leadership

  • Blog, leadership, personal development

    One of the biggest benefits to ‘getting out of the weeds’ isn’t what you think…

    One of the biggest benefits to *getting out of the weeds* isn’t actually what you think…

    Yes having more time to think strategically is a gamechanger!!

    And yes I LOVE it when you tell me you have your evenings and weekends back without your phone pinging every 2 munutes.

    But by far the biggest benefit and one that makes a MASSIVE difference to your business is that your team grow too.

    When YOU step back from the day to day you make room for your team to STEP UP.

    They become more empowered (and a lot less frustrated)

    They solve problems, and make decisions where before you would have been involved or they’d have run things past you.

    And that in turn allows their team to grow too.

    A rising tide really does lift all ships

    Leaving you with a lot more time and focus to do all the things that have been burning a hole in your to do list that will take your business to the next level.

    Have a fab day

    Barbara

     

    PS – To join the 1-1 coaching programme click here

     

  • Blog, Business, confidence, leadership, mindset, personal development

    Are you ready to stop making things so hard?

    This is the sentence that I said to a client the other day….

    “Are you ready to stop making things so hard?”

    ​

    I see this all the time, ways that we block our own success without even realising it.

    ​

    • Leaving big projects to the last minute and then having to work late or all weekend.
    • Going to meetings that we don’t really need to, just because we think we should be there
    • Saying yes when we really want to say no (for the millionth time)
    • Reacting rather than hitting the pause button and thinking about what we really want to say
    • Believing our inner imposter, rather than trusting ourselves
    • Getting involved with things that our team are doing when they’re more than capable to crack on
    • Getting busy on the small stuff rather than moving the needle
    • Staying quiet in that meeting, when you’ve got something to say.

    ​

    ​

    This list could go on an on…and I’m sure you know exactly what your favourite flavour of ‘hard’ is for you.

    So today, I’d love to invite you to see things differently.

    What would happen if you chose another way?

    What would happen if you chose easier?

    And what would easier actually look like for you?

    Feel free to hit reply and let me know if you’d like some extra accountability

    ​

    Have a fab weekend

    ​

    Barbara

    ​

    PS – I currently have only ONE space available for my 6 month 1-1 coaching programme – ELEVATE starting in May. This is for you if you’re a business leader and you’re ready to catapult your development.

    I have ONE space available starting in June for my 12 month THINKING PARTNER programme. This is one to one exec coaching where we meet regularly every month to keep you on track so that you achieve your goals as a leader.

    Get on the wait list for the next cohort of Smash Your Own Ceiling – a group programme where you’ll do just that. No more holding yourself back, imposter syndrome, getting in your own way…it’s time to own your space at the table!!

    Or if you’d like me to run a workshop for your leadership team, I only do 2 of these every month and I’m now taking bookings for OCTOBER.

    Click here to book a call for more info

  • Blog, Business, leadership, mindset, personal development

    Don’t make today a repeat of yesterday!

    Don’t make today a repeat of yesterday!!!

    As humans we’re creatures of habit.

    We get up at the same time
    Have the same breakfast
    Take the same route to work
    Do the same walk around the office
    And look at our emails first

    You get the idea

    But if you think that our habits are just actions on repeat…And our actions create our results it might be time to switch things up a bit.

    Plus if you’re feeling a bit… meh, exhausted or you’re describing your day as spinning plates or being stuck on a treadmill… this is also going to make you FEEL so much better.

    Give these a try to get you started ????

    1. Instead of going straight to your inbox, give yourself 60 mins to do the thing on your list that will really move the needle (you know what it is)

    This alone will make you feel like dancing round the street!!! ????????

    2) Take that walk at lunch time and let your brain let out a big sigh of relief.

    3) Turn your team meeting into a hive mind to focus on solving one problem. Get the creative juices flowing and see the energy shift in your team.

    Bonus…. Watch out for that voice in your head telling you that you can’t do something different. Instead ask why not?!

    Inject some change into your day and see what happens.

     

    Have a fab day

    Barbara

    PS – Ready for those next steps?

    Complete the Confident Leaders Assessment

    Join the 1-1 coaching programme

  • leadership, mindset

    How are you making things harder for yourself or your team?

    *How are you making things harder for yourself or your team?*

    I asked this to a group of Senior Leaders… it went quiet… and then the lightbulb moments started..

    *Jumping in and fixing everything*

    *Taking everything on myself because I think its quicker*

    *Over committing cos I don’t want to let people down, then I end up working weekends*

    *Being scared of failing so I hold back*

    *Not speaking up in meetings*

    I could go on…

    But this is why mindset plays a HUGE part in the work that I do.

    Because you might be a leader but you’re still HUMAN!

    And the way you think and feel creates your actions, and then your actions create your results (and also your habits).

    Which is why I see so many people relying on ways of working they’ve used before not realising its actually making things A LOT harder than it needs to be… AND it’s slowing things right down!

    And then we blame the amount of work
    And that there’s never enough time
    And the team needing you so much

    When actually making some small shifts can make a MASSIVE difference!!!

    Giving you more time, balance and breathing space
    More confidence
    And a much more empowered team

    This is what we do on The Elevated Leader full day workshop where we talk about:

    – The impact of your daily habits on your results (in and out of work)
    – The small shifts you can make to get more time, and have a more empowered team
    – How your mindset is affecting your actions under the radar
    – How to start to elevate and feel more confident as a leader without working any harder or sacrificing your life.
    – How to remove the blocks that are holding you back.

    For Senior Leadership Teams only

    I’m getting booked up before the summer so only have 4 days available for May & June.

    16th May
    22nd May
    11th June
    19th June

    Send me a direct message and I’ll send you all the details.

    PS if these dates don’t suit let me know to get first dibs on Sept – Nov.

  • Blog, leadership, mindset, personal development

    How to actually FEEL like a leader

    *I want to actually FEEL like a leader*

    Someone said this to me the other day.

    I knew exactly what they meant.

    They were sick of:

    Holding themselves back in important meetings

    Looking round the room and comparing themselves to their peers

    Struggling with self doubt, feeling like an imposter and fear of failure, that it’s all going to come crashing down

    And spinning all the plates ????

    You might even find yourself thinking that it’s not right for you and maybe you need to do something else.

    I hear this all the time because even though you’ve worked so hard to get where you are today, and you really deserve it, you can still feel like a little kid thinking *who am I to be here?*

    And then you stay quiet when you want to speak

    Or get nervous when you need to be confident

    Or play small and hold back as its safer

    Or work harder because it’s our natural default.

    And it’s all because we’ve not acclimatised to where we need to be.

    You’re relying on old habits to keep working – but the saying *what got you here isn’t going to get you there* is true.

    You’re trying to control the situation by working harder on the things that aren’t going to move the needle or that others can do.

    And you’re sabotaging yourself under the radar as your subconscious mind is trying to get you back to your comfort zone.

    But when you start to see your actions and thoughts from a different perspective it becomes so much clearer.

    ????????????????

    This is what I do in my 1-1 programme where you’ll learn how to elevate so you feel like the leader you are, take action with confidence and own your seat at the table (on the inside as well as the outside).

    Plus you’ll learn how to:

    Lead yourself
    Get in control of your time
    And empower your team.

    And you’ll not only FEEL different, you’ll show up differently.

    I’ve seen this so many times.

    If you’re a Director, Business Owner, Exec or Senior Leader and you’re ready to unlock your leadership potential book a call for more info on my 6 month 1-1 programme. 

  • Blog, leadership, mindset, personal development, time

    3 things to do before starting another week

    Do these THREE things before diving into another week. Trust me… they’ll make all the difference…

    1) Spend 10 minutes (its just 10 mins) REFLECTING on how things went last week in two columns… positives and improvements (so you don’t just zoom in on the negatives) ????

    2. PLAN – what do you want to achieve this week? Focus on just 1-3 things that will really move the needle and you’ll be dancing round the street if you do.

    3. BOOK – get your diary out and book 30 mins in on Wednesday to see how you’re doing and stay on track.

    If you’re thinking *chance would be a fine thing, have you seen my diary?!* then lets talk ????

    ————

    If you’re a Business Leader and you’re ready to get out of the weeds, side step self doubt and elevate as a leader feel free to book call for more info on how I can help you or your team.

  • Blog, Business, leadership, mindset, personal development

    Why time management tips aren’t actually working for you

    Time management remains one of the most asked for personal development topics, and for good reason.

    Time is our number 1 resource…we can’t get any more of it no matter what we do, and there’s always a lot to fit into a very small 16 hour daily window (assuming we sleep for 8 hours a night that is!)

    But the thing is that time management tips are everywhere. I could list loads right now and you’d probably know them all.

    Things like:

    • Turn the notifications of on your email / phone
    • Use a to-do list (and a done list)
    • Get good at saying no
    • Create buffers in between your meetings
    • Delegate

    See…none of these are rocket science (although all of them do actually work wonders).

    So the real question isn’t ‘how do I manage my time?

    But why aren’t I actually doing the things that will actually help me manage my time?’

    What’s actually stopping you from putting into practice the things that you know would work?

    Over the years I’ve asked a lot of people that question…and more often than not it comes down to your thinking.

    For example:

    ‘I need to keep checking my emails in case something happens’

    ‘I don’t want to let anyone down so I have to work this weekend’

    ‘It’s the nature of the job to work long hours’

    ‘I’m the boss so people have to be able to get hold of me’

    ‘It’s just expected of me’

    ‘If I don’t do it no-one will’

    ‘It’s quicker if I do it myself’

    Any of these familiar?

    We all have thoughts, beliefs and ideas about what we think we should be doing, or how we think we’re expected to show up…but when was the last time you actually challenged your own thinking and asked ‘is this really true?’

    And…if the answer is ‘no’ what could you do instead?

    Chances are a lot of what you’re thinking that’s causing you to work in a certain way is just some out of date thinking or habit that’s no longer true.

    Sure once upon a time it might have been true.

    Or it might have even be true for someone else who had some influence on you at some point (like an old boss) but it might not actually be true for you right now.

    And chances are if you changed that thinking and did something different…nothing bad would actually happen.

    You might even find yourself thinking ‘why didn’t I do this years ago?’

    So, my question is…what are you telling yourself about the way you manage your time that might not be true for you anymore?

    Here’s how:

    1. Look at all the things you don’t like about your day. The things that just serve to sap your time and energy…and make a list.
    2. Now write down why you keep doing them…and see what comes up. If you’re lucky you might have a real A-Ha moment and change them right now. If not, keep going and write down all the reasons why.
    3. Look at each of the reasons and challenge each one…one by one, asking yourself ‘is this really true?’ If it isn’t…it’s time to switch your thinking.

    Give it a go and see what comes up for you.

     

     

    Ready for the next steps?

    Take the Confident Leaders Quiz – and see where you need to focus your attention to get the results you really want – Click here to take the Quiz)

    Listen to the podcast – Smash Your Own Ceiling (click here for apple) (click here for spotify)

  • Business, leadership, Podcast

    Behind the scenes of a Managing Director – with Noel Kershaw

    I’m so excited to share this fantastic ‘Behind the Scenes’ conversation with Noel Kershaw.

    Noel is the Managing Director of Deli Fresh an amazing conversation that supplies fresh food to hotels and restaurants around the country, and in this conversation he shares:

    – His personal development journey in coaching over the past few years

    – Why he decided to dive into coaching, what was going on for him and why he felt it was important

    – How things changed for him as a result

    AND he shares a lot of wisdom from his own experience that you could use in your own business / life.

    Click here to have a listen

    PLUS – I’m super excited to share that the doors of The Leaders Circle Roundtable Mastermind is OPEN for enrolment.

    This is for you if:

    ✔️ You’re a Managing Director or Director

    ✔️ You’re great at focusing on the business and your team but not that great at focusing on yourself and what you need?

    ✔️ You realising that what got you here, isn’t going to get you there and that you need to learn how to up-level as a leader to get the results you really want?

    ✔️You have times when you feel like an imposter, and ask yourself ‘who am I to be a leader’?

    ✔️You feel like it’s lonely at the top, and you’d love a safe space to have vulnerable conversations without needing to know all the answers?

    ✔️You’re getting fed up with spinning all the plates and juggling all the balls and your fear of failure is a heavy burden to carry?

    ✔️Your work life balance, not very…balanced, and you’d like more time with your family, and partner?

    ✔️You want to be the best you can be at home and at work?

    ✔️You’re ready to focus on your development, and see how changes to your habits, thinking or daily actions can make a huge impact on all areas of your life.

    ✔️You craving headspace and time to focus on yourself without anyone needing or wanting your attention?

    If so, this is for you.

    Click here for more info

  • leadership, Podcast

    Getting the most out of your team – With Ed Fish

    I’m really excited to be opening up 3 additional places for my 6 month one to one Coaching Programme.

    This is for you if you’re a business owner or leader and…

    You’re ready to elevate as a leader

    To get out of the weeds, and get some work life balance

    Lead your team and yourself more effectively

    Start to get the results that you really want

    Side step Imposter Syndrome or stop holding yourself back

    Live your truest potential

    All you need to do is send an email to info@barbaranixon.co.uk with the word COACHING in the subject heading and we’ll get back to you to explore whether it’s right for you.

    Also, if you know that 1-1 coaching isn’t right for you right now, but you’d love to work on your mindset and stop holding yourself back come and join the Smash Your Own Ceiling Collective and use the coupon code 50%OFF to get 50%o off.

    Now onto today’s episode…

    Today I’m sharing a fantastic conversation that I had with Ed Fish.

    Ed is an Organisational Climatologist which means that  he helps with the Climate in an organisation, which is fundamentally, ‘how it feels to work here.’

    Many feel this is ‘the soft stuff’, but it is steeped in science that Ed has been studying for the last 20 years.

    He uses this science to demystify how people interact and leaders lead, so maximise human potential and bring some joy to the workplace. Ed started the journey by studying biotechnology and going to work in the process industries.

    He is an unreformed engineer, still enjoying some complex maths.  However, his sojourn from design engineer to project management revealed that it is all about people. That is the crux, it’s about people, plural.

    It is about that complex area of social structure, and how we behave.

    That includes the inner workings of individuals (psychology and emotions) and how they interact in a social, productive context.

    You can find Ed on

    At his website ed@pandoraconsulting.co.uk

    Or email pandoraconsults@gmail.com