Highlighting Lessons
What are you doing to improve day-to-day?
As part of The Essential Scholar, you’ll discover how to apply your learning to Business As Usual (BAU) situations.
This photograph shows part of the process we follow when selecting the most appropriate lessons.
CIPD Annual Conference
What are future challenges for HR and professional development?
That’s the question I was determined to find out this week. Yes, it was the CIPD’s annual conference and expo. Held at Manchester Central (formally a railway station).
The key themes that cropped up time and time again.
Gen Z are stressed out—and need help.
Gen Z have more mental health issues—than any other demographic.
Gen Z will represent 33% of the workforce by 2030. We therefore need to equip our managers to deal with changing expectations of the workplace.
Blended learning and online courses are now the default standard.
Data analytics are being wherever.
The labour market is very competitive. Investing in HR programmes helps to retain talent and attract future talent.
Leaders need to ‘walk the talk’—especially on purpose and environmental issues.
I’m going to revisit my notes and update this post later…
Attentive to every Detail
When was the last time you studied ‘the blurb’?
Blurbs are the persuasive summary of any film, book or creative work. You’ll typically see blurbs on the back cover of printed books and are intended to encourage readers to buy the book. But what about a textbook delivered to your front door?
THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. It’s a serious alternative to the established qualification. As well as instant access to our online learning platform, you’ll receive the course curriculum presented as a beautifully bound set of notes.
As soon as you’ve unboxed your Leadership Playbook, you’ll be drawn to front cover—and then the back. You’ll examine the fine print. (There’s 84 lessons to examine). And then you’ll notice the bees. You’ll start counting them. Holding them to the light. Watching them shimmy and shine.
The Leadership Playbook is an exclusive printed publication. It brings our online course to the physical world—something that you’ll appreciate when you receive your copy.
HIPPOs and HIPOs
I believe we need to avoid HIPPOs and encourage more HIPOs.
HIPPOs can be spotted in every organisation.
Normally sat at the head of a table.
Often late for meetings.
Their opinion matters.
An awful lot. (Perhaps, too much!)
HIPOs can be hidden from plain sight.
Often overlooked.
They have lots to offer.
And should be the future of any organisation.
If not your organisation, then perhaps another.
Two questions.
Have you been HIPPO hunting recently?
What are you doing to protect HIPOs?
—
HIPPO = Highest Paid Person’s Opinion
HIPO = High Potential
Focus on the Important Things
What should a modern leadership programme look like?
You’d probably expect an online learning platform. Instant access to high quality tutorial lessons. A simple structure. Proven ideas. Top tips, tools and techniques. Digital downloads. Practical exercises for a post-pandemic world.
Well, we’ve got all that covered. What about the course curriculum presented as a beautifully bound set of notes?
The TWELVE SCHOLARS PLAYBOOK is an exclusive printed publication that accompanies our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme.
We’re convinced that print encourages you to put down your device, switch off for a moment, and focus on the important things. Whilst our learning platform is organised seamlessly with video tutorials and brimming with online content. The playbook is different. It brings the online course to the physical world—something that you’ll appreciate when you receive your copy.
Brand new visuals
I’m very excited right now.
We’ve just updated our DEMO page with much simpler graphics and explainer text.
(It’s taken a while).
Our 5 stage process is now broken down with easy-to-follow horizontal grey/white bands.
Each stage then introduces the 'objectives' and 'what you will learn'.
You also get a glimpse at our iconic iconography. (Super pleased with how this is looking!)
See if you can spot the changes.
Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day
How long does it take to become a highly effective leader?
Rome wasn’t built in a day is an old adage attesting the need for patience—it takes time to achieve great things. It’s also the final lesson in our pioneering new leadership development programme—The Essential Scholar.
The Essential Scholar will guide you through the fundamentals of modern leadership. It’s a 90-day programme that provides all the essential tools and techniques to transform you into a highly effective leader.
In a world of instant gratification and online hustle, it’s easy to believe that leadership can be learned in one sitting. Spoiler alert. Highly effective leaders aren’t created overnight—but you can start today.
Launching this Autumn
What are your plans this Autumn?
THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. It’s a serious alternative to the established qualification. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in both digital and print.
Launching soon.
A New Playbook for Leadership
What should a set of leadership course notes look like?
THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. It’s a serious alternative to the established qualification.
As well as instant access to our online learning platform, you’ll receive an exclusive printed publication delivered to your front door. It’s the course curriculum presented as a beautifully bound set of notes. We call it the Leadership Playbook. And I think you’ll like it!
Inside the Leadership Playbook, you’ll discover everything you need to know, everything you need to do. Seven chapters—each a unique perspective on leadership.
Scribble in the margins, sketch in the white space. Designed to capture your thoughts and actions. A resource that you'll return to time and time again.
Lithographic printed on wood-free uncoated paper. Cover (300 gsm), inner pages (110 gsm). Paper sourced from FSC approved forests. Product dimensions: 240mm x 170mm x 14mm. 176 pages.
Filming behind the scenes
How do we record our tutorial lessons?
Once the slides have been created using InDesign (never Powerpoint!), they’re saved to pdf and exported to Ecamm Live.
We then use a combination of Ecamm and Zoom to project our slides to the iPad located under a see-through mirror.
Behind the angled mirror is our SLR camera—linked to the iMac via Magewell HDMI connection (that’s the magic bit!).
The sound is recorded with a Rode boom mic and Zoom H6 digital recorder. The audio is saved simultaneously using Ecamm—then later edited in Audition.
Finally, all material is compiled, edited and compressed using Premiere Pro. And then—uploaded to the cloud via Vimeo. Who knew!
Maple Wood, Maple Leaves
What journey have you been on recently?
This little wooden block is sourced from the forests of Bavaria, Germany. It travels to the UK with post-Brexit passport and paperwork. It’s then precision-engineered in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
Before being shipped to your front door, it’s hand-sanded by Twelve Scholars. We use 80-grit then 120-grit sandpaper to ensure a silky smooth surface and edges.
The autumnal leaves are from a Japanese maple tree in Bob’s back garden.
Attention to Design
Excellence is a choice. If you’re going to do something well, then do it well.
In this instance, I’ve been working on how best to present one slide.
It’s all about communicating your expectations.
And repeating that message. Over and over again.
I think we’re there.
Just needed to offset a few letters, to make the overall design balance.
(Arghhhh, the perfectionism!)
A Better Visual for Setbacks
Always improving—here’s the latest slide to accompany Chapter 6 introduction.
A slight tweak on the previous version (which I thought was ‘good’). This slide better represents the key message.
Fail. Forward. Fast.
Setbacks are inevitable. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself down. You get the chance to do it again!
Setbacks are inevitable
Failure will advance your learning fast.
If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough. You’re not acquiring the essential skills to overcome future obstacles.
You need to put yourself out there. Volunteer for things. Say “Yes” more often.
Setbacks are inevitable. It’s how we recover that counts.
ps delighted with this new slide—it may even appear on future merch!
A Theory of General Relativity
Very happy with this slide.
It’s taken from one of the intro slides to The Essential Scholar.
It’s taken a few days to get right.
(The typeface, the leading, the kerning, the tracking… arghhh—the perfection!)
But I’m always amazed at how a few design tweaks can make all the difference.
In this case, it was the greyscale and highlighting Satisfactory in black.
The key message?
Excellence is all relative—generally speaking.
In Search of Excellence
What does Excellence look like to you?
I’m putting the finishing touches to our Leadership Development Programme this week.
The bulk of the videos were recorded earlier this year. And they look great!
(Over 10½ hours of high-quality tutorial videos).
But I never got round to topping and tailing the course.
You know—the intro and outro.
A big picture overview to help with the onboarding.
And so I’m now polishing and perfecting for the final push.
Almost there!
(Note to self—Excellence is a never ending journey!)
An update on purpose
A weekend of exercise, friends and fresh air always does the trick. A special thanks to everyone who has helped. Very much appreciated.
I’ve been trying to convey what we do in the fewest words possible. A headline for the business. And I think we’re there…
“TWELVE SCHOLARS helps leaders to create an environment that inspires Excellence.”
I believe this says exactly what we’re about. And always has always been about. We’ve just never been able to articulate it so clearly, or so succinctly.
We’re helping leaders. (Hint, everyone is a leader).
We’re creating an environment. (It’s all about culture).
And we’re inspiring Excellence. (Everything comes back to our EGSP® model—and wanting to do better).
So there we have it. A much sharper, and clearly defined purpose.
West Pennine Moors
Where do you go to clear your head?
I spend an inordinate amount of time in the hills and mountains. Hiking, running, cycling—snowboarding too when abroad. It’s one of my favourite places.
There’s something that draws me to the sights, smells and sounds. An escapism. A place to switch off. And be at one with your thoughts. And this weekend’s been no exception.
What about you? Where do you go to switch off?
Fabulous Feedback
Feedback is a gift. And fabulous feedback is an act of pure generosity.
We’ve just received this message from a previous scholar. We’re obviously delighted with his words. Thank you Marc.
“I’ve just spoke at a conference and a few of your lessons in my presentation. It helped everybody understand what was required. We used the ‘train set’ analogy and even drew a track. Out of all the leadership training I’ve had, Twelve Scholars has stuck the most. It works! ” — Marc Belbin
Inspire, be inspired!
Late night on purpose
A few major ‘minor tweaks’ to our marketing message tonight.
I’ve been searching for the right words to express what we do over the past few days. What’s our unique position and proposition. Explain it in more colourful, interesting words. And keep it simple.
It’s no easy task. But I think we’re getting closer.
Old version…
“TWELVE SCHOLARS helps forward-thinking leaders improve their performance.”
New version…
“TWELVE SCHOLARS helps forward-thinking leaders create change by cross-pollinating the most effective ideas.”
What do you think?
This latest version explains who we serve (forward-thinking leaders). And what we do best (cross-pollinate the most effective ideas).
Maybe another glass of Shiraz will do the trick!