Grant Wattie

🔷 Lately, I’ve noticed more and more posts telling leaders how to lead “better.” Most are well-intentioned. I’ve probably written some of them myself. But after working closely with CEO groups like Vistage Australia and New Zealand and The CEO Institute, and also with the leaders inside their businesses doing their best under pressure, I’ve realised something: Leaders don’t need more noise. They don’t need another to-do list. And they definitely don’t need another gold standard to chase. What I’ve seen is this: Most leaders aren’t disengaged from their people. It's more that they’re stretched - trying to do more with less, make hard calls, and still lead in a way that matters. That’s why The Engagement Code - my latest project and the clearest expression of what I’ve learned working alongside leaders - doesn’t tell anyone how to be perfect. It offers small, practical shifts that ease the pressure and help teams stay connected. The first shift? 💡 Alignment over assumption. When people don’t know what matters - or how their work connects to it - they quietly check out. No conflict. No exit email. Just silence. You don’t always need a new program to solve that. You need to bring people in on the “why” more often. 📝 I’m pulling shifts like this into a white paper releasing soon with the working title: Decode Disengagement. Recode Performance. It’s for leaders who want practical tools that actually support them and their people. ❓ What’s one thing you’ve seen work to reconnect a team when things are stretched?

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If there is anything I have learned from my observations of leadership it’s this: when cultural capability is missing from the room, poor decisions will be made. Without the ability to understand, respect, and respond to cultural context, even well-intentioned organisations can make choices that exclude, offend, or fail altogether.

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I recently reconnected with a leader I assessed more than two years ago. Their organisation was considering another assessment round to measure progress and set new development priorities. What stood out was their openness to growth and reflection, the willingness to hold up a mirror and explore how they had evolved. That is the true value of #leadershipassessment. When used well, it is not a one-time evaluation. It becomes a process of reflection, accountability, and continuous learning. Leaders who engage deeply with the assessment process develop greater self-awareness, and that awareness becomes the foundation for better decisions, stronger relationships, and higher-performing teams. It turns potential into sustained impact and strengthens the culture around them. Research from McKinsey & Company shows that organisations with robust leadership development and assessment practices are more than 2.4 times as likely to outperform peers in revenue growth. Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report found that 83% of organisations see leadership development as critical, yet fewer than 15% feel confident in their existing pipelines. The gap is not in ambition; it is in the structure, feedback, and follow-through of development initiatives. Effective assessment programs bridge that gap. They create a structured and consistent approach to talent growth that aligns with organisational strategy, values, and goals. These programs challenge leaders to stretch beyond their comfort zones, reflect on their behaviour, and gain insight through feedback. When leaders begin to see themselves as others see them, awareness becomes transformation. That is where leadership shifts from instinctive to intentional and where growth becomes measurable and meaningful. Organisations that commit to this journey build strong internal pipelines and future-ready leaders who lead with confidence, empathy, and self-awareness. #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentManagement #OrganisationalDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #PeopleStrategy #SelfAwareness #GrowthMindset

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Most of us can relate to how energised we feel coming out of certain meetings - sometimes we emerge feeling energised and light, other times deflated and heavy. We know from research the benefits of a highly energised workforce include greater productivity, effective decision-making, leader retention, reduced burnout and sickness, and ultimately improved company performance. Having been trained in BRITE, they say there are five critical elements contributing to team success: 1. Sharing Mindsets - teams with a shared understanding of who the team is and what they will be pursuing together are more effective 2. Building the right structure - successful teams are built on a thriving team culture with diverse and capable individuals 3. Creating safety and cohesion - an environment where members feel safe to take personal risks and actively support one another. This is essential for team effectiveness. 4. Processing Processes - The most effective teams process information through quality interactions, resulting in actively engaged members and the creation of new ideas 5. Producing Results - Teams that are agile in performing tasks and are accountable for outcomes drive organisational success. We love helping more teams be more energised and successful. Is your team in need of re-energising? #EnergisingLeaders

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=> Are you thinking too much and doing too little? => How many ideas have you had that never got tested? => What could you learn if you acted today? In this weeks episode Stephen Wood, consultant at Roaring Success Pty Ltd and author, talks about his tenth book: The 4 Aces. He releases it tomorrow!! Many CEOs know what they should be doing, but get stuck in overthinking. Sadly, thinking alone doesn't do it. Nothing changes without action. Waiting for the perfect moment means competitors move first and opportunities vanish. In this podcast episode we talk about breaking through barriers, learning from every step, and winning more often by acting sooner. This full CriticalFewActions™ episode and the launch of the 4 Aces, goes live first thing tomorrow morning. Get 1st access: Follow John Downes and CriticalFewActions™ for weekly strategies to double performance in 6–60 months.

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