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!     

LEADERSHIP is as much about WELLBEING as it is about anything else.  That's what we think anyway!  It's great to be a leader BUT we really want you to be a happy one, NOT a leader at the expense of happiness.  We know that happiness means different things to each of you and that the pathways to happiness are different for each individual.  Stop for a minute and think about yourself and other leaders that you know in your business / organisation, community and or industry.  How many of them are happy leaders??  And remember it is how we interact with the outside world in our daily activities and how our attitude to life comes from inside us that matters most.  Today I am sharing this fabulous poster from Action for Happiness based in London.... yep HAPPINESS is a global aspiration.  It's a great one, take a look..... 

Have you just completed a leadership development program?  If you have then read on as there are some things you can do now that will maximise your leadership outcomes.  You will have invested a lot to complete a leadership program.  It takes time away from home / your business, money, replacement of staff, missing family events and of course the cost of the leadership program itself.  Turning up and participating in a leadership program is not enough!  It is what you do after the experience that will really add to your knowledge and skill development and hence the opportunities, impact and the outcomes for yourself, your family, your business, your community and / or your industry. Some researchers go as far as saying that you can achieve 50+% more after a program if you take the time and energy to put in place 'integration' strategies.  Over many years of facilitating programs, I have observed participants 'return to the way things were' after a program while others from exactly the same program seem to find their 'leadership wings' and fly. I think it is what participants do after a program that makes the difference.  Here are 8 tips to get the most from your recent leadership development program.