Self-service, self-medicate, self-make – there’s no need for the middle man or ahem lady any more and self-help is no exception. According to training body, Effective Training and Development our bosses’ reliance on self-help is weakening leadership skills, resulting in a nation of weak managers to boot.

Diane Ingham Cook of the training organisation said: “Leadership skills such as inspiring people, nurturing relationships, handling pressure and defining company vision, are more prized in other countries than in the UK and there is a huge skills gap.”

This has inspired The Brain Bath?! to take action and offer our own alternatives for those self help seekers:

• When looking for guidance on managerial styles, read Gillian McKeith’s You Are What You Eat diet, diatribe. She will inspire you to adopt such a tyrannical approach that you’ll rule your employees with an iron fist. The only downside is you’ll become obsessed with food and will waste time thinking about lentils and you know-whats.
• If you’re plagued with self doubt, take a visit to the bathroom: “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” If all you see is your reflection staring back at you, the answer’s clear. Avoid all mirrors from now on, or start hanging round with friends that you consider to be fattier and uglier then you – it always makes you feel better.
• For improved team building skills, watch children’s Saturday morning television. Bright colours and wild screaming seem to do the trick for the little nippers – slimy green gunge is, of course, optional.
• When employing new staff, comic books offer handy tips on sorting the good from the bad. If you interview someone with a handle bar moustache, long black cloak and evil glint in his eye, it’s probably wise to give the job to someone else.

We’d like to hear your self-help tips on anything and everything from making the most of things, improving your management style, sticking to a healthy diet and being a toptastic person – simply post your comments below.