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© Toni Courtney 2015

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Toni drives the results, profitability and team development of every business with which she works. Her mission is to empower leaders and teams to lean in and play a bigger game. Toni engages leaders supporting them to excel, particularly through leadership transitions.

Transition has been a central theme in both Toni’s personal and professional life. She has led teams through significant organisational change and has held a range of roles within emerging and mature businesses. She is known for her drive, resilience, and high energy.

Toni is engaged to instigate growth and improve performance. Her conviction is that people are capable of much more than they think—her practice is to help them achieve it.

Toni empowers leaders and teams to fast track their leadership and performance, and prepares leaders for starting new roles, accelerating within current roles, or getting role ready for a step-up position.

With an extensive blue chip commercial background, Toni brings over 20 years’ experience in building and leading high-performance teams. She has served in senior leadership roles in New Zealand, the UK, the USA and Australia working for brands including ANZ, Westpac, American Express and Deloitte.

Toni is a certified Executive Coach, Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and a Thought Dynamics Consultant. She holds a Bachelor of Business Management (First Class Hons).

Toni balances working life with being mum to her two small children.

Toni CourtneyLeadership and Performance Coach, Facilitator and Consultant0431 971 790toni@tonicourtney.comwww.tonicourtney.comhttp:au.linkedin.com/in/Toni Courtney

About Toni Courtney

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Table of ContentsInfluence leads A-Game performance ..................................... 5Performance expectations vs realities ..................................... 7Leadership is intentional influence .......................................... 10An A-Game matters across every organisational level........... 12The A-Game is a success strategy that builds influence and results ........................................................................................... 16So what does it take to play the A-Game? .............................. 18

Decide to be a leader ............................................................ 18Develop a Performance Circle of Growth .......................... 18

Mindset ............................................................................ 19Capabilities ...................................................................... 20Opportunity ..................................................................... 21Influence .......................................................................... 21

The finer distinctions of the A-Game ........................................ 23Creativity ......................................................................... 23Personal drive ................................................................ 23Agility .............................................................................. 24

You need A-Game players to succeed in today’s marketplace .................................................................. 25

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Influence leads A-Game performance

The scale of organisational change, market challenges and the accelerating speed of innovation are demanding new approaches to leadership and change.

In reality, the performance climate in which leaders and teams now operate, require different thinking, skills, and behaviours to discover new solutions to new problems. ‘It’s a jungle out there,’ is a phrase used to describe the business landscape that requires leaders to survive and thrive in uncertain times.

Progressing your career comprises a vastly different game: the old success strategy of self-reliance on tenure, specialist knowledge and being politically savvy is redundant. Instead, agile high performers need to adopt a different approach as they progress and move up each rung of the leadership performance ladder.

Leadership success is the ability to work with and through others (a strategy of others-focus rather than self-focus) for decision making, collaboration and creativity. With this level of complexity, no wonder there’s an A-Game power tool for leadership success—influence.

Ultimately, some of the most worthwhile questions a leader can ask themselves is:

• How does my game need to change?

• How do I need to change?

• If I’m not playing an A-Game, how will I get the position on the field I want?

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‘The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.’ — John Hancock (1737–1793)

Regardless of organisational level and career drive, leaders must sustain an A-Game to stay in the game. A B-Game strategy carries an inherent risk and downside.

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Performance expectations vs realities

Meeting performance expectations requires hard work and often means leading a team – both of which are not mutually exclusive.

These performance realities often get in the way:

1. The culture makes it hard to succeed

All too often, leaders believe they achieve despite their cultural environment.

Many organisations operate within silo structures, with short-term financial goals, low appetite for risk, and incremental predictable growth and returns. Managers rise through ranks where predictability and control are rewarded, and creativity and innovation are not. Internal processes are inefficient and control driven, breeding skepticism, turf wars, and a systemic lack of trust through the organisation.

The drivers of these operating models often are internal cultures where people ‘do their bit’ to look good, get the job done, and move onto the next task. Transactional attitudes are fostered where, ‘It’s just the way it is around here’. They tolerate and operate within entrenched behavioural norms and processes, and accept the culture as it is.

Influence is the ability to shape, shift, and change someone’s perceptions, attitudes, decisions, and actions.

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Implication for influence: Leading change becomes political and challenging. Leaders have to invest incremental time to collaborate and align across teams.

2. The sheer volume of workload

Every leader I know—as do you, I’m sure—is accustomed to doing more with less. A standard comment I hear from leaders is that they are too thinly stretched with lack of resources on many fronts. Although high performers like to take on a lot, there’s a tipping point to productivity. People who feel consistently overburdened may burn out in the end, and become stressed and disengaged through the process.

Implication for influence: Reactive leaders, who are short-term thinkers, will be challenged with creativity, critical thinking and creating opportunity.

3. The team isn’t stepping up

Every team needs a supportive leader balanced by team responsibility and initiative.

Leaders get frustrated when they are relied upon—too frequently—as the hands-on technical problem solver rather than the solution approver. Being caught up in the day-to-day operation and detail means less time for proactive leadership delivery. In addition, there is often an acknowledged trade-off equation at play, which exacerbates the issue. Leaders opt for the transactional choice of directing the right answer to ‘clear it’ off their plate rather than coaching to build capability and a performance culture.

Implication for influence: Directive leaders who fail to teach their team how to think won’t have the level of influence required to build a high-performing team.

These types of challenges and demands result in leaders asking:

• What is this all for?

• Do I have what it takes to play a bigger game?

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• Am I cut out for leadership?

• How do I become the leader I want to be? Can I be the leader I am expected

to be?

• Am I good enough?

• Acknowledging these gaps makes me feel like a fraud.

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Leadership is intentional influence

Influence is a learned skill developed over time.

Building leadership influence creates inspired change. Today people want more than a job: they want to be part of something that means more than their job description. Leadership influence is a critical toolkit competency; however, it’s an underdeveloped competency in many organisations that are struggling to keep up and adapt to current business challenges.

Research insights:

• Leaders who combine 4–6 sources of influence are 10 times (1000%) more successful.1

• Only 6% of leaders are successful in influencing employee behaviour.2

A lack of leadership influence plays out in a multitude of ways at every organisational level, for example, many change initiatives fail, and newly promoted leaders struggle to bridge their new performance gap – they have technical experience but fail with the people skills required.

1. Anon, 2008. MIT Sloan Management Review, 01 October. 2. Grenny, J et al., 2013. S.I.:s.n.

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Case Study

Breakthrough ideas without prior influence can lead to early failure

Sandra headed the product develop-ment team for a photocopier manu-facturer. One day, while on site, she noticed an impressive machine that had been produced overseas.

Back at the office, after some number crunching, she became convinced that her company could better manu-facture the unit and at a lesser cost than the foreign competitor. After conducting some initial research, she found a large market for an improved machine.

Armed with this data, she began to marshal interest in the project among her colleagues. She quickly

ran into roadblocks. Senior executives cancelled meetings with her; and her own boss gave her a chunky new project, and told her to put her grand idea on the back burner given others hadn’t backed the idea to begin with. She felt rejected and diminished in her attempts to step up her idea.

Sandra realised she’d wasted her time by not gaining the support and cooperation of others. A lack of influence often leads to failure, not because the idea is bad, but because the influence work was not done in the first place. She decided to play it safe and was eventually moved out of her role.

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An A-Game matters across every organisational level

Why do some leaders have what it takes to impact and influence while others struggle to achieve – even with the same potential and past success. Ultimately, it comes down to choice of experience and the commitment to play an A-Game. The following model will explain how.

Model 1: Peak Performance Model ©Toni Courtney 2015

A-GameLeverage

B-GameProductivity

A-GamePositioning

C-GameTask

D-GameElsewhere

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Slacker: known for what they don’t do. Their ability to influence is 0.

No one wants to work with a slacker who sits well under the radar, displaying little effort, interest and focus on what’s going on. A slacker demonstrates a gap in skill and/or attitude. If it’s attitude—move the slacker on; if it’s skill—then address it.

Inconsistent performer: known for what they are good at. Their ability to influence is low.

People who are inconsistent are typically motivated to put more effort into the things they like and are good at. They often shy away from challenges outside of their comfort zone; they thrive on certainty.

Inconsistent performers are often self-focused with low self-awareness. As leaders, they love the credit for good results; however, when things go wrong they will justify and lay blame elsewhere. As a result, their relationships tend to be transactional with little trust.

To engage inconsistent performers, others often have to show flexibility and work within the inconsistent performer’s boundaries, which can be frustrating and inefficient.

Solid performer: known for what they do to achieve results. Their growing ability to influence is medium.

A competent leader is results oriented and will thrive in their work. They produce reliable, quality outputs against targets and goals—that are a function of their strengths and expertise—how they engage, and what they are prepared to take on. It is typical of solid achievers to manage the core operation of their role effectively and create opportunity for improvement around it.

Solid performers build functional working relationships over time based on variable levels of likeability, trust and influence. They appreciate that their success is built on contribution and value from others. Although they can adapt well to change, they prefer consistency over ambiguity.

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Solid performers are often the ones to place limits on themselves. They want to get ahead but they fear failure and judgement outside their performance comfort zone. If enough ducks aren’t lined up, they may not progress a perceived higher-risk opportunity. How they think about themselves, their environment and the opportunity itself stops them deciding and taking action.

However, these are often the opportunities that when executed well, can create A-Game performance.

A- and B-Game players are often separated by opportunities they pursue—not by talent or potential.

High Performer: known for who they are and what they make possible. Their ability to influence is medium-high.

High Performers achieve results and much more. Their focus is not only about core, it’s about optimising and innovating core in line with the vision they have for their role, and where the organisation is headed. As leaders, they appreciate their job is to lead, not manage. They lead by example and build high levels of trust and transparency through their consistent behaviour and standards. As a result, their critical thinking shapes and shakes thinking and behaviour change in others. High Performers use their influence to create high-performing teams and culture.

High Performers have learnt to be self-aware and to get out of their own way. They don’t hesitate. With a resourceful level of self-trust, they are not afraid to be courageous in the face of ambiguity and adversity (which they see as opportunity in disguise).

High Performers create A-Game performance.

Out performer: known for what they represent and their legacy. Their ability to influence is high.

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Out performers are reasonably rare. They are bold and different. What they achieve refreshes how the organisation thinks and views itself. An out performer’s ability to think critically is a game changer. Well-known out performers include Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and someone closer to home, Gail Kelly (ex-Westpac). They are inspiring role models to masses. Out performers leverage relationships across the organisation and have influence within their industry and across other communities. They have experienced success and failure in equal measure, and they are now passionate about making differences that changes lives. Out performers know, with certainty, who they are.

Out performers help build A-Game performance in others.

In business, productivity and satisfaction happen through others—success is never achieved alone.

International research indicates that High Performance Work Practices (HPWP)—investing in employee knowledge, skills and abilities; motivating and rewarding them for effort and performance; and creating opportunities for employees to contribute—deliver better financial performance, greater innovation and lower employee turnover. However, very few workplaces in Australia are getting it right.SOURCE: Centre for Workplace Leadership, Sept 2014

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The A-Game is a success strategy that builds

influence and results

Ultimately, the A-Game is centred in leadership—of self and others. Leadership development is a journey of self-mastery filled with success, adversity and failure. The leader we can be for others is dependent upon the relationship we have with ourselves. To inspire others is to be inspired. We can only be for others, what we have been for ourselves.

The degree to which leadership influence evolves is a function of self-awareness and self-mastery.

Core to the A-Game is the ability to focus on the things that matter: from big picture vision through to implementing necessary projects. The A-Game harnesses our most precious resources: time, people (the right ones, of course) and our ability to think critically. What brings all three together is the ability to influence.

Consider the view through another lens:

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Table 1: Leadership Journey of Growth Model © Toni Courtney 2015

Strength of relationship

Solid trustBuilding Influence

High trustHigh Influence

Low trustLow Influence

Patchy trustVariable Influence

A-Game Territory

Level 1It’s about me

PersonalFocus

Self-awareness

Leadershipstyle

Leadershipattitude

Leadershipfocus

Level 1It’s about meand my team

Level 3It’s about my

team

Level 4It’s about

others and my community

Get more (self-focused)

I’m unawareI make judge-

ments

Direct Develop (coach)

What’s good for you is

good for me.

Empower others (lead)

Inspire others (lead)

What’s good for everyone (not

about self)

Inspire (mentor)Influence

I’m curious about my-self. I make judgements in context. I can adapt to

change

What’s good for me is good

for you.

Get other people to get the job done

(manage).

Engage others (manage)

What’s good for us is good for me and you.

Get less (self-focused)

Give (others focused)

I’m self-aware. I chose a

perspective within a

context. I embrace

uncertainty with optimism.

I’m self-certain and becoming self-masterful.

I chose a perspective

within a context. Life

happens in flow (no

attachment).

Give more(others focused)

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Decide to be a leader

Given that leadership is learned (notwithstanding that to reach out performer—you need a fair degree of natural ability and talent), the A-Game is open to anyone who chooses to commit to it, as leadership is, after all, a constant commitment to a journey of self and others.

Leadership is not when you’ve got the right people, the right job or the right something else. Leadership is a commitment to do what it takes—with a lot of patience—to become one with humility and compassion. There aren’t any shortcuts or silver bullets. This is why leadership is so hard and why so few people become leaders who can influence, impact and inspire.

So what is required? Let’s now look at what builds an A-Game, remembering that the performance blueprint naturally changes as leaders climb up the seniority ladder.

Develop a Performance Circle of Growth

A leader’s ability to play an A-Game is a combination of three key prerequisites: mindset, capabilities and opportunity. Harnessing these can build a continuous cycle of learning that expands a leader’s circle of performance over time.

• Mindset: how leaders think.

So what does it take to play the A-Game?

Model 2: Performance Circle of Growth Model © Toni Courtney 2015

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• Capabilities: what leaders can do.

• Opportunity: what leaders decide and actually do.

Mindset

‘Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.’ — Napoleon Hill (1883–1970)

When people work with a positive mindset, it improves performance on nearly every level: productivity, creativity, and engagement. Our mindset allows us to take risks, learn and grow. It propels us forward, with resilience, in the face of adversity. Our mindset conspires for A-Game success.

Self-aware leaders are more resourceful.

Research has shown repeatedly that there is one quality that trumps all, evident in virtually every great entrepreneur, manager, and leader. That quality is self-awareness.

Being self-aware means knowing and understanding you: your strengths, vulnerabilities, blind spots, motivations, the things about you that make you tick, how you experience the world around you, and how it experiences you.

Effective relationships and influencing are the result of leader self-awareness. People who rely on positional power are not leading.

Self-awareness is having the emotional intelligence and behavioural flexibility to be who you need to be for others.

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Research has also shown that a high-performance mindset is twice as important to high-performance outcomes as educational background and technical skills.SOURCE: CEO Magazine Dec 2014

Capabilities

A leader’s capabilities are their collective skills, abilities, and expertise. Influence, critical thinking and creativity/innovation are top of the leadership skillset for 21st century leadership success. With the right mindset, capability building becomes a continuous active progression requiring commitment and effort.

A-Game performers continuously develop capabilities over time to excel, learn and adapt. Research by Deloitte (2013) showed the number one driver of engagement is an employee’s sense of progress in his/her own career, and continuous capability development is one of the most powerful ways to create such progress. People who are developing their abilities are likely to believe in their potential for further growth.

One of the two determinants that allow a leader to thrive in their role is learning and building capability. When leaders thrive, they are 32% more committed to their organisation and 46% more satisfied.SOURCE: HBR Jan 2012 Issue

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Opportunity

As we know, achieving great results is inherent in leadership. A-Game performers’ seek new opportunities to demonstrate performance. They execute these opportunities with speed and confidence creating a significant performance advantage. High performers often have a bank of high-potential opportunities, being assessed in the background, while a few priority goals are focused on and executed at any given time.

McKinsey Research has consistently shown that one of the key non-financial motivators for high performance is ‘creating opportunities’ for career/professional/performance growth.

People who thrive, create opportunity, and innovate within their role contribute far more than the individual who is simply good at their job.

Influence

There are many different types and sources of influence at play in every area of life. A leader’s ability to influence will translate directly to business performance.

The need to influence and leverage relationships increases exponentially with seniority. Playing a bigger game means having expanded influence and credibility across organisational levels.

Leaders use these different types of influence to motivate the behaviours and actions needed to accomplish tasks and achieve goals.

Great influencers have high trust. They are able to communicate with purpose and certainty and find the currency that motivates others into action.

Having a great toolkit of influencing strategies and tactics is vitally important, but at the end of the day, the ability to influence often doesn’t come down to

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the idea by which the leader is influenced, but the connection and strength of relationships the leader has with themselves and others.

Without influence, there is no leadership. In other words, leadership is the act of influencing outcomes.

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The finer distinctions of the A-Game

The second layer of distinctions in the Performance Circle of Growth Model provide a deeper understanding of the model.

Creativity

Creative thinking is a habit of A-Game performers. Creative thinking creates great ideas, solves problems and is the first step in the ability to innovate.

Creative thinking combines attitude and skill, which allows the status quo to be challenged and stretched with new opportunity and possibility. If fostered well, creativity allows for better teamwork, engagement and productivity.

A leader’s greatest asset is their ability to think – both critically and creatively.

Personal drive

High performers have personal drive, which spurs them into action and success—even in the face of adversity and setback. Personal drive can’t be taught: you either have it or you don’t.

Ultimately, intelligence will only get you so far. At some point in the game, a certain level of intelligence is assumed but is followed by the competitive factor—personal drive. You need personal drive in order to go the distance, to become masterful. It’s for this reason that purpose and passion are critical because it

Model 3: Performance Circle of Growth Model 2 © Toni Courtney 2015

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answers the question: what is this all for? If the why is big enough, the how will take care of itself—through personal drive.

The performance cycle of someone with drive is: think, decide, act, result, and learn. Someone with drive has a high aptitude for learning.

Agility

Leaders require the capability to sense and respond to change in a way that is focused, fast and flexible. They need to learn to be agile.

Agile leaders help build agile organisations that can adapt quickly and outperform. Agility growth is aligned with leadership growth—agility changes over time.

Individuals with high-learning agility are promoted twice as fast as individuals with low-learning agility. In the same research study, companies with highly agile executives were found to have 25% higher profit margins than their peer group. SOURCE: Korn Ferry Institute Study, 2014

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You need A-Game players to succeed in today’s

marketplace

You need your leaders and your team(s) to play an A-Game. A-Game leaders help create high-performance organisations. Strong leadership drives growth, culture and innovation, and elevates everyone along the way.

Toni Courtney partners with leaders and teams to build performance and leader ship capability. She works with leaders so they can impact, influence and inspire for extraordinary results. Underpinning her range of leadership and performance programs is an ROI model based on step-change improvements in the following key areas:

• Performance and results

• Personal effectiveness

• Leadership capability

• Relationships and alignment

• Planning, critical thinking and decision making

• Creativity and innovation.

How many A-Game players do you have? How many A-Game players would you like? What’s at risk if you don’t develop your high potentials to play at their A-Game?

Speak with Toni today and find out how she can help you or your leaders create their A-Game. Contact her on 0431 971 790, or toni@tonicourtney.com or visit tonicourtney.com