Leadership & Development The Definitive Guide
Hello and a warm welcome to Leadership and Development.
My name is Martin Gilliard and after having completed an MBA at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK back in 2003 I have had an ongoing interest in the subject of leadership, personal development and the development of others.
My experience isn’t all purely academic though… I have had a number of leadership positions for large multi-national companies at my home town of Leeds in the UK and also eight years in Mississauga just outside Toronto in the wonderful country of Canada.
Why This Site?
Due to my interest and experience in this area, I decided to put a website together so that I can continue learning about this fascinating subject area.
My intention is to use this website to share our knowledge, understanding and continued research with others who have similar interests or with individuals who simply would like to learn more about the subject of leadership and development.
Leadership
Leadership is generally about influencing a group of people towards achieving a common goal. This is usually done by communicating a vision of some future desired state. The vision needs to be communicated in such a way that others want to achieve it.
Great leaders use their life experiences, skills and personal attitude to inspire others. Successful leadership often depends on effective organisational and relationship skills.
Self Development
If you want to fully realize your potential then you need to be looking for ways to develop your own capabilities and performance. Self-development takes self-control and personal responsibility for yourself and your own learning. The plan is for this site to also include a number of thought-provoking, self-development articles that will help you develop your skills and abilities.
Leadership and Development Content
On the leadership section of the website, I have included some articles on the subject of team building. Team building is key in any leadership effort. A leader can only be as good as his or her team so it’s key to get your team right from the offset. Please check out this section for further details on teams and team dynamics.
I have also included a section on leadership behaviors. Behavioral aspects of leadership are incredibly important. Much of leadership is about how you behave and act in front of those who you are responsible for. It’s about being a role model for others to look up to and aspire to be.
And then there is a section on leadership skills. If you’re going to become a better leader then you need to be fully aware of the skills of the trade!
Then on the development section of the website I have included a section containing articles on personal development which is an area that appears to be high on most people’s agendas these days as we all strive to improve ourselves and reach that yet unrealized next goal.
And then there are a number of articles aimed towards developing yourself as a leader or manager.
I hope you find this site useful. Please use the comment sections on each page to provide us with feedback – I will do our utmost to respond.
Many thanks, Martin.
Navigation
Please use the navigation menu at the top of the page to read some of the articles I have put together on this subject.
Recent Posts…

Why Is Communication Important As A Leader?
Effective communication is a critical component of successful leadership. Leaders who communicate effectively are better able to motivate and inspire their teams, build trust and credibility, and achieve their organizational goals. On the other hand, poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, low morale, and decreased productivity. In this article, we will explore the importance of […]

My Personal Notes From The “Own Your Own Future” Course – Includes Motivation, Action, Social Media, Sales and Product Creation
So at the start of this month, August 2023, I clicked on a FaceBook Ad for a course by Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi. I’ve already read a couple of books by Tony Robbins and I have a friend who had raved about the Tony Robbins courses. The ad claimed that you could now do […]

My Journal Entry For August 27th, 2023
Morning Routine, General Diary, Thoughts, and Ideas Feeling much better today due to much less alcohol last night. Partly completed my morning routine. My son Jack is still at around month 9 post-transplant and all is still looking good for him 🤞. Today I made myself a coffee and then made notes from an EdEx […]

My Journal Entry For August 26th, 2023
Morning Routine, General Diary, Thoughts, and IdeasI obviously drank too much red wine last night as I woke up this morning feeling pretty rough. The morning routine was therefore knocked on the head once again!My son Jack is still at around month 9 post-transplant and all is still looking good for him 🤞.Today mainly consisted […]

My Journal Entry For August 25th, 2023
Morning Routine, General Diary, Thoughts, and Ideas So, I woke up ridiculously early this morning, at around 5 a.m. I didn’t do much of my morning routine. I did however get some early morning tasks ticked off. My son Jack is still at around month 9 post-transplant and all is still looking good for him […]

My Journal Entry For August 24th, 2023
Morning Routine, General Diary, Thoughts, and Ideas Oh my gosh, it’s been a while, my last journal entry was at the end of August. I still have kind of a morning routine but I definitely need to get more structured once again. I think my wife and I have been partying a little too much […]

Creative Leaders
(Photo Credit: Prawny) Creative leaders encourage creativity. They understand just what is required to provide a climate for creativity to flow. Characteristics of Creative Leaders Such leaders exhibit many of the following characteristics: An awareness of their employee’s strengths, skill sets, needs, and expectations. An ability to inspire confidence in others. They praise, mentor, and […]

Benchmarking
What is benchmarking?The company Xerox was one of the first to carry out benchmarking on a regular basis, they define benchmarking as:”A continuous, systematic process of evaluating companies regognized as indistry leaders, to determine business and work processes that represent ‘best practice’ and establish rational performance goals.”
Please check out my other website https://www.innovation-creativity.com