Leadership for Tough Times – The Triumph of the Phoenix

Leadership for Tough Times

This is a topic for today.

In an environment of unprecedented uncertainty for businesses and business leaders, Dr Dave presents a practical framework for leaders seeking to create effective outcomes in tough times.  It is a framework that encourages you to reflect on your circumstances, draw support and inspiration from men and women who have been there before, and move forward with self-confidence and the support and respect of your people.

For the last four years, Dr Dave has studied the personal and career comebacks of some of the world’s great leaders.  In his forthcoming book, The Triumph of the Phoenix.  he explores how great leaders are able to turn disasters into valuable learning experiences and, just perhaps, into future triumphs.

We are only truly successful when we can get attain some perspective on our mistakes and tough times and then subsequently extract real insights from them.  We are only truly successful when we can lead ourselves and our people through the valleys of darkness that tough times inevitably send and emerge with ourselves and our organisations in better shape.

The word phoenix frames our journey together.  Together, we can:

Pause and reflect on yesterday’s storms and today’s realities.

Heal, if we have been damaged by the strains, and seek Help from others to support, advise, and work with us as we look to build a better future.

Own our current circumstances, accepting that without personal ownership, positive action is unlikely.

Explore future possibilities.  If a  journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, in which direction should we move?

Negotiate the obstacles and the challenges and the hidden shoals that may trip us up as we move forward.  New confidence, in ourselves or in our colleagues, is an extremely fragile emotion.  It must be developed gently and with true respect for its fragility.

Inspiration is the core ingredient for positive momentum.  Not only do we need to inspire ourselves on a daily basis, we may need to provide authentic inspiration to others, even when not feeling in the best of moods ourselves.

Xcel!  All of the will and passion in the world will not take us to our destinations unless excellence themes through everything that we do, from the levels of customer service we will provide to the standards of integrity and ethicality we will expect from ourselves and our people.

Relying on the stories of the world’s greatest comebacks, Dr Dave will inspire you to saddle your own phoenix and fly it skywards.  From Lee Iacocca to Donald Trump and from Steve Jobs to Rupert Murdoch*, you will feel renewed confidence in your ability to respond to disappointments and failures in yourself and your organization, and to respond anew.

You will feel empowered to act, and act in the right ways, whether you face overwhelming circumstances or long nights of the soul.   Through the Triumph of the Phoenix, you can.

* This presentation is also available in a non-business format.  Comeback themes and stories have also been created for the fields of entertainment, politics, and sport.  Business presentations can also draw on these powerful stories.