***The following transcript has been automatically generated and is presented here unchecked***
Behind the scenes of LinkedIn Live
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, week, leadership, linkedin, leader, authentic, fascinating, jan, nadine, live, question, reflecting, challenges, working, support, find, happening, nick, staff, inspection
SPEAKERS
Nadine Powrie
Nadine Powrie [00:02]
Okay, we are live. Welcome to our first LinkedIn live. I’m Nadine Powrie. I’m Executive and leadership coach and a mediator. And I’m joined today by two of my colleagues. Hi, Jane. Hi.
I’m Alicia Rutland, advisor, consultant, and facilitator.
And I’m John Danes. I’m an education consultant doing some inspection and some MP, Qh, motivation and various other little bits and pieces that keep me busy.
So great.
Nadine Powrie [00:41]
Well, it’s good to be, it’s good to be here with you. And just before we start, I want to say some thank you to a number of people. First of all, I want to thank my accountant Mahmoud Reza, because he has shown me the behind the scenes of how to do a LinkedIn live. Two weeks ago, I had no idea how to do a LinkedIn live. And he kindly gave me an hour of his time to show me how it worked. So I want to say a huge thank you to Mehmood. I also want to say thank you to Janet Moray, and she knows who she is. But she’s always made me take the next step and take the next risk. And I’ve always said to I ought to do more videos and more lives. And I think she’s encouraged me quite a lot, actually. So I want to say thank you to her. And thank you to another coach, Gemma Stowe, and Gemma works on women and visibility. And she’s she’s doing some amazing work. And I know she’s working on LinkedIn. So Jamie, so if you see me, thank you very much for the work that we’ve done together. So we’re here today. This is our first LinkedIn life. And this to some extent, is a little bit of a test, because we don’t know what’s going to happen. But we’ve had this idea of doing a LinkedIn live every week, haven’t we? Yeah, we have? Yeah. Yes, we have. And the idea was came from the fact that we felt that because of what’s happening in the world at the moment, we don’t have the opportunity to, to meet with our colleague, as we were used to meet with them. And we felt that we wanted wanting to bring something to the table to support people to have, you know, a moment where we can all exchange ideas, support. And we had a pre meeting. When was the last week, didn’t we? Yes, yes. And we brainstorm a number of ideas. And Jenny and Jan, do you want to step in and share what we discussed?
Go join me because I’m not sure.
I mean, I think I think that like like most people, the three of us have worked together for quite a long time. And we have always interacted face to face when we’re in the Gulf inspecting, or whatever. And I think that we’ve kept that up by having regular just chats. And we found that we’re bouncing ideas off each other. And we thought that this would maybe be a really good idea to get some kind of topical discussions going that that we can throw out there and invite people to join us either through the chat or with questions that we can follow up and get guests on each week.
Nadine Powrie [03:47]
Because the thing that we’ve got in common is we’ve all been had teachers. Yeah. Yeah. So we’ve we’ve, I mean, if we calculate number of years of experience that we’ve got amongst ourselves, it could be about 50 years.
So yeah.
Nadine Powrie [04:06]
And I think what we’ve said last week is we’re not prepared I mean, the environment in which we are at the moment we’re not prepared for this environment because we’ve not been trained for it.
We’re very keen on we to try to find some something positive in this not just at this time, but growing out of this time is thought when we don’t know all the answers, we that’s one of the things that we remember from us last week we all agreeing very readily but it’s not that and and Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers it’s about well in what we want to do is to open open a dialogue and then steer it offers some opinions and then to see to see what what happens and respond. When we feel that we’ve got something useful. To be able to say, and to be able to add, we feel we can perform some sort of useful function, even if we just pull people together to have a conversation. Yeah. So I think we share that passion, don’t we at this picnic this time,
Nadine Powrie [05:15]
we do. And today we should be there should be a false person with us, Nick Sherif, who is currently in Dubai. But he couldn’t be with us just now because he’s actually being in a way tonight, but he will be back with us next week. You know, last week, when we talked about possible topics, we did brainstorm a number of them. And we saw that perhaps mental health or well being could be the first topic that we would focus on in our next week, when we do our real LinkedIn life. Of you have you had any more thinking about about other topics, have any anybody contacted you, in your network with some specific support or things that they’d like us to talk about?
Well, something that’s come up with me for my network recently has been some really interesting information data about folks, I’m involved with a charity that supports youngsters, who are having mental health issues, so that and, and holding their hands of living with them through that time, and, and through that space, being in that space with them. And And what’s fascinating is the way that in the last six months, the big the nature of the issues that young people are finding to be a concern is changing. So 111 of the things that we were shocked by is that youngsters having serious suicide, suicidal thoughts, that that that’s leaped up, three fold more than three fold, certainly in the data that’s come from the charity that I’m involved with. And of course, that’s very, very concerning. Some things have gone down. So some of the some of the issues have gone down. And so I think, I think that opens a whole a whole avenue for for conversation where those people are working with young people. There’s some there’s some real hard data about the sort of sorts of things that young people are considering. or worried about, and, and for those working with them as, as professionals. It offers some intelligence to how they can support them, and make a real difference. So I think that could be quite an interesting avenue to explore as well. Yeah. I’m gonna find out more for next week so that I can be, you know, more informed on that one. Yeah.
Yeah, I think from my point of view, I’ve been talking to a number of sort of middle to senior leaders in schools. And I think that there’s the, it’s the sheer change that’s happening every day that they don’t know who’s going to be in, they don’t know which groups of children are going to be in, they don’t know which groups of staff are in and people are in and out. And yet at the same time, they’re expecting to be able to teach to a curriculum that wasn’t designed to have the sort of turnover of people in the classroom that currently happening. And I think in some ways, it’s almost a reassurance that’s needed out there is that you know, what, that what teachers are doing out there is an absolutely brilliant job. And I think it’s about maybe finding out how some people are overcoming things. I know a lot of people are involved in MP queues, and are having to show impact of a school improvement project that they’ve done. And I think that is very difficult because they’re, they’re missing all the hard data that they used to. So I think it’s just kind of maybe giving people a forum to say, look, I’m struggling with this. And out there are people who are also struggling who may be, you know, a step further along that road.
Nadine Powrie [09:11]
And I think what we’ve discussed as well, last week, is the fact that even though we are making reference a lot about education, because we we both come from the world of education, we spent a great deal of our career in schools, I think we’re very clear that the skills can be transferred to any any leaders in any industries. I think we were clear on that one we one of the thing that came up with me this week, and actually which is coming more and more is the fact that because I’m doing some work in the corporate world, the fact that the language that people are using is completely changing. You’re not talking when you are working on Zoom when you are having meetings As on zoom on Ms teams, the way you communicate with people is very different. And people have had to make some serious adjustment on their communication skills. And I thought that perhaps that’s something that we could, we could look at another topic that came up as well was the fact that the balance of power has changed when you’re on when you’re on Zoom, or when you’re on face to face, you know, if you have a meeting, on a face to face, people will see it in specific seats, and the power will be more obvious. Whereas when you’re on Zoom, it’s not always the case. And as a leader, certainly, some of my clients have had to make some adjustment there. And because actually, they were challenged by the technology. And, you know, you appear to be quite vulnerable at that point, because you don’t know how to use certain buttons here and there. And therefore, the leadership presence that you may have had, how you the way you were speaking, all of that is being challenged by the fact that you are behind the screen, and people don’t see you. So leadership presents as completely change. And this has come up quite a lot in my coaching, where people are trying to find who they are as a leader, when they are on on.
It’s interesting, isn’t it, because that’s that’s prompted me to think of something which I which I think comes comes back to an authenticity, we’re working with somebody who was very much being being being really positive with with their staff, and in ensuring, you know, seeking to ensure that everything was fine. And, and some feedback from the staff was actually we don’t we don’t need that in that way. We we just need you to be authentic. So we know that situation is a difficult time. Please don’t, please don’t dress it up. As if it’s something else. And whether that person was being authentic or not, Kate is the way it came over. And of course, the way the way that we come over. And the way that we come up to those that we lead. Is is is that is the key thing, isn’t it? Because it’s the messages that they take from from the things that we do. I thought that was fascinating. Because it because it came out of a very good, thoughtful, well planned intention. But it ended up being a negative thing, rather than being a positive thing, because because the staff concerned weren’t being weren’t weren’t. But how do I say just a word that weren’t being kind of led along that particular garden path? So? Yeah, there’s all sorts of complex issues out there, which we
think when you’re face to face, there are a lot of nonverbal cues that you’re picking up, you just look at the three of us that are just from the sort of, you know, the neck upwards, and you can’t see what you’re doing what your hands? Yeah. But it’s it’s a part of our normal communication, isn’t it? I think just reflecting on what Jan was saying, it’s a tight, it’s almost a tight rope, isn’t it? Because to be authentic, you need to show vulnerability. But if you push that vulnerability, too far, people no longer have the faith in your leadership. I think it takes a real sort of self, a real feeling of self presence, to be that authentic person on that. She will still bring everybody along with them.
Nadine Powrie [13:40]
Yeah, we talked we talked last week about Yeah, Cinda Alden, actually, you know, she’s often referred as being an authentic leader, with a lot of empathy. And, and I mean, I think she’s, she’s a great leader to study, actually, yes. You know, where you could borrow a lot from what, from what she’s doing. But I’m also interested in, in looking at new style of leadership that emerging through because, you know, looking at the positive side of things is that leadership is evolving. And, you know, what are the new features that leaders are adopting of, you know, skills or? Yeah, I mean, probably skills that that are new that they were not using before, it’s not only about technology, but it’s, you know, that there is more to it. And last week, we had a discussion about the you know, that new style and I know that Nick came up with the infinite infinite leadership or something like that, where, you know, we we we are never an end product. We are Continue continuously evolving. And I find that fascinating.
It’s a good it’s a good attitude to take into your Well, it’s good attitude to have in life or particularly, to take into leadership, isn’t it? The idea, you know, we’re, we’re striving all the time to, to, to go to the next one to learn something else. I think the moment that we think that we’re the finished article, that’s a very dangerous route during this point. And I was just thinking I actually, Nadine, when you were talking, then there are challenges, it’d be interesting to be able to uncover some of the challenges, which haven’t been challenges up until now. Yeah, for things. You’ve mentioned. A few that you know, dealing with technology. But But how do you how do you lead? How do you demonstrate? How do you communicate with people that you’re not actually in the same? While you might not be in the same city as I mean, I’m sure I’m sure there’s people who’ve been doing this in their working lives, but they’d probably met at some point. It’s fascinating. I was doing some inspection work. In the Middle East, it was entirely remote and my team, were people I’d never met together and fight you to the same thing. Yeah, it’s fascinating. Wasn’t it fascinating. Having to having to develop a working relationship, particularly as a leader, with people that we essentially knew nothing about? I knew their names. And and that was it. And it’s been fascinating reflecting on, on how that went, and the things I found myself doing to maximize our performance as a team really? Yeah.
Is that a question that we perhaps want to throw out there about leadership? I mean, we’ve talked about wellbeing, but perhaps also, what we’re trying to uncover or unpick is, what is the new leadership looking like going forward, because we’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and saying that you’ve got to be a type leader. It’s very much about, I mean, the way I look at it is the balance of skills is changing. So you need the same skills, but actually, some of them you need a lot more, particularly around interpersonal skills are actually much more in play now. So maybe, that’s a question that we should throw out to people is what are the key challenges that are happening in your, in your organization at the moment, and examples of good practice would be really, really useful as well? Yeah, definitely.
Nadine Powrie [17:32]
Okay. Okay. So um, I mean, just to let you know, we’ve been live for about 17 minutes, which is quite, quite amazing, because actually flown by, can fly flies by and we said we would do live for about an hour today is just a test. So we’re not going to we’re not going to stay here for for an hour. But I would say I would say so far, so good. Technology has been great. I can see some comments.
I can see comments. I can’t I can’t reply to them. So perhaps it’s you that can apply to them no,
Nadine Powrie [18:06]
reply to them either. So I shall investigate why it says compose comments to LinkedIn, when we are on LinkedIn, but it’s okay. We’ll have a solution for for next week. So we’re going to be back here live next week, same time 4pm BST, and we will go live for an hour, we will be looking, we think at wellbeing or mental health, but we might change our mind, given what we’ve just talked about. But we will put a post on LinkedIn to just, you know, share with people what the focus will be. Yeah. I just have a question. Mine. Yes. And he’s saying how do you form personal relationships in such a remote environment? Well, thank you, Nick, for saying that you should be live with us. Next week. With Nick, we you can answer your own question, we will invite you to do just that. So for those of us who are listening to us, we thank you for listening to our, our test LinkedIn live. That’s great. I can see very positive feedback. And we will be back live next week. Same time, except for a bit longer. It will be on our way. But we will remind people before we come on live, Jenny and Jan, have I forgotten anything? Or have I got every single
is to say that those those three people become those four people next week? Yes. We’ve been thinking that we will be calling ourselves those four people. I don’t know whether we’ve decided that but that’s interesting to see what how that’s how that’s received. I look forward to Nick joining Just next week, he’s he’s, he’s very insightful. And it certainly makes me makes me think and reflect on on a whole series of things. So you know, he’ll add something very differently.
Nadine Powrie [20:14]
Yeah. And in the meantime, if anybody has any, any questions that they want to ask us, they can DMS on DM DMS? Yeah. On LinkedIn because the three of us have LinkedIn. They can, they can send me an email and my email is on LinkedIn, or it’s in Powrie. At Nadine powrie.com. So thank you very much, anybody and see you.
Thank you. Yep, see you next week. Yeah, bye. Bye bye bye bye.