Agile Mastery Institute’s Post

One Style Doesn’t Fit All: Leadership Lessons from a Management Masterclass This week the managers at RayGen took part in a Management Masterclass facilitated by the brilliant Vanessa Panayi from The Learning Circle. One of the most impactful parts of the session was a discussion around Daniel Goleman’s six leadership styles and how important it is for leaders to know when to flex. Too often, leaders default to the style that feels most comfortable. Maybe it’s the pace-setting approach: “Just get it done” or the affiliative one: “Let’s keep the peace” but Goleman’s research is clear; the most effective leaders don’t stick to one style. They adapt depending on the situation, the team, and what the moment calls for. So how do you start to flex your leadership style? The first step is self-awareness - you can’t flex what you don’t recognise. Here are a few ways to build it: Ask your team how they experience you as a leader .... not just what you say, but how you show up under pressure. Reflect on moments of tension or success. What style were you using? What impact did it have? Use assessments like 360 feedback tool, the ECD or DISC, to get objective input on your behaviours and tendencies. Once you have that awareness, then comes the challenge: trying something different. Start small: If you're naturally directive, try listening first next time - ask open-ended questions before jumping in with the answer. If you lean into harmony, experiment with healthy conflict - speak up when you disagree. If you’re always “driving results,” test the coaching style - help someone think through a solution rather than giving it to them. Leadership isn’t about having one perfect way of leading. It’s about knowing yourself, reading the room, and choosing the style that brings out the best in others. Thanks again to Vanessa Panayi for guiding such a thoughtful and practical session. Our managers left with new insights and a bit of homework to try out. #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagementMasterclass #LeadershipStyles #DanielGoleman #PeopleAndCulture #SelfAwareness #CoachingForLeaders #RayGen #TheLearningCircle

Do you remember the first time you stepped up to lead? Maybe you got a formal promotion and felt ready for a new challenge. Or maybe, in a difficult moment, someone just had to take charge, and you were there. Some aspects of leadership probably came more naturally to you than others. Maybe you found it easy to motivate coworkers or come up with big ideas. Like most people, you may have built a leadership identity around those strengths and found your footing. In fact, you may already have done great things as a leader. Things you’re really proud of. But no matter how much experience you’ve had, there’s always room to grow. That means stepping back and really thinking about what you’re already doing and what you could do more often. It means asking yourself what great leadership looks like and figuring out how you can get there. That is where The Leadership Challenge comes in. Based on decades of research analyzing millions of data points from real life leaders, from all over the world, in different roles and industries. The Leadership Challenge shows that the keys to leadership are the same across time and culture. These keys are called The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, developed by Jim Kouzes and Barry Pozner. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership are: 1. Model The Way 2. Inspire A Shared Vision 3. Challenge The Process 4. Enable Others to Act 5. Encourage The Heart These practices (leadership behaviors) are things anyone can do to become a strong leader. Helping you to accomplish great things. And the more you work at these practices, the more you’ll become the kind of leader people rally around and look to for guidance. A leader who builds trust and credibility. A leader who inspires people to work towards a shared vision. Someone who shapes their environment for the better. The kind of leader who truly makes a difference. Your journey to become an extraordinary leader starts The Leadership Challenge Workshop. At Rockstar Leadership training, we offer online and in-person workshops, taught by our certified facilitators and leadership coaches. Contact us today to get started. #leadershipchallengeworkshop #leadershipchallenge #leadershipdevelopment #inclusiveleadership #highperformanceteams #leadershipqualities #rockstarleadership #highperformanceteams

Do you remember the first time you stepped up to lead? Maybe you got a formal promotion and felt ready for a new challenge. Or maybe, in a difficult moment, someone just had to take charge, and you were there. Some aspects of leadership probably came more naturally to you than others. Maybe you found it easy to motivate coworkers or come up with big ideas. Like most people, you may have built a leadership identity around those strengths and found your footing. In fact, you may already have done great things as a leader. Things you’re really proud of. But no matter how much experience you’ve had, there’s always room to grow. That means stepping back and really thinking about what you’re already doing and what you could do more often. It means asking yourself what great leadership looks like and figuring out how you can get there. That is where The Leadership Challenge comes in. Based on decades of research analyzing millions of data points from real life leaders, from all over the world, in different roles and industries. The Leadership Challenge shows that the keys to leadership are the same across time and culture. These keys are called The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, developed by Jim Kouzes and Barry Pozner. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership are: 1. Model The Way 2. Inspire A Shared Vision 3. Challenge The Process 4. Enable Others to Act 5. Encourage The Heart These practices (leadership behaviors) are things anyone can do to become a strong leader. Helping you to accomplish great things. And the more you work at these practices, the more you’ll become the kind of leader people rally around and look to for guidance. A leader who builds trust and credibility. A leader who inspires people to work towards a shared vision. Someone who shapes their environment for the better. The kind of leader who truly makes a difference. Your journey to become an extraordinary leader starts The Leadership Challenge Workshop. At Rockstar Leadership training, we offer online and in-person workshops, taught by our certified facilitators and leadership coaches. Contact us today to get started. #leadershipchallengeworkshop #leadershipchallenge #leadershipdevelopment #inclusiveleadership #highperformanceteams #leadershipqualities #rockstarleadership #highperformanceteams

Why Rethink Leadership? Rethinking is a concept I first learned from Adam Grant. Applying this lens to leadership is one way of saying: you know all the beliefs, assumptions, expectations and ideas you have about how to be a good leader - let’s reimagine these. Consider a different perspective. Check your blindspots. At Rethink Leadership, participants are invited to: 📍RETHINK their style of leadership and determine if it’s the one they want to be known for. 📍RETHINK how to be a better communicator, as a way to strengthen relationships and eliminate misunderstandings. 📍RETHINK trust by creating a clear plan for action rather than sitting with the theory it’s a good thing to have but being unsure how to make it happen 📍RETHINK how to balance honesty and candor when giving feedback to shift beyond the fear of hurting people’s feelings and lean into the reality that most people WANT feedback, even if some people fear giving it. 📍RETHINK what leadership practices are working and which ones miss the mark. Most leaders are time poor but often don’t know where to invest their time to make the biggest impact. These are big ideas explored in a small group setting. In person - limited to 10. In support of each other. In the room pictured below. If you’re keen to join in, registrations close Friday 29th August and there’s a seat reserved just for you. 📍Rethink Leadership 📍Friday 5th September Learn more via the 🔗 in comments. #leadership #professionaldevelopment #capacitybuilding #leadershipdevelopment #learninganddevelopment #workshop #regionalleaders #sme

I'm currently reading "Are You Mad at Me?" by Meg Josephson and it's shifting how I think about leadership. Key insight: Fawning isn't just people-pleasing, it's our nervous system avoiding conflict to feel safe. But when leaders operate from this mode, we're not present or authentic, which means we can't make the clear decisions our teams need. I'm seeing this show up everywhere: - Meetings where everyone nods but no one commits - Leaders avoiding difficult conversations until problems explode - Team members defaulting to "whatever you think is best" - Decision paralysis disguised as "collaboration" Building nervous system capacity isn't just personal wellness, it's about showing up as the leader your team actually needs. Someone who can hold space for different perspectives without collapsing into people-pleasing. This has completely shifted my leadership coaching approach. Instead of just focusing on communication or strategy, I help leaders understand their nervous system patterns and build capacity to stay grounded under pressure. Anyone else noticing these dynamics in leadership? Would love to hear your thoughts. #Leadership #NervousSystemAwareness #LeadershipDevelopment

WEEK 20 of the SERIES - 🔹 Practical Lessons for Leaders Who Take Action 🔹 Every day we are surrounded by examples of Good, even Great Leadership as well as by Poor, Disappointing and Ineffective Leadership. The results of the quality of leadership are easy to spot: is productivity high? Are team members engaged and actively striving to be part of the solution? Or does chaos rule the day? Are team members disengaged and filling the void of the leadership they deserve with discontent or worse? These weekly reminders are provided to help new leaders as well as serve as a checkpoint for seasoned leaders and everyone in between! 🔹 Be-Know-Do Leadership Lesson #31: The Power of Matchmaking 🔹 🎯 Leadership isn’t just delegation - it’s matchmaking. The best leaders don’t just hand out tasks - they align talents with purpose. This week’s Be-Know-Do Consulting Leadership Lesson explores the powerful skill of "matchmaking." To be a great matchmaking leader: Be Intentional. Know your people's strengths. Do the work of aligning their gifts with the organization's goals. 💡 read the lesson below to learn: ✔️ Why and how matchmaking builds performance and trust ✔️ How to align people’s strengths with what matters most, and as always; ✔️ A simple challenge to start this week Leaders don’t just assign work. They design opportunities. #LeadershipDevelopment #BeKnowDo #PeopleFirst #StrengthsBasedLeadership #Delegation #GoalAlignment #CoachingCulture #TrustMatters #PeopleFirst #LeadWithPurpose #CultureMatters #LeadershipInAction #Leadership #LeadTheWay #VisionaryLeadership #LeadershipSeries #LeadershipGrowth #BoldLeadership Fast Company LinkedIn for Leaders LinkedIn for Learning Harvard Business Review Forbes Rob Lawrence, MBA McKinsey & Company

“People are NOT your most important asset. The RIGHT PEOPLE, in the RIGHT ROLES, doing the RIGHT THINGS - THAT's your most important asset." - Jim Collins, author, Good to Great. This week's Be-Know-Do Consulting Leadership Lesson labels and treats the above quote as the leadership skill of "matchmaking." Matchmaking is where delegation meets development - where operational excellence meets human potential. In that light, also consider the below in addition to the suggestions in the lesson. 🔍 Focus on hiring strategically: When recruiting, prioritize finding candidates who are a good fit for the organization, not just for the current vacancy. 🏫 Invest in employee development: Help existing employees develop their skills and grow within the company to ensure they remain in the roles best for them.   ➕ Create a positive work environment: Foster a culture that attracts and retains top contributors by valuing their contributions and providing opportunities for growth. Georgia's Own Credit Union does a great job of all the above!

Can you lead with empathy… even when everything moves fast? Yes — and you must. In fast-paced environments, leaders often prioritize results and deadlines, overlooking the vital element of connection with their teams. Empathy plays a crucial role in fostering this connection. Through coaching, I've witnessed leaders benefit from slowing down to truly listen, comprehending underlying issues, and leading with clarity and compassion rather than just control. By creating a safe space for team members to voice their thoughts, grow, and contribute, empathetic leaders establish trust that accelerates team performance. Contrary to misconceptions, empathy is not a soft skill; it's a strategic one essential in today's world. If you're a leader navigating the challenges of maintaining humanity in a high-speed environment, know that you're not alone. What practices or strategies do you rely on to remain grounded and connected as a leader? #Leadership #EmpathyInLeadership #Coaching #PeopleFirst #HighPerformanceTeams #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence

🚀 Our team coaching sessions are often the catalyst that helps leaders truly see—and then harness the untapped diversity in their teams. In these sessions, leaders experience what Obi James 🇫🇮🇳🇬 calls “the power of space”: when leaders step back, invite voice, and commit to coaching, teams start contributing innovation, trust, and resilience. 🎯 What often happens next: - Executives witness underrepresented voices emerge with real impact. - Leadership blind spots surface and transform into action. - Psychological safety deepens, so creativity and growth follow. These shifts stem directly from our Leader as Coach and team coaching approaches, anchoring Obi’s core idea: leaders who let go give others room to thrive. Why that matters: - It breaks down command-and-control dynamics and builds collaborative, inclusive leadership. - It equips leaders to coach over control and elevate growth over hierarchy. - It turns potential into performance—especially for those overlooked or unheard. If you want to move from “We hired diverse people” to “We lead them inclusively,” our coaching is where that transformation begins. 🔗 obijames.com #TalentMapping #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamGrowth #LetGoLeadership #PeopleFirst

🚀 Building a High-Performance Leadership Team Begins with a Strong Foundation. For CEOs and HR leaders dedicated to enhancing organizational performance, the 3C’s framework provides a proven approach to empower and align leadership teams: 1️⃣ **Connect - Leadership Concepts:** Equip leaders with core principles that align with your organization’s values and strategic goals. A shared understanding fosters purposeful and consistent decision-making across the board. 2️⃣ **Collaborate - Group Action and Application:** Encourage cross-functional collaboration by uniting leaders around key initiatives and actionable strategies. When leaders align through shared insights, it enhances cohesion and drives success throughout the organization. 3️⃣ **Conversations - Knowledge & Coaching:** Invest in both group and one-on-one coaching to strengthen communication skills, resolve conflicts, and elevate each leader’s capacity. These conversations are vital for refining skills and supporting continuous growth. Are you ready to build a leadership team that accelerates your organization’s success? The 3C’s Leadership Accelerator at 1LEAD is here to help. Connect with us at jasonwyatt@1leadconsulting.com to discuss how we can drive impactful leadership together. #LeadershipDevelopment #CEO #HRLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #HighPerformance