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Pessimism & Optimism

“Pessimism can hold us back in any context of life; pessimists don’t start things that are a little challenging and if they do start, are more likely to give up. Optimists start challenging things and often success. We can learn here how to move from pessimism to optimism”. @drangusmcleod
Video is copyright AngusMcLeod, 2021.

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Listening Leadership

Introduction

Exquisite Listening is at the heart of facilitating high performance in others. Listening is a key quality of leaders who mark themselves apart from managers who may dominate by directing.

When we listen well, we learn more about a person, about both their competences (practical and thinking styles) and about their motivations and de-motivations. We also learn how to influence them more effectively. Our influencing can then both inspire them to achieve at new levels but also to achieve with wellbeing, even when the demands we make, are over sustained periods.

A number of factors get in the way – awareness of these factors is a good place to start, so that strengths can be acknowledged and so gaps can be self-managed. The pathway to producing greater personal performance and satisfaction is then on track.

What gets in the way?

Continue reading Listening Leadership

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BLOG: Parables on Coaching 1

“Today is another gift of life. Make it special”

Angus McLeod.

Days come and go. There are routines which we more-or-less fall into. And, there are things that go adrift and we may beat-ourselves-up about: we take the car to work but have to go back home because we forgot needed papers; we look forward to the weekend, or to a holiday some weeks or months ahead as a mechanism to keep going through the laborious work periods. Continue reading BLOG: Parables on Coaching 1

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Women’s Glass Ceiling

‘Cracking the Code to the Glass Ceiling’

Written by: Nancy E. Parsons

During my thirty years in leadership, the glass ceiling has been a nearly impenetrable blockade, limiting the vast majority of aspiring women leaders hoping to reach the top.  I am delighted to report that we have, at last, cracked the code. Continue reading Women’s Glass Ceiling

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Blog: Inuit life philosophy

Russell Atagootak has spent his 23 years of life in the artic. The slideshow features Russell’s own words, “Everybody is from this world. We are not that much different“. His main job is polar-bear monitor, fixing trip-wires alarms to protect camps. Russell’s 23 years in the artic is a longer than many make in 50. When Russell says, “I am not sure when I go to bed whether I will wake up in the morning“, we believe him. Be moved. Continue reading Blog: Inuit life philosophy

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Blog: Half Full or Half Empty

As part of our ‘Human at Work’ (©AngusMcLeod2011) series you may want to see a slide-show from after the Japanese Tsunami. With lessons to coaches and coaching-executives, the spirit of Japanese people in adversary is hard to match. See the slide-show below. Continue reading Blog: Half Full or Half Empty

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Blog: Honduras Street Life – Takers and Givers

Part of our ‘Human at Work’ (©AngusMcLeod2011) series, the full slide-show has memorable and striking images by Daniel LeClair for Reuters. You can see the slide-show below. There are many lessons for coaches and coaching-executives but the concept of giving and taking is one I explore here. Continue reading Blog: Honduras Street Life – Takers and Givers

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Blog – Inspiration Research

One hour of your time – have you been inspired by someone?

Inspiration is a small and uneccessary aspect of leadership. If you have it, you are probably lucky or just highly developed as a human. But do our coachees develop inspiration in others? A key to this which I borrow from coaching senior executives for over a decade is the observation that inspiration, like charisma or ‘a brand’, mainly works easily in a new environment. This blog is part of our ongoing ‘Human at Work’ (©AngusMcLeod2011) series. Continue reading Blog – Inspiration Research

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Blog: A Wonderful Place

Tarya Seagraves-Quee, a homeless nurse, with three of her four children have been living in Massachusetts in a tiny, dark hotel suite for nearly two months.

Tarya suffers from multiple sclerosis, Aspergers syndrome, anemia and lupus. Two of her children, aged 16 and 6, are autistic. After losing her job, and facing repeated physical abuse from a boyfriend, she spent $700 – almost all her savings — on airline tickets for her family to stay with relatives in Boston. She ended up in a small, gloomy motel on the wrong side of town – in spite of everything she says that this is a ‘wonderful place to live’. Audio slide-show available. This story is part of our ‘Human at Work’ (©AngusMcLeod2011) series.

Continue reading Blog: A Wonderful Place