The most effective way to develop as a leader?

Claire Marsland

Meta People & Organisation Development Limited

HR Consultant

The concept of leadership is a compelling one. It’s been a subject of great interest and debate throughout history, and particularly so in the business world in recent times. Many theories and questions exist – Are leaders born or made? Is leadership different from management? Is management leadership’s dull cousin? Can women be good leaders? What’s your leadership style? Can you change it in different situations? Do you need to have charisma? Are you a transformational leader?! At Meta, we believe that leadership is about how you go about your work, and how you motivate, guide and communicate with different people to best effect. It’s about having clarity of purpose, being focused on doing the right things and being conscious of how that affects others. We’re also interested in how you do this in a day-to-day practical, rather than theoretical, way. Without doubt, the best way to understand this is through personal 360o feedback – honest and constructive feedback from others on what you do well and where you could be more effective. A well-designed and facilitated 360o feedback process is, in our view, the basis of ‘gold standard’ of leadership and personal development because it provides valuable personal information. This will tell you how you come across, and where your strengths and limitations lie. You can then decide what to do about it and so make specific, practical plans on which to base your future development. This is equally valuable whether you’re in your first management role or have long experience in senior positions. 360o surveys are usually questionnaire-based with feedback from different groups of colleagues presented anonymously and collated together. A note of caution though; the process must be well-managed. People need to be briefed carefully beforehand and they must approach it with positive and mature intentions. Confidentiality is paramount. As long as this is the case, it’s a very straightforward and helpful exercise which can have real impact. Yes, it’s about understanding how you can be more effective in your role. But we’ve also worked with people who’ve been very touched and motivated by the support and positive feedback they received – no-one had told them before how well they did things or how much their approach in a particular area was appreciated. At Meta, we have extensive experience of designing and delivering 360o surveys in different organisations. We’re currently offering a highly-effective fixed-price programme consisting of a 360o survey based on nine key leadership competencies, with face-to-face feedback and development planning, followed by two further sessions of personal coaching. This is great CPD. The price is £695 plus VAT. To discuss this programme or any other issues around people and organisation development, contact us at contact@metapod.co.uk or ring Claire (07814 162299) or Justine (07967 672416) Website www.metapod.co.uk

Claire Marsland

Meta People & Organisation Development Limited

HR Consultant

MCIPD-qualified HR consultant with 20 years experience of helping people and organisations to be more positive, proactive and effective. We specialise in assessment and development solutions,…