DEB BARCLAY

I recently had a meeting with a woman who was interviewing me for a mentorship programme I was applying for. After an hour of discussion and coffee she asked me if there was anything I would like to share about leadership. I responded with "I love leadership. I love working in a team and leading the growth of both the people and the organisation, however leadership has changed. More is required of the 2021 leader...More heart, more empathy and more grit, way more grit." I

I'm always on the lookout for new well-being ideas to try out at work. I particularly like ones that are easily implemented, affordable, and have a positive impact on people individually and the collective group as a whole. It's important to trial a variety as people have different needs. For example, someone might appreciate food and another person might appreciate a small note of appreciation. We want to hit the target with everyone! Here's a list of my top 12 well-bein

It was a heavy suitcase stuffed full of clothes, shoes and make-up that finally brought me to my senses. Yes, I took the heaviest suitcase in the world to China and back, literally. On 31st December 2019, I boarded a plane bound for Chengdhu, China. I was anxious, excited and had a tummy full of nerves. I was also worried about the weight of my suitcase and wondered how I would cope lifting it and pushing it around. During the day leading up to the departure to the airport

This is the third BLOG I've written on different types of soulful leadership, and it is by far my favourite. Over the last two weeks I've written about Authentic Leadership and Heart-Centered Leadership. Having recently read about Conscious Leadership, I do believe it captures each of these leadership styles and so much more. There are a lot of different definitions about what Conscious Leadership is floating around on the internet, but for this I wanted to go straight to t

It's one thing to say I 'lead from the heart' but when the rubber meets the road at work, just how much 'heart' comes into it? Research & theory, although very necessary and helpful, doesn't always play out the way we'd like in real life. As much as I love the sound of being a heart-centered leader and I have the desire to lead from the heart, I'm also a highly practical gal and need to unpack exactly what 'heart-centered leadership' looks like day to day. As I'm writing t

When I drive to work each morning I always go with the intention to be the best leader I can be. I'm determined to lead with as much authenticity and heart as I can muster. Why? Because effective leadership for me is all about relationships and connections with people and to be successful in that, authenticity is a major player. Leadership pulls on the full spectrum of my emotions. It requires me to have a high level of awareness about my own emotions and the ways I regul

When my husband dropped me off at Auckland Airport on New Years Eve, my anxiety levels were sky high. With a heavy suitcase and a tummy full of nerves, I headed into the airport unsure of what lay ahead of me. Two months prior, I had agreed to go on an excursion with another New Zealander and two Chinese agents, to promote and teach New Zealand Education in the Hubei Province of China. We had at least 6 meetings leading up to the departure gate and the days of travel ahead

During my years in Education I have been mentored by the very best. I have also been like a sponge, determined to learn from the best and apply the ideas in my own practice as a leader. I have been given a lot of advice over the years, and I use a lot of it on a daily basis. Recently I was asked what my three best pieces of advice were. Now, I could write a book about the best advice I've been given, so I had to think really hard about it. In the end I decided to run with t

Delegating is hands down the hardest part of leadership for me. One of the reasons I never delegated when I was new to my leadership role was because I had two strong beliefs. Firstly, that if I didn't do it myself, it wouldn't get done. Secondly, that no one could do it as well as I could. Classic perfectionism traits! I laugh now as I reflect back on the early days of my leadership journey. I think it was also part of my 'superwoman' image - that I could do it all. D

I believe that leading people today requires a whole new set of skills that weren't required in the past. With the ever changing landscape of technology, over the last 10 years more than ever, people are discerning about who they listen to, who they invest their time and energy in and what they expose themselves to. The world wide web has opened people's minds to opportunities, experiences, and other people from all over the globe. They know what is possible and they are dis