Here in Victoria I think we are still reeling from being back in lockdown. For me, there is an inevitability that this different way of working is going to go on for longer than we expected and that we have to stay vigilant in staying safe.How are you going and what are you experiencing through COVID?Leaders are telling me about the 'mental' exhaustion' their teams are feeling. Everyone seems to be working longer hours and there are some leaders who are trying more than ever to provide a buffer for their team to the extra work load. Although at what cost to those leaders!On the other hand I feel there is a sense of calm as people know what to expect this time around. We’ve adjusted to our new way of working and getting on with it.
I heard a term today, that completely summed up the importance of delegating effectively: 'distributed leadership' - our ability to spread the load, but has many other positive factors: empowerment; buy-in; accountability; responsibility.
What I'm Reading
I've just finished reading Amy Edmondson's new book "The Fearless Organization - creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth". Amy is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School.This is more important that ever and a must read for any leader - defining what psychological safety means and how to create cultures where knowledge and innovation flourish because people feel safe to contribute their ideas.What I love about Amy's writing is the depth of research she provides for all her examples and talks about catastrophes that have occurred in the past and what contributed to them.
What I'm Listening To
A new podcast I'm listening to is 'The Kind Boss' with Linh Podetti - Owner and CEO of Outsourcing Angel. Linh interviews kind bosses, and draws on her own experience as an entrepreneur to give us practical insights into business and life. Check out Episode 9 where Linh interviews me - about how to delegate effectively to achieve our business goals. Link here: https://outsourcingangel.com/how-to-delegate-effectively-and-achieve-your-business-goals-with-maree-burgess-the-kind-boss-episode-9/