Blog

Stress is a very real problem in companies across the globe.  Have you ever had an employee who is highly engaged to perform and loves their job?  They are happy to work long hours, ensuring their team are appropriately managed, dealing with deadlines while simultaneously organising everything.   Then suddenly they crash; physically and emotionally exhausted from burning the candle at both ends, trying to do too much, lacking a good night’s sleep […]

In a workplace where many employees remain well into their 60s, and school leavers and graduates are joining teams, employers face a new set of challenges in managing an increasingly age-variant workforce.  There may already be Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y (Millennials) on your team, with Gen Z soon to join the helm!  As a leader, you might be wondering how to best manage this diverse age range to get the best out of your team.  How […]

Many participants on our leadership courses here at Excel talk about the challenges they face when organisations need to change and the difficulties they experience in leading their team through those changes.  Change only happens when individuals embrace that change and are willing to carry it out. Senior management can initiate all sorts of projects and ideas, but if they don’t […]

In today‘s diverse and busy business environment, communication skills are possibly one of the most desired qualities of a leader.  With more and more processes becoming automated, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence looking to dominate many procedures going forward, interpersonal skills are increasing in importance as we recognise the need to maintain a human link in the world of business.  The Key to Leadership Success  […]

Employers always check a candidate’s suitability for a job vacancy – looking for their experience, relevant qualifications and traits such as dependability and timekeeping. But more and more employers are looking for something else – and that is emotional intelligence.  What is Emotional Intelligence?  Simply put, emotional intelligence, or EI, refers to the ability to manage your own emotions as well as being conscious of other’s emotions.  […]

“Some changes look negative on the surface, but you will soon realise that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge” – Eckhart Tolle  If you’re carrying baggage around or holding on to a heavy object, it‘s only heavy while you’re actually holding it. Once you put it down, you can move freely.   It’s […]

I know my dog, Riley, has taught me many things over the years, so I thought it would be interesting to write a blog looking at typical canine behaviour and what it can teach us if we want to be successful leaders.  Observation of your dog can provide a greater understanding of successful leadership because leading and coaching people is pretty much the same as dog training. Really, it is!  […]

Historically, we’ve had some amazing women leaders, from Elizabeth I to Oprah, women have inspired other women across the centuries and proved that we can achieve our goals.  Not that aspirations and achievement come easy. The excitement of being in charge is often a great motivator to succeed, but the responsibilities attached to being a successful leader, on top of those commitments in your personal life, can be challenging for many women.  Associated […]

Negotiation. It can seem like a dark art to many. It’s undoubtedly an underutilised skill. However, the art of persuasion is just another life skill, the same as any other and anyone can learn how to negotiate well.   The thing to remember is that negotiation isn’t all about getting your way or playing ‘hardball’: it’s about opportunities to influence others and achieve […]