187: Shifting our Focus | Dr Graham Curtis

03/11/24 • 47 min

Dr Graham Curtis is Director of learning and research at Roffey Park Institute and leads their Masters programme. Roffey Park was first established in the 1940's by the UK Government and a number of sponsoring companies focused on the rehabilitation of workers after the war. Today, Roffey Park is established on a multi acre site in Horsham helping to deliver educations and research to aid the health and well being of the workforce (they are validated by the University of Sussex).
Roffey Park specialises in carrying out research to try and help leaders make better decisions based on evidence as opposed to mere hunches or biases. They are also passionate to help organisations identify and recognise talent from all levels to ensure that talent is maximised and where you were born or what school you went to is not a disadvantage.
Graham explains that every single organisational context is different and those in senior leadership must remain attached to what is happening at the lower levels which means spending time on the 'shop floor' in order to pressure test assumptions, listen and learn from those closest to the customers and problems and being open and vulnerable to pivoting and changing direction.
Graham talks passionately about coming from Sunderland and growing up on a tough estate and attending a comprehensive school but was always alive to opportunity as and when it came knocking. He remembers an incident when he was 7 years old and hospitalised through ill health yet he became the centre of attention through the love he received from family, teachers and medical staff. This helped him understand that he was worthy of investment, something that continues to motivate Graham in seeking to always help others.
www.roffeypark.ac.uk to access multiple research papers including their important post pandemic research.
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-graham-curtis-6b931911

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Previous Episode

186: Tune In | Nuala Walsh

Nuala Walsh is a former senior executive for a FTSE 100 company, behavioural scientist, Ted X speaker, non executive director (including the Football Association and British & Irish Lions) various businesses and charities, author of 'Tune In' and has been recognised as one of the most influential women in finance.
Nuala has interviewed Presidents, top sports stars and executives so this episode focuses on her learning and experience as a senior leader with an insatiable curiosity to understand why people do what they do.
In a noisy world, when we are rewarded by speed, the crisis is growing as regards a leaders inability to ensure that they are making safe, sound and ethical decisions that truly consider the wider implications.
Nuala's Ted X talk was at the University of Salford and focused on 'How to overcome Indecision.' The key message is that indecision is temporary, hidden and is normally a state of mind. No leader admits they are indecisive. Leaders's can control it by understanding one of three barriers that may exist (1) the decision is too big (2) it's too far in the future and a decision doesn't need to be made (3) or its too hard a decision. The solution is to chunk or split the decision into smaller and easier components whilst visualising the end result.
'Tune In' is all about how to make smarter decisions in a noisy world. Nuala describes that the world is very visual and fast paced with too much data coming at leaders from all directions but inside a leader's head is just as crowded and noisy as the external world.
Nuala also describes 'Power Recognition' as one of 10 misjudgement traps. She explains that there are three categories which include 'power seekers', 'power holders' or those who have 'lost or are afraid of losing power.' and she provides some interesting examples which highlights that many leaders have an obsession with identify, title and status.
Leaders must consider their own deaf spots - ask yourself are you a tuned out or tuned in leader? If you are not tuned in you are missing signals that matter.
Nuala has interviewed Presidents, the first man on the moon, top sports stars and executives and she has always been curious as to the human being element of their accomplishments. In this episode she shares some insights from her interview with former President Bill Clinton and top golfer José María Olazábal.
Don't miss this episode.
www.nualagwalsh.com
Tune In is available on Amazon

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Next Episode

190: CEO & Board Confidence 2024 | Alice Breeden

Alice Breeden is Regional Managing Partner CEO & Board practice for Heidrick & Struggles based in London. This episode is based on the recent research completed by Heidrick focused on CEO and Board confidence.
Alice highlights that there is so much happening in the world over shorter time periods that no leader has all the answers and every leader must be ever ready for the challenges.
CEO and Board positions are a world that only few will occupy. Those who do, will need to operate in an environment of constant change, pressure and expectation.
The Confidence research is being tracked quarterly by Heidrick throughout the year in order to help advise leaders and also stay up to date and relevant as possible.
The research findings represents data from almost 3,500 respondents from major organisations and key findings included low confidence in an organisations ability to reach their 2024 goals and low confidence in the longer term succession and leadership planning.
The low confidence around reaching goals was predicated on leaders dealing with themes beyond their control combined with strategy being difficult to execute without constant amendments, This compares with the fact that confidence is high in executive teams so organisations feel they have the right people but the landscape is problematic.
The role of the Board has also changed over time, they too have shifted in their capabilities coupled with a deep sense of curiosity to deal with complex topics such as AI, climate and sustainability to name just a few.
I also ask Alice about her thoughts on the role of Human Centred Leadership in CEO and Board roles . She explains that those in role understand success will be determined not just by their technical competence but very much by their ability to lead as a human with a deep sense of propose, curiosity, humility. constant learning, adaptability and agility.
The Top 4 concerns for CEO's according to the Heidrick research included
1. Economic uncertainty
2. Geopolitical volatility
3. Workforce attraction and retention and
4. Shifts in market dynamics.
We also talk about culture in this episode as 83% of the companies surveyed are actively working on their culture as it is a key differentiator in the quest for success.
To access the research: https://www.heidrick.com/en/insights/board-of-directors/ceo-and-board-confidence-monitor-a-worried-start-to-2024
www.heidrick.com/en/people/b/alice_breeden

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