Posts by Dr. Chris Rowell

Leading Under Pressure to Avoid Threat Rigidity

“Every leader is at a different level for their window of tolerance for things like change, pressure, stress, complexity and uncertainty… When they get thrown outside their window of tolerance, that’s when their executive functioning goes out the window. And...

The Accountability Agreement

A question we often hear from our clients is: how do I keep my team accountable? At first glance, it seems simple – their role involves a task or a goal, and they should take responsibility for completing it. But...

Levers of Influence

“Leadership is influence.” – John C. Maxwell What Influences You? As Dan Pink reminds us, 40% of a leader’s job today is influencing. Given that in contemporary complex, interconnected organisations, we can’t get anything done by ourselves, one could argue...

Leaning In: The Difference between Being Accountable and Taking Accountability

Organisations run on accountability. As a consequence, few things preoccupy leaders more than ensuring that their teams take responsibility for their actions, decisions, and performance for the benefit of the whole. However, what it means to “be accountable” and “take...

Conscious Organisations – Eyes Wide Open

Being Conscious For an individual, unconsciously following scripts and rituals in organisations can be a good short-term strategy. For the organisation over time, this can have dire consequences.We believe that it takes three things to create a more conscious organisation:...

Unlocking Strategic Networking

“Networking” can get a bad rap in the workplace. But humans have been connecting across groups, societies and cultures for as long as it’s been possible to do so. Networking with others is not just about finding that next job...