Entries with tag leadership .

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Blair McPherson
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09 Dec 2016 - 12:50

null Mansplaining

Mansplaining comes from combining the words “man” and “explaining”, and refers to situations where a person (typically a man) explains something to someone else (typically a woman), often in a condescending way and frequently disregarding  the greater experience of the person they are talking to. Someone who attempts to impose their views assuming they have a greater knowledge and... See more
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Blair McPherson
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30 Nov 2016 - 21:08

null A failure of leadership

The Virgin take over of health and adult social services in Bath has received little media coverage. This is a hugely significant  development. As a former director I am very disappointed but not surprised by the absence of any comment or statement from the association  of directors of adult social services. I can not believe directors of adult social services don't have a... See more
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Blair McPherson
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23 Nov 2016 - 12:37

null Vampire managers

  Some chief executives want blood. They demand loyalty, ruthlessness and total commitment. Whether deliberately or by default they creat a culture of intoxicating machismo. The aim is to make a very tight senior management team that is determined to be a top performing organisation. The loyalty is personal loyalty and allows no room for doubt or debate.   When it comes to... See more
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Blair McPherson
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01 Nov 2016 - 12:47

null How to kill enthusiasm and stifle initiative

  I once stood up at a large meeting of managers to announce that the social service department was going for Investors In People (IIP) accreditation for the whole department. I said how impressed we were with the social work teams ,day centres and residential homes who had all ready archived IIP status through their own initiative. I said these teams could be proud of their achievement... See more
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Blair McPherson
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09 Oct 2016 - 06:20

null The nature of the game

The relationship between a local authority director and their chief executive is like that between a premiership goal keeper and his manager. We all know how much a manager values a safe pair of hands and a new manager likes to bring in some of his own players who will play the game the way he likes to play it. The new chief executive comes with a reputation. Already one of the directors who... See more
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Blair McPherson
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26 Sep 2016 - 12:04

null What was once successful now is not

  Charismatic and autocratic have had their day - well almost. Driven by austerity and made fashionable by the success of a high profile few this type of leadership was in demand. This was the age of the swaggering young gunslinger radiating vigour and upsetting the established order . But few have success at the highest level  for more than a decade. It is a difficult and tiring job... See more
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Blair McPherson
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21 Sep 2016 - 12:49

null The tail of a lion or the head of a mouse

  Do you want to be the tail of a lion or the head of a mouse? Strange question and the answer is probably neither. This may be an unusual way of phrasing a very real dilemma for staff and managers. In the context that this expression was used the question is, would you rather be part of a struggling organisation in the top division or a leading organisation in a lower division. If... See more
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Blair McPherson
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30 Aug 2016 - 09:54

null Bridge on the River Kwai

  The role of the senior manager in local government involves leadership in a political environment. You don't decide policy you don't so much shape strategy as influence and advise. You must convince staff you own the policy and strategy. You don't say the cabinet have decided  because that may give the impression you are not totally behind the policy and strategy which could... See more
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Blair McPherson
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23 Aug 2016 - 16:32

null When should a leader go?

  Should I stay or should I go? It's the leadership question of the moment. The leader of the opposition is for staying despite an over whelming vote of no confidence, the Prime Minister was for going," let those who got us into this mess get us out of it”,  the England football manager resigns on the spot after a humiliating defeat.  When faced with a damming inspection report... See more
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Blair McPherson
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07 Aug 2016 - 15:40

null Follow the leader

  A leader is some one who tells you what to do. I had a boss who was fond of saying,  "this is not a democracy" , in other words I am not asking you what you think we should do I'm telling you. This is the difference between the elected political leader of the council and the appointed leader of staff the chief executive. The relationship between the leader of the council and the... See more
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Blair McPherson
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26 Jul 2016 - 19:03

null Betrayal and back stabbing in modern times

  Professional footballers are labelled disloyal because they no longer stay with one club but move around chasing money and winners medals. Politicians call each other backstabbers as they oust their leader and jockey for power. The chief executive complains of senior managers undermining them behind their back. The board refers to a high profile whistleblower as disloyal for going... See more
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Blair McPherson
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20 Jul 2016 - 10:57

null Dry stone walling

Can a leader take a group of misfits and make them into a strong, effective unit, a sort of "Dirty Dozen" only not by focusing their aggression but channelling their independence of thought. More like the characters in The Big Bang Theory. The approach has been referred to as Dry Stone Walling.   Take irregular shaped individuals the ones who don't fit into the organisations neat breeze... See more
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Blair McPherson
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18 Jul 2016 - 15:21

null Wouldn't it be nice

  Leaders have vision. Leaders can describe what the future will look like if we only have faith in them. So what, we can all say "wouldn't it be nice if.....?" The difference is they have the power to make it happen or rather, "together we can make it happen". Can we ? "Yes we can" President Obama said repeatedly in one of the most inspiring taking up office speeches. Nice sentiment... See more
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Blair McPherson
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06 Jul 2016 - 19:55

null Blair on Leadership

" In the end you might be right or wrong but ultimately I think leadership is about assessing the situation as you see it and doing what you think is right , even if it's not always very popular" Tony Blair ex PM on Chilcot report into Iraq war. Others might add that leadership also requires insight into how your own behaviour effects others, the ability to know when to listen and when to... See more
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Blair McPherson
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26 Jun 2016 - 16:41

null Appointing a winner is no guarantee of success.

  It's generally assumed that if you appoint the right person success will follow. This assumption arises out of the tendency to look at successful organisations and attribute success to leadership. It is true that successful organisations are all well led but it doesn't follow that the right leader will guaranty success.  Why does a managers enjoy considerable success in one... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
12 Jun 2016 - 18:56

null Evolution of intelligent machines

  Machines, intelligent machines are ideal for space exploration, they don't need oxygen, water or food and they don't age. The last is important as the distances in space travel are unimaginably long and will take what would be many life spans of humans. In view of the time scales perhaps the most important difference is machines don't get board or drunk!  Once a machine learns to... See more
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Blair McPherson
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07 Jun 2016 - 18:07

null Take me to your leader

According to Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene if an alien was to visit Earth, the question it would pose to judge our intellectual maturity would be ,"Have they discovered evolution yet?". However this question would lead to the wrong conclusion. A better understanding of our world would prompt the question not have they discovered evolution but how widespread is the acceptance of... See more
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Blair McPherson
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26 May 2016 - 17:20

null Most organisations are not safe places to say what you are really thinking

  If you want to get on don't rock the boat. Don't contradict your manager. Best avoid topics of race , faith and sexuality so as not to risk saying the wrong thing. Don't go out of your way to upset your workmates by telling tales to management. This is the unofficial culture of every organisation I have ever worked in.    This unofficial culture explains why whistleblowers... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
13 May 2016 - 15:23

null The Performance Coach

  You think HR is for softies! Mr and Ms reasonable. The nice people who ensure you do the right thing, the ones who resolve conflict and get managers out of the holes they have dug for themselves. You think HR is about softening the blow of redundancy or putting a human face on absence management. Then you wouldn't expect a Performance Coach to be part of HR. A performance coach is... See more
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Blair McPherson
wrote a new blog post
10 May 2016 - 14:01

null How to behave like a leader (number 74)

Which US president was so unlikable  that even his dog had to be bribed with biscuits to go anywhere near him? The answer is Richard Nixon or "tricky Dicky" as he became known. So being likable  is not a criteria for the top job. Can you be an unpopular leader and still be an effective leader? A lot of leaders like to think so.  www.blairmcpherson.co.uk See more
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