Leading UK plant nursery, Johnsons of Whixley, has provided over five thousand plants to a five-star luxury spa hotel in County Durham, as part of the venue’s £8.5million expansion plans. The Yorkshire-based horticultural business was chosen to supply a range of plants and trees to Seaham Hall Hotel’s grounds, including its bungalow lodges, 44,000sq ft spa area and hotel terrace, as a project to develop a series of new luxury suites for the hotel also gets underway. Johnsons of Whixley, which worked with Richard Porter of Garden Vision Ltd, supplied the plants for the project, providing a diverse range of plants and trees, ensuring a considered approach in keeping with the property’s Georgian heritage. The supply included Allium hollandicum plants, Allium nigrum, Betula jacquemontii trees, Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, Lavandula ‘Hidcote’Magnolia ‘Susan’ and Nepeta faassenii. Garden Vision completed the designs for the outside spa area, terrace and lodges as well as providing the soft and hard landscaping for the projects. Founded over 100 years ago, Johnsons is a three-generation family business that has an excellent reputation for supplying the hotel trade. Previous projects include Grantley Hall in Ripon, The Torridon in Scotland and The Springs Resort & Golf Club in Oxfordshire. Seaham Hall Hotel, which was built in 1791 in Seaham, 25 miles northeast of Durham, was converted into a luxury hotel in 2012, with its owners committed to ensuring the future of the property as the finest five-star hotel in the region. From a WWI military hospital to a secret whisky bottling facility in the Prohibition era, the Hall has a rich history which is kept alive through the character and charm of the modern-day hotel. Today the hotel boasts 21 guest suites, an on-site spa and two restaurant concepts for guests to enjoy and has scooped a string of prestigious awards, the most recent being gold at the VisitEngland Awards 2022, the 2022 AA Inspectors’ Choice Hotel Awards and Good Hotel Guide Editor’s Choice Spa Awards in 2021. The hotel has also been named in The Times and The Sunday Times' Best Places to Stay list 2023. Johnsons of Whixley marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We are thrilled to work with the Seaham Hall Hotel team as their ambitious development plans get underway, in collaboration with our customer Richard from Garden Vision Durham, who delivered the design, hard and soft landscaping of the project. “This was a really exciting project that required incredible attention to detail to ensure that the plants and trees enhanced the property’s heritage and features, while maintaining the luxury coastal feel that guests enjoy, being so close to the beautiful Durham Heritage Coastline.” Richard Porter Director at Garden Vision Ltd said: “Garden Vision have been proud to complete the design, landscaping & planting for Seaham Hall, a client that we have a great working relationship with. Throughout the design process, I was able to call on the knowledge from Johnson’s, when needed, to ensure the planting design and implementation delivered the quality required for this historic venue.” Ross Grieve, Managing Director at Seaham Hall Hotel, said: “The grounds around the hotel are as stunning at the hotel itself, and it’s something which our guests really enjoy – especially being out in the coastal air. Therefore it was important for us to work alongside a business that not only understands this, but has built its reputation landscaping in County Durham and the surrounding counties.”

The team at a North Yorkshire rapeseed oil business is celebrating after shipping its biggest export order to date. Thixendale-based family business, Charlie & Ivy's has sent four of its best-selling Bread Dippers and four Mayonnaises to Fine Food Importer and Distributor, Dovetale Collections, who will ship them all over Canada from their base in Ontario. "The team at Dovetale search the world for the finest examples of speciality food and partner with producers they're inspired by. We're really pleased to be working with a company that shares our passion for provenance and look forward to introducing Canadians to a taste of Yorkshire," said Business Development Manager, Richard Sharp. The export success comes on the back of a listing for 12 products in Selfridges stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester and on their website. The Charlie & Ivy's range also includes dressings and marinades that are made using award-winning cold-pressed, rapeseed oil by parent company, Breckenholme on the farm in Yorkshire. Dovetale Collections sell to speciality food shops, hotels, restaurants and grocery and department stores.

Britain's Robert Whitaker has won the 2023 Longines King George V Gold Cup after delivering the only double clear of the competition on Vermento, at family owned Hickstead. The win came two days after the Brits won the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™, with Robert's father John part of that winning team, crowning an amazing week for the home nation at the Longines Royal International Horse Show. Nine of the 45 starters produced a clear first round after Kelvin Bywater’s tricky course caught many of the competitors out. But in round two things got even tougher, with all but Robert collecting faults in the jump-off. Brazil's Pedro Veniss produced the fastest time of the day, finishing on 56.48sec, but he was one of several riders to pick up penalties at the white gate at 8B. He ended up in second place with the 12-year-old Nimrod De Muze Z, with Amanda Landeblad and the British-bred For Killy in third after also falling foul of the white gate. Robert is the third member of his famous family to lift the iconic gold trophy, following in the footsteps of Dad John, a three-time winner, and Uncle Michael, who has won four times. John bred Robert’s winning ride, the 10-year-old stallion Vermento, who was sired by the great Argento with whom John enjoyed so much success. “It’s just amazing, my dad bred the horse, and we’ve put a lot of work in him. I’ve probably nurtured him the last couple of years, saving him and jumping 1.50m classes. I’ve never jumped a five-star with him before – that was his first,” said Robert, who hails from Yorkshire but now is based in Surrey. “I just think today he was feeling very good in himself, he jumped amazing in the first round and in the jump off he still had a lot of energy left, and I think that showed today. When I was going in the first round I was really nervous, because you never know what can happen in this ring. But actually, this is a local show for me, so I jump here a lot, and he’s jumped a lot in smaller classes in the ring, so he knows the ring quite well – I think that worked well in my favour today,” he added. With so many of his rivals picking up faults in the jump-off, Robert wanted to keep up the pace while avoiding making any mistakes. “I wanted to get in a good rhythm and not be too slow; to get a good time but not to overcook it. The way he was jumping, he jumped so safe everywhere. I ended up quite a lot quicker than people with one down.” Watching his son win the premier Grand Prix at the showground where Robert has been competing since the age of three was an emotional moment for John Whitaker. "It’s a special competition. Following on from the Nations Cup, which was an unbelievable win the other day, for Robert to win that it’s very special,” said John. “It’s unbelievably good. When I’m riding, I’m not at all nervous but watching the kids, especially Robert today, I was very nervous.” The Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead drew to a close after six days of top-class equestrian action. Click here for the full results. Photo credit - Elli Birch / Boots and Hooves Photography

One of Britain’s leading restructuring and recovery experts has forecast a ‘grim outlook’ for British businesses as liquidations reached new record levels today. Colin Haig, Partner and National Head of Restructuring at UK top 10 accountancy firm Azets, reacted to the latest government statistics on new company insolvencies in England and Wales for Q2 2023 (April to June). There were 6,342 company insolvencies in Q2 2023 (April to June), the highest since Q2 2009, 9% higher than in Q1 2023 and 13% higher than in Q2 2022. There were 5,240 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), the highest quarterly level since the start of the series in 1960, and 637 compulsory liquidations. Colin Haig said: “The latest quarterly insolvency statistics provide a grim outlook for British businesses, with the lingering aftermath of the pandemic compounded by mounting debt burdens, supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, and rising input costs. Smaller businesses, in particular, have been hardest hit, struggling to cope with reduced consumer spending and restricted access to finance." “Too few business owners are reacting quickly enough to distress signs. Early intervention and proactive restructuring can help prevent insolvencies and pave the way for sustainable recovery, avoiding liquidation." “A restructuring plan can lead to the rescue of the business as a going concern. This means that jobs can be saved, suppliers can continue to be paid, and the business can maintain its relationships with customers and clients. It also allows the company to reorganise its operations, improve efficiency, and implement changes needed for long-term sustainability." “It’s likely administrations will keep rising over the next 12 months – but an administration is not always bad news. Any transaction that keeps a business trading and preserves IP, capital, and employees, is a solution. Switched on management teams have greater access to these solutions. For businesses navigating through these turbulent times, strategic planning and prudent financial management is essential.”

Bechtel recently announced that the final munition in the United States stockpile of chemical weapons has been safely destroyed at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) in Kentucky. The end of destruction at Blue Grass completes the United States’ commitment to destroy its stockpile of chemical weapons before September 30, 2023 as a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty ratified in 1997. The Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team was awarded the contract to design, build, and operate BGCAPP in 2003 by the Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives. Construction of the first-of-a-kind facility was completed in 2015 at the Blue Grass Army Depot with weapon destruction following plant systemization and comprehensive testing. The chemical weapons stockpile at the depot originally consisted of 523 U.S. tons of chemical agent configured in 155mm projectiles containing mustard and VX nerve agent, 8-inch projectiles containing GB nerve agent, and M55 rockets containing GB and VX nerve agent. Beginning in 2019, destruction took place around the clock at BGCAPP and continued without interruption during the 2020-2023 global health emergency of COVID-19. This effort allowed the United States to fulfill its commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty. “I am so proud of my Bechtel colleagues who with hard work, spirit, and ingenuity, delivered a monumental feat for the country and its allies,” said John Howanitz, president of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security and Environmental business. “With this achievement, Bechtel has now safely eliminated nearly 5,000 tons of chemical weapon rockets, artillery rounds, mortar shells, and storage canisters at four of the nine original U.S. storage sites in Kentucky, Colorado, Maryland, and Alabama.” “The safety record of the Blue Grass plant is nothing short of remarkable. The team safely finished every munition campaign, successfully completing our mission ahead of the September 30, 2023, treaty deadline,” said Michael Costas, general manager, Bechtel Defense & Space. “Bechtel is honored to have supported the local community, the United States, and its allies around the world to achieve this important milestone.” BGCAPP now turns its attention to safely closing the plant. A multi-year effort, the team will begin with decontamination and dismantling equipment within areas of the plant that have come into contact with the chemical agent. The disposition for the remainder of the plant has not yet been determined. “The credit goes to our workforce team members, who followed procedures and did what was necessary to safely and compliantly destroy these munitions,” said Ron Hink, Bechtel Blue Grass Project Manager. “Now our team will turn their focus to safely closing the plant, leaving the community better than we found it.” Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass workers celebrate the last rocket destroyed at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant on July 7, 2023 in Kentucky. BGCAPP was built and operated under contract to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives. Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass is a joint venture of Bechtel National Inc. and Parsons Government Services Inc. Since the 1980s, Bechtel has had an active role in U.S. and international efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

Around 1,500 guests and visitors from across Cumbria and beyond have attended a 70th anniversary party at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa. Guests were richly entertained with live music, spa experiences, boat trips, fireworks and a diverse range of food and drink stalls and bars on the hotel lawns. A family day on the Sunday also provided a host of children’s entertainment. The food and beverage and hospitality teams worked approximately 800 hours together over the weekend celebrations, with 1,000 meals and 250 Lakes Distillery cocktails served up for guests. For Sunday’s family outing, popcorn and candy floss was the order of the day with around 500 portions purchased. English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues managing director Ben Berry said: “It was fantastic to see so many people come along to share in the hotel group’s 70th anniversary celebrations and our entire team deserves a huge amount of credit for their hard work to make it all happen." “Low Wood Bay has gone through massive change in the past 70 years." "This party not only celebrates our rich history and those who contributed to make Low Wood Bay what it is today, but also brings our minds to consider what our exciting future holds as custodians of this amazing location.” English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, which runs Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, the Wild Boar Inn and the Lancaster House Hotel, was established in 1953. The hotel group is marking its 70th year of operation with a host of competitions, activities and free stay giveaways.

A Leicestershire flooring firm has stepped up to help a table-topping junior football team and in the process given them a unique Wembley connection. Seats from Wembley Stadium have been installed at Selby Town FC after the club’s under-10 side won the regional Premier League at their first attempt this year. The nine and 10-year-olds closed the season by beating Mansfield Town juniors 4-3 to win the Yorkshire Premier League. In celebration, Nick Megson, owner and managing director of Abacus Flooring Solutions, rewarded the football club with its own piece of Wembley as well as installing brand new resin flooring in the changing rooms. The club is now preparing its team dugouts for the installation of the gifted Wembley seats, which Nick had recovered from Wembley’s Royal Box while installing a new resin flooring there. Abacus’s unique flooring, the first of its kind in the world, contains recycled plastic – in this case from Wembley’s old seats – but Nick retained a few whole seats for sentimental reasons. Having been born and bred in Selby, Nick felt that the achievement of the town’s under-10 football stars deserved a pair of those seats. Nick, who moved to Leicestershire seven years ago, where his firm operates from premises in Coalville, near Loughborough, said: “You can take the boy out of Yorkshire, but you can never take Yorkshire out of the boy. I’ve always had a soft spot for Selby." “That group of young lads in Selby Town’s under-10 side has been magnificent. They are definitely the first-team stars of the future." “I could think of nothing better to do with my spare Wembley seats than to present them to the club so the lads could enjoy taking selfies on them, and even use them as encouragement to one day play at Wembley themselves.” It is not the first time that Nick has supported his hometown club. While installing a resin flooring last year for Marshalls, a concrete pipe manufacturer in nearby Pollington, one of Nick’s long-term contacts, Ross Colby, who also coaches football at Selby Town, informed Nick that the current under-10 side were celebrating after being promoted to the Premier League last season. Impressed by their achievement, which saw the team now playing in the same league as the likes of Mansfield Town and York City juniors, Nick donated cash for them to buy new footballs. After subsequently winning the league at their first attempt, Nick was keen to present them with a more permanent reminder of their success. The under-10s team has since gone on to win the regional title and narrowly missed reaching the final stage of the national tournament after losing out to Oxford City juniors. The youngsters nevertheless got to meet Rio Ferdinand, whose London Academy team won the overall tournament. Glen Dennis, head coach of Selby Town’s under-10s, said: “We are so grateful to Nick for supporting this small town and its football club. Every donation and every bit of support goes a long way towards our hope of creating a club facility here at Selby Town that Yorkshire can be proud of." “It’s a long time since any of our teams has experienced the kind of success that the current under-10s have achieved. We haven’t seen this level of excitement since David Beckham and Paul Scholes played here in Manchester United’s reserve team in 1999." “The Wembley seats are pretty cool and, who knows, they may inspire our youngsters to follow in the footsteps of Scholes and Beckham.”

HMG Paints, a leading manufacturer of paints and coatings, has been named the Manufacturing Family Business of the Year at the prestigious Family Business of the Year Awards 2023. The awards, hosted by Family Business United, took place in the serene Medicine Garden located within the grounds of the Royal College of Physicians. The event aimed to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions made by family firms to the national economy. “Family businesses are the engine room of the UK economy and with 6 million family firms employing around 14 million people in all corners of the country they make a massive impact each and every day” commented Paul Andrews, Managing Director of Family Business United. “Incomes are generated, jobs provided and wealth created but as one of the family members said to me, ‘That is just the tip of the iceberg. Family businesses care and want to be seen as doing the right thing, doing business the right way.’” The accolade of Manufacturing Family Business of the Year is a testament to HMG Paints’ commitment to excellence, innovation, and the preservation of its family legacy, with the judges also recognising the companies support for the wider family business community. As a multi-generation family-owned business, HMG Paints has consistently demonstrated its dedication to producing high-quality paint products and industry-leading solutions for over nine decades. John Falder, Chairman of HMG Paints, expressed his gratitude for the recognition received by the company, stating, "Being named the Manufacturing Family Business of the Year is an incredible honour for HMG Paints. We are immensely proud of our heritage and the values that have guided our family business since its inception. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who consistently strive for excellence in everything we do." HMG Paints Ltd has been at the forefront of the manufacturing industry, continuously delivering innovative products and solutions to a diverse range of customers. The company's commitment to sustainability, customer satisfaction, and community engagement has further strengthened its reputation as an industry leader. Paddy Dyson, Marketing Manager “Being able to collect the award on behalf of all the team back at Riverside Works is an honour. We’re extremely proud just to be nominated for the award and be in the company of so many fantastic family businesses but to receive the Manufacturing Family Business of the Year Award was a fantastic surprise.” Family Business United, the host of the Family Business of the Year Awards, is a leading resource centre and advocacy group dedicated to supporting and promoting family businesses throughout the United Kingdom. The awards ceremony provides a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of family enterprises and their significant contribution to the nation's economy, you can find out more about FBU and the awards by visiting www.familybusinessunited.com.

A Glasgow support group for children with autism and additional support needs will be able to keep their charges occupied over the holidays after a £2,000 donation from Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust. The AutisFun Group was set up in north Glasgow earlier this year by three parents to autistic/ASN children – Lyndsay Flemming, Amanda McNee and Cheryl Maxwell – to create an inclusive, safe space in the community for the youngsters, as well as their siblings. They run support sessions every Friday which now cater for more than 50 children, who are all encouraged to socialise and try new experiences alongside other kids. The youngsters recently began venturing outside when the weather is decent and the Allied donation will help fund more trips, along with additional play equipment. “We are absolutely delighted with this gesture, it means so much to us and our families,” said Cheryl. “We have worked really hard, as normal everyday parents dealing with kids with ASN/ASD, we know and can feel how much this group was needed, hence why we decided to start up and help out other families in a similar position locally. We know how isolating and challenging life becomes and we are so grateful to now have built up a peer support network for the children, siblings, parents and carers and we too feel the benefit." “Once again, we want to thank you, the board and everyone at Allied Vehicles for having faith and letting us be able to put on some extra trips and buy in some new equipment for everyone on board.” Allied owner Gerry Facenna said: “The women who set up AutisFun have done a brilliant job with the children and families they work with and I’m sure they’ll do even more in the future." “I’m delighted that we can help give the group something to keep all the youngsters occupied over the holidays.”

High Wycombe based RH Amar, is celebrating reaching the £2m milestone in its charitable giving. Over the past 10 years the company, which acts as a distributor for some of the UK’s best-loved food brands, has donated over £2m to charitable causes. The milestone has been reached through RH Amar’s commitment to donate 10% of its profits each year to charity – a commitment made in 2013 by RH Amar’s MD, Rob Amar. Charities which have benefited from donations over the past decade include local Buckinghamshire charities Rennie Grove Hospice Care and Heart of Bucks Community Foundation, industry charities such as GroceryAid and Farm Africa, and national charities including Macmillan Cancer Support and Guide Dogs. RH Amar officially presented the donation that would take them across the £2m mark to the Heart of Bucks Community Foundation – which RH Amar has supported for over 15 years. The special presentation was made to Henry Allmand, CEO, Heart of Bucks Community Foundation, at RH Amar’s HQ on the Cressex Estate with RH Amar colleagues invited to celebrate the achievement. Rob Amar, MD, RH Amar said: “Our commitment to donate 10% of RH Amar’s profits to charity each year is an extension and reflection of the values we hold as a business. We have been able to donate £2m to charitable causes over the past 10 years thanks to the hard work of our team and support of our customers and brand partners, and I know that being able to support so many worthwhile causes means as much to them as it does personally to me.“ Henry Allmand, CEO at Heart of Bucks said: “Businesses like RH Amar can play a vital role in supporting their local community and we are extremely grateful for their continued support as one of our Community Investors. Their kind donation will be directed where the need is greatest and will provide essential funding for local organisations committed to making Buckinghamshire a better place to live.” Each year charities are chosen by RH Amar’s Doing Business Better team, which oversees all CSR activity at the company. Colleagues are also invited to personally nominate a charity of their choice to receive a donation from the company. Colleague-nominated charities this year included Aylesbury Food Bank, Spinal Injuries Association and Stokenchurch Dog Rescue. In addition to its 10%-to-charity commitment, RH Amar also offers donation matching to support colleague fundraising and supports local foodbanks through stock donations from its distribution warehouse on the Cressex Estate. The company also offers colleagues a volunteering day to spend helping a charity of their choice. Last year RH Amar was named the UK’s Best Food & Drink Company To Work For by Best Companies, recognition of its excellent workplace engagement.

It’s often said that people don’t leave companies; they leave bosses. That’s because no one has a greater impact on the day-to-day life of a worker — along with their personal performance, productivity and attitude — than their direct boss. Their boss creates their job description, defines their activities, sets their standards and expectations and reviews their performance. More importantly, the boss creates and instils the vision, purpose and local culture for the work team. In this piece, Geoff Lawrence, Managing Director of Vistage shares his thoughts on how to become a better boss. The CEO may profess high ideals, values and beliefs to the company, but it is the boss who dictates and drives the culture that employees work and live in every day. At the same time, no role has experienced greater change because of the COVID-19 pandemic than the frontline manager, also known as the boss. This is primarily due to the shift from the traditional, Monday-to-Friday, 9-to-5 workplace to the hybrid workplace. Once capable of managing employers in the office, bosses are still adjusting to how they best digitally connect and engage with remote employees. This requires greater clarity around tasks, deliverables and accountability. Bosses will need to maximise in-office days for collaboration, innovation, problem-solving and team-building events, or risk losing the focus of their team. A newly empowered, enlightened and remote workforce will demand more from their bosses than ever before. In any scenario, employees still require job structure, task identification, deliverable schedules, goals and metrics, but they also need their bosses to simultaneously serve as a leader, coach and manager: ● Leader : Leaders engage and connect their team to the organisation’s goals. They set the vision and direction for the workgroup, aligning the efforts of individuals and teams to broader objectives. They embrace culture at the team level and provide a consistent connection to the company’s culture. They also recognise and reward behaviours that exemplify culture and performance expectations. ● Coach : Coaches empower individuals to improve and teams to excel. They motivate and inspire workers to realise their goals and become the best they can be. They work with people to develop their skills, enhance their capabilities and realise their potential. Along with helping people set goals, they hold them accountable for the activities and results needed to achieve those goals. ● Manager : Managers are responsible for individual and team performance. They must clearly define roles, activities and responsibilities; set standards and expectations; and evaluate, critique and grade performance. Performance management is no longer about counting numbers or tracking attendance, but about ensuring the quality of deliverables. Employee development — inclusive of leadership development — is one of the top 10 investments for small and medium sized businesses in 2022, according to Vistage research. Specifically, 78% of CEOs are directing resources towards programmes that develop the “bosses” in their organisation — that is, managers of people and other leaders. These are wise investments. Why? Because bosses have the greatest direct impact on the employee experience, which in turn impacts business performance. Building better bosses, then, builds stronger, high performing organisations It’s hard to overstate the importance of a boss. A boss dictates the employee experience. A boss contributes to the performance of an organisation. A boss reinforces a CEO’s strategy, culture and performance expectations. However, a boss doesn’t instinctively know how to fulfil these duties; they must be guided. This is especially true in the new, digital workplace. As CEOs look to develop their bosses, they should anticipate a steep and rocky learning curve. Bosses will make mistakes as they learn how to adapt to the new workplace and while some will adapt naturally, others will follow at a slower pace. To accelerate this process, CEOs should create opportunities for bosses to share what’s working and what’s not working. Thus, investing in the training and development of bosses — and helping them become better leaders, coaches and managers — is essential for CEOs. Those who do this first will be the fastest to realise productivity gains.

What do successful family businesses have in common? The answer is: effective leadership. Without highly effective leaders at every level, the organisations we all recognise as the most innovative, pioneering and financially profitable would not be where they are today. So, how do leaders become more effective? Like most things in life, becoming a highly effective leader takes time and effort. Business leader, leadership coach, Vistage Speaker (and 4 times winner of the Speak-Out Performer of the Year award), Brad Waldron, believes it’s all about cultivating the right habits. Drawing inspiration from Franklin Covey’s ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, Waldron refines and reframes this concept for leadership. Brad believes if you can master these seven habits, you’ll create a better work culture and happier employees, and increase your productivity. ‘Each habit is a beautiful instrument that, when played well, makes wonderful music’ he explains, ‘but when all seven are played together, they make an orchestra’. And here they are: Brad Waldron’s 7 habits of highly effective leaders: 1. Be proactive ‘There’s one habit that acts as the conductor, and that’s being proactive’. As Brad explains, this habit is the cornerstone habit of highly effective leadership. It’s the acknowledgment that you are in charge, and while you may not always be able to control the wider context, you always have a choice. ‘You have a choice over your feelings, your actions, your responses, and how you interpret what goes on in life’, he says, putting it most succinctly with this analogy: ‘I can’t control the weather, but I can control what I wear’. 2. Make a choice ‘Habit two says make your choice. Begin with the end in mind’. In order to create something, you need vision; it needs to firstly exist in your mind before you can practically create it. If you want to go somewhere, you need to know how to get there, but what’s the point in looking at a map if you don’t know your final destination? This habit is all about making choices about what you want to achieve. When you have a clear picture of what the end goal is, you can make decisions that will help you get there. 3. Live your choice ‘Live your choices, live your priorities, live the things that matter the most’. Brad goes on to explain that this habit is all about prioritising the things that are most important – the things that will help you realise your vision: ‘Decide what’s most important to you and focus on those things – don’t get distracted by noise’. Living your choice is effectively the birth child of habits one and two: you’ve acknowledged that you’re in charge, you’ve mentally created ‘the end’, and you begin to make it a reality day by day with the choices and actions you take. ‘Putting these first three habits together is what we call a private victory’, Brad says, ‘it’s just for you, so it’s a little bit selfish – but it’s a good kind of selfish. It’s like the principle of first aid: I can’t help you unless I am safe.’ 4. Help others: the mindset of abundance ‘Now that I am contributing, and I have a strong sense of my independence, I am choosing to help others be great as well’. This habit is all about cultivating the mindset of abundance, as Brad illuminates: ‘This is a mental habit which is called ‘think win:win’. It’s about saying: how do I use my courage and consideration to help people achieve their goals and help them contribute to the bigger picture?’ “Instead of saying: “this is what I want”, we start to ask: “what do you need?” first’.” Brad goes on to explain what it takes to cultivate this habit: ‘It’s a mindful habit. We need to first think like this in order to behave in this way. Instead of saying: “this is what I want”, we start to ask: “what do you need?” first’. 5. Keep communicating ‘I live in a castle, and you live in a castle. In order for us to develop a great relationship, we have to lower our drawbridges in order to let each into our worlds.’ Brad believes that real, empathic communication is one of the most important aspects of effective leadership. He explains that there are five levels of listening: ‘The fifth level is empathic listening – when we really hear what the other person is saying, and don’t decide what we think they mean before they’ve finished speaking’. “In this way, we seek first to understand, then to be understood.” While most of us prioritise being heard or understood, Waldron espouses seeking to understand others first. This habit can be cultivated by asking and acknowledging what another person is thinking or feeling before examining your own feelings or thoughts in a particular situation. In this way, we seek first to understand, then to be understood. 6. Synergy ‘Synergy is when we apply habits 1-5 in a group setting’, Brad explains. ‘Synergy means: collectively we can achieve more when working towards the same goal than if we were independently facing the same goal. That’s why famous sports teams are consistently famous – their synergy levels are beyond other teams’ synergy levels.’ However, synergy requires diversity and differences within a team – if everyone has the same strengths and weaknesses, adopting this habit is very difficult. Brad goes on to explain that diversity is the key to synergy. ‘You have to value the differences. Whether it be gender, race, education, skills, experiences – diversity is the gift which builds creative synergy. There are things which can get in the way of achieving synergy: your own personal biases and judgements, your ego, or your need for control’. 7. Sharpen the saw Sharpening the saw is about self care. As Brad says: ‘Your life is a saw, you have to keep it sharp if you want to keep cutting’. If you have adopted habit one, and believe that you have the control and the power to make choices, you need to make sure your personal health and wellbeing allow you to keep doing what you’re doing. Brad believes there are four key areas to focus on. ‘The first is your physical self: how you manage stress, nutrition and exercise. The second is looking after yourself socially and emotionally: your friends, time, service – all these things affect behaviours and longevity’, says Brad. ‘The third’, explains Brad, ‘is your brain, your vitality, your mentality’. The fourth and final endowment is to look after yourself spiritually. As Brad says, ‘it’s whatever that means to you – it could be believing in a higher purpose or studying scriptures, or just going for dog walks at sunset’. Becoming a highly effective leader isn’t about possessing specific qualities or talents. Great leaders can be introverts or extroverts, they can be autocratic or democratic, they can be supportive or laissez-faire. Effective leaders do, however, adopt the types of mindset which allow them to visualise and focus on their goals, and get the best from others. This isn’t innate, it’s something which is developed over time by cultivating habits which lead to desired behaviours. As Brad concludes: ‘These are not seven traits, behaviours or qualities, they are habits. A habit is free, a habit is something which you do instinctively and intuitively without thinking. The more you can create habits, the more automated it is, the more likely you are to do it. That is a gift that will always give you a return.’ About the Author - Brad Waldron is a business leader, leadership coach and Vistage speaker. First published on the Vistage website the piece is reproduced with permission.