Executive Coach | The Leadership Coach™

Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast

Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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I was talking with one of the senior team at Gloria Jeans Coffees last week and she made a memorable statement as we discussed the different ways leaders can view the challenges facing their teams. Sadly it’s something many organisations don’t seem to understand- “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. I couldn’t agree more. Now, I’m [...]

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Braking or Breakthrough

Posted on 18. May, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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I learned to drive in an automatic V8 Holden in the early 90’s, it was a powerful and thirsty beast with a novice at the helm. One day as I was driving with my Dad I approached an intersection and at the last moment the light turned orange. I should have kept going, but instead [...]

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Do You Lead Through Hindsight, Insight or Foresight?

Posted on 03. May, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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My friend Mark is an Optical Engineer in the Australian Army and amongst other things he calibrates scopes for snipers. You know you’re passionate about leadership when even talking about weapon calibration gets you thinking about leadership principles! One statement he made really stuck with me “Just a 1mm adjustment of a screw slightly bigger [...]

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What do you believe? How To Build A Movement, Not Just A Company

Posted on 03. May, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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I’m writing a project about the vital differences between ordinary companies and those that become ‘something more’. Inspired by the legendary likes of Apple, Google, Harley Davidson and those rare businesses that somehow seem to transcend being just a product or a service and instead engender raw energy and deep loyalty from those that connect [...]

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What Twitter Can Teach Leaders

Posted on 20. Apr, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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I love Twitter… ever present on my iPhone, my Twitter page keeps me connected. To some it’s a communication tool, to others a gossip aggregator, and to others a beloved time-waster. But I believe that the way in which Twitter works should remind leaders of some truths about effective leadership. Thankfully, in many places, the [...]

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The Four Levels Of Dealing With Differences

Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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More often than not the struggles we deal with as leaders revolve around the ways in which people are different. Perhaps two team members have very different communication styles or personality types. Or maybe we’re mediating disagreements between middle managers with opposite concepts of what it means to be a leader. People are different, that’s [...]

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Innovation Inhibitors

Posted on 23. Mar, 2009 by Paul Andrew.

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Leaders often get it backwards. “We need to be more creative”, someone says so we brainstorm ways we can “get people to come up with ideas” to make things better. Let’s have a suggestions box. Conduct an anonymous survey. Make our meetings more fun. Of course in the right environment these can be useful strategies. [...]