We are so excited here at RuralScope.  We turn 20 years old in 2020.  We are celebrating by sharing 20 stories.  These will include highlights, lowlights and learnings.  A unique insight into our development - personal and business for you.  Our aim is to share learnings to support others who live and work across rural Australia.   

This is our ninth story in the series.  I have always loved reading, watching and learning from others who are successful.  My bedside table always has at least one biography on there.  If you know me well, you likely know I’m a bit of a sticky beak – a nice one – always interested in other people’s lives – both who they are and what they do.  And I’ve turned it into a business practise and one that I think everyone in business should take on.  So here’s what it is… 

Clarity comes before confidence is a simple concept.  Try putting it into practise and you will find that it's not as easy as it first sounds.  Master the simplicity of it and you will be well on your way to building success in both your work and personal lives. Clarity is all about being coherent, understanding and planning what you want to say before you say it. Knowing what your vision is and then taking the steps to get there.  Being clear about who you are and what is important to you, your team, your business, your project etc, means that you will be able to say no to opportunities that present but don't fit with your direction.  This is a deal maker as so many people talk with me about being over loaded and not even having enough time for themselves.  If you are clear about your focus, vision or future then you will have the confidence to say no and to put in place the actions and steps that really matter. Here are 9 tips to help....

WOW what an inspiration!  Our Director, Jo Eady attended the recent Australian Cotton Conference and came back to the office raving about the key note presentation from Rachael Robertson.  Rachael was one of the youngest people to ever lead an Antarctic expedition and one of the first women.  In this pressure cooker environment, Rachael was forced to develop strategies to deal with the isolation, scrutiny and demands of extreme leadership.  With no way in and no way out she had to make it work.  Rachael is a down to earth, authentic, resilient and innovative leader, highly regarded by those she leads.  Read on to find out the six things that she believes led her expeditioners to rank her as 'inspirational'.  And then apply these to your own situations......

Public speaking is a topic that almost everyone who comes into our leadership programs want to improve.  I can almost guarantee that when we ask program participants about their expectations, 75% or more will share public speaking, making presentations, sharing my ideas with confidence, managing my nerves before speaking and being positive when speaking.  Here are some key tips to help.

First impressions count!  As a leader, it is important that you are aware of the impression you give.  And it's as important that this is the real you and is the positive impression you want others to have of you.  It's also important that you own this from your very first meeting with others - whether this be on line or in person.  It matters because your first impression is enduring.  Positive impressions lead to positive and effective relationships.  Here are 10 tips to make your first impression positive!