Ian Duddy’s Post

“Call out your Leader” Literally, but not call out in a negative way. Tag and @ them below👇🏼 Why? I’ve seen toooo many posts and infographics telling us the same common sense about what good leaders ‘are’. Not big revelations, such as the below: - Effective Communicators - Shields from Toxiticy - Builds cross culture collaboration - Walks the Talk - Is humble yet visionary - … the list goes on … a list I call “my mother is a woman” 🥱 As a organisational and leadership coach I come across many many people, titles with V’s and C’s in them. So yes these are all great traits, but not everyone has them in spades and not every manager ticks every single box - I’d say they exhibit these behaviours liberally. However, at the same time there are some really mediocre managers which we also label leaders because of their titles and behaviour the opposite. Therefore. Ahem. I’m going to be calling out one person a month for a year, from my network, whom I deem a leader, those that actually exhibit the traits with impact. It may be a surprise to them, maybe these qualities are blind spots. These people don’t “walk the talk”, they just Do without all the Talk. So. My first call out is Maureen Liang 🫡 My entity manager at HSBC in my last corporate role; now whilst Maureen was my entity manager, we partnered to run HSBC’s biggest single legal entity in Asia; she never treated my as her direct, but her partner - which led me to grow. Maureen’s traits that I witnessed firsthand: ✅ Always named people before her in any sentence, showed inclusiveness and humility ✅ Named people when ideas were presented in groups ✅ Called out risk items, explained impacts then opened floor to solutions from specialists & non-experts alike ✅ Always took time out to listen to person problems through a coaching approach ✅ Rolled her sleeves up on All Hands On Deck ✅ Called out bad behaviours and stood firm even when it was perceived to be sensitive ✅ Wore a smile every morning, greeted people in the lift (our org was 10,000 people), no mean feat! ✅ Said sorry when she got things wrong ✅ Never used gender or ethnicity as a excuse to not do the right thing ✅ Took D&I and sustainability to amseriously to ensure team members were looked after ✅ Asked me not to speak badly of people yet and to always offer second chances 3000 letters on LinkedIn can not cover every example I could quote through the 18 months we worked together. I would say Maureen is someone I would go to for both personal & professional advice. Trust and confidentiality are of upmost important, and I’m not the only one that would vouch for this & above points about Maureen. Call out your LEADER and share actually people you feel have your respected leadership traits. 📸 Maureen and I from our last catch up when she visited from Shanghai 📝 Disclaimer: None of the above is AI-generated and all views/experiences are my own, typos included. Permission to post was not obtained, but I hope it’s a surprise 🙈

If employees were describing what it’s like to work for your company, do you think the word #Trust would come up at all or in any of the three levels? If so, your company could be in the fortunate position of having what’s been termed as a ‘#HighTrust’ culture. Put simply, it’s one where the prevailing organizational culture is built on and consistently demonstrates trusting, and trust-enhancing, behaviours – and there’s plenty of evidence showing that these types of organizations are the ones with the advantages when it comes to both #Employee and #FinancialWellbeing. When trust is instilled in an organization, tasks get accomplished with less difficulty because people are more likely to #Collaborate and #Communicate with each other in productive ways. As a result, outcomes tend to be more successful. According to a study in Harvard Business Review, people at #HighTrust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout than people at low-trust companies. #WorkplaceWellness Stephen Covey in his book The Speed of Trust states that there are 13 behaviours that high-trust leaders exhibit: 1. Talk straight #Communication 2. Demonstrate respect #Respect 3. Create transparency #Transparency 4. Right wrongs #Integrity 5. Show loyalty #Loyalty 6. Deliver results #Performance 7. Get better #ContinuousImprovement 8. Confront reality #Realism 9. Clarify expectations #Expectations 10. Practice accountability #Accountability 11. Listen first #ActiveListening 12. Keep commitments #Reliability 13. Extend trust #Empowerment Building trust means building confidence in your team and one another. No trust leads to suspicion, distrust, and ultimately a failing team. Successful teams model high-level trust behaviours, leveraging these behaviours to establish and build strong working relationships with each other. #Teamwork #Collaboration Read more in the comments below. With over 900,000 executive alumni, Oxford Leadership’s Self-Managing Leadership (SML) is one of the world’s most popular self-management programs. #LeadershipDevelopment Click link in comments below for more info We also offer #OxfordLeadership Certified Coaches who can help you and your team to get the most out of the programme. If you would like to get in touch, please email [email protected]. #Coaching #ProfessionalDevelopment

From the Field to the Boardroom: My Journey Through Leadership's Changing Landscape Landing a corporate senior management role after years of leading teams in the field was incredible... and incredibly disorienting. Let me share some of the hard-earned lessons and unexpected challenges that came with this transition. Shifting Gears: From "Doing" to "Vision-Setting" I loved the hands-on nature of my field leadership roles. Problem? I'd dive right in, shoulder-to-shoulder with my team. Suddenly, as a senior manager, I found myself less involved in the day-to-day execution and more focused on strategy and big-picture thinking. It felt odd, honestly, like I wasn't pulling my weight. But, that's the shift senior management requires, and learning to steer the ship instead of rowing it was critical. New Room, New Faces: Navigating the Boardroom Remember that feeling of being the new kid in school? That's kind of what the boardroom felt like at first. Suddenly, I wasn't just leading my team – I had to hold my own amongst other high-level leaders, all with their own agendas and ways of operating. This is where I learned the true importance of emotional intelligence and strategic communication. Here's what helped me the most: Relationship building: Investing time in understanding my colleagues was invaluable. It helped me find common ground and areas where we could work effectively together. Self-confidence: I earned my place. Learning to own my expertise and back up my ideas–even when I was unsure, was critical. Political Savvy: There are unspoken rules in every corporate environment. Observing and learning these dynamics helped me avoid missteps and navigate decision making. You Will Adapt! Let's be real: the move from field leadership to a corporate office wasn't easy. There were moments of doubt and a yearning for the familiar. But keep this in mind: * Your people skills are gold: Your ability to lead and inspire is still your superpower in this new world. * Never stop learning: This is a growth opportunity like no other. Embrace it with a mindset of continuous improvement. EQi2.0 is your secret weapon https://lnkd.in/dJd_v-Sk * Find your support system: Connecting with others who've been there made all the difference. The bottom line? This move is a testament to your ability, an exciting change, and a path to a whole new level of leadership. Trust in yourself and you'll find your footing! Want to learn more about EQi2.0? Be sure to visit our website today https://lnkd.in/dn68Zk4u

Middle managers aren't the big executives leading the company or the lower level team members bringing in new perspectives. But they are heroes in their own right.👇 I was excited to see this article by David Brooks and agree with his assessment that, at their best, middle managers “are the unsung heroes of our age.” Not surprisingly, the comments indicate that many people’s experience of #Management falls far short of the ideal David describes in this article. The comment that that middle managers “are largely (an incompetent) class of bureaucratic sycophants keeping a fundamentally unfair system afloat” seems to capture too many people’s experience. I’m now wondering how many have thought that about me at different points in my career. Given the work I do working with mid and senior level #Executives every day, I have a few thoughts: 💡 We’re all “middle managers” in some way. The CEO is caught between the board, investors, employees, and their family. Front line employees are caught between their boss, peers, customers, and family. We’re all struggling to manage competing priorities. Sometimes we handle that tension well, sometimes we don’t. 💡 As in any field, management talent is not evenly distributed. Assuming a bell-curve distribution, most of us will spend most of our careers working for mediocre managers with a precious few great ones along the way. And, hopefully, only one or two truly toxic ones. It’s just math. 💡 Don’t confuse the person with their performance. The vast majority of managers are good, caring people, doing the best they can with the skills, mindsets, and self-awareness they have at the time. Even if we, and they themselves, wished they could do better. People are so busy trying to manage what’s in front of them, without another model, they can easily fall into the trap of checking their humanity at the door in service of getting the job done, or even just getting through the day... And yet, the vast majority of them get up the next day and try again. Let’s give people an adequate model for managing the competing priorities and contradictions they face and help them develop the emotional intelligence, resilience, and courage they will need to implement it. Read the full article at the link below and tell me: What have your experiences with Middle Managers been like? https://lnkd.in/gtWXhaeK #Authenticity #ConnectionMindset

What is the true value of leadership? Here is a little bit of calm to help you think about it for a moment. Have you ever considered the leadership advantage as people move between jobs and industries? What are the costs of transition and the benefits in being prepared for them. Transitioning into a new role or company can be a challenging journey, especially when it comes to realizing the value of your leadership skills. I want to share some key insights that could help anyone navigating a transition. Some of the issues and some practical solutions include: Crossing Society’s Liminal Divides: The transition to a new professional environment involves significant emotional and cultural adjustments. This process requires rebuilding professional identity and overcoming stereotypes, which many people in work transition may experience. How-To: Engage in active networking and mentorship programs. According to an article in Harvard Business Review, strong professional networks and mentors can significantly aid in career transitions by providing critical support and opening new opportunities (“How to Build Your Network While Working Remotely,” HBR, 2020). Leadership as a Complex Team Sport: Effective leadership isn’t just about command—it’s about collaboration, persuasion, and teamwork. Recognizing these skills can transform how we view leadership across all sectors. How-To: Research by Eduardo Salas and his colleagues emphasizes critical teamwork processes such as mutual performance monitoring, backup behaviour, adaptability, and team orientation. Implementing these heuristics can improve team effectiveness and foster a collaborative environment. Accepting and Harnessing Politics, Power, and Networks: Bringing your wealth of political acumen and networking skills to a new role is a powerful asset. The ability to navigate and influence new organisational cultures is invaluable, yet often faces challenges. How-To: Develop political skillsets through deliberate practice. As suggested in “Political Skill at Work” by Gerald R. Ferris and colleagues, practicing social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and sincerity can help you effectively navigate organisational dynamics and build strong, supportive networks. For anyone experiencing the excitement and challenges of a new leadership role, it’s crucial to recognise and re-establish your leadership currency in this new context. Organisations must also play a part by providing supportive environments that recognize and integrate diverse leadership styles as they onboard new colleagues. Individual leadership is not a magic wand, it is part of improving management systems, teams and fostering inclusive cultures. With this we can enhance work and well-being and also unlock the full potential of leaders transitioning into new roles. #LeadershipTransition #CareerChange #InclusiveLeadership #ManagementSystems #OrganizationalCulture #LeadershipDevelopment

One of the toughest challenges for middle managers are the expectations that come in from all directions. Up, down, side and of course outside. That’s even before someone decides it would be a great idea to ‘transform’ or adopt new values and behaviours. When that happens, it is often middle managers who are left exposed and, while unintentional, set up for failure. ❓ Why? Because when organisations deem change is necessary the ‘change’ is a magnificent, illuminating candle in a nice shiny box. This candle is then taken out of the box and handed to middle management to run out into a turbulent storm (ingrained collective beliefs, habits, traditions, biases, norms, etc.) to make everything bright and dreamy. ⚖ The odds aren’t often in their favour. And those up and down can be oblivious to this reality. So if that’s you, how can you navigate such circumstances while maintaining sanity and - still making a difference. 👈👉 Embrace the sides and take small steps. Your fellow managers and their teams are micro organisations like you and your team. It is within the connections and engagements between each other where the new values and behaviours can be tested, understood and grown for the benefit of these micro organisations. ❌ It is inexcusable when the sponsorship and leadership behind change is absent - and yes there is always the option to let the change fail when others are talking the talk but not walking the walk. But if the impacts of the change will benefit the working environment for you and your team, then success can be found with the collective might of multiple teams. Even if the wider organisation is chained to the past, focus on the step changes you can make together, test and adjust. 🎆You might just find yourselves setting the standard that ultimately breaks old chains.

Autonomy and freedom to operate at higher-level roles are closely related to an individual's ability to establish and maintain more significant levels of trust. Trust here is about something other than your ability to perform technology or business-related work (though there is a foundational requirement that you can do that). I see many aspiring and rising leaders make the mistake of believing that what got them there will take them to the next level. When they cannot break through to manager or director levels or beyond, they wonder why their technology or business skills are not working anymore. At higher levels, building trust and retaining it is more about process, organization, and a whole lot of soft skills that include fortitude, integrity, diplomacy, tact, confidentiality, astuteness, creative problem solving, dreaming big, taking risks, knowing limits, and the ability to become extremely resourceful even when resources are constrained. In short, can you be expected to get the work done with little handholding, direction, and supervision? Are you an original thinker? Can you collaborate well? Are you professional and ethical? At what point does this switch in expectations happen? It's not title-based but primarily dependent on the relationship between the leader above and the individual seeking growth and autonomy. As much as many of us would not want our managers' jobs, it is essential to know what they do and how they do what they do. Learning about the business of your function rather than working in the function is vital. Mistakes are costly and impact many people as you go up. Significant trust is built if you can show that you know how the business works and understand and appreciate the interconnectedness of functions, manage risks, and play at a higher level. When you do all these things right, you don't have to ask for a seat at the table; you will be invited. #datapreneursdaily #careergrowth #leadershipandmanagement

Do you know how to be successful in #MiddleManagement? ✅ Working in middle management presents new opportunities to learn and grow. ✅ You have the chance to lead a group of people who are looking for guidance in the workplace and to support your senior level management. ✅ Let's look at the helpful tips on how to be successful middle manager by becoming a better leader. ✅ How to become a great middle manager? A successful middle manager understands the challenges of leading associate employees and reporting to senior management but sees both as opportunities to learn, connect and grow. ➡️1. Understand your job responsibilities. Some of the common middle management responsibilities include: ➡️ Developing group work. ➡️ Mediating challenges and conflicts. ➡️ Delegating tasks. ➡️ Setting goals and KPIs. ➡️ Supporting line managers. ➡️ Reporting successes up to senior management. ➡️ Communicating information and policies from senior management to lower management. ➡️ Mentoring and motivating lower level managers to accomplish their goals. ➡️2. Communicate and connect with senior level executives. When you have a strong relationship with your manager, it will be easier to advocate for your team and celebrate accomplishments. ➡️3. Align your values with your company's vision. Learn your company's purpose and align your goals and values with theirs. ➡️4. Ask for feedback from your team. Creating a formal process that enables your team to give you feedback. Constructive feedback allows you to learn what works. ➡️5. Take leadership training. Consider improving your leadership skills through formal training. A good leader is always curious and willing to learn new techniques to lead your team successfully. ➡️6. Be emphatic and nurture your workplace relationships. Consider practicing empathy in your workplace relationships. Empathy allows you to understand and share the emotions of others. ✅ Remember, your role in middle management is important to both your superiors and the careers and development of your team. ✅ You are part of the organisational flow system that helps your company achieve its goals and serve it's customers. ✅ You will succeed as a middle manager if you practice understanding and take proactive steps to become a dependable leader. ✅If you resonate with my views, please like and comment with your thoughts. ✅ Thank you and wish you a great day ahead!!! ✅ For more details, please follow me Nischal Kumtakar 💎 . #MiddleManagement #SuccessfulMiddleManagementStrategies #BeAGreatMiddleManager

Servant leadership is a transformative approach that puts the team's needs first, empowering individuals to thrive. By prioritizing empathy, collaboration, and personal development, servant leaders not only build a supportive environment but also enhance employee engagement and productivity. This, in turn, drives innovation, strengthens organizational culture, and delivers sustainable business growth and success 👌🏼

"I don't think people would want to be managed by me, and I wouldn't want to be managed by me either." What an insight from Tim, expert software developer and the 'natural successor' once his boss had quit – having reflected on why he decided AGAINST becoming a manager. His City of London employer gave him 'Time to Decide' if management was really for him, so he spent a day, with other potential managers, exploring what becoming a manager would mean. And as he left, it was actually TIME TO DECIDE...it was a simple YES or NO. Tim was one of the 12% who said "NO" that day. This was before he took the leap, before his company invested thousands in a career move that he didn't want, and before he became yet another #AccidentalManager who would have driven away some of the company's best employees. Even better, Tim's reflection opened the door to a deeper conversation with his organisation about how he could explore an alternative to eventual people leadership - thought leadership. Existing management programmes make ONE FUNDAMENTAL FALSE ASSUMPTION – that those attending actually want to be a manager. Do you want to avoid promoting managers who simply aren't cut out for it? It's #TimeToDecide #BetterManagers #ItsTimeToLead #AccidentalManagement