For a number of years now I’ve been sharing my personal views on some of the actions that leaders can take to improve leadership impact or effectiveness and to foster the right conditions around you to drive success for all.

As a headline theme ponder this: “how do you want it to be around you?” It’s still one of my favourite questions and one which opens up all manner of coaching and developmental possibilities.

In part it’s simply about the choices you make, where you flag interest, where you choose to devote your time and energy. One or all of these will be noticed. The people who regard us as leaders notice shifts, differences, changes in what we do.

I want to see more leaders focusing on these areas as you focus on your continued professional development:

Increase simplicity – reduce interference, clear the path and lighten the load so that strategic objectives can be the focus for all (including you)

Be more appreciative – be alert to what is going on around you and set the tone in your team & your business by being the positive person who appreciates

Be authentic (appropriately authentic of course) – especially through being open, by sharing your thoughts and beliefs whilst being careful to control any display of emotions

Focus on people’s strengths – think more about what people can do and less about what they cannot

Include everyone – we are human and seek similarity so learn to value what is unusual to you and to welcome then leverage different points of view

In the spirit of removing complexity I’d like to see all leaders choose just one of these and really focus on it for up to a year.

This focuses your coming 9 – 12 months, it means you can drive the topic through your and others’ objectives, you can make it a theme which pervades everything you do.

So doing could well shift your leadership brand.

Therefore which one are you choosing? Which one will really enhance your leadership effectiveness?

I have much more thinking about, and have coached leaders on, each of these ideas so contact me for a chat if you’d like to explore your leadership brand.

(Photos on my blog and on chelsham.co are always by me by the way – I’m a very keen amateur photographer.)