Reflecting today on what great leadership looks like. I have been very fortunate to have worked with really inspiring leaders over the years. Here are my top three favourite leadership qualities...1/4

2/4 Don’t assume anything. It’s probably the most obvious but, as Mark Twain might have said ‘it ain’t what you don”t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so’. Be prepared to be surprised by things that are not on your radar & own your bias.

3/4 No matter how urgent/important the work is, be human first. ‘Checking-in’ and ‘icebreakers’ are often viewed with a justifiable amount of cynicism, particularly when done badly. But ‘creating space’ to build trust is essential to all great leaders (+ teams) I’ve worked with.

4/4 Jointly build the plan & support others to ‘yearn for the desert island or vast endless sea’. Tune into what is motivating action. ‘If you want to build a ship don't assign tasks...but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.’ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

My two other favourites are ‘hire really good people and then get out of their way’ and that leadership is ‘asking people to do what they’ve always wanted to do’. [ends]

What are your favourite aphorism/quotes/tips for great leadership?