In this webinar find out more about becoming a great leader and how this can benefit your professional development.
Hello, Andi. Walk into this third module in a series focused on career development. Leadership skills for lawyers. The types of this module is becoming a great leader, which may seem ambitious for the 30 minutes or so that we've got on budget Fritzi leadership as a simple task, at least when it comes to the basic principles. You can contrast that with the number of results you get. If you Google how to be a great leader, you won't be disappointed by the lack of resources I was rewarded with. I think I got this right 1,000,000,790 million results in a fraction of a second. So nearly two billion ways to be a great leader or rehashes of house being a great leader. But as we all know, it's not easy to political up skills simply to an Internet search on. What is important is how this excess of information translates simply into real life that I was inspired to create this part of the Siri's after one too many conversations with solicitors and barristers, who she's been great. Lis were promoted to lead a team or department and then full stop that was it there was no additional support, training, coaching or mental ring as if despite the world won't eight billion hits, it is something that just happens naturally, and his perhaps even Maurin in the law because it's still relatively traditional environment what we're used to thinking in terms of supervision and management rather than leadership in their more modern sense, which we're going to look at now. So what can we do in 30 minutes? The first way? I would strongly urge e t this webinar along with the others in the series, you will probably need to invest more than 30 minutes in yourself. At least it is something that for most people, grows and develops over time in this moon module. What we will cover is what makes a great leader how you could develop your own leadership style, trying to support network, because it's much easier to do this together rather than on your own. How to develop the reflection of the back habit and extend that to your team as well as some other printers on getting the best from or team. I should say at the outset that some of what you're about to hear comes my own work and observations from the stuff after with my clients. And some comes from my distillation of the much greater knowledge of others work in this field. So essentially, what you're getting is a filtered version of what's out. But I managed to get to have passed through my own filter. So what's with anything in the world of professional development I would urge you to take from this? What works for you if something does not sit well with you? If you feel it getting away of you becoming the best and most offensive leader, you can bay, give it some thoughts, obviously, but then feel free to discard it and focus on what sits with you better. So what makes a great leader? I was just that we will eat. Tell our own answer for this. But here, Cem definitions from the great and the good start you off. We should start with a president going back a little bit now. But President Harry s treatment, um, would no doubt what's changed. Man into person on this one would hope that laziness is not too prevalent feature in your teams. But the key point from this quote is persuasion and motivation, as opposed to the using off a big stick. Andi shouting, nagging type, eso President said, is my definition of the leader is a man who could persuade people to do what they don't want to do or do what they're too lazy to do and like it. And then we need, once a Nelson Mandela who here likes the principle of putting others first. We're not being afraid, afraid to put yourself in the firing line when that helps protect those you're leading on, he said. It's better later behind and to put others in fronts, especially when you celebrate victory. When nice things occur, you take the front line when there's danger, then people will appreciate your leadership and moving on. Teoh a trio off the Luminaries Uh, Bill Gates, could you do? Describes as a business magnate investor offer philanthropist and humanitarian, and he you allows the founder of Microsoft widely thought to know a thing or two about these matters. That stomach over here, you see, next is the author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People on Grace Hopper. You may or may not, but from across is one of those fabulous women who led the way. After all, that is ahead of the time and in difficult times. She was born in 1906 which perhaps makes all the more impressive that she was an American computer scientist on the United States name a rare admirable. She was a pioneer in the world of computer programming, but they have to tell us what they tell us. This as we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who in power of us that management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success. But leadership determines whether the ladder it's meaning against the right will and that you manage things, but you leave people. We went over Board of Management and forgot about leadership. So a few things to think about their Ondas I was apparently slides. It occurred to me that there is naturally a degree of cherry picking here. I wear a vote somewhat. Leadership is on what makes a great leader, and I have, I'm sure, albeit not consciously pick the quotes that seated may. But I do think there's a feed, at least in the definitions which make their way into the English public consciousness. So let's go out beans from those definitions. And firstly, that there was a purpose or a vision that the leader is working towards on that then wanting to take others with them, not shouting and nagging but moving forwards together on exploiting all the strengths within the team that they are leading on, whatever the size. If they subsection of people that you are leading, I believe it should work as a team at the second thing. That seems to be that there was a distinction between leading and managing, which is perhaps comparable to the difference between coaching and telling. So the idea not to be telling others what to do the whole time, but it's dead to bring everybody with you towards a common goal offer by exploiting the strengths of your team members on DCA, instructing the team itself so that witnesses are compensated for slight aside here because this is appointment often confuses people. Sometimes there is undoubtedly a need for instruction or for telling people what to do. That shouting a mugging paps that I have a question you away from that telling. I think it was you away from, but think about emergency situations, Think about time it and say you think about health and safety. You can be the most supportive parent in the world, but you would probably still Shantel screen if your child was stepping into the road in front of a lorry. Or, as I heard it put recently, you wouldn't have a gun to a new Army recruits and allow them to work out the best way to fire it through experimentation. Reflection, feedback. A. Sorry is with the law. Sometimes you can't make up your own rules on limitation or the service of documents. Some things have to be told and then obeyed. But when it comes to how you do your work, how business development it's carried out or how people relate to each other, there's still a place for a coaching approach for being a leader rather than a manager, back to the themes of the type of leadership worth talking about. The skill lies both in a power, another's on a supporting them to achieve their goals rather than doing everything yourself. It could be argued that some people like being micromanaged where some definitely doubt, but even for those that like it's my own view would be the cancel their growth. But they would be capable of more if trained, supported and coached appropriately with the other benefit that you can fit more of your time partly to focus on the growth of others on the team, but also to focus on things like strategy on direction. So how do these themes sit with you? Is this how you see yourself as a leader under these characteristics that you see in the leaders around Jing? Hold on to those thoughts. Well, story. Allow some time for your input. Unless for some reflection, this will work best if you take some time to actually write down your answers so that you can look for the use. So feel free to pause or to combat this. But ask yourself, Who do you know personally within your life or in the wider world? He was a great leader. Why do you think that great, and what characteristics do you share with them? Finally, on the bigger question. What is your personal definition of what great leadership means? How would you like people to describe you as a leader? You should not be working towards having your own blueprint for becoming a great leader. So let's pause again. I think not just about what you're aiming towards, but also where you're starting from. How well do you know yourself? The key to becoming a great leader? In my view, it's self awareness finding your own effective leadership style and leading authentically no, it has to be said that as well as leadership. Another overcrowded field is personality profiling personal personally and a little reticent about doing a questionnaire on defending your limitations, strengths and weaknesses. On that basis for ever more, I will sometimes work with people who say to me, I'm a red, that's my personality type And we'll use that as a basis for justifying their conduct and in particular, their intransigence forever. More in reality, we will have different blends of those characteristics of those questionnaires will adapt to the situation in front of us, for better or for worse. But my cynicism about profiling doesn't mean that I'm cynical about self awareness. I think we do need an awareness of strengths which says, and our biases, if you want to improve, develop and become strong leaders. So where does that come trouble? Well, firstly, from you start simple. Make a list of what you believe to be your strengths and weaknesses. BC promised but honest in both directions. Don't be overly hard on yourself. Better look outside you. So this woman asking trusted advisors For this you might choose to undergo a more formal 360 degree feedback exercise, but you arrange, usually by the use for third party for colleagues, clients and other relevant parties to answer questions about you. The other people could be barristers. If your sister instructing solicitors if you're a barrister, could be judges of clients on. In any case, this is an excellent way of gaining a real understanding of how you're perceived by all this, how they see your strengths and weaknesses. The first on the biggest advantage of this exercise is that you should be able to take advantage of honest feedback from people who know you and know what it's like to work with you. It can also provide a bunch mark so that if you dio identify areas of improvement, you'll be able to measure your progress. And finally, if you don't already have a culture within your organization, which values sweet back carrying out the T match size on this over wider 3 60 feedback exercise can represent the start of getting a team to work together. So let's get it openly and to get used to giving each other feedback in all directions. We will move on it if it actually alongside a few of the thoughts on teams and working as a team. But before we leave you as an individual, let's consider what you could do to build your support network. Sometimes we talk about finding your tribe, and we mean surrounding yourself with people who care, supports and challenge in equal measure. These people don't have to pay the obvious people that could be in your organization, but they could be outside it. It could be in your industry, but again they could come from a different field altogether. They don't have to be younger. They could be direct peers or they could be younger than you. We can learn a lot of different generations on when you're building this network. Never underestimate people's willingness to help. If you have not found that yet, it's out there. People are very willing to help, but don't take them for granted and to give you some ideas about where you might look for the support network, which you will build gradually over time that the people I turn to my network eso if I have a question If I, um, wondered about my next steps Fannies of help of some input. My list includes people trained foresters that I was people supervisor for people train May my own people supervisor people outside but the legal on the coaching world. So mets at networking events and attended conferences, speaking on panels and even Arlington on, I also have a more formal mental found through a voluntary industry specific scheme that's, Ah, European body for coaches and mantles. Andi, they arrange and for you to be paired with mental in certain circumstances, many of the organizations will do and say the key for May is to find the people before you know you need them, take time to cultivate relationships rather than just looking for help won in a time of crisis. So feedback it's come up in a couple of our modules. Let me summarize my philosophy, illness and where it comes from. As a barrister, I didn't really get on with feedback. If I had a call put fruits may from us. Lister. After I finish that particular case, I would freeze on. Assume the worst. It must be a complaint. I had no concept, that's all. That feedback was a positive aspect of life, and I suppose, to be fair to May, there was absolutely no culture of constructive feedback at all. Another part at the bar. You don't get that. We'll get repeat instructions, and that's supposed to tell you whether your date badly are doing well. I should add that I've worked with different barristers in chambers more recently. There's definitely at least a move to change that. And to introduce, for example, mentoring schemes, which I'll touch on shortly and in the next webinar that solicitors firms tend to vary in how much they embrace feedback. In my view, it was generally soaring for improvement. I think there's something in the very nature of our profession that, as I found it makes the sea feedback is about thing with criticisms were professionals were advises. We don't want to be sued. Why would we seek out feedback or criticism best just to keep your head down and press on, and perhaps even a thought that, if it was really about someone would tell, May so almost getting fine. So now and well away from Barrister World, I've learned over time to embrace me back to actively seek out, and I will still acknowledge that it could bring about some discomfort. Sometimes I liken it, perhaps, to feeling a quick blow to the got, but it's entirely manageable and generally holy productive so I can justify that blows the gut and get through the discomfort. But what it means is, I recognize it's not an easy concept to get right. I firmly believe it's easier when it's a habit. When there is an embedded culture of giving, receiving and asking for feedback. As a day Today event, there was no need at all to limit feedback to a formal annual system or appraisal and review of end of a case, not least because to state the blindingly obvious, that means a year could go by before it happens. Even if it's only 1/4 Why would you choose to let things life about long Now a big issue with communication in our culture is that people back away from it from the communication itself. I hold in Bethel's levies due to convention over the lines, and that could build resentment, stress and frequently about atmosphere and much of the difference. If within your team, people, regular tents, which other and said, How do you think that went? How do think I could have dealt with out differently? How could we work better together on this? I don't get the positive aspects of this. Can you get in the habit of praising people when they've done well, highlighting their achievements as a specific note for solicitors and barristers? And I would strongly suggest that you extend the feedback habit outside of your own organization, obviously carefully on top. But it's a very common complaint, for example, from the experts I work with that they never get feedback, and it seems to me that as it would for anyone, this must impact on the quality of their work on the quality of those working relationships, so make it a constant. Make it I lifelong thing that people in your team asked for and give feedback. Just need to turn and ask the question on the needs to be honesty and respect and giving the answer unnoticed the good points I would recommend cultivating alongside this a habit of reflection. Also, you might like to think about it as self feet back gets into the habit of thinking and a clear, structured way about how you do your legal work about your leadership or even specific skills. Just public speaking. Pause at regular intervals and ask yourselves these questions as a minimum. What's going Well, what did I do? Well, in a specific instance, what's going or were badly for clarity. More off. What can I learn? What kind of friend, where do I go from here? Yeah, you can also check whether you're on track with any specific goals, and we're just the, if necessary, encourage others in your team to do this, too. Share the benefits off them as a team running a case for a client or drafting a piece of work for clients. You wouldn't dare piece of work with only half the information. Collect the info. Quite the data if you like, and you've been much better place to progress and finally on reflection. Do you make it at least a semi formal process. But you write down the results because the results in themselves are likely to show a pattern which can add value. You'll see if you are making the same mistakes time and time again again. This could fail uncomfortable. But I don't imagine that Caterpillar in a Cocoon feels all that comfortable. Growth doesn't happen in your comfort zone. It happens when you stretch or push yourself, of course, for this to work, especially the feedback habit, but also the buy into other suggestions, such as reflection or perhaps having genitals. For people with coaching style of leadership, which we'll talk about in the next module, it's important for this to work that what you're actually leading is a team rather than a group of people loosely thrown together. So let's never briefly to think about the girl. Get in the best, both for you and the team you're leading. Ask yourself, What are you doing to ensure that you work the team rather than a series of individuals, You might not want to go rock climbing or similar, although that can be really good for on very effective. But even if you do things like that, you have a social secretary and love to spend time together. You need to make sure it translates into the workplace on day to day work as an effective team. So here's some things to think about. First is the size of your teams. I'll give credit to another. Over here at Martin Murphy, who's written a book called From Mercenaries to Missionaries. Designing, developing and leading high performance teams. Uninterested occur here, as I do sometimes collaborate with Martin, but it's his book can its based, at least in part on his experience of being in the S s, generally seen as connect an elite team in themselves. But including that book, A Diagram, which shows the ever multiplying lines of communication, which you get his team's increase inside, it looks a little bit like this picture of spaghetti on. What it tells us is that, for example, with six people in a team, there are 15 possible lines of communication. So six goes to 15 15 Where is with 14 people? Well thought there are 91 lines of communication might be why barristers chambers often feel like a hotbed of gossip. So what is the optimal size for your team. It would be better to split it up for certain tasks rather than have everyone work on on everything or every project. Think also about how people treat each of that or, I mean, for respect. And this is the point in most leadership books or articles when I want to just substitute all the words and right instead, just be normal. But just be nice. Although some would argue that isn't very specific. So let me return instead to a constant lunch of mine. Are people listening to each other? Do they give each other time to speak? We'll do. He goes takeover on two people out. Six. End up taking that, say, 80% of the meeting time can you, as a team and perhaps is part of a team building day or exercise agree on some cultural gnomes. Perhaps the Edward in a meeting should have five minutes to get their view first before the free for All Star are the only people who needs being. The meeting should be in the meeting, but if someone is being too domineering and taking all the time from the meeting that they agree they're happy for that pointed out, have using an agreed words to keep everyone in a light mood. Does the team have a collective vision? A collective purpose? One of the key features of leadership, you'll recall, can then move seamlessly together knowing that they're going in the same direction and again, rather this rather lists being opposed from both. Wouldn't it be preferable for them to set that goal? That vision? Ask yourself also, how do people in your team prefer to work? How did they want to be led? Oh, it's radical. If they prefer to work from home. Is it possible us again? Is it possible? Is the resistance of simply tradition or for is impossible? What's behind their wish to it from her? Are they struggling with a constant background noise or chatter in the office? Could you do something about that's instead, or is it a turn spent on the commute? Could you vary their hours, for example, so that they miss That's a hideous Russia but still come in so tend to then look to the team for guidance rather than imposing that well. So to a degree, we finish what we started. That leadership is not so that pope imposing your own well from above and having it done your way. It's about guiding, steering, supporting from the front or from the rare back to Mandela, whichever is the more appropriate so that the members of your team can fulfil that potential Onda achieve their collective purpose. So, as you know, uh, nearly two billion more things to say. But we will leave it there. I think we've got a lot there in a little under 30 minutes. I think so. Thanks very much for listening. Andi, I will see you on the next module, which is the final one in a Siri's, and it's about coaching and mental right?
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