A Post Office Scandal
Poor is the worst a situation can get—or is it?
As we’re finding out this week, the Post Office scandal is redefining everyone’s definition of poor. Not just from the Post Office, but from Government representatives, lawyers, technology partners and others involved in the scandal. Quite simply, it’s beyond poor.
I’m trying to come up with a word, or phrase, to describe the situation. (I’m sure you can think of a few).
One of the key skills to leadership is learning how to avoid setbacks. And one of the ways we do this, is to agree that poor is the worst a situation can get. Poor is unacceptable. It’s a place where we don’t want to go. But it requires all stakeholders to agree that definition. And ensure systems are in place that allow us to call out poor—fairly. At the Post Office, this hasn’t been the case.
Dealing with the facts. Establishing the truth. Making decisions based on new evidence—even when the facts change. These are a few lessons in leadership. But also doing the right thing. Why is this so hard?
Alas, at the Post Office—leaders—at—every—level—have been caught up for too long—doing the wrong thing. An example of toxic leadership is playing out on our screens.
(So much more on this story will follow.)
Choosing A Word For 2024
What’s the one thing you need to focus on this year?
In this week’s Tuesday Tutorial, we take a closer look at why you should focus on one word for the year. A big thanks to Natalie, Gary and Sanna for their input. It’s great to see the Twelve Scholars community in action. :-)
Inspire, be inspired!
Getting ARCI with people
Do you have a clear idea of roles and responsibilities within your team?
I’ve just come off a coaching call with a course participant. We discussed the benefits of ‘Getting ARCI with people’.
If you didn’t know, ARCI stands for:
Accountable
Responsible
Consulted
Informed
ARCI is a simple hierarchy of roles and responsibilities. It explains things very quickly. It explains who is ultimately accountable, who is responsible, who needs to be consulted, and who just needs to be informed.
It turns out that leaders can spend too much time consulting with too many stakeholders. And not enough time delegating responsibility. (Note—you cannot delegate ultimate authority).
‘Getting ARCI with people’ is Lesson 40 The Essential Scholar—our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood.
Word Of The Year
What resolutions have you made this year? And which ones have you broken?
In this week’s The Sunday Scholar, we explore how one word can make a big difference—to you, your team and your organisation. We visit Halifax, talk branding, and revisit the twelve days of Christmas. You’ll also find a link to one of our leadership lessons.
THE SUNDAY SCHOLAR is our weekly newsletter—reimagined as a podcast. It takes a lighter look at leadership. Full of ideas, insights and inspiration. Something to be expected. Something to look forward to.
New Year Feedback
“Fantastic course by an inspirational leader. Bob’s Twelve Scholars should be the standard for all industries.” — Ian Green
Just received this lovely message from an early scholar. Feedback is a gift. Especially when you’re trying to do something new. And so we’re excited to see what further feedback we’ll get soon. :-)
On the twelfth day of Christmas
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Twelve weeks* to make a difference,
Eleven reasons for lifetime learning,
Ten tools for coaching,
Nine playbook facts,
Eight testimonials,
Seven essential skills,
Six top tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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Work at your own pace or follow a recommended schedule.
Our Leadership Development Programme has flexibility built in.
Unabridged version (12 weeks)
Our recommendation for most leaders. Challenge yourself to complete the course in 12 weeks. Apply your new leadership skills to the next most critical issue.Stage 1: Onboarding (Week 0)
Stage 2: Foundations (Week 1)
Stage 3: Tutorial lessons (Weeks 2 to 8)
Stage 4: Business as usual (Weeks 9)
Stage 5: Project success (Weeks 10 to 12)
I prefer to get it done (12 days)
Follow the unabridged version—but at a faster pace. Implement actions and start your project as soon as possible. Complete the course without delay.
This may take some time (12 months)
Follow the unabridged version—but at a slower pace. Master each lesson before moving on. Perfect for leaders taking people with them on a journey. Complete your project within 12 months.
No two leaders are the same. Everyone learns differently. With Twelve Scholars, you can add extra coaching and support at any time. Particularly useful if you have multiple leaders going through the programme at the same time. Or you’re looking for accountability or extra guidance.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood. Learn more.
* weeks/days/months
On the eleventh day of Christmas
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Eleven reasons for lifetime learning,
Ten tools for coaching,
Nine playbook facts,
Eight testimonials,
Seven essential skills,
Six pro tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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Work In Progress
A late night compiling The Essential Scholar promo video.
Needs work. Especially sound. And storytelling. But good enough for today.
Compass Promo V2.0
Here’s the latest video promo for the Essential Scholar… featuring the Leadership Compass.
On the tenth day of Christmas
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Ten tools for coaching,
Nine playbook facts,
Eight testimonials,
Seven essential skills,
Six tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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The 12 Days of Christmas… The Story So Far
Three more days to go.
For the past nine days, we’ve been celebrating the launch of The Essential Scholar—by focusing on one unique aspect of the course.
You’ll receive a unique “Leadership Compass”.
You’ll receive two coaching calls.
You’ll receive three bonus guides to starting a new leadership role.
You’ll receive four special words that will help you make a step change difference.
You’l receive five blueprints for better business as usual.
You’ll receive six pro tips for projects (and a lot more besides!)
You’ll receive the seven essential skills of modern leadership.
You won’t be alone. We included eight testimonials that praise the course structure, content and delivery style.
You’ll receive an exclusive printed edition of our Leadership Playbook (and we included nine interesting facts).
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And if you join The Essential Scholar before 5th January 2024, you’ll receive an extra 60 minutes of coaching, worth £450.
On the ninth day of Christmas
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Nine playbook facts,
Eight testimonials,
Seven essential skills,
Six pro tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
—
When you join The Essential Scholar Leadership Development Programme, you’ll gain access to our learning platform—and—you’ll receive a special edition Leadership Playbook.
Whilst the learning platform is organised seamlessly with video tutorials and online content. The playbook is different. Very different.
Product dimensions: 240mm x 170mm x 14mm. (Inspired by Brand B)
The playbook has been specifically designed with 176 pages. There are seven chapters, each with precisely 20 pages (except Chapter 1 which has two extra pages).
Paper is sourced from FSC approved forests, and manufactured by UPM Nordland in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Printed by Galloways in Poynton, Cheshire using environmentally friendly CMYK inks (cyan, magenta, blank and yellow).
The cover is printed three times. Lithographic print x 1 pass. A scratch resistant coating x 1 pass. And a Spot UV coating to highlight special design elements.
When delivered, the combined weight of the playbook and custom packaging is 490 grams. This is deliberate. And 10 grams under the 500 gram limit used in setting postage prices.
54 different books are referenced.
37 scholar bees appear in the playbook.
And just in case, there’s a comprehensive index on pages 174-175. We call this section, FOMO.
We’re convinced that print encourages you to put down your device, switch off for a moment, and focus on the important things. (Like counting bees!)
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood. Learn more.
On the eighth day of Christmas
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Eight testimonials,
Seven essential skills,
Six pro tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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Don’t just take our word for it.
Here’s a selection of feedback from previous scholars.
“Of all the leadership training I’ve had, Twelve Scholars has stuck the most. It works.” — Marc Belbin
“I love the way The Essential Scholar is written, I will go to sleep tonight with the words ‘Ambiguity is the enemy’ etched into my brain.” Sarah Wilkins-Dixon
“The layout of the course is great. Clear, uncluttered, structured and on brand.” — Marie Hodgson
“Twelve Scholars has just landed. Looking great. Well done. It’s certainly come on another level.” — Rob Hopkins
“Really like the ‘Thickness of the Thick Red Line’ concept. Made it very clear for me about the importance of setting expectations.” — Helen Jones
“Many thanks for my copy of the Playbook. Rest assured it will live on my desk and play a pivotal part in my daily life.” Rich Wooster
“I’m in love! Completely different to what I expected. I love the content and the fact that you’re offering practical tips.” Grace Grieve
“Thank you for the Playbook. It’s beautiful in every way. I noticed the small grey print in the lower margin right away. What a fun way to connect with your reader!” Tania Marien.
We’ve delivered courses and consultancy services across many sectors.
Our focus is always to create a culture committed to Excellence.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood. Learn more.
On the seventh day of Christmas
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Seven essential skills,
Six pro tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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Based on first-hand experience and extensive research, we’ve distilled the essence of modern leadership into seven essential skills.
How to make a dent
How to deal with poor performance
How to combat perfection paralysis
How to reset expectations
How to measure performance
How to avoid setbacks
How to lead with Excellence.
Each of these skills can be explained using the EGSP® Framework.
A simple methodology used to help solve your move critical issues.
The Essential Scholar covers each of these essential skills in depth.
And also provides 12 ways to help you achieve that skill.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood. Learn more.
On the sixth day of Christmas
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Six pro tips for projects,
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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Project management can be a minefield—if you allow it.
Here’s just six pro tips that we cover on The Essential Scholar Leadership Development Programme.
Keep it simple. Every project has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Master the art of one-page project management. If you can’t explain it clearly, then you don’t fully understand it.
Scope creep is bad. Scope creep is good. Ensure you know the difference.
Binary 'definitions of done' are best avoided. Instead, use four simple words: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory and Poor.
Create a RADIO log. And keep it live—at all times. In fact, call it 'RADIO 5 Live'. (Risks, Assumptions, Dependencies, Issues AND Opportunities).
Document success. Document failure. This will help others—and accelerate your own development.
The Essential Scholar has been designed to help you move up a gear. Put things into practice. Focus the mind. Gain support and encouragement. Often, the best way to learn is by doing. And so we’re here to help you deliver a mini-project—one that’s meaningful to you, your team or your organisation.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood. Learn more.
On the fifth day of Christmas
Blueprints for business as usual.
(It’s a novel idea.)
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Five blueprints,
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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Blueprints for business as usual.
(It’s a novel idea.)
Imagine being given a set of blueprints to run your business.
(Think McDonalds, Subway, Costa Coffee)
How much more successful do you think you would be?
1%
10%
100%
So why don’t we give business as usual more attention?
(Hint—something to do with firefighting and shiny projects)
And that’s the problem.
Too much firefighting prevents you from fixing the basics. It’s a vicious cycle.
And shiny projects are often a result of poor performance in business as usual.
Hmmm.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood. Learn more.
ps you’ll also receive five blueprints to better manage your business as usual activity.
Promo Video Featuring Leadership Compass
Here’s a short demo video featuring the Leadership Compass.
I was getting creative tonight with the camera. And a spare black curtain.
Need to add a storyline (currently no sound—or voice over). And reshoot a few more angles.
Then stitch back together. And upload before the New Year.
On the fourth day of Christmas
From an early age, we’re all taught four simple words: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, and Poor. They don’t require a detailed explanation. Everyone understands them. Even a four year old gets it.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Four simple words,
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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From an early age, we’re all taught four simple words: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, and Poor. They don’t require a detailed explanation. Everyone understands them. Even a four year old gets it.
We’re over the moon when we achieve excellent.
We’re happy when we receive good.
We know satisfactory is usually followed by “could do better”.
And feel gutted when we fail and fall short, presented with poor.
(Or is that just me?)
Written as Excellent, Good, Satisfactory and Poor, these four simple words will help you achieve Excellence. They’ll help you make a difference and become a better leader.
These four simple words will act as your guide, when leading change and navigating difficult times. They can be used to raise performance and get things done; reset expectations and measure success; avoid setbacks and build resilience.
Why four words?
Because there’s no room to sit on the fence. Two words is too simplistic and not very helpful—it’s either good or bad. Three words will create a middle bucket—again, not very helpful. Five words or more will confuse.
The best way to make a dent is to use these four simple words and change something for the better. Everyday language will amplify the message.
Excellence really is a simple concept.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood.
On the third day of Christmas
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Three bonus guides,
Two coaching calls,
And a scholar bee from a maple tree.
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The New Year is a popular time for starting a new position. And whether it’s you or a member of your team, it’s important that you have a plan.
Your first 12 days as a leader
Congratulations! You made it. You’ve just started that new job. As a new leader, the first 12 days are crucial to your success.
Your first 12 weeks as a leader
Your honeymoon period. Everyone is watching. As a new leader, your first 12 weeks are an opportunity to gain confidence and build a trusted team.
Your first 12 months as leader
Never underestimate what you can achieve in a year. As a leader, your first 12 months are critical to the legacy you leave behind.
When you join Twelve Scholars, you’ll receive 3 bonus guides. Each comprises the 12 most relevant leadership lessons that will help you.
Remember, if you fail to plan—plan to fail.
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THE ESSENTIAL SCHOLAR is our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Designed from the ground up—transform into a highly effective leader. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood.