Leadership coaches and trainers
leaders at all levels of responsibility within the organisation
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Leadership is a relationship issue - this is one of the underlying premises of this online programme.
Leaders need followers, and leaders need to understand the impact of their presence and behaviour at a psychological level on those they lead - and in the systemic context of organisational life leaders need to learn that the 'ripple' effect of their behaviour can have huge consequences for the organisation as a whole. The Leadership Dynamics programme offers a thorough exploration of leadership relationships, focussing first on self, then on working with others, with teams and also taking a systems approach to the organisational context. Leaders hold the keys to success but often do not realise how much impact they have on the system - the dynamics in terms of their behaviour as seen and experienced by others. The programme is aimed at leadership coaches and trainers, and leaders at all levels of responsibility within the organisation. |
Rolling programme - pick up missed workshops
11 am - 4 pm UK time (one hour lunch) References and further reading list provided |
Leadership is about relationships - many managers are trying to lead following an out of date idea of the leadership role. One which does not fit with the 21 century world of work and the expectations of leadership.
More insight is needed into the psychology of leadership in a world where increasingly leaders are managing remotely and a collaborative approach brings the best results. Recognising the systemic nature of organisations, and how they fit in the wider context and their connections with the world in general will expand the thinking of those currently in leadership roles, and provoke the thinking of those about to become leaders. |
Leaders and their teams face problems daily - some are small and easily solved, some are major and have lasting consequences.
Often, especially if under pressure, we do not 'allow' ourselves to see or know information which would help us to prevent problems or solve them creatively. Human beings discount: we do not see a hazard, even though the signs are there, or we discount the impact of an action, or we discount other people. Learning to account instead offers psychological strength and sometimes, the ability to "see round corners"! |
The underlying dynamics between people in organisations are often driven by a leadership frame of reference which is different to the frame of reference of team members.
Added to this as individuals we often do not seek to complement the qualities of others, but to expect them to be just like us. The leader, if skilful, will avoid conflict, increase co-operation, creativity and achievement and provide an environment where individuals can motivate themselves. If not skilful in people matters - the dynamics get stuck! |
From an early age we learn to adapt our behaviour to what we think the 'big people' in our lives want to see from us. We mask our true feelings and substitute them with false feelings because those false feelings gave us praise from our parents. There is a problem in this, as not being our authentic selves is stressful, but more than that we close down our opportunities in life due to those decisions made when we were little. We do this unconsciously, so ingrained is the behaviour. We become stuck in a closed loop of our own thinking. This module helps you to break free.
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Organisations are living systems.
They pulsate with mechanical and psychological processes. Many boundaries are unclear, whether between departments or layers of leadership. An action in one department sets off events in another and links in the chain reverberate with friction, misunderstanding and negativity. Every link in the chain needs to know its worth, where it fits and what is its purpose. Insights into leadership style, cleaner boundary management and clarity of vision can reverse a negative process in a positive one. 
An opportunity for leaders to understand "what lies beneath" - what drives their behaviour and the resulting consequences in terms of the impact on team members.
An introduction to the 'interactional field' - what goes on between people and how they might make changes for a more positive outcome. How do we get drawn into time-wasting, confidence sapping dynamics - and how can we avoid them? |
Unconsciously, due to our closed loop thinking and other aspects of our frame of reference we may get stuck in a dynamic with another person or people which is negative and stressful. In our attempt to be in contact with others, we may miss our mark and find ourselves in conflict. The Drama Triangle is an elegant model on which to plot the dynamics of psychological games in order to learn our triggers and how as leaders these dynamics can grind our progress to a halt. With more understanding, we learn to avoid giving out unconscious invitations to games - and how to bring about cleaner communication an improved results.
Organisational structures have an effect on group dynamics. Boundaries between leadership and followership, between levels of leadership and between organisational membership and the rest of the world also have an effect of group dynamics. Pressure on teams and departments can produce agitation, upset, confusion and conflict rather than cohesion. Geographical locations (eg head office and regions), being in the basement with the boiler or on the fourth floor with the carpeting and airy offices also has an effect. Understanding these dynamics, leaders expand their personal influence to have a positive effect on the culture of the organisation.
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Positive regard for self and others - leadership attitude towards others can be the difference between a low level of morale and productivity and the complete opposite. Exploring what is in our frame of reference, examining our values and understanding the link between our mind our bodies and our behaviour (and ultimately, our health) can change leadership style and approach into something more grounded, stable and psychologically secure.
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Bruce Tuckman developed a socialogical model for the way teams develop. Eric Berne's approach was psychological and therefore offers a more nuanced understanding of the style and tasks of leadership at each stage of a teams' development. Learning what the team might need from its leader gives that leader a structure, some insights into what might need to be done to encourage team cohesion, open communication and the environment the team needs in order to flourish.
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