Self Leadership and
The New Leadership Playbook
Blog by Andrew Bryant

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff of Science Fiction; it's here and here to stay. Many, including myself, wonder how humans will adapt and thrive alongside increasingly capable and pervasive AI systems. To explore this question, I recently had a fascinating conversation with Brooks Cole, an AI, marketing, and human consciousness expert.

Cole argues that to reach our full potential in the age of AI, rather than fear or remain ignorant, we should lean in and embrace it. 

"People are going to need to step up and become more human and more wise and more compassionate in order to be able to be equal to the task of managing this level of intellectual power that the AI represents."

This aligns closely with my work on self-leadership - the idea that we must lead ourselves before we can effectively lead others. Cole suggests that AI could actually enhance our ability to practice self-leadership:

"AI can help us do that. It can help us be more wise and go inside...

Event Professionals and Conference Organizers are some of the most self-disciplined people on the planet. Unfortunately, that focus can also cost self-care.

Choosing the right Keynote Speaker for an event can be a headache, but it doesn’t have to be.

Conference audiences want to be inspired, informed, and have a laugh.
Companies need their target audience to learn, change, and take action. 

For 25 years, I have spoken on stages about driving results with self-leadership in 35 countries on 5 continents.

If you need a Global Speaker for one of your events, I promise I am a true professional and ridiculously easy to work with.

Please view the 2-minute showreel and visit the meeting professional resources page. I am happy to take your call at any time.

The philosophy of stoicism offers profound life lessons that remain relevant today, guiding individuals through personal and professional challenges. Integrating stoicism with self-leadership strategies is a powerful way to live a successful life.

Far from being a thing of the past philosophy is as relevant today as it ever was. In an era of disinformation, we must hone our critical thinking skills, and as AI becomes more integrated into our work, we must gain clarity on what it takes to be human.

In this blog, we will look at how stoicism gets upgraded to a modern context, and how you can apply it to your success.

The first Stoic

Zeno of Citium, in modern-day Cyprus, was the first stoic philosopher. He shared his ideas for a path to a well-lived life near the end of the 4th century BC.

Zeno himself lived a life far removed from what we would call success today. Shunning possessions, and living unwashed in the street, he would be considered a lunatic by today’s standards.

Zeno...

In the contemporary corporate landscape, Human Resources (HR) leaders now can have a ‘seat at the table’ and influence policy and strategic direction.

This is a shift from only managing operational tasks and executing policies and this shift often requires exercising executive presence and understanding influence capital.

As an authority on self-leadership and an executive and leadership coach, I have been engaged by HR leadership teams to facilitate and coach executive presence. This case study of an HR Leadership Team for a Global Health Care Company outlines the problems and solutions that I have used to achieve results.

The Challenge

Business is about results, and those results are usually measured in financial terms such as EBITDA or the company’s stock price. The CEO, CFO, and other C-Suite executives are focused on delivering these results whereas the focus of HR has been on recruitment, retention, and engagement. There is a correlation between these HR...

How strong is your identity?

You didn’t get a choice about the time and place of your birth or the culture you are born into, and so your early identity is a matter of chance.

As you mature, you may question,

“Who am I?
What do I want to become?”

This is the beginning of self-awareness, but it will take practicing self-leadership to exercise choice to become the best version of yourself.

When I speak on stage at conferences, conventions, or events, I often share stories of overcoming my own challenges, and some inspiring stories from my clients, or public figures.

I tell my audience, “I would never wish adversity upon anyone, but also I wouldn’t deny anyone tough times”. Through adversity and tough times, we discover what we are capable of and find our self-leadership.

 Victor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor, wrote the bestselling book, “Man's Search for Meaning”. Frankl said,

...

It can be argued that traditional hierarchical management structures are failing to deliver in terms of employee engagement, retention, creativity, and productivity. In the current environment, self-leadership emerges as a beacon for modern leaders and managers. But what is the big problem and how does adopting a self-leadership approach solve for this?

In the AI era and with the reality of the hybrid workplace, the traditional hierarchical management system is not just outdated; it's a ticking time bomb.

A top-down approach with decisions trickling down, with little or no feedback or innovation from lower-level employees results in rigidity. In an AI-driven world, where rapid adaptation is key, this rigidity can be fatal.

The Big Problem is Trust

In Self Leadership: How to Become a More Success, Efficient, and Effective Leaders from the Inside Out (McGraw-Hill 2012) "Self-leadership is defined as:

"The practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling, and...

The Executive Leadership Team (ELT), typically consisting of the CEO, CFO, COO, CPO, CMO, CRO, CTO, and other CXOs, should be the most important team in the company. Why is it then that the ELT is often:

"The worst performing team in the whole company!"

The answer is that most Executive Leadership Teams are not structured as a team but rather as a workgroup. A team's success is dependent on the collaboration of each member of the team towards a shared goal. In short,

"Nobody wins unless everybody wins!"

In a workgroup, each member focuses on their silo of responsibility and measures success in terms of their own KPIs or OKRs. In a workgroup, each member reports to the CEO but is competing for attention and resources. This structure results in little or no collaboration and can promote a culture of internal competition and distrust.

A High-Performing Executive Leadership Team

“I think I have a job for you", he said.
"I have taken on a new CEO role, and I need my...

Having recently delivered a leadership keynote speech in Dubai, U.A.E, I am filled with admiration and optimism for the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan. The region, steeped in a rich tapestry of history and tradition, is on the cusp of transformative change, and the dual pillars of self-leadership and leadership are pivotal in this journey.

Navigating the Winds of Change - Leadership in the Gulf, Past and Future

The GCC, established in 1981, was not merely an economic alliance. It was a testament to the shared vision and camaraderie of its founding nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Over four decades, the GCC has evolved, navigating complex geopolitical terrains while strengthening intra-regional ties.

In today's dynamic global scenario, the GCC stands at a crossroads. The transition from oil-centric economies demands not just economic reforms but a paradigm shift in mindset. This is where the essence...

Just a few years ago, body hacking would sound like the stuff of a science fiction movie, but now if you have an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Smart Scale, you are being provided with data to optimize your health, performance, and well-being.

With all the data that you can now gather on such things as your weight, heart rate, sleep, exercise, mindfulness, and level of ketosis it is important to remember:

“Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom.” - Clifford Stoll

At its core, body hacking refers to optimizing one's physical and mental capabilities. Combine this with the transformative power of self-leadership, and you have a recipe for unparalleled personal growth and success. This post explores some insights into body hacking and self-leadership that you can apply to live your best life.

But first a Rant about Fads!

Body hacking is the art and science of enhancing one's physical and mental...

In a world that craves simplicity and instant gratification, it can be hard to ditch the comforting black-and-white leadership mantras and clichés, but they are a thing of the past or should be.

The present Global complexity demands leaders who can navigate the gray, and understand the importance of nuance. Leadership is no longer about being the loudest voice in the room or always having the answers. It's about embracing ambiguity, understanding the subtleties of human behavior, and recognizing that success often lies in considering a new perspective.

Imagine, if you will a tightrope walker on a cable strung between two city blocks. He or she must be confident in their ability whilst at the same time accounting for the wind and movement of the cable. The act of balancing and moving forward requires a laser focus on the destination while being present swaying back and forth above a potentially fatal drop. The tightrope walker cannot say, I will shift my weight to the right,...