Leaders must take an interest in their people
I regularly facilitate McKinsey & Company’s Bower Forums – a program in which typically five company leaders spend two days together sharing their professional aspirations, the challenges they face, and coaching each other. I remember one discussion when a recently appointed CEO of a large healthcare firm shared his ambition to transform his organization into […]
“What are the top skills headteachers need to create a good culture?”
This question was answered by Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Managing Editor, HRZone: What are the top skills headteachers need to create a good culture? Andy […]
“What’s been the most surprising thing you’ve learnt on your school leadership journey?”
This question was answered by Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Managing Editor, HRZone: What’s been the most surprising thing you’ve learnt on your school leadership journey? Andy […]
“How do you get young people fired up about wanting to lead?”
This question was answered by Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: How do you get young people fired up about wanting to lead when leadership […]
“Teachers seem to need to earn respect more than in the past. Is this a good thing?”
This question was answered by Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Managing Editor, HRZone: Teachers seem to need to earn respect more than in the past, when it […]
“We need to be careful about making assumptions around transferability of skills.”
This piece comes from an interview with Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Managing Editor, HRZone: Andy, could you go into any bad school and turn it […]
“Are schools putting out children better able to survive and thrive in the world?”
This question was answered by Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Managing Editor, HRZone: Are we putting our children better able to survive and thrive in the world? […]
“What leadership lessons can organisations learn from schools?”
This question was answered by Andy Buck, a former geography teacher turned headteacher turned leadership expert who has written multiple leadership books and now works with senior headteachers across the UK to improve schools and the school system. Jamie Lawrence, Managing Editor, HRZone: What leadership lessons can organisations learn from schools? Andy Buck, former headteacher and […]
Leadership development – linking customised interventions to quality results
In specifying leadership development programmes business leaders are likely to expect a programme customised to their specific challenges, and population of leaders, which will deliver results for the whole organisation. Nobody really wants a programme that is off-shelf or generic, they want unique and tailored content that meets their needs and aspirations. If the aim […]
Why every business should have home-grown leadership
If all your senior leaders disappeared tomorrow, would your business be prepared? For most resourcing leaders it’s important to know when it’s fitting to recruit externally and when it’s appropriate to dip into your internal talent pool. Finding the right people to grow your organisation is one thing, developing those people to lead that growth […]
Why the most effective leaders enjoy lunch
It seems that stressed, goal-oriented leaders who multi-task are no longer where it’s at. No longer does Gordon Gekko’s motto ‘lunch is for wimps’ sit at the heart of corporate culture – and as someone who defines how good their day has been by the pleasure derived from their lunch, thank goodness for that! The […]
Leaders mustn’t be late to the digitisation game
Leaders are constantly bombarded with mind-boggling complexity, the exponential speed of change, and the application of new technologies. Meanwhile short-term pressure from the investment community continues to intensify. It’s understandable that even the best of the best business leaders will occasionally miss something. Some misses, however, can be devastating, chief among them: the move to […]
HR vs IT: who owns the employee experience?
As with so many industries and job roles that focus their attention on managing people, human resources can be a tricky discipline to define. Its reach spans across everything from recruitment to internal disputes and employee satisfaction right through to finance and remuneration. Given this wide array of specialties, it’s easy to understand why – […]
Developing leaders in the digital environment
Is it possible to develop leadership skills effectively in a virtual environment – or is face-to-face delivery really the only way to equip managers with the high level skills they need to meet the challenges of leading in an increasingly complex business environment? There has been much debate in recent years over this question. As companies […]
Are you an inspirational leader?
Today’s workplace is complex and constantly changing. Demands on our time are higher than ever before and our attention is constantly being dragged in all sorts of directions. We all work flat out but never seem to get to the bottom of our to-do list. Leaders are expected to do even more: to deliver their […]
Taking control of contagious leadership
In today’s businesses, leadership mustn’t just sit at the top. People at every level of an organisation need to adopt, use and exhibit the kind of behaviours that are wrapped up in ‘leadership skills’ – whether that’s making decisions or working well with others. This should be enormously positive; strict hierarchical structures are being […]
What does it take to be a courageous leader?
ThoughtWorks recently developed the first-ever report on ‘courageous leadership’ among successful C-Suite executives, in partnership with global insights consultancy Northstar, to explore how certain traits and leadership styles can contribute to business and workplace success. Below, Managing Director UK at ThoughtWorks, Ruth Harrison, explores what it takes to be a courageous executive, what it is […]
When does a boss become a leader?
As a product manager for Hilti Inc., one of the leading global suppliers to the professional construction industry, I have been lucky enough to travel all over the world. Working in locations such as Australia, Canada and the US. I am currently based in Texas, and in two years’ time I will be moving to […]
How leaders can make their dark side brighter
There can’t be many of us who haven’t at some point in our working lives come across leaders who have a ‘dark’ side. Maybe you work for a manager who’s a bit of a narcissist – someone who truly believes they are head and shoulders above everyone else, is arrogant in the extreme and only […]
Why compassionate leaders do come first
Unless you have a fear of flying and have never dared set foot on an aircraft, you will be familiar with the safety briefing that instructs passengers, in an emergency, to ensure they attach their own oxygen mask before tending to others. The rationale being that you will be of little use to anyone else […]
