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Looking back, I can’t remember a time when my parents weren’t leading. Sometimes they led small teams of 5-10, sometimes groups in the thousands. They were leaders at local, national, and international levels. While they were both leaders in their careers, they also led in many volunteer roles. Socially gifted, my parents’ ability to connect with people and bring them together was awe-inspiring.

Meanwhile, I was extremely shy and struggled to be in the same room with someone I didn’t know. This was okay as a small child. As I grew older, it was expected I would lead – just like my parents.

By the time I started school, I learned that no matter my personal preference, someone would call on me to lead. More importantly, it was expected that I would always accept the leadership role. As awkward and uncomfortable as I often felt, each new role built my knowledge, skill sets, and confidence. Today, I am a mixture of experienced leader, shy child, and leadership student.

My parents often reminded my siblings and me that the ability to work with people was more important than any personal gift we might have, like musical ability, intelligence, or physical agility. They constantly encouraged us to exercise our social “muscles” and often taught us through stories. To this day, I rely on their stories to help guide me through new or challenging situations.

Abraham Lincoln as a storyteller

Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow.
The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing.
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is often recognized as one of the most effective and influential leaders in history. He was also known for his ability to lead through storytelling. A number of his stories are captured in Donald T. Phillips’ book, “Lincoln on Leadership.”

The underlying theme of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership stories is a focus on individuals, relationships, and compassion. In his book, Phillips states, “the foundation of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership style was an unshakable commitment to the rights of the individual.” Fast Company author Mark C. Crowley underscores the importance of Lincoln’s understanding that, “Engagement and performance are mostly influenced by feelings and emotions.”

Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln

Storytelling is an integral part of human learning and connection. Intentional storytelling can be one of the most effective and formative tools in a leader’s tool kit.

Think back to a personal leadership learning moment with a strong connection to your development journey. Chances are, there is a story that goes with the moment.

What stories would be included in a book about your leadership? Is there a theme or main message your stories contain? Is it the story you intended to tell?

What are the stories that guide you or that you use when guiding others? How will you use intentional storytelling in your leadership journey?

Want to dig a little deeper?
Consider:

Academic Paper – Harris, J & Barnes, B.K. (2006): “Leadership Storytelling“
Article by Christine Hennebury from CBC Canada: “Storytelling is not just entertainment. It’s a fundamental part of being human“
Book by Donald T. Phillips : “Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times”
Article by Mark C. Crowley from Fast Company: The Leadership Genius Of Abraham Lincoln (fastcompany.com)

In this episode of the HR Leaders podcast, Chris Rainey is joined by Therese Procter of OrgShakers and Vivek Patni, CEO and Co-Founder WeMa.

With one-third of the workforce now over the age of 50, their focus for discusion is how organizations can optimize this often overlooked pool of talent.

Midlife is a pivotal period in our life journey. It can suck – or rock!

Neither well defined nor well understood, Midlife is described simply as ‘the time between youth and old age’. A time which is often associated with stress and crisis – especially for women.

I can relate to this, but there are many positives to celebrate in Midlife too, including higher earnings, status at work, leadership in the family, authority in decision-making, self-confidence, and contribution to the community.

The reality is that these negative and positive aspects of Midlife are not exclusive to women – these are things we will all experience.

50 is the new 30

Employers are slowly starting to take more interest in Midlife workers … and they should, because for the first time in history, over 1/3^rd of the working population are over 50!

On reflection I realise that for many years the HR community (me included!) put our energy, focus and effort on progressive processes and practices that were supporting the needs of the younger working generation. Many of these innovations were ground-breaking – especially around maternity/paternity, IVF, adoption, childcare, etc. – and we should be proud of what we achieved.

However, the ageing workforce means that we now have to widen our focus to meet the wellbeing and mental health needs of those in Midlife and to consider how they can help them to live their best life while performing their job.

I suggest there are three issues we need to prioritise:

Biological Changes – Menopause and Andropause
The tide is turning with conversations at work about Menopause.
Rightly so, as there are 34 symptoms associated with this time in women’s lives – with some individuals suffering for up to 15 years.
However, less understood and rarely talked about is the fact that men can experience 17 of these 34 symptoms – the Andropause.
None of the Midlife men I speak to about the Andropause has heard of it. But all of them recognise that they have experienced the symptoms.
And the number one silent condition in both women and men linked to the biological changes we go through in Midlife is probably the least well known – a loss of bone density.
Osteoporosis typically strikes in older age but starts with the Menopause and Andropause.
Cancer – Breast Cancer/ Testicular Cancer
One in four of us will get cancer.
Breast cancer is the biggest cancer in women and testicular cancer in men.
New cases of cancer are 50% higher amongst over 50’s.
Mental Health – ‘Brain Fog’ and Memory Loss
A symptom of both Menopause and Andropause is ‘brain fog’ and memory loss.
It’s a scary feeling, and people often mistakenly fear that it’s the onset of dementia.
However, the evidence shows that these symptoms pass over time and that cognitive ability is not affected – we remain as sharp as we were.

In most cases if these issues are identified early, they can be treated positively and permanently.

So, is your organization encouraging Midlife colleagues to be aware of these issues and encouraging them to get regular health checks? And are they being given time to get appointments booked and time off to support these issues?

I’m in the camp that wants to Rock my mid life and get up every day and perform at my best.

So, I recently started taking HRT – not because I had any menopausal symptoms, but because my mum has osteoporosis. I have also had a blood tests and bone scans.

My parents are my role models, they exercise every day and have done since I can remember, and they are 83!

Diet and exercise are important. And so is being aware of what is going on in our bodies.

So, my call to arms is for all of us in Midlife to take control of ensuring that we can live our best lives – and for organizations to provide the encouragement, environment, and policies that support their employees throughout their working lives.

For more information, training, policy reviews or insight on how your business can navigate this important topic and “shake” things up, please contact therese@orgshakers.com.

Rise to the challenge of #TheGreatResignation by CHARM-ing your people.

More than 15-million people have quit their jobs since April 2021, and there’s no way of knowing if this the exodus is temporary – or a long term shift in how people manage their careers.

Organizations can take control, however, by understanding why employees are leaving and taking measures to not only retain talent, but also attract and develop new and future leaders.

Do you know why your employees are leaving? Do you know where they’re going?

Employees exiting companies are citing a smorgasbord of culture-related reasons from toxic leadership and stifled growth opportunities to poor communication and lack of vision.

So, either the culture organizations thought they had pre-pandemic wasn’t truly aligned with their people’s values, or the pandemic has created a situation in which their people’s values are shifting.

Are you CHARM-ing your employees?

However, understanding the “why” behind the exit is only part of the battle; employers must be able to swiftly enact CHARM-ing strategies to attract, retain, and develop their workforce.

Committing to your vision and ensuring your culture aligns with the company’s values as well as the type of person you seek to employ.

Helping your leaders navigate the changing scope of work and equipping them with the tools and resources needed to inspire, coach, and develop their teams. And helping your employees manage competing priorities, their growth, and outside factors that can cause stress.

Attracting the best talent by partnering with your HR teams to maximize results in recruiting. Focus on the type of person you want to employ and what they want in an employer. When you identify those qualities, use them as the foundation for your recruiting strategy.

Re-recruiting your good people! Retaining key talent needs to be done with the same energy that you invested in recruiting that talent in the first place.

Motivating your people by taking the time to know what’s going on in their work and personal lives and offer support. Take care of work-life balance and recognize your people’s achievements. People become most motivated when their leader shows interest in their whole lives and not just work output.

The OrgShakers team have extensive experience in analyzing why employees are leaving, where they are going, and what will attract and retain your ideal employee. So, if you would like insight into how #TheGreatResignation is impacting your team and guidance in developing your strategy to combat the mass exit please get in touch: hello@orgshakers.com.

OrgShakers crack data analyst, Imogen Parsley, conducted a review of LinkedIn Updates and the results should cause significant concern in the board room.

A staggering rate of increase has occurred for C-suite executives updating their LinkedIn profiles.

Well, it is no secret that executive search firms leverage LinkedIn as one of their primary sources. Some may have done it because they’ve changed roles or employer.

But, why the sudden surge in updates? Is this a sign of the first wave of post-pandemic executive fatigue?

If this doesn’t set off significant alarm bells in the boardroom, someone is not paying attention.

Boards should take note and check to ensure the effectiveness of their total rewards and other recognition for their leadership team.

Does the team feel recognized and appreciated by the board?
How has the C-suite been treated throughout the pandemic?
Does the current compensation structure provide enough reward when merited by performance?
Are metrics reasonable or too aggressive?
Is there enough retention value in your Long-Term Incentives?

Board’s need to take stock of their rewards and the possible risk of key C-suite departures. As importantly, they need to pay close attention to the strength of their succession plan.

The first in line may be at the highest risk of departure. This follows a trend where recent study by Monster.com showed that more than 95% of employees in the US are considering a job change post pandemic.

The C-suite is apparently not immune from that sentiment – Boards ignore at your own risk!

Similar alert for CEOs!

When was the last time you gave unsolicited feedback?

When was the last time you told one your direct reports they did a great job on something?

How realistic is your succession plan? How strong is the retention component of your executive compensation program?

Should you engage your board with some recommendations for updates/modifications to your compensation structures?

Now is the time to act, by year end your best leaders may have already taken the call.

If they take the call, they are gone.

“If you want to get paid New York rates, you work in New York … none of this, ‘I’m in Colorado … and getting paid like I’m sitting in New York City.’ Sorry. That doesn’t work.”

This comment from Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman during a recent investing conference created quite a commotion in the Twittersphere. And it’s likely that many Chief People Officers winced when they first heard it.

Is this evidence of a CEO who is insensitive to the reality of post-pandemic workplace dynamics?

Gorman continued: “Make no mistake about it. We do our work inside Morgan Stanley offices, and that’s where we teach, that’s where our interns learn, that’s how we develop people.”

So, was this actually an insight into the mind of a CEO who had assessed how best to meet the needs of his customers and organize work accordingly?

Either way, Gorman has highlighted that most organizations are going to be forced to re-evaluate how best to organize how work is performed, where it is performed, and who should perform it.

His comments also illustrated that most compensation structures are woefully out of date: why shouldn’t someone sitting in Colorado be paid as if they are sitting in New York? They’re doing the same work after all.

A recent study by Monster.com found that 95% of people are considering changing jobs following the pandemic – and according to the US Department of Labor a record 4-million people quit their jobs in April alone. A significant portion of employees also considering “fractional” employment where they work for more than one employer.

The pandemic is also forcing employers to re-think their real estate footprint, with a recent McKinsey survey showing that 9 out of 10 organizations are planning to combine remote and on-site working.

All of this will all lead to a different kind of workforce, delivering work in different ways, from different locations.

So, does it make sense to keep the traditional “one size fits all” approach to job structures and the associated pay?

Most of today’s compensation systems are focused on rewards for doing a specific job in a specific geography. And many of the job evaluation systems that help level and price these jobs are based on evaluation methodologies that are decades old and an assessment of values that are based on outdated workplace dynamics.

Now is, therefore, a perfect time to step back and reassess what is important to an organization, how best to structure the business to deliver the work, where talent should be located, and then – and only then – how best to reward that talent.

All too often in the past, compensation systems have been disconnected from the overall human capital strategy. Chief People Officers now have a unique opportunity to take a deeper, more strategic look at how you staff, who you staff – and how you keep them.

With extensive knowledge and expertise gained from supporting organizations of all sizes, OrgShakers can help you to positively “shake up” thinking about compensation systems to give you the reward agility you need to sustain and accelerate business performance.

Life expectancy is increasing, and by 2040 this is projected to rise to the age of 85.

That’s great news for me personally as I am now in my 50’s, but as an HR professional I’m also thinking about what these projections mean in the workplace – and what I should be focussing on for the future to benefit employees and to drive business performance.

The ageing population means that there are more midlife workers than ever before.

The employment rate for 50- to 64-year-olds in the UK has risen from 56% 30-years ago to 73% today – and it’s still rising.

We know that knowledge, skills, and experience are at their peak in midlife. And for employers to optimise these, they need to better understand and answer the needs of midlife workers.

Working Carers. Working age people will soon have more adult dependants than child dependants, with 1 in 6 of the workforce currently balancing their ‘day job’ with adult care responsibilities.

The pressures created by this balancing act can be enormous, with many being forced to take a career break.

Midlife workers the most likely to fall into this category, and the pandemic has had a massive impact on them with 81% saying caring responsibilities have grown due to Covid-19 and 74% feeling exhausted because of the increased stress.

Menopause and andropause are a biological fact of life and many organisations are starting to implement policies and workplace principles to support their employees through these changes.

More remains needs to be done, however, to educate managers and those without experience of midlife issues.

Career opportunities. Perversely, career and personal development opportunities for midlife workers slow down at precisely the moment they have the most to offer.

Some organisations offer a ‘returnship’ programs for individuals who have had to take a midlife career break, but these are currently very inconsistent with varied success.

There is also disparity in gender pay – especially if a person has been out of the workplace for some time and then returning.

As a proud midlife HR practitioner my aim is to shine a light for employers on the issues people face at midlife and to provide education, policies, training, seminars, and guidelines to ensure organizations can maximise the performance of an age diverse workforce.

I’m also very privileged to work with companies who are developing products to support businesses with these issues and, in doing so, help us all to live our best life, for the rest of our life.

Diversity brings a range of experience, differences in mindset, background, upbringing, world view, etc. and, as a result, diversity of thinking.

When we talk about the business benefits of diversity and inclusion we are thinking of the removal of inequitable barriers and widening of the talent pool, the richness of culture that a diverse workforce can bring and, from a business perspective, the wide range of viewpoints and ideas which create an engine for innovation and increased profitability.

Harnessing other people’s brains is a key leadership skill, as is also being able to understand others’ needs and appealing to their hearts through defining and articulating a motivating shared purpose.

The yin and yang of leadership – ‘Winning Hearts and Minds’ – should, I believe, be updated to ‘Sharing Hearts and Pooling Minds’.

The drive for diversity and inclusion in organisations is, thankfully, moving forward at pace and will hopefully lead to more diverse humans around the leadership table and thus diverse thinking in the most senior of leadership teams.

In my experience of working with senior leadership teams, there is often a vague understanding of the need and benefits of diversity. They know it’s a ‘good thing’ morally but often cannot articulate why from a business perspective and, even if they get the diverse thinking argument, they fail to fully leverage the benefits.

Many appear ill-equipped to know what to do with ideas different to their own when these appear around the senior leadership table. At its worst, they are confused that the new person that they have invited to share the table isn’t thinking like they are, isn’t towing the party line or ‘fitting in’.

Some leaders seem particularly focused on creating and ensuring team harmony, seeing the strongly held differences of opinion as conflict and to be avoided. They see a team as functioning ‘well’ when there is not dissent. But, as with many things, it is ‘how’ we challenge, not the challenge itself, that is the key. We don’t want harmony at all costs – and we don’t need outright conflict.

What we do need is ‘respectful challenge’. Ensuring that there is plenty of emotionally intelligent and respectful challenge of each other, is in my opinion, a business culture change that we need to make happen and soon.

Respectful challenge sits alongside co-creation but acknowledges that we need to draw differences of opinion out, in order to benefit from them and truly co-create, not bury the differences or paper them over in the name of being collaborative.

I am suggesting that we need to bring differences of thinking out into the open around the leadership table in a productive manner; to make it the norm to challenge openly, honestly but respectfully; to know that we don’t have the only answer, the one and only route; to really listen to and question each other with curiosity; and to find the nuggets in each of our ideas that when combined really are pure gold.

Our aim for leveraging diversity of thinking surely is not to agree quickly and move on, or shout down ideas that don’t make sense to us, our aim is to shine the light on different ideas and opinions, examine and find the optimum ideas for our organisations and then agree how to proceed.

Making the time to listen to multiple ideas drawn from many people may seem to be the antithesis of our fast moving, quickly decisive ways of working currently (and I’m not saying that we don’t have to make quick decisions in times of urgency), but we seem to have a business trend which pushes Pace over Quality – and I believe we are the poorer for it.

I have seen the following range of issues in leadership teams (sometimes several in the same team):-

‘Group think’ – where there is a lack of diverse thinking at all, such that the members are so aligned in their view of the world (same backgrounds, experiences etc) that “there cannot possibly be any other way to do things or think about things” – can there?
Intimidating leader – will brook no dissent, closes down debate, already thinks they personally have all the answers and that their job is to get everyone else to see the merit of their idea and agree with it.
Learned helplessness – often as a result of the intimidating leader, people give up airing views especially those they believe are not aligned with the leader’s viewpoint. They tend to leave the ideas and strategy to the alpha leader. This is dangerous for so many reasons – how good are the ideas from the leader? Harnessing other ideas is likely to create better end results and get buy-in. People are demotivated when they don’t have a voice – even senior leaders – and may leave.
Silent dissent – the team seem to agree with a course of action, or do not surface objections around the table, but mutter dissent outside of the meetings in small groups of allies. As a result, issues return to the table time after time or proceed slowly as people do not agree with the course of action and drag their feet.
Open aggression – the team all sit in their silos only thinking about their own business function and argue their position without listening to each other or focusing on what is best for the whole organisation.

None of the above are particularly healthy or lead to optimum functioning of a leadership team.

So, what are the solutions? Here are a few:

Hire diverse talent and recognise that what you will hopefully get is lots of difference in opinion, thinking and ideas. As a leader YOU need to learn how to best harness the differences and not try to bend diversity to fit into the existing ‘group think’ or shut down dissent. (I coach leaders to manage their concern over dissent and control their tendencies to take over and drive only their point of view).
Really understand that there are individual differences in thinking, not that someone just doesn’t get what you are saying or isn’t as smart as you! Remember that our goal is to understand each of our team’s unique viewpoints on topics precisely because each person truly does not think the same as the next and may have some great ideas and insights that may not occur to us. (I run neuroscience training to help individuals understand this key point.)
Develop the habits of active listening and questioning with curiosity, create team norms around these behaviours. I do this work with individuals and teams.
Encourage and make time for challenge – not conflict – and make respectful challenge a stated behaviour of your leadership team, reminding each other every meeting and interaction.
To respectfully challenge, team members need to feel that the environment is psychologically safe for them to step up and share a different perspective. So, develop your emotional intelligence, EQ – the ‘how’ we interact and communicate with each other – and hire talent with strong EQ or develop the EQ of the whole team. (I run individual EQ assessments and coaching and EQ awareness sessions).
Ensure that whoever is leading the meeting draws out the thinking of all in the group that wish to contribute and allows for different methods of contribution. For example, some people prefer to reflect and then suggest ideas – so send details of the key issues out ahead of the meeting or allow them time after the meeting to come back with thoughts.

Now, the cry I often hear when discussing respectful challenge and co-creation is “it takes so much longer to hear others’ views”. My response to that is yes, it can take time, but the outcomes will be of higher quality, you will innovate more frequently, you will have more buy-in and less instances of having to ‘do-over’ as potential objections and new ideas will have been addressed.

Of course, there will be instances when, in a time critical situation, a more rapid response may be needed – and often this will need to lean on the expertise of one or two people in the group advising the others. That said, in my experience once respectful challenge becomes the norm within a team it becomes quicker to achieve results that truly work as opposed to the delays that arise from the huddles of dissent outside of the meetings.

In summary, in order to really leverage the benefits of diversity we need to develop habits and behaviours which allow us to harness everyone’s unique brains. It’s not enough just to invite diverse thinking to the table and then think ‘job done’, we have to really be prepared to open up our minds to differences of opinion and build a culture of speak up and listen.

We need to build the emotional intelligence skills to actively listen, question with curiosity, build the skill of respectful challenge in all members of our leadership teams, and be humble enough to know that we don’t have all the answers and our job as leaders isn’t to provide all the answers ourselves.

Pride Month had become an affinity month that lives in two places in my mind.

First, it is the celebration of who I am, who I married, and progress towards true recognition and justice.

Second, it is a period where organizations mumble through encouraging statements, high-fives, and rainbow merchandise most of which I honestly won’t wear … and certainly won’t buy!

This duality has caused a bit of an internal struggle, as I watch most organizations take up space in a perceived effort to capitalize on and market to the Queer Community, while never instituting change with the intention of longevity.

However, there remains a huge opportunity for companies big and small to do something purposeful and use this moment to create a meaningful sustainable impact.

The truth is most organizations still do not know what to do to express allyship and inclusivity, but they desperately want direction in this space. So, they show up in June waving the rainbow flag smiling so big like “Hey – look we did it!” Unfortunately for them, we can hold those flags ourselves. The month of recognition is nice to have, but what members of the Queer Community deserve from their places of work are the policies, procedures, language, and systems that not only support who they are, but affirm who they are through company sponsored practices.

OrgShakers know this. In celebration of Pride Month, we would like to affirm the Queer Community by lifting the burden of explanation and ideas.

We are offering a conversation on Applying Allyship with leaders in the people space. This dialog will touch on the topics of where we start, how can allyship be applied tangibly, inclusive language and practices, and providing structure internally to make these ideas a reality.

Therese Procter and Marty Belle, who both have global experience in bringing these ideas to life in many organizations, will be hosting FREE virtual seminars from 10.00am CDT / 4.00pm BST on Thursday June 17 and Thursday June 24, 2021.

We would love to see many of you attend to join our conversation, so please CLICK HERE or scan the QR code below to register.

As the world’s major economies begin their journey out of the pandemic, OrgShakers’ Andy Parsley warns in this Forbes interview that employers are “bouncing back into a labor market at least as tight as it was before Covid.”

Dealing with this will require organizations to think about the longer-term impact of the actions they take to address this challenge.

Phil Mickelson stunned the golf world on Sunday when he finished off his win in the PGA Championship to become, at 50, the oldest golfer ever to win a major championship.

He finished the event shooting six under par. After his win, praise flooded in from across not just the golf community, but from other star athletes and celebrities across the world. His performance was truly inspiring.

What came after, was not so much an explanation of how Mickelson reached the finest achievement of his career, but insistence of how he never believed his time on golf’s frontline was over.

Mickelson admitted ”it is very possible that this is the last tournament I ever win. It’s also very possible that I may have had a little bit of a breakthrough in some of my focus and maybe I’ll go on a little bit of a run. But the point is, there’s no reason why I or anybody else can’t do it at a later age … it just takes a little bit more work.”

This immediately made me think of my father Michael.

At 83 years young, his passion for golf is a strong today as it was at the age of 7 when the Christian Brother monks would give him time off school from so he could caddy for American visitors at the course near his home in Lehinch, Co. Clare in Ireland. He received golf balls as payment and split the proceeds with the monks.

Last year, he won the senior singles competition at his club against a 55-year-old opponent.
He’d previously won the same title in 1996 – but he wasn’t going to let 24 years, two hip replacements, a knee replacement, and COPD get in his way!

Like Phil Mickelson, he believes that there’s no reason why you can’t keep going – and that one day, when the wind is on your back and the sun on your face … you might just get a win!

My dad really inspires me never to give up and to keep on learning. It’s a lesson I’ve taken from him and one I’ve passed to my two daughters and the countless leaders I’ve had the privilege to coach.

My colleague Pamela Kingsland at Orgshakers also talks and writes about how we can keep developing and learning all through our lives and age should never be a barrier.

As a woman who is now mid-life, I’m so encouraged by that.
And both Phil and my Dad are testament to the fact that for all the mid-lifers (and even those who’ve entered later-life) … now is our time!

As I was writing this, a poem I had read some time ago came into my head: ‘Don’t Let Anyone Mess With Your Swing’.

It wasn’t written for golf, but it could have been. It was written about a Boston baseball player called Ted Williams, and this verse is my favourite:

Enjoy your talents. Have your fling.
The seasons change. The years advance.
Watch the ball and do your thing.
And don’t let anybody mess with your swing.

Last week, I wrote about a personal milestone, the 40^th anniversary of my first solo flight in an aircraft aged just 16, and what I have learned about business leadership from my flying experiences.

This first article was focussed on self-awareness, risk mitigation and shared responsibilities.

There are three additional areas that really stand out for me.

The first of these is about effective communication. Pilots are taught to communicate effectively, for example with Air Traffic Control. In order to do this, they have to learn to listen carefully, to allow the speaker to finish what they are saying and to seek clarification of any detail of which they are unsure, no matter how minor.

Effective business leadership and outstanding communication are inextricably intertwined. The strongest leaders spend much of their time listening for understanding, they actively want people to speak up without fear of a negative consequence and they respect differences of opinion and champion the best ideas, regardless of who has voiced them. They also quickly adapt their communication style as circumstances develop.

The next area is about creating the right culture – a culture that facilitates careful consideration and calculated risk-taking on one hand and that also deals constructively with the aftermath when mistakes happen. It recognizes when something has gone wrong, it brings it to the table and focusses on what can be learned, rather than attributing blame.

Most pilots learn significantly from what’s gone wrong for others and consequently have the humility to openly admit to their own mistakes and share what they have learned as a result. In my experience, the best business leaders are comfortable doing the same.

Finally, and most importantly, flying for most pilots is fundamentally about continuous learning and self-improvement. Every experience is an opportunity to learn and become more skilled and more effective than the day before. This goes way beyond any regulatory requirements and can include both formal and informal training, listening to others and active self-reflection. In my own case, it extends to a personal journal that I complete after every flight.

Similarly, business leaders who stop learning stop leading. Business leaders who create most impact tend to look on every business challenge as an opportunity to learn something new for themselves, and then share their learnings so that individuals, teams and organisations can adopt a similar mindset and achieve sustainable growth. They are able to step up from the hurly-burly of the everyday and take responsibility for their own learning and for the learning of those around them. In this way, they also create the strongest legacies.

In business, the overall approach to continuous learning differs by sector, organization and individual. Whatever the approach, mentoring and executive coaching can play a vital role. They help leaders and aspiring leaders develop self-awareness, thinking and understanding, good judgement and communication skills in a safe, thought-provoking and creative way that is personalized to the needs and circumstances of the individual.

They foster a mindset around continuous learning and self-improvement in order to maximise personal and professional potential and, for many people, they ultimately help them become more fulfilled in their careers. For me personally, this is what I most enjoy as a mentor and executive coach.

That day 40 years ago remains vivid in my memory, particularly my instructor stepping out of the aircraft, smiling and signing me off for solo flight. After I had landed, a little stunned at what I just done, his congratulations and just a few words that made a big impact on me, “A textbook first solo, I’m sure it’s the first of many.”

He was correct. I just hadn’t anticipated that I would find parallel learnings in flying and in business.

If you’re interested in learning more about mentoring and executive coaching, or if you have anything to add to this article, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you.