The Ego ContinuumSAMPLE

Companies typically invest in teaching the performance
management principles, including objective setting, annual
appraisals and skills matrices. In these trainings, effective
feedback delivery is one element that is often missing. What
does this even mean and why is it relevant? What about how
to not take a cookie-cutter approach in how you deliver
feedback? Has anyone ever shared how to engage in feedback
based on the particular audience? How will you know why it is
so important to build relationships? How well do you know how
to inspire and motivate? Do you know what your staff want to
do? Do you know how to do this while remaining professional?
Are you aware of the type of leader you’re perceived to be? What
do you leave behind when you engage your staff? All of this is
what makes the relationship between you and your staff truly
engaging. It’s the human element of effective leadership which
we call ‘active leadership’. I’ve personally witnessed very few
workplaces that deploy this. Instead, they create robotic leaders
who don’t take their staff to the next level, and then wonder why
behaviours and ultimately, the culture, never change.
Active leadership from my lens is comprised of three
components. Effective feedback delivery is an essential element.
We will also delve into leadership brand and self-awareness—
two powerful elements that will raise your leadership game to
new levels when authentically engaged.
The environment created in companies that churn out robotsounding
leaders instead of active and engaging leaders can
be anywhere from uninspiring to toxic. Some call centres, in
particular, are known for having poor attrition rates—employees
don’t stay, they don’t last, and it’s always just a job to pay the
bills. When people are hired, it’s a bums-on-seats mentality. It
feels like ‘hire those you can and sort them out later’. These
companies, at some point, end up saturating their hiring market
Introduction 11