22 Dec Farewell 2020, hello 2021 from Margaret Beaton

Farewell 2020, hello 2021 from Margaret Beaton is written with my best wishes to all readers of Letting Go. Stepping Up.

I’ve selected insights from my posts of the past year to highlight my clients’ opportunities and challenges.

Development and succession: Two sides of the same coin

Development and succession: Two sides of the same coin was my 101^st post on Letting go. Stepping up. Fittingly, it was also my first post at the start of the new 2020s decade. It’s also special in that it accompanies the unveiling of my new look website.  (January)

Why less is better

Why less is better is a philosophy of life, work and career that will change the way you prioritise and allocate your precious time.

It’s transformational because you will learn how to stop, ask ‘Am I investing in the right activities?’. And act accordingly. (February)

Leadership in a (prolonged) crisis

Leadership in a (prolonged) crisis refers not only to the coronavirus pandemic; it also focusses attention on coping with the crises that occur in our everyday professional and personal lives. The environment in which big – and small – crises occur has been famously described as VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. VUCA expresses the fact that the rate of change in a crisis situation outpaces our ability to adapt. This gap means we have to rethink how we lead ourselves, others and our organisations. (April)

Reinvent you

The reasons vary, but at some point in your executive career, you’ll need to reinvent yourself. Whether you want to advance more rapidly in your organisation, switch into a different kind of job or move to a new city, you must reinvent yourself by building on your unique talents and drawing on your passions. To change successfully in today’s competitive job market – particularly in the current environment – you’ll need to rebrand yourself, in other words, reinvent you. (May)

Leading with inner agility

The COVID-19 crisis, accelerating change and the geopolitical tensions of interdependence are

amongst the profound, long-term phenomena making organisational agility an urgent global imperative. Witness rampant rethinking of business models, rapid embracing of digitalisation and adoption of radically different workplace practices. These disruptions call for transformational leaders. My post outlines the challenge these leaders face and what personal practices can help them cope personally and professionally. (July)

Sequel to leading with inner agility

Since I posted Leading with inner agility on Letting go. Stepping up. leaders have shared with me their experiences of working with the idea of developing their inner agility. Their questions have prompted today’s post in which I delve deeper into practical ways to strengthen your inner agility. As a leader, you have your lens through which you see situations and personal and professional ways of responding that you have learned over many years. (August)

Leading for engagement

To maximise the productivity of their teams, leaders need team members to be fully engaged and emotionally committed to their organisation and its goals. They don’t just work for a salary or for their next promotion. When followers are engaged they use discretionary effort and go the extra mile. (November)

With my best wishes to you all

Margaret