“I’m not an ambitious person. I didn’t set my sights on becoming a Partner,” replied several interviewees who agreed to participate in our leadership research project. And these leaders aren’t in the minority. Many senior executives find themselves becoming what might be described as an ‘Accidental Leader’ – reaching the higher echelons of thei ...
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic’s book ‘Why do so many incompetent men become leaders?’ suggests that we assume a correlation between confidence and competence that doesn’t exist. As a result, confident (and even over-confident) people end up in leadership roles. Hardwiring from our early roots dealing with ever present danger and the fight for survival ma ...
There’s a lot of talk about leadership, and it’s a core part of the work we do with our clients. So, it’s worth asking, does leadership really matter, and what difference does good leadership make compared with poor leadership? We ask these questions in the leadership research project we’re currently undertaking in the finance and professional servi ...
We are undertaking a new research programme into the leadership qualities and behaviours needed in the finance & professional services industry in the 21st Century. At a time of great change in the industry, the expectations of leaders are enormous. Yet we sense that the thinking on leadership is not well developed across the industry. We believe our research will help stimulate a timely discussion about the nature of leadership.
We are looking to investigate three areas:
We are looking for input from those in the UK finance and professional services sectors. This includes the accountancy, actuarial, asset management, banking, consulting & legal sectors.
Jane Welsh, who recently joined as an Associate, is working alongside us on the research programme and is taking the lead in the asset management sector.
We will summarise our research findings in a book and series of papers, and will also provide updates at seminars in London & Edinburgh.
If you would like to contribute to the programme, please click on the following link:
https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4891682/Leading-Figures-Leadership-Research-Programme-2019-Combined-fn
We will not disclose any individual’s responses without seeking your permission. You will also have the option to receive updates on the research programme as it becomes available. Thank you.
Author: Russell Borland
As a result of our participation in the Law Society of Scotland’s 2018 Annual Conference we were invited to contribute chapter 6 (entitled: Leading a High Performing Legal Team) to a book published by the Ark Group. For more details please click on the ‘Read More’ button below and then follow this link: https://www.ark-group.com/product/legal-lead ...
It is just over 10 years ago when I suffered from ‘burnout’. I was open about this with my work colleagues at the time but given that my network of contacts has grown further since then, and I’ve just passed a major milestone, I thought it was an appropriate time to share my experience with my broader contacts. From feeling in control of my li ...
For more information on the ICAS Masterminds Executive Coaching Programmes in Edinburgh and London please click on the ‘Read More’ button below and then follow the link:
https://www.icas.com/professional-development/executive-coaching-programmeWe all know that communication plays a vital role in effecting change. But why is this? Research undertaken in the USA (Wilson & Gilbert 2005) provides some insight. People are generally competent at telling whether a future event will be pleasant or unpleasant. But how accurate are we in predicting how happy or unhappy we might be? The research ...
In the final days of Steve Jobs’ life, his biographer, Walter Isaacson seemingly visited him and asked what product he was most proud of. ‘Was it the early Mac?’ enquired Isaacson, ‘or perhaps the iPod, iPad or iPhone?’ If you don’t already know then Jobs’ reply may surprise you. He said that he was ‘most proud of his team – The A ...
In our work we often meet people who don’t view themselves as leaders and yet they are, having perhaps unknowingly transitioned into a leadership role. People often have little choice as to whether or not they become a leader, the decision being largely out of their hands. Who makes the decision? Other people – colleagues, staff, clients and those ...
