Category: Leadership Development

Be Authentic

Be Authentic – Attend a Conference as Yourself
Posted on 12th July 2012 in Communication Skills Training, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development

How to be authentic? What does that actually mean? And who am I without my accomplishments – past, present or future? We all hang labels on ourselves and others. Indeed we’re pretty much trained to do this from the get go. We define ourselves by our jobs, specific roles, industry sectors, educational backgrounds, family backgrounds, race, religion…. But and this is kinda impossible to do, who are we if we could strip away those societal layers..? Would that stripped down person be our natural, authentic self..?

Meet New People

Intriguing and illuminating Harvard Business Review article on how to just be yourself when meeting new folk at a conference. https://hbr.org/2012/03/how-to-attend-a-conference-as.html

Many of us label ourselves according to our professional role and thats the prism we then view life through. When meeting people for the first time we tend to offer up “I’m an engineer” or “I’m an actor” etc quite readily. In so doing we label ourselves and attempt, albeit subconsciously, to restrict other people’s perceptions of us into the pre-determined arena we would rather they see us in.

It is controlling behaviour and smacks of inherent fear. Great advantages lie in store for those willing to temporarily suspend the importance of their titles, rank and status and just be in the moment. We are all imperfect and vulnerable. If we can trust ourselves to show some of that vulnerability to others, then those people will trust us – because they will see their own vulnerabilities reflected back – and so they will know us.

Allowing Ourselves to be Authentic

If we could allow our ego’s to chill out and just be in the moment, viewing the familiar and unknown with the same optimism then we get out of our own way. Then we strip layers of padding – our role, company etc – away and are more vulnerable and open to change and new experiences. Which in turn lead to new adventures as our authentic selves, personally and professionally.

Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication

emotional intelligence ten years

Emotional Intelligence. 10 Years Strong
Posted on 21st May 2012 in Communication Skills Training, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development

Emotional Intelligence has garnered a lot of focus and press coverage of late. Now, some 10 years after the concept was born, it has proven to be much more than just a fad. Indeed, as a concept it has gained a lot of respect amongst business leaders. There are many training courses offering workshops in developing emotional intelligence. And the phrase has now passed into common, everyday usage.

The higher up in an organisation you climb the more important it is to be emotionally intelligent. Managers who score higher on a test of EI report less stress, higher morale and experience less illness.

Safety & Survival

One of the first principles of human behaviour is safety and survival. To that end we are constantly scanning our environment for danger, both consciously and unconsciously. Emotions (fear, anger, sadness, joy & disgust) are one major and rapid pathway for alerting us toward challenge and threat in our environment. We also use emotions to communicate this information to others. Recent research has shown that the brain has specific areas dedicated to processing emotional information (Joseph LeDoux – `The Emotional Brain’).

21st century survival is as much about self-preservation in the social and psychological world as it is in the physical. So emotional intelligence is really about our ability to integrate our emotions with our cognitive thoughts. Thereby ensuring our everyday safety and survival in the modern world. And like other forms of intelligence some people are better at it than others.

Research into Emotional Intelligence

The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations was founded in 1996. It was set up to aid the advancement of research and practice related to emotional intelligence in organizations. The following research projects and articles are provided by the Consortium. http://www.eiconsortium.org/reports/reports.html

Some further recommended tools to test your emotional intelligence: http://emotionalintelligence.net/products/?gclid=CKKsyYCrkbACFYwQfAodakDgyg

Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication

Change-Management-London-Market-Professionals

Change Management – London Market Professionals
Posted on 11th May 2012 in Change Management, Communication Skills Training, Leadership Development, Management Training

Leading change management professionals were in attendance to hear Sartaj Garewal speak at a unique, new event for insurance and change management professionals. This will be the first of several events by London Market Professionals. This aims to create a forum for influential figures within the London insurance market to meet and exchange views. Professor Roger Maull’s keynote speech addressed ‘New Models in the Digital Economy.’ Sartaj Garewal and Roger Oldham www.amethystbc.co.uk  jointly delivered a session on ‘Human Dynamics of Change.’

Change-Matters-London-Market_Professionals-Sartaj

Change Matters

‘CHANGE Matters’ will become a regular forum for experienced change management professionals. An opportunity for those who work in the London insurance market to meet, network and discuss key issues, drivers and concerns of the day.

The overall aspiration is to enhance the standing, knowledge and awareness of those responsible for change management delivery in the London Market. CHANGE Matters meetings will be held every 2-3 months. These events will involve presentations from experienced change management professionals and keynote speakers on topics of mutual interest. The mission is to add value to the change community. Audience interaction will be encouraged. Where the event adds value to a individual’s knowledge and skill set, it may qualify for continuing professional points, depending on the rules of the respective governing professional body.

Build your social network

The post event drinks gatherings are an important part of the LMP events. They will allow practitioners to interact with their peers, exchange viewpoints and build social networks. The meetings will be held in central venues such as the London Underwriting Centre. The Lloyd’s Building is another likely venue.  LMP was founded by Brian Groves and Roger Oldham in January 2012.

What happens at Change Matters events?

We will be inviting quality speakers from the world of change management, education, learning and from our own sector too. The aim is to assist attendees with their professional development. Allow them to discuss and debate matters of common interest and meet their peers in a friendly social environment.

How often will the events be held?

At least four – six times annually. Late in the afternoon on a Thursday to ensure as little impact on the working day. And allowing people the freedom to stay on for an hour afterwards to socialise over a glass of wine.

Who should attend?

Especially aimed at change management professionals working in the insurance sector. But also for anyone with an interest in operational change.

How much does it cost?

Nothing, it is completely free to all change management professionals.

What’s in it for me?

Knowledge, education, opinions, questions, panel discussions. And crucially, social interaction with like minded change management professionals.

We have big plans for LMP including numerous added benefits for members. Further training, education and wider social events will bring together members of the HR Matters, Legal & Compliance Matters and Cloud Matters groups.

Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication

public-speaking-fear

Fear of Public Speaking – The King’s Speech
Posted on 10th May 2012 in Film, Keynote Speeches, Leadership Development, Public Speaking, Theatre & Drama

Whatever your misgivings about public speaking, spare a thought for poor old George VI.  He was a highly private man called to a highly public role during one of the most tumultuous periods in modern history.  George spent his young years in the shadow of his glamorous elder brother Edward until he was crowned king in 1936.

The nascent technology of wireless radio had forced new responsibilities on to the King.  Before he had been expected to address occasional select gatherings of worthies and notables, now he was expected to address the nation.

Weight of Expectation

When called upon to address even a small room full of people, many of us feel the weight of expectation sitting on our shoulders and the terrible dread that we might mess things up in front of an audience. This is quite literally the stuff of nightmares: to be exposed in front of our colleagues as not quite up to it. With this mind it is little surprise that many people do everything they can to avoid any public speaking engagements. However, as we journey through our careers becoming more senior, the prospect of giving presentations and speeches increases considerably.

If it’s possible to get that worked up about a small presentation, one must suppose that George’s anxieties were of a different order given that he had to address the British public on the subject of war, a task made infinitely more gruelling by the fact that he had a stammer. This would seem to be fate demonstrating quite clearly that if nothing else, she has a sense of humour; our first war-time monarch of the broadcast age had a stammer!

Tackling the Fear

If you have seen Tom Hooper’s excellent ‘The King’s Speech’, you will of course know all of this already and without wishing to spoil the film for anyone yet to see it and do see it – it’s terrific,George VI tackles his fear of public speaking by consulting a speech therapist, Mr Logue, who turns out not to be a doctor but an actor. While the King is initially horrified to discover the man he thought to be a nice respectable doctor is in fact a member of one of the least reputable professions going, the acting profession, he is won around eventually. 

You may find your mind wandering down the same tracks as the King’s and wonder to yourself what possible use an actor could be. Well an actor’s job is to connect with audiences, if you’ve ever been to the theatre or cinema and found yourself captivated by a performance then you know what I’m talking about.  As Mr. Logue demonstrates in The King’s Speech, the skills actors use can be taught, even to someone as unprepossessing and in the grip of public speaking fear as George VI.

Dynamic Presenting

That in a nutshell is the whole point of Dynamic Presenting, to analyse your style of presentation, pitching and public speaking to locate weak spots and to help supplement these with skills and techniques which have stood the test of time.  So if you want a consultation fit for a King, even if your problems aren’t quite on the same scale as George VI’s, drop us a line and we’ll start with a chat…

Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication