belief.Learn to ask for the “Yes.”  Let's explore 'Factors plus incentives' and dealing with objections.Behavioural Values Dictionaryhttps://jimbennett.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Core-Values-Behavioural-Dictionar-Rev-1y.pdfZeComms Workbookhttps://jimbennett.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ZeCommunications.pdf

Methods and words that are used to persuade and influence people are important to identify. These things are as important as modes of speech and body language.Clients will choose you because they trust you, like you, have confidence in you, and think that you can get the job done. Most important, they believe you have their best interests at heart....   Helpful Link:Standford Report on 'The power of language: How words shape people, Culture."https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/08/the-power-of-language-how-words-shape-people-culture

When starting a conversation with another person, you are attempting to break the other person's preoccupation with whatever they are  doing.Make the person want to listen to you. Excite them, put them at ease, or have them feel important. Each of these reasons is supported with various techniques to have the most effective start to a conversation.......Useful Help:250 conversation startershttps://conversationstartersworld.com/250-conversation-starters/