The Being Leader: Annabel Graham: Recent Episodes
Annabel Graham
Being v Doing, how do we need to "be" as leaders right now. Consider where you put your attention, how you show up and the impact you have in work & life. Reflect on what "being" better looks like as a leader. Bite size reflections to enable you to hone how you want to be as a leader, increase your impact and improve the relationships, teams and systems around you. Hosted by leadership team coach Annabel Graham, with or without others. Find out more at www.successfultraining.co.uk
Is change affecting your team? Not sure? Well, have you had any new team members, change of mandate, change of environment, moving of goal posts in the last 3-6 months?
All of that? Well - it probably is.
In this episode of the Being Leader with Nick Howell, we discuss the subject of how change impacts teams and share some of the things we’ve observed in our careers being in and leading teams, and also in our work together as Team coaches.
Let's talk about something often ignores when we talk about change.
Transition – that sticky bit, the bit in between when people get stuck, frustrated and it all becomes a bit difficult.
Why don’t people talk about it? Well we often view change as a linear entity, a journey from 1 point to another, with a series of steps in the middle that will get us there, but we forget we are dealing with humans, and we're just a bit messier.
So in this episode we'll explore what transition is, the different phases, and steps to navigate it as best you can.
How does change impact organisations? And if you are implementing a change project - large or small, what do you need to take into account.
In this episode I'm joined by Chris Barrett, experienced Transformation Director, COO and board advisor who shares his experiences from 20 years of transformation and change initiatives.
We explore change and transformation projects, and learn the key things we should and shouldn't be doing when we undertake small or large scale change.
Key learning - you can never communicate too much!
We're in a decade of change. History tells us that by 2030 the world in which we work and live will be very different to the way it was at the start of the 2020s.
How do I know this - well it's been the same for the last 4 centuries in the same decade, so why should the pattern stop now?
That means, the world of work will be different - we're seeing that already with the rise in hybrid working and the gig economy. Which necessitates us to change and adapt as leaders.
Listen to find out more about the 2030 predictions and what that means for the essential skills we need to be demonstrating as 21st Century Leaders.
This episode allows you to stop, pause and consider what is working well for you, what isn't and how you need to be going forward over the next 12 -18 months.
It is a reflection episode, so have something to make notes with to hand, settle in and give yourself time to reflect on what the questions in the episode mean for you.
Welcome to Season 3 of The Being Leader, the podcast where we explore how we are showing up and being as leaders for ourselves, our teams and our organisations.
In this season we will be exploring the new leadership agenda of change - and how this impacting us as we move further into the 2020s. This short intro is the minute to press pause, just for a moment, as we stop, draw breath, and consider how we need to go forward.
Plus episode 2 is also now available to allow you to consider - what this means for you.
Welcome to 2022! Not up for New Year's resolutions? Unsure of what your goals should be? Word of the year not your thing?
How about considering how you show up? A simple change of state, mindset and focus that could transform how you lead, work and interact with others.
This short podcast will get you thinking about how you can be, rather than what you can do!
Connect with me in the following ways:
https://www.successfultraining.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Instagram: @the_beingleader
We know the world has become increasingly more complex, and this is impacting how leaders approach the issues they are facing in their teams and businesses.
The problem is, we confuse complex issues with complicated ones, and when we try to apply the same approaches, wonder why they aren't working.
In this fascinating conversation I am in conversation with Nicola Maxwell, Director of leadership consultancy edoMidas. We explore how to lead in a complex world by zooming out, not going it alone, surfacing disagreement and questioning ourselves.
I hope you enjoy listening, as we discuss the issues and the blue print we should all be using.
Connect with us in the following ways:
Annabel: www.successfultraining.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Instagram: @the_beingleader
Nicola: https://edomidas.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasmaxwell/
In the last episode we looked at your attitude as a people manager to hybrid working, and the impact this can have on your team. In this episode we wrap up the topic by looking at how you can make it work for your team, examining:
- How you work and communicate?
- How you collaborate and meet as a team?
- how you make decisions?
- Who or what the office environment is for?
- How you measure performance?
In all of this I assume that you have agreed as a business your approach. If you haven't then you can find a handy short guide here to get you started on the process.
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/flexible-working/planning-hybrid-working
You can continue the conversation with me via the following channels:
www.successfultraining.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Instagram: @the_beingleader
So we're back for series 2 - with topics generated by you the listener. In this episode, part 1 of 2, we're exploring Hybrid Working and how it is impacting leaders and teams.
In this expect to reflect upon:
- What are your attitudes to hybrid?
- How are you leading your teams, and what impact is it having?
- How are you approaching the route back to the office, and what conversations are you having.
Part 2 will explore how to manage hybrid working within teams, once you've decided what it looks like for you.
Find out more and connect with me at:
www.successfultraining.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Instagram: @the_beingleader
Leadership for a Brave New World! In this final episode of series one I talk to Author and Executive Coach Joy Maitland, about the themes of her new book From Alpha to Zen. Together we explore the different aspects that are necessary for today's leaders to get to grips with. Such as:
- Valuing your Values
- The ability to observe, then act
- Understanding your unique perspective
- Having courage
- Learning - and seeing failure as something that just didn't go to plan
We hope you enjoy this and you can connect with us in the ways below. Also let me know the topics you'd like to hear about in series 2 later in the year either via messaging on LinkedIn, Instagram, or through the website.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joymaitland/
www.inemmo.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Instagram: @the_beingleader
www.successfultraining.co.uk
In this episode, we pick up a theme started in #26 on empowering our people as leaders. Join me to explore:
- how we mistake empowerment for abandonment,
- why empowering team members is worthwhile for leaders
- what gets in the way of empowerment
- and how we can go about empowering people effectively
And also how coaching can help you to do this.
You can connect with me at www.successfultraining.co.uk , @the_beingleader, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
What exactly is a coaching culture and why is it beneficial to have one in your organisation? In this episode I'm joined by executive coach Nick Howell of Abintus to explore this further. We chew over:
- What coaching is and isn't and how it differs to mentoring
- What a coaching culture is and isn't
- Why a coaching culture is beneficial to leaders, teams and businesses and how to put one in place
- Why it's not just "HR's job" to do this but must be embraced by every leader
- The pitfalls and what gets in the way
And quick wins that can help moving forward.
You can speak to me or Nick on coaching and how to put in a coaching culture via any of the links below:
www.successfultraining.co.uk, @the_beingleader, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
www.abintus.co.uk, https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickhowell1/
What is culture, and why should we as leaders pay attention to it? Delivering strategy and getting things done on the action plan is far more important right? Well maybe – but let’s think about it for a minute.
In this episode - there are no fancy models, instead we cut to the heart of culture - how we do things around here. And that starts with us - how we show up as leaders. So listen to hear the questions we need to be asking ourselves and our teams to enable the right behaviours which will allow us to deliver our vision.
Time to look in the mirror!
Want to find out more? you can connect with me me on:
- www.successfultraining.co.uk
- @the_beingleader
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Who do you need to become as a leader who can navigate that cusp between the technological age and the information age? What does that mean for those of us who are leaders, and who will develop leaders ? What challenges are we facing in the now which will absolutely be different in the future and what does that mean for the leader we need to become?
In this episode we look at the current reality, the future and what this means for our skills through 3 lenses: as individuals, with our teams or organisation, and with the wider systems which impact our environment, both physically, and ecologically.
Resources
Some of the resources I reference are below:
- https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/people-organisation/publications/workforce-of-the-future.html
- https://www.futureagenda.org/
- David Attenborough - A life on our planet
- Yuval Harari - Homo Deus
You can find out more about what I do as a coach & facilitator at www.successfultraining.co.uk and https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
leadership #futureagenda #futureofleadership #coaching #systemsthinking #teams
Have you got a strategy in place in your organisation?
Have you taken that strategy and communicated it to your direct reports and then all the levels below you?
Have you aligned the department and team objectives back to that strategy so that it links in and delivers business goals at their functional level?
Have your direct reports then cascaded it down to the level below to make sure their departments deliver them and deliver your corporate goal?
Have you answered yes to everything so far? Really….? honestly…..?
If not - then you are like many organisations - so this podcast is for you and will help you think about how to do it. And if you are a small business owner, it's relevant too as you need to have all those who support your business aligned with you too!
So listen to hear about the steps: Vision, Incentive, Capabilities, resources, execution and reflection.
leadership #strategy #goal setting #coaching #development
So how are your team at making decisions? Dominated by the leader? Irrational and a bit random? Revisit them again and again? Or never make them?
The behavioural science of decision making is challenged by social pressure cascade effect, low information and more. How then can we ensure as leaders we enable our teams to decide?
In this wide ranging episode Giorgia Prestento and I explore this and more, and recognise the importance of having good information, governance, and group dynamics to make good and effective decisions.
decisions #leadership #behaviour #teamdynamics #coaching #highperformance
You can connect with me at www.successfultraining.co.uk, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
You can connect with Giorgia at https://www.linkedin.com/in/giorgiaprestento/ , https://www.giorgiaprestento.com/
We started the year thinking about intention, and our first dialogue takes us a bit further. In this episode Preeta Cooley of DeNovo Performance and I discuss choice.
Does choice exist, and what challenges us & makes us think we don't have choice? From existentialist theory to diary management, from Frankl to Jack Canfield & Henry Ford this episode takes us across a wide range of views and thoughts on choice, culminating in 3 key themes:
- How do we create space to notice?
- How increasing our self awareness can enable free will and our ability to choose
- How embracing possibility and diversity of views can open our eyes and mindsets to new thinking and better options.
Got you thinking? Well we hope you enjoy it, and if you do, subscribe on whatever platform to check out the interview with Giorgia Prestento on the behavioural science of decisions which is due out next month.
Two cracking episodes!
choice #mindset #leadership #coaching #decisions
You can connect with me at www.successfultraining.co.uk, @the_beingleader, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
you can connect with Preeta here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preetacooley/
Sick of goals and the annual New Year's action list? Feeling you've lost focus with the impact of the pandemic and ever shifting landscape we live in?
If so, join me for a short journey to view things a different way, and explore your intention.
intention, #purpose #leadership #reflection
www.successfultraining.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
@the_beingleader
Did you know our minds are only present 50% of the time? If so, how do you access the intersection between spirituality, mindfulness and wellbeing, to really be present.
My final guest of 2020 is Christoph Spiessens, Mindfulness coach and Insight timer app trainer. Join us on this episode where we discuss:
- Recognising patterns and unlearning
- checking in with "what is"
- Doing mode v being mode
- Self compassion and mirror neurons and much, much more
As we countdown to the holidays, listen for tips of how to access the breathing space between you and your thoughts. (I love that description!!)
You can connect with us via:
https://www.christophspiessens.com/,
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophspiessens/
https://www.successfultraining.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Instagram: @the_beingleader
mindfulness #coaching #presence #reflection #leadership
Accountability - the willingness to accept responsibility for our own actions. How often do we actually do this, and why is it so vital within healthy, performing teams.
In this episode we explore why this is important to enable a results focus and look at how this contributes to a performing team. Take time to reflect on where your team is at, how much you really embody accountability and review the steps you need to take to get your team there.
leadership #coaching #results #teams
Connect with me at: www.successfultraining.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Twitter: @mgmttrainer
Instagram: @the_beingleader
How much conflict do you have in your team? None? All fine? or it's just a vipers nest of passive aggressive bitching? In this episode I discuss 2 of the 5 behaviours we need to enable high performance in teams, and explore:
- Why we avoid Conflict
- Why we should have more of it to make better decisions
- and why conflict actually results in us getting better results
You can learn more and connect with me via:
Website: www.successfultraining.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Twitter: @mgmttrainer
Instagram: @thebeing_leader
conflict #leadership #highperformance #teams #decisions
Which would you rather be, busy or useful? In this podcast Author, facilitator and coach Jos Burton and I discuss the current malaise of needing to be busy v knowing our value and being useful.
We discuss useful v helpful, being curious, protestent work ethic and the value of work, what future work may be like, smart work v good work and what we need to be doing to really Be Useful.
Loved this episode!!
Connect with Jos here https://www.linkedin.com/in/josburton/
Connect with Annabel here https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
www.successfultraining.co.uk @mgmttrainer @thebeing_leader
leadership #coaching #futureofwork #beuseful
How often have you had a bright idea when out walking the dog, or running/walking? That's the power of harnessing the outdoors as a development space. In this episode I talk all things outdoors, walking and coaching with Claire Bradshaw, executive coach and host of podcast The Outdoor Coach.
Expect to explore the outdoors, the power of Street Wisdom, Soft fascination, shifting perspectives, building metaphors and getting out of our heads and into our bodies.
coaching #reflection #podcasting #leadershipdevelopment
Connect with us at:
Annabel: www.successfultraining.co.uk , https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
Claire: https://www.clairembradshaw.co.uk/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairembradshaw/
What exactly is trust and why is it so essential to our relationships, to making our teams work effectively and to doing business with our customers?
In this episode I'll explore what is at the heart of trust, and not trust we build over time because I know you, psychological trust where I feel safe sharing information with you.
Ask yourself:
- Are you role modelling great trustworthy behaviours, acting with integrity and demonstrating how you want your team to behave?
- Are you setting expectations with them and being honest in how you want them, you and the team to interact
- Are you creating an environment of psychological safety where people can ask for help, speak out and challenge without fear of recrimination
- Do you enable your team members to challenge each other and hold each other to account?
- Do you trust your team to deliver on your behalf without your intervention?
All this and more.
To find out more about how I work with teams on trust you can go to www.successfultraining.co.uk, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/; @thebeing_leader, @mgmttrainer
trust #highperformingteams #leadership #coaching
Resilience and mental health has never been more at the forefront of how we work than in 2020. In this episode Sarah Jones and I explore how resilience impacts us as leaders, and how we can become more resilient by noticing what is going on for ourselves, our family & friends, our colleagues and teams.
Expect to learn about how to have compassionate conversations, what makes a resilient leader, how we can make our teams more resilient, and how our resilience reservoir and coping strategies are key to supporting our wellbeing. So much in this episode!
Find out more about Sarah Jones at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jones-58936a2b/
Connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/ and www.successfultraining.co.uk
resilience #mentalhealth #wellbeing #leadership
Time and again I speak to people in organisations and when they tell me it's all a bit tense between them and their line manager/team member, or that there are crossed wires; I ask the same question: "have you had the expectations conversation, where you both agree what you expect of each other and how you'll work together?".
And what do you think the answer is? No!
In this bitesize edition, find out what the expectations conversation is, why you need to have it as a leader, team member, peer or supplier and what the key elements are that you need to ask.
Read the blog and find out more at www.successfultraining.co.uk; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/; @mgmttrainer, @thebeing_leader.
leadership #coaching #expectations #conversations
As it hits September and the kids head back to school, there also seems to be a back to work feel and the climate in which we are all now working is very different. Despite the change in the environment, many of those challenges that teams face will still exist, so I want to start looking dispersed teams and how we can lead them more effectively.
In this episode we will look at the 7 steps that will help you enable your teams to work in this dispersed environment in a better way. And these are are a must do, not a nice to do.
What exists for your team, and what doesn’t – as you need to fix that, and fast!
Expect to find out more about the following 7 steps:
-
Clarify team purpose
-
Clear outcomes and goals
-
Team roles
-
Team Behaviours
-
Regular communication
-
Be accountable
-
Hold each other to account.
Find out more at www.successfultraining.co.uk; Instagram @thebeing_leader, Twitter @mgmttrainer; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelgraham-coach-trainer/
leadership #teambuilding #leadershipdevelopment #teamcoaching
How often do your emotions get in the way of how you want to be, and what you want to do? What if you had a way of getting past this, or techniques to enable you to be more effective.
Emotional Freedom Technique is a practice that enables this and this conversation with coach Sarah Sienkiewizc explores how this can help you get unstuck.
Sarah supports frazzled and stressed-out professionals who are feeling anxious, facing burn-out or desiring a lifestyle change. She works with individuals and employees, who may be feeling constantly stressed, overwhelmed, unproductive, unmotivated and unfulfilled in their careers and lives.
Learn:
- how breathing can help relax you so you can be more in the moment,
- access below resources on tapping that will help you release those stresses
And hear about Law of Attraction - we talked about that too, oh and dogs!
Find out more from me, including all the podcasts and other resources at https://www.successfultraining.co.uk
Find out more about Sarah at https://www.clearwatercoach.co.uk/
Watch a demonstration of Emotional Freedom technique that you can try yourself at https://www.clearwatercoach.co.uk/freestuff.html
In the final part of looking at who we are as being leaders, I come to the wider world around us, the environment that we exist in, and the systems that we are part of. These are the systems – be them family, team, business, cultural, societal in which we interact and operate, and demonstrate all of the above.
So we’ll think about:
- How we respond and what this appears like to others
- What we can do to be in control and better aligned.
If we want to get things back in alignment, so we feel in control, so the context in which we operate, our behaviours, capabilities, values, identity and purpose all align, we need to recognise what part is out of alignment, and then fix that.
In this podcast I’m in dialogue with Jo Manton, who is a coach, facilitator and consultant who enables clients to identify and engage with their challenges in a real and tangible way; and works with them to explore, acquire, practise and master the embodied leadership skills and behaviours that allow them to be more effective in their lives at work.
In this podcast we’ll explore more about what embodied leadership is, and how working from a somatic lens, Jo’s focus is on helping clients pay more attention to their felt presence and true experiences, sometimes using bodywork to help clients become more somatically aware so that they can learn and incorporate new embodied practices into how they go about leading themselves, their teams, and their businesses, and really getting to the essence of what it means to be a Being Leader.
When reflecting on your leadership journey and your next development, think about:
- What practices are you presently doing to develop yourself?
- What practices are you engaged in that you’ve inherited from your family or broader culture that have become habituated and unconscious?
- Are the practices that you’re currently doing in alignment with your values?
- What are the new practices that you need to fulfil on your vision?
- Who can be a good partner that will encourage you on your journey of leadership cultivation and help you stay in your practices
Visit https://www.successfultraining.co.uk/ https://www.jmaleadership.com/
In this episode I want to shine the spotlight on our behaviour.
Does how your behave fit with what your purpose and identity dictate? Are you doing yourself justice and living your values? Are you being intentional, truly present, and showing up in your interactions?
Find out more about the 3 things key areas that govern our behaviour, and get some self reflective questions which will make you think about how you are showing up.
behaviour #presence #emotionalintelligence #leadership
So what's your map of the world? How do you show up, what shapes your thinking and how do you gain balance in how you work and operate?
What are those behaviours and factors that you can put in place to enable you to operate in an effective way, understand yourself more, and develop a better sense of well being that will enable you to work in a better way.
In this episode I explore different themes of how we can work well with Preeta Cooley, Executive coach and founder of De Novo Performance.
when do you just stand and stare? Our lives are busy, frenetic and always on and we humans aren’t necessarily built to withstand that constant onslaught of information, technology and communication. Reflection; time when we can contemplate and think deeply about things is something that many of us don’t do.
However, it’s crucial to all of us to take that time out; step back and think about our actions, our impact and what matters.
In this episode we look at how reflection helps us, gives us balance and I share towards the end a way of setting up a reflective practice diary.
In this episode we shall continue to connect with our purpose and intent, and think about who we are and what we do. And alongside our values and beliefs, in this episode we will start to focus the lens on capabilities – the strengths, skills and knowledge that contribute to who we are and how we show up, as we all have strengths,even if sometimes we feel really inadequate.
So I’m also going to talk about this in 3 sections:
- Understanding what strengths are and how we recognise them?
- Explore what gets in the way of us focussing on strengths, and can contribute to our feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence.
- Look at a practical exercise you can do to identify your strengths, skills and capabilities and what you may need to focus on to be the leader/person you want to be.
Values are the emotional currency of our life. They are the core principles that give meaning to us and are defined as a set of standards that determine our attitudes, choices, and actions.
Values set the parameters for hundreds of decisions that we make every day, consciously and subconsciously. Values may also adapt as you change; they reflect what’s important to us at any given moment.
They are also important as they help us grow and develop, they help shape us and think about how we need to be as individuals, and leaders. When the things that you do and the way you behave match your values, life is usually good – you're satisfied and content. But when these don't align, that's when things feel... wrong. This can be a real source of unhappiness.
In this episode we explore where values come from, how we can identify and define them and explore how we demonstrate them. Questions to explore in the show notes.
As leaders & individuals were are often defined by the roles we inhabit: manager, director, mum, dad. However these are just transitory, and they shift with the context, the system and the social circle we are in.
In this podcast we explore how to tap into who we are, how we need to be, and why this is important as a being leader. We explore purpose and identity, and ask those questions which we need to answer to really decide how we need to be in order to be present, congruent and in tune with ourselves.
leadership #purpose #intent
To be a "being" leader or a "doing"leader is the question we all need to explore and answer. In this opening episode we explore what a Being Leader is, how it differs from how we might thing a successful leader should be, and why thinking about how we want to show up, and the impact we want to have as a leader is important. In coming episodes we shall delve into how we go about this,, and define how we want to be, step by step.