Skill 1 – Coaching

Leaders must be guides and supporters. It’s no longer about being directive, it’s about empowering others to be the best they can be. A key function of the future leader’s role will be to empower and develop the skills of their team via coaching.

Skill 2 – Adaptability

Having the ability to be adaptive creates an edge for leaders to manage change and adversity. Individuals, teams and organisations see opportunities and growth when they are adaptive. Investing in leadership and training yourself and others to be adaptable will be a great investment.

Skill 3 – Tech and More Tech

Being fluent in digital literacy is going to be a must in both life and work. You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to know enough to have conversations and make decisions about technology use as an individual, for your team and or your business.

Skill 4 – Human Centred or Non Technical Skills

We believe non – technical skills is a better term for human or people skills. These skills are like glue. They are the skills everyone needs outside of their technical knowledge and technical skills. Think emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills etc. I’ve seen some research that’s saying non – technical skills will outweigh technical skills by double. And I often say that there will be no room by the end of this decade for leaders that are technically proficient only. In fact, the future belongs to leaders who can lead the expertise in their teams without having to possess the technical skills themselves.

Skill 5 – Agility

Training and retraining will be required to keep pace with societal changes. Having an agile mindset is much more important than a set and forget type mindset. It must be open and curious at all times. You can become a better leader by being agile and embracing new and changing skill sets depending on the job or project you’re working on.

Over to You

So how do you stack up? Jot down the 5 skills above and give yourself a rating of your current competence out of 5 (Where 5 is the highest). See which skills you could develop and get about it. It doesn’t mean you need to find a training program (this is often what people think they need to do). Do some reading about the skill, share with colleagues the skills you want to develop and ask them to think of you for future projects, google the topic and see what you find, write up an action list and finally keep an eye open for any training that will support you.

Good luck. And please feel free to reach out to me here if you think I can help in any way.

Until next time!

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What is a Megatrend?

Megatrends are shifts reshaping the world we live in. The today as we know it will be very different to the today in 2030+ Although you don’t have a crystal ball, it is possible to think ahead (and plan ahead) taking account of these predictive megatrends. We’ve leaned on the work of global consulting business Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) to remove the guesswork. Read on for the 5 Megatrends they have identified.

5 Megatrends towards 2030+

Megatrend 1 – Climate Change

Megatrend 2 – Technological Disruption

Megatrend 3 – Demographic Shifts

Megatrend 4 – Fracturing World

Megatrend 5 – Social Instability

What should you do with these Megatrends?

Megatrends provide us with issues that reach from a global to a local level. What’s even trickier is that they don’t exist in isolation. It’s the relationships between them that can make them difficult to identify and work with as they are so interrelated. This sees many people put the thought of the future and megatrends into the too hard basket and return to the trusty daily “to do” list. I hope this post encourages you to give some thought to megatrends and how understanding them and their likely impacts will influence decisions you make today.

Questions to ask yourself about Megatrends

1. What megatrend resonates with me the most? Why?
2. Which megatrend has the potential to impact my work / business the most? What can I do about this?
3. Which megatrend has the potential to impact my community the most? Do I have a role to play here? What is the role?

Over to you

I hope you keep the idea of megatrends in your thinking when you are planning and making decisions about your future, your work, business and or community. As I said earlier, there’s no crystal ball but these megatrends can serve as guideposts or things to consider. Take a google of megatrends and see what you can find as they do change (and at an incredible rate).

Good luck. And please feel free to reach out to me here if you think I can help in any way.

Until next time!

The post 5 Ways to be a Futurist and Understand Megatrends appeared first on Ruralscope.

People are our greatest asset. So much more can be achieved when we work together than we ever could alone. Whether you work with your team face to face or via distance, across the country or around the world, taking time to come together and celebrate is a must. Sadly, this doesn’t happen often enough and team members can be left feeling disrespected and undervalued. So, here are 5 ways you can celebrate with your team and boost morale at the same time. It’s a win win for everyone!

1. Reflect on Your Team’s Successes – Recognise your team’s achievements – big and small.  Mention them in a newsletter, share about it in your end of year speech of thanks to staff or host a special morning tea and share credit and give recognition to all that have contributed to the success.
2. Send a Personal Note of Thanks – This works just fine either by snail mail or email. I have a colleague who sends an email of thanks to someone in his network every morning when he boots up his computer for the day. It works!
3. Offer an Incentive – A great motivation when the going gets tough. Incentive the team not the individual. This sees them work better together and help each other along the way resulting in a much more effective team out. An incentive could be a team lunch or night out, a half day extra off prior to the Summer break etc.    
4. Have A Shared Lunch – A shared lunch paid for by the business is always going to be a winner. If you all work in the same office, set the date and time well ahead so that everyone can be there. And shared lunches work just as well virtually – again set the date and time, arrange for Uber eats to deliver and then open the ZOOM room! A shared paddock or tractor cab lunch works too!
5. Help People to Accept Praise – Have you ever seen someone offered thanks or given praise only to hear them respond immediately with “no thanks needed” or “it was nothing”? It’s important to help people understand the value they bring to the team / project etc. Ultimately this goes a long way to building morale and resilience, and overtime, reducing burnout.

I’d love you to plan one of these over the next few weeks and offer your team a morale boost at the same time. Plan it well based on the needs and interests of your team. Let me know how it goes for you and if you choose to use a different way to these 5, I’d be grateful if you could let me know.

Please reach out here.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Right now, I want you to take a minute to imagine how many other people will benefit from the small and then larger changes you can make. Imagine the vision for change you can create. You see the interesting thing is that many people are blind to seeing things that need to be changed and even fewer have the drive, passion or interest do something about it.

You are reading this post today so it’s likely you are different. I’m committed to supporting individuals just like you to take that step into leadership even when you are scared that others could talk about you negatively or think you are bossy. Leadership creates positive change and this is worth going for. Today I want to share with you 4 lessons that have served people I’ve worked with well and have given them confidence right from the outset.

The first is that stepping up into leadership is a decision. It’s a decision that you should and need to make. Others can recognise your leadership talent but until you do, its highly likely that you will sabotage your own efforts to get there. I always say to people I work with, just like you, it’s important to draw a line in the sand. And what I mean by this is to recognise where you are today and to commit moving forward with your leadership journey whatever you decide it to be.

The second lesson is to identify your strengths and know what these are. There are knockers in life and there are knockers in workplaces and in business too. Once you sign off on your very own set of unique strengths and we all have them, then they act as an anchor like a tree trunk that keeps you deeply anchored to the earth. You can sway, it’s impossible to do everything right, 100% right all the time, especially in unchartered waters, but you always have the capacity to come back and stand tall in your strengths. Your strengths are yours, they belong to you and it’s important to use them.

The third lesson is just be yourself. It’s super important. It’s about knowing how to act and what to say and to who and then to stick to it. I want to really really stress here to pay attention to who you are and take your gorgeous authentic self with you everywhere. Have you ever seen someone act differently in a leadership role because they think they should? My advice is definitely not to do that, be yourself and let your true self shine through each and every time. It’s your unique band – Brand YOU – that people like and I suggest you keep building on this and continue to attract people to you. The more people you have around you the more change you can make.

The fourth and final lesson for today to step up into leadership and avoid the bossy label is all about communication. This is about listening to what you say, how you say it and importantly who you speak to. As a leader it’s your job to listen to what others are saying and ensure your voice is heard by everyone that will be affected by your vision and work. It’s impossible to listen and speak to everyone but it’s essential that you include everyone in the change process. I love focus groups and consultation so people can have their say and feel like they are being heard, especially in large workplaces or if you are leading a whole industry. As a leader you can make this happen. I’ve seen the results with people just like you and how ready followers are to jump on board and back new ideas.

I’m sure some people will tell you that they worked hard to get to where they are today in leadership and I have no doubt they did, But I think you can get there faster by acknowledging out loud to yourself that you want to;

1. Step up into a leadership role or become a true leader of your own work / business,
2. Play to your strengths and build on them quickly,
3. Show up as your true and authentic self each and every time and
4. Listen and speak to those that will be part of your vision and the changes you lead.

I’d love to help you draw a line in the sand and achieve your leadership vision. So, if you’d like to set your vision, identify your own strengths and create a Leadership Plan that will see you achieve your vision faster than you ever thought possible, I can help you. Please reach out.

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There is no doubt that we all face adversity from time to time. Things can and will go wrong and it’s important for you to have your own way of working through these difficult times. And as a leader to support others work through these times as well. In agriculture and rural communities there’s also the natural elements of drought, flood and fire. No one asks for these and I do want to acknowledge that when they hit they sure can knock you for a 6 and affect how you respond both immediately and into the future.

I’ve personally watched people and leaders deal with adversity and I want to tell you that those who have already found their own way of dealing with set backs, roadblocks and found ways to meet and move through hard times can thrive as a result of adversity. Yes from what I’ve seen in my work though living and working in rural Australia you can actually thrive through adversity. I want to share 5 ways you can create, grow and thrive through adversity so that you have your very own thrive through adversity plan at your finger tips.

The first one is to be prepared. The mind set of be prepared for the worst but hope for the best is a ripper. It means that you have thought through all the what ifs and even have a plan in place for if a fire, flood etc hits or if you wake up one morning and find you have been misquoted on the front page of the newspaper or if your annual staff appraisal doesn’t go as planned. There’s definitely a place for thinking through worse case scenarios in helping you to become mentally prepared for whatever life, work or business throws at you.

The second insight is to be true to your purpose. It’s important for you to know why you are doing what you are doing. This helps to drive you and to keep going when things don’t go to plan. Your purpose helps you to stick at something – especially when it gets tough. You will face things that are definitely beyond your control as a leader and at times things will be uncomfortable. It’s at these times that being clear on what your purpose is and what your role is will help you to return to the job at hand and what’s most important and meaningful to you. I’m a big believer that purpose and positive energy can get you through.

The third insight is to keep a sense of humour. This one can be so very difficult but laughter truly is the best medicine. You and you alone are responsible for your mood and I really believe that stepping back and putting some distance between yourself and an issue allows you to see what’s truly important and to eventually find the lighter side. And laughter and humour are your body’s way of coping – a good laugh releases feel good chemicals which help to reset and keep a positive mind set.

The fourth insight is to surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you. These are people who you respect and trust. And they are people that you know wholeheartedly want the very best for you. Someone once told me that you become the sum of who you surround yourself with so choose carefully. It’s equally as important to recognise people that aren’t serving you well and to limit your time with them.

And the fifth and final insight for today AND perhaps the most important one of all it to believe in yourself. When you are hit with adversity, unchosen change or things outside your control it is so important that you believe that you are capable of leading yourself and others through uncertainty and can find a way forward. Stay as open minded as you can and call on your self-confidence to get you through, others will be relying on you.

So there are the 5 insights for you. I encourage you to see adversity as an opportunity, to face it with an open mind and to call upon your own insights and confidence to chart the best path forward. And most importantly value yourself and others through this time.

If you like this post and want to explore ways of working with me, please check out our programs here. Or get in touch straight away, send a direct message here.

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I think that if you’re willing to ask these questions then you’re ready to get started and take on the leadership challenge. Afterall, if you don’t push the start button on this, how will you ever know just how far and fast your leadership can go? It all starts with believing in yourself. Today, I’m sharing with you the top 5 lessons that I’ve seen work for emerging leaders over the last 20 years – YES these are tried and tested.

LESSON 1 – Keep a Notebook

We are exposed to leaders every single day – either face to face through our job or business or via social media, TV, books, documentaries and newspapers. And it can be through your personal life too. Take each opportunity to watch, listen and jot down things that these leaders say or do that can apply to yourself or where you are at right now on your leadership journey. And then on a regular basis go back over your notes, highlight those that resonate and then there’s just one more step. And this is the most important really … take the idea to an action and write it into your own leadership action plan. And just in case you are wondering I think everyone should have a Leadership Action Plan no matter where you are on your leadership journey.

LESSON 2 – Develop your Leadership Language

Effective leaders communicate well. They’re able to understand complex items and communicate them in a way that most people will be able to understand. This means;

Increase your leadership vocabulary. Choose your words wisely – make sure they fit who you are and start using them. Ensure you use words that are easy for people you are talking to understand.

Know when to use “I” and “We” and know that when you use “I”; for example, “I will take the lead on inducting new employees into the team” – you are highlighting yourself. And when you use “we”, you are highlighting the value of the team. It’s important to choose which one to use with who as you don’t want to be seen as big noting yourself all the time! 

And Reflect back to people what you hear them say so they have confidence you have actually heard what they’ve said. This is really important, as its how people feel that is important to whether they will act or NOT.

LESSON 3 – Fast track your career or business is Show Commitment and Dedication to Something 

Get your teeth into a task or project and keep at it even when it gets tough. Infact, it’s even more important to stick at it when things get tough – this helps you push through where the majority would stop. Taking on a task or project – especially a difficult one and seeing it through will shine a positive spotlight on you. And you want this. You don’t just want to show up like everyone else, you want to show your strengths and difference. You want to stand out for all the right reasons. It won’t take long for others to notice this and want you on their team or to have you manage a project for them.         

LESSON 4 – Take Considered Risks

Choose your time and place to challenge the status quo. This shows you aren’t scared to say what you think and that you have an eye for doing things differently. Others will see that you are committed to innovation and creating positive change. Back this up with a vision and a plan and get implementing.

This might sound simplistic so I must say something really important here…

I’ve worked with plenty of people who have been able to brainstorm, bring up and challenge new ways of doing things; BUT it’s when you are able to do this AND implement actions to bring about the change that the magic happens.

LESSON 5 – Build Your Network.

I want to start by saying this is not about how many business cards you have or how many listings you have on your database, instead this is about how many people actually know you! Interacting with others is the only way to build you network and your profile, there is no way around this. And each time you do it, someone is likely to make a decision on whether there is value in connecting with you again. This is where you come in! 

• Give people a call and ask them for advice and input 
• Include them in collaborations with you – this could be as simple as asking if you can quote them in an article or if you can share something they’ve said in a future meeting
• Reach out to mentors – where you can ask for feedback about your profile and leadership and what you can do to polish your leadership traits.

OVER TO YOU

So how about it, do you want to stop wasting time and grow into leadership so you can lead and impact even more positive change? If it’s a YES, then please know you can do it and start taking notes and putting in place some actions today to help you get there. And if you’d like to check out our programs and how to work with us, click here.

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Before we start, I want to share what I mean by a stand out leader. To me you are a stand out leader if you know yourself well – you need to know yourself from the inside out – from the top of your head right down to your toes. You need to know what makes you tick, what your values and .drivers are. You are a stand-out leader if you can create a vision, empower others and effectively lead long lasting change. So let’s get to my 7 steps.

Step 1 – So, the first stand out step is that you don’t profess to know everything. You show up as you are and don’t profess to be better or know more because you now have the role or label as Chair or President, Manager or Minister! Instead you are a learner first and foremost and you contribute to change by taking risks. It’s important you remain open to new ideas and what people have to say and share with you.

Step 2 – The next step is that you model and encourage healthy striving – you want everyone to do better and to show empathy as well as self compassion always. This is super important as it drawers’ people to you because they see and feel that you care. And in turn this makes them step up.

Step 3 – The next standout step is that you set boundaries – you can say no when you mean no and help others to do the same. And when you communicate you are clear and kind so that everyone understands that what you say is what you mean.

Step 4 – Another step is that you take time to offer gratitude and celebrate steps and achievements along the way – both for yourself and for others. You understand the value of a simple thank you. And others will respect you for it.

Step 5 – From what I’ve seen, a big step for the stand out leader is that you can create vision and then cultivate commitment from others and have them come on board with a shared vision and purpose. When people can see the big picture because it’s painted for them – And it makes sense – they’ll want to be a part of the activity and come on board. I have worked on projects where I’ve been told certain people won’t come on board because they always boo hoo new ideas. Without too much fuss, I have watched as they have bought into the vision of a standout leader and in many cases have taken on new activities in support of the vision and encouraged others to do the same.

Step 6 – And as a standout leader you lead from the heart, you create a sense of belonging where everyone is welcome, and you value all contributions and encourage others to do the same. You use your personal power “with rather than over” others and this gives people the confidence to speak up and act. Instead of hearing the voice of one person, you will hear the voices of many. 

Step 7 – The final step, as a stand out leader is that you know how to let go of your ego and be vulnerable. This means you ask for help when you need it and are happy to say when you don’t know the answer. Without getting too mushy here, your biggest asset as a leader is your heart and to live into your values and build trust with others. It really all starts and stops with this one.  It’s a biggie.

I know that Stand out leaders are daring leaders. And as Brene Brown, one of the worlds greatest thought leaders of all time says, “who we are is how we lead”. So, I encourage you to go the next step. To lead from your heart and become a stand out leader. Your team and the world needs more stand out leaders. I hope you’ll accept my challenge. Please get in touch here if you’d like to work with us, we’d love to hear from you.

The post Become a Stand-Out Leader Today appeared first on Ruralscope.

Tip ONE  

First impressions matter online these days just as much as they do in person. Take a look at your image on line. What do you think?  Does it reflect the true and positive you? If so, great. If not then it is likely to be time to do something about it. Many people will ‘check you out’ online and this will determine is they follow up to meet you in person.

Tip TWO 

People scan you to agree or disagree with the impression you give. This means you can be very articulate but if your appearance is ‘sloppy’ then the person will look to confirm this impression (regardless of what you say!) by finding sloppiness in your work, communication, projects etc. Yes, first impressions matter – make yours real and consistent.

Tip THREE  

Deliver ahead of schedule. Under promise and over deliver. 

Tip FOUR  

Take interest and understand the business and people you are meeting / dealing with. Find out what you can about them – their vision, goals, projects, networks etc and use these to advantage. It shows you care and people respond to this positively.

Tip FIVE  

Yes, it’s time.  We all make mistakes. The important thing about this is to be real, own up, tell the truth and apologise. And overall, take steps to correct the mistake – it is a great measure of accepting and taking responsibility – much better than hoping it’s not noticed!

Tip SIX  

Things don’t always go to plan. In fact, you can find yourself in a crisis at work! If this happens, what’s important is how you present and manage yourself. And those who step up and take action are always well regarded. 

Tip SEVEN  

Make adjustments when necessary. Take time to get to know and show empathy towards others. Look at how people like to communicate and adjust your style to suit to make it easy for them to understand. You will be seen as flexible and always willing to help others out.

Tip EIGHT  

Always be open to learning. No-one knows everything! Keep up with the latest trends and help others to understand these too.

Tip NINE  

Run your own race! Keep focussed on the job at hand. Leave the egos and the show offs to find another audience. Be polite and don’t invest in their needs. Always invest in your own and work to show yourself for who you are.

Tip TEN  

Remember to always say THANK YOU.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful and you put some of them into practice. My favourite is Tip 7, all about empathy, it’s a skill that can be developed and nurtured to build more effective workplace relationships. Good luck and have fun with what tips you choose to action.

I hope to hear from you soon.

The post Do you think First Impressions Count?    appeared first on Ruralscope.

Way back then I worked on a program with the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA).

 They asked me to facilitate a personal / professional development program for women in rural, regional and remote areas. And it had to be available to all no matter where they worked or lived. It was our first all ‘distance learning’ program that we developed and delivered. Pretty sure we worked with about 18 women and one of these was a cotton grower from northern NSW.       

Upon reflection, I can clearly see there’s a big difference between ‘doing the work’ and ‘telling people you can do the work’.  We started to work in the Cotton industry because others recognized the value of our work and spoke about it.  Maybe because we were not from within the industry we were seen as different / objective / no ‘baggage’ etc.  As I look back, it was definitely about the work and bringing a fresh approach to facilitation.  We didn’t pitch our services as appears to be very common these days.  Instead one person from a program we facilitated shared who we were and most importantly what and how we did our work with others.  And we didn’t even know this had happened.  Before long we were invited to submit a proposal for a project that fitted our leadership wheelhouse.

The first project was on an industry membership evaluation project with Cotton Australia.  Again we completed the project completely via distance via phone consults and an online survey.  It provided everyone across the industry with the opportunity to have their say and not just those who were able to attend a local, regional or city-based meeting.  The result was a more realistic and valid set of outcomes for a more cost effective investment.   

Since then we have facilitated a number of industry projects including facilitation of the first formal industry strategic plan the merger of three organisations to enhance service to the Australian cotton industry and a favourite – facilitation of an international cotton conference where we linked 5 hubs around the world via technology from Dalby, Queensland. We also completed a project for the industry that saw our team call every cotton grower across the country when drought hit hard to identify current and future needs and ways of supporting individuals, businesses and the industry as a whole.  And since 2008 we have facilitated the Australian Future Cotton Leaders Program, next one kicks off in 2021.

We love working in the Cotton industry.  It’s a young and progressive industry in Australia with a solution seeking and future focussed outlook. We get to work with amazing people supporting their leadership development. We currently utilise mentoring more in the cotton industry than we do in other sectors. We find it to be a time and cost effective way of developing networks and sharing knowledge and skills. It’s my view that this strategy, with individual accountability , can accelerate learning and development exponentially. Commitment from all parties is required to make it work well.  

And as for the question is the cotton industry different to other sectors? Of course it is.  Every industry is different, you wouldn’t want it any other way. 

Key Learnings 

• “Always be open to new experiences.”  
• “Have an open and growth mindset 
• “Let the quality of your work do the talking for you – there is nothing better than someone else talking about you, your business, products or services and what you’ve achieved for others.” 
• “Know what you are good at and make a decision to be better at it”. 
• “Develop a circle of supporters”

Hope you found something of interest in this article. You can see current projects we are involved in here and some of our past projects here. Please take a look and contact us here if you think we can support you with anything.

I hope to hear from you soon.

The post Our Business in the Cotton Industry   appeared first on Ruralscope.

1. Prepare for Multiple Possible Futures – Due to uncertainty the future is not a single target on a timeline anymore . It’s a range of options that all fall into what’s acceptable.    
2. Take into Account Roadblock and SetBacks –  If you head for one target and miss it then it can be right back to the beginning you go! Brainstorm roadblocks and setbacks and when they appear you will be in a better position to go around them.    
3. Be Optimistic About Your Future – . Optimism + Pragmatism + Envisioning Potential Outcomes = Future Minded Leaders.
4. See the Big Picture – Always keep your mind on the big picture. This way, complexities along the way, won’t seem so large. And they won’t stop you in your tracks.
5. Do it for Your Wellbeing – Future focussed mindsets create positive shifts in anxiety and depression for leaders, managers and their staff.

Coming out of or through times of change can see us facing uncertainty. Your mindset is an incredibly powerful asset. Work with it and ensure it serves you and others well.  

Questions for you

1. Do you plan for one or multiple possible futures?
2. How do you plan for roadblocks and setbacks? Do you think you will be more prepared for them if you spend time thinking through what they ,might be? Do you think this could be useful for your team?
3. How important do you see optimism when envisioning a future different from today?
4. How valuable is it to paint the big picture and help others to see it and understand it in the change process?
5. How can you support the wellbeing of your staff / team members by supporting them to develop a future focussed mindset?

We include short, practical and helpful articles just like this one in our fortnightly E-News 5 Ways to Lead with Heart. Click here to subscribe to this Newsletter.

I hope to hear from you soon.

The post 5 Ways to Nurture A Future Mindset appeared first on Ruralscope.