Great leadership is a way of interacting, thinking, empowering - a way of being. It comes from a set of skills that can be developed by anyone willing to put in the effort. This is why I started the LeadMe Academy. I wanted to provide an accessible programme that develops and creates leaders at every level of an organisation.
As many companies embrace more matrixed teams and flatter structures, there will be less focus on the select few at the top who tout specific titles or tenure and more emphasis on everyone having the autonomy to lead themselves and manage projects. While there is a time and place for some hierarchical systems, many of us have witnessed that just because you have a leadership title, does not mean you have the ability to lead or inspire others.
Leadership starts with self. At LeadMe, we understand that when individuals thrive and take charge of their own personal lives, they gain the headspace and confidence to step up and take the lead at work. This isn’t always easy. It requires carving out time to examine self. Something many of us avoid.
And yet, this is the backbone to the way we think, engage, communicate, connect, and collaborate. If we don’t know ourselves well, we can’t begin to understand others well either. Our programme is built on a holistic approach - that individual success is intertwined with the success of an organisation.
Our programme is based on a combination of adult-learning theory, applied neuroscience, behavioural theory and positive psychology. The skills we teach on LeadMe are foundational to great leadership, but the work continues beyond the lessons.
This is why we combine micro-lessons, coaching feedback, live sessions, reflection and application exercises over the course of a year, so participants can truly shift their behaviour for the long term, better witness their own growth, be encouraged along the way and also get challenged with new perspectives or goals to strive for.
Soft skills are also called people skills because they are the foundation for healthy relationships. We know that social connection is key to mental wellbeing and that building trust, promoting teamwork, and fostering a positive work culture are imperative for individual, team and organisational success and a sense of belonging. Everyone and every company can benefit from developing soft skills, such as:
Self-Awareness: Identify your habits, strengths and opportunities, and recognise how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact others.
Emotional Intelligence: Cultivate empathy, emotional management, and the ability to build strong interpersonal relationships.
Effective Communication & Collaboration: Learn how to better connect, convey ideas effectively, and give and receive powerful feedback.
Critical and Creative Thinking: Feel more empowered to analyse an issue, solve problems, and generate innovative ideas.
Resilience and Adaptability: Learn how to take proactive steps, embrace change, and adapt to new situations with the right mindset.
While the top have a significant impact on the culture of the organisation, a bottom-up/top-down approach to development is far more powerful. This shows people that they are valued at all levels and provides them a platform for growth while enabling teams to adapt and navigate change more easily.
Ultimately it transforms the company narrative and allows an organisation to align around a common language, impacting the culture and way of being throughout the organisation.
My vision when starting LeadMe was
to help individuals take the lead in their lives and careers. I kept seeing recurring trends while coaching that ultimately became the backbone of our programme. Read more about this
here.
I’d love to hear how your company approaches leadership and how we could partner to develop and create leaders at all levels of your organisation. Let’s connect on
Linkedin or email me at jackie@leadme.academy
