My Brilliant Career: Developing leaders to become dealers in hope
Tracey Swanepoel is the founder of consultancy Thinkspiration - her favourite question is 'What do you think?'
Tell me about Thinkspiration. We focus on developing leaders and helping them, through training, to get their corporate strategy understood - which results in improved engagement, motivation and performance. What makes a good leader? There are many definitions, but one of my favourites is "A leader is a dealer in hope". Practically speaking, good leaders are able to paint such a compelling picture of the future that their followers feel it is attainable. Other key leadership skills are: the ability to really listen, not just wait for the other person to reply; being comfortable in your own skin; and being prepared to use stories to make your message stick. What do you do each day at work? No two days are the same, and I love the variety. Some days are filled with listening sessions. These are one-on-ones with clients' employees where I get to ask my favourite question, "What do you think", and hear their views on their corporate strategy. I also spend time conceptualising clients' c...
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