Building Self-Awareness for Effective Leadership: We can't change what we're not aware of

How self-aware are you as a leader?

Have you ever been in a situation where you were oblivious to a particular issue until someone brought it to your attention?

Like the moment you become aware of a stain on your shirt? Or food stuck in your teeth after a meal? Things that you weren’t aware of until someone brought it to your attention or you noticed it.

In these situations, you likely immediately took action to rectify the problem once you became aware.

In leadership, it can take us a little longer to develop this kind of awareness – and even if we are aware, the necessary action isn’t always clear.

As writer, tech executive, and philanthropist Sheryl Sandberg says, “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”

In leadership, just as in life, we cannot change what we are unaware of.

Once we become aware, however, change becomes possib...

Hello and welcome to Episode 178 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today I have a quick compliance update for you on the recent changed to the Paid Parental Leave Scheme.

This is the Government funded payment that employees can access when they are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child. From 1 July 2023 there have been a raft of changes to this scheme, including the merging of the old 18 week parental leave payment and 2 week dad and partner pay into one 100 day or 20 week allocation, which can now be shared much more flexibly between parents.

If you’d like to connect with other business owners and leaders who are also facing the challenge of managing leave I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, HR Support for Australian Businesses, so I can learn more about what’s working for you and any challenges you might be having.

Join Here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hrsupportaustralia

Boss Guilt: What it is and how to break free as a leader            

Are you a leader who feels like you can never get on top of things?

As the boss of my own business, I know firsthand what it’s like to burn the candle at both ends – and still feel guilty that you’re not getting enough done.

The other night I was exhausted.

I’ve been working long days. Not many breaks. Balancing the fine art of family alongside the demands of my business. I kept finding myself at my desk thinking, “If I just get this one thing done”, or “I’ll just do this one more thing before I take a break.”

And I caught myself.

This way of thinking signals the slippery slope of boss guilt.

What exactly is boss guilt?

The type of boss guilt I’m talking about is that feeling that you’re lacking, that you’re not doing enough, or being enough.

This kind of boss guilt can show up in the following ways:

• Feeling like you should be working all the time – especially during your downtime;
• Feeling guilty fo
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How frustrating is it when you have someone on your team who you know has so much potential, is actually really great at their job and everyone really likes them - but it’s like they are just going through the motions? They get the job done, but only just, they certainly don’t show initiative and you just want to shake them because you know they are capable of so much more, of doing a much better job.

You know they are smart, capable, skilled and you’re frustrated that you’re not seeing their best.

Here's what you’re dealing with when it comes to these people – it’s not that they are lazy – they simply lack motivation.

Why is that your problem you ask? Well, you know how hard it is to find great staff right? So, you don’t want to exit them and have to go through the recruitment process again. Add to that the fact that by proactively working to improve motivation you are actually improving employee engagement – and that can result in a bottom like increase in profits of more than ...

Hello and welcome to Episode 177 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Recently I asked for some feedback on a question and I was really surprised by a common theme that kept popping up – that business owners feel trapped in a cycle of micromanaging their people, and aren’t sure how else to get their team to perform.

We have chatted about The Curse of Micromanagement previously in Episode 162, where we unpacked why micromanagement is bad for business, you can listen to that episode here - https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/blog/micromanaging

But what became clear to me reading the feedback was that these business owners knew how bad micromanagement was for them, their team, and their businesses, but they weren’t sure how to get out of the cycle.

So today we’re looking at what are the alternatives? If micromanagement is just one way to manage, one leadership styles, what are the other styles and which ones could we ‘try on’ instead.

Then we unpacked why people are feeling l...

Hello and welcome to Episode 176 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today I’m bring you part 2 of my conversation with my special guest, who is here to chat to us about avoiding hiring disasters!

Deb Houston of Phlox Consulting is a Hiring Strategist and Mentor, she has been helping job-seekers and hiring managers nail their interviews and land their dream jobs and employees for more than seventeen years. 

She takes a supportive and consultative approach to recruitment, personalising the process for each and every client, whilst always making sure it’s fun along the way. For Deb, finding the right job or candidate is a lot like dating – you just have to find a match you want to commit to!

Today is the second part of my discussion Deb and I had on this topic, and today we’re discussing essential strategies to help you avoid a hiring disaster.

Want to share your hiring strategies? Join the discussion in our Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hrsupportaustralia

The Non-Boss Mindset

As business owners and leaders, we often find ourselves spending our entire day dealing with people, managing their needs, and navigating the complexities of teamwork.

But what happens when we slip into the mindset of a non-boss boss?

When we started our journey into entrepreneurship or embarked on our careers, we may not have anticipated that managing people would consume so much of our time.

Yet, as business owners and leaders, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by the responsibility of dealing with our team members.

The desire to avoid conflict, lack of clear direction, and the tendency to please everyone can push us towards becoming a non-boss boss – and there are clear reasons why this is ineffective for you, your team and your business or organisation.

Understanding the Non-Boss Boss Mindset

The non-boss boss is characterised by a hands-off approach to leadership. They avoid conflict, lack clear direction, say yes to everyone, and struggle to lead by ex...

The Curse of Micromanaging

It’s all too common in the world of HR to hear stories of micromanagement and the detrimental effects micromanagers have on their teams, and ultimately their business or organisational output and reputation.

Micromanagement is a style characterised by excessive control and interference in the work of others, usually those reporting to you.

It can look like dictating every aspect of a project without allowing their team to get involved or insisting on being cc’d into every email about a project. It can also look like refusing to delegate tasks, undermining a team members ability, and ignoring their input.

Micromanaging can also look like failing to provide clear instruction or guidance and then criticising the team member for not meeting expectations. Micromanagement is an insidious element that the micro manager themselves sometimes don’t even realise they’re doing. 

Whether you're a business owner, leader, or aspiring manager, understanding the pitfall...

Hello and welcome to Episode 175 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today I’m excited to be joined by a special guest, who is here to chat to us about avoiding hiring disasters!

Deb Houston of Phlox Consulting is a Hiring Strategist and Mentor, she has been helping job-seekers and hiring managers nail their interviews and land their dream jobs and employees for more than seventeen years. 

She takes a supportive and consultative approach to recruitment, personalising the process for each and every client, whilst always making sure it’s fun along the way. For Deb, finding the right job or candidate is a lot like dating – you just have to find a match you want to commit to!

Today is Part 1 of a 2 part discussion Deb and I had on this topic, and today we’re sharing the 3 (or more) biggest hiring mistakes we see businesses make and why you should avoid them.

Join me again next week for part 2, where we share proactive hiring strategies everyone should be using.

Planning for the 2023 Christmas Close Down: What Employers Need to Know

Unveiling the Changes to Christmas Close Downs: Prepare Your Business Now

You might think it’s a bit early to be talking about Christmas close-downs – but you’d be surprised how planning ahead will save you that feeling of dashing to the finish line.

If you're a business owner or leader who typically closes your business over the festive season, this blog post will cover the essentials you need to know.

As expert HR consultants for small to medium businesses across Australia, we’re identifying the changes that have been made and what you need to do differently this year.

What We Already Know about Christmas Close Downs

Christmas close downs have become increasingly common over the years and, in Australia, are now considered the norm across many industries and awards.

The Christmas close-down period is also the time that many business owners will do all their planning. In fact, at People Powered Business we’r...