Leadership Skills

• We have been delivering this leadership skills training for many years and we have been fortunate enough to train different-sized organisations from different sectors of the business community. As such we are certain we understand the underlying principles fully for firms of all types.
• Given our experience delivering this leadership skills training program, we are well aware that the approach to leadership skills training has matured over the years and we have adapted the course content to align with changing expectations and requirements.
• We do not use academics to deliver this leadership skills course. We prefer hands-on, highly experienced practitioners who reached top management levels during their careers and have real experience in managing financial promotions risks.
• The leadership skills training is aimed at the practitioner and uses a commercial approach, where applicable.
• We use real-life examples and interesting case studies that illustrate the key points.
• Feedback received from previous delegates has always been excellent.

• Become a more effective leader
• Design a personal leadership action plan to improve the overall development of leadership skills
• Improve your personal performance
• Earn not just “command” respect

Session 1: Introduction/Overview

• What do we mean by leadership
• What is the key role
• Empathy or sympathy
• Push versus Pull
• Soft versus Hard
• Communication Styles – several options and combinations
  • Autocratic
  • Democratic
  • Passive
  • Aggressive
  • Assertive
• Which should be adopted/deployed?
• What is your natural communication style?
• The 60/40 rule; your current starting point
• Communicating in a frank and open manner
• Ensuring you are approachable.
• Ensuring the team views you as a “go-to” resource – but not too frequently
• The power of “even better if”
• The power of the “sandwich” technique
• Listening both well and carefully. Not an easy task for some of us

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 2: Building Effective Relationships

• Your role:
  • How to earn “respect” both internally and externally using influencing and leadership communication skills
  • Making full allowance for the target audience – colleagues, juniors and seniors
  • Networking skills both internally and externally
  • Building effective leadership skills and relationships both internally and externally
  • Identifying needs
  • Preparation includes active listening and intelligent questioning.
  • Dealing with the “goldfish” response
  • Exploring others needs
  • Communication Styles in leadership

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 3: Leadership Influencing Skills

• What qualities does an effective leader need?
• Acting as an effective conduit between the top and junior management
• Leadership introduction
• Organisational Ability
• Motivation
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Managing conflict resolution
• Managing Change & Innovation
• Managing time

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 4: Personal impact/confidence building

• Different styles – which one suits you best
• Corporate/Management style
• The best communication vehicle – verbal, written, electronic
  • Earning the respect and trust of top management
  • Knowing the terms of reference
  • Listing all possible solutions/options.
  • Setting a time scale and deciding who is responsible for the decision.
• Encouraging two-way communication
• Encouraging the “esprit de corps” principle of management
• Using “Top-down” and “bottom-up” techniques
• Dealing with resistance
• Dealing with the “goldfish” response

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 5: Working on Cross-Functional Teams

• The mid-manager role in leadership and decision making
• Reduce more complicated decisions down to simpler steps.
• Planning Decisions to meet deadlines
• Getting staff buy-in
• Information gathering.
• Weighing up the risks involved.
• Deciding on values, or in other words what is important.
• Weighing up the pros and cons of each course of action
• Making the decision.
• Ensuring the decision is implemented/actioned

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 6: Change Management Leadership

• The leadership role in change management
• Building Personal Resilience
• Trust Building
• Networking
• Coaching
• Forcing clarity
• Managing other’s uncertainty
• Organisation
• Follow through

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 7: People Management styles

• Textbook definitions
• Your preferred style
• Your bank’s style
• Your boss’s Style
• What works best for your department
• What works best for the team

Case Study/Exercise/Example

Session 8: Delegation

• The art of delegation
• When to delegate
• When not to delegate
• Supervising
• Avoiding overkill
• Macro rather than micro-management
• Monitoring
• Staying in control

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 9: Conflict & Resolution

• Main causes
• Resolution methods
• Deploying leadership and management skills effectively
• Dealing with challenges to your authority
• Formal procedures – always a last resort but sometimes the only option

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

Session 10: Managing Problems

• Typical mid-management issues
• Dealing informally, semi-formally and formally
• Methods of problem-solving
• Enlisting help and guidance
• Resolution
• Referral

Case Study/Exercise/Examples

A highly successful, long and varied “fast track” career in Lloyds Bank, led him to very senior management at an early age. He was then “head hunted” to join a merchant bank at the main board director level. He now has over 40 years of experience in the UK banking and financial services sector.

The Trainer has been a freelance leadership skills training consultant since retiring and is currently an external Master Trainer at both HSBC and Bank of China where he has delivered soft skills training on a wide range of topics. At HSBC he helped screen and assess both prospective and existing trainers for soft skills capabilities and has delivered a train-the-trainer leadership skills training program. At the Bank of China, he has designed and delivered successfully a comprehensive presentation and negotiation skills programmes. The Trainer has created and delivered soft skills training to a vast range of clients, from global giants to small firms and partnerships.

Leadership skills are usually acquired through experience – often by getting it wrong! Leadership must be earned – it cannot simply be demanded. Leadership is all about managing and directing people whether they are internal or external colleagues. Good leadership skills are a “must-have” for anyone aspiring to progress to more senior management levels when you will find you are getting more done but doing less yourself (Ideally!). This highly interactive workshop is designed to provide current or potential leaders and managers with an insight into the skills for leadership and personal qualities necessary to ensure you can “get things done” and/or “make things happen”, By the end of the workshop every delegate will feel much better prepared for their leadership and people management roles.