For you, new and popular

An edit of newly added resources and those proving consistently popular among our partners' teams.
Stylesicon
Six Leadership Styles, your desktop background
Tool
Tasha Eurich
Increase your self-awareness with one simple fix
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 31 at 08 27 55
Book Club: New Methods for Women — With Sharmadean Reid MBE
Audio
Screenshot 2024 05 17 at 16 04 46
Raul Aparici on mitigating impostor syndrome
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 16 at 18 15 22
Kate and Catherine on pausing, for conversational space
Video
Undefined low 7
Kate and Catherine on intentional listening
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 16 at 17 55 34
Kate and Catherine on questioning well
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 07 at 09 41 34
Worksheet: Time Blocking
Worksheet
Screenshot 2024 05 16 at 16 44 28
Kate and Catherine on the coaching opportunity
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 15 at 14 12 07
Matteo's coaching reflections
Video
Undefined low 1
Kas's reflections on listening and questioning well
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 07 at 09 37 12
Time Blocking, and bringing some colour into your calendar
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 06 at 15 50 18
Worksheet: Owning Feedback
Worksheet
Undefined low
Making the case for situational flexibility as leaders
Video
Screenshot 2024 05 03 at 15 14 46
eCourse: Difficult Conversations
eCourse
Undefined low 6
Mentors, Sponsors and Champions. With Abi Adamson
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 14 41 46
Effective Allyship. With Abi Adamson
Video
Undefined low 5
What's your Privilege Pledge? With Abi Adamson
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 14 23 02
Diversify your feed. With Abi Adamson
Video
Undefined low 4
Privilege reflections. With Abi Adamson
Video
Undefined low 3
Mindful toothbrushing. With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 09 11 15
Anchor dropping. With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 09 11 15
5,4,3,2,1 — a mindfulness technique. With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 09 11 15
Urge surfing. With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 09 11 15
Everyday mindfulness. With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 09 11 15
Making room for emotions (and the weather). With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Undefined low 2
Letting go of emotions. With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Screenshot 2024 03 23 at 09 11 15
How do you notice your thoughts? With Dr. Sam Akbar
Video
Undefined low 1
A coaching conversation around strengths
Video
Confidence Ecourse
eCourse: Confidence Mastery
eCourse
Undefined low
Daniel Goleman's Six Leadership Styles, explained by Louise Hedges
Video
Screenshot 2023 09 25 at 14 42 28
eCourse: Mastering Delegation
eCourse
Screenshot 2024 05 13 at 13 42 50
eCourse: Time Management and Prioritisation
eCourse
SE Tthumb
eCourse: Get SET with your Goals
eCourse
Screenshot 2023 07 02 at 20 49 19
Perspectives on privilege, with Abi Adamson
Video
Neurodivergent Perspectives Lexi Keegan in conversation with Dr Anne Cockayne low
Neurodivergent Perspectives. Lexi Keegan in conversation with Dr. Anne Cockayne
Video
Screenshot 2023 03 16 at 07 52 42
Neurodiversity know-how: The Spiky Profile explained
Video
Neurodiversity explained with Dr Anne Cockayne low
Neurodiversity explained, with Dr. Anne Cockayne
Video
Screenshot 2023 03 15 at 16 34 07
Neuroinclusion at work: Thinking about adjustments
Video
Screenshot 2023 03 16 at 13 20 38
Neurodiversity know-how. Autism with Dr. Anne Cockayne
Video
Screenshot 2023 03 15 at 13 16 42
Neurodiversity know-how. ADHD with Dr. Anne Cockayne
Video
Screenshot 2023 03 15 at 12 20 36
Neurodiversity know-how. Dyslexia with Dr. Anne Cockayne
Video
Rest
Micro-learning: Setting Better Boundaries
CA thumb
eCourse: Practicing a Coaching Approach
Meetings
Finding fortitude, and follow on experiments
Pair C Iicon
eCourse: Conscious Inclusion
Pencilsoff
Seven things to avoid when writing at work
BID pic
Share genuinely useful feedback with the BID model
Premortemicon
Solve problems before they happen with pre-mortems
Mup Icon
Five tactics for influencing those more senior
J Zicon
Five powerful questions for adding impact and insight to your next interview.
Car Words
Try out the CAR technique, and upgrade your understanding when interviewing someone.
Good Qs
Smart ways to frame questions in your next mentoring session
Screenshot 2022 03 31 at 13 22 24
Try the 5 Whys to invigorate your problem solving and add depth to your decisions.
Allyship CP
Course Pack: Effective Allyship, with Abi Adamson
VCR
Course Pack: Voice Gym. Building your vocal confidence
22
A three minute mindset exercise, to support a coaching approach
Hear
Try this deep listening exercise for deeper connection and better conversations
Screenshot 2022 03 21 at 12 16 39
Experiment with the BRAIN model for confident decision making and problem solving
5
Discover the impact a five minute favour can have on your relationships, and network building
Homework
Homework for Life: A ten-second daily ritual for noticing, capturing and practicing stories
LWS
Course Pack: Storytelling
Do Story
Practical storytelling principles from Bobette Buster's book — Do: Story
Mentorsqarer
Evolve your 'inner mentor' — a short reflective exercise to focus your development, and the ways you can better support others
Spring
Experiment with a Springboard Story to communicate your change idea, and take people with you towards it.
N Ngrab
Course Pack: Natural Networking
TP
Tone Policing - What it is, why it's unhelpful and how to helpfully notice it.
Coaching Criticism
Find the Coaching in Criticism. Things to try when feedback doesn't quite land
4 Ds
The 4Ds. A practical framework for acknowledging microaggressions
Breathman
Mindful breathing — the foundation of focus and flow
Fly
Channel that fly on the wall. Try some purposeful self talk to mitigate moments of doubt
Friction
Add some friction to your most common distractions
Screenshot 2022 02 09 at 07 02 17
Build belief by recognising small wins — Try a 'Done List'
Silent Meeting
Make your next meeting a Silent Meeting
Can If Go
Immediately build your confidence, with a 'Can-If' statement
To Think
Don't forget to diarise thinking time — experiment with a 'To Think' list
Setback
Smarten your approach to setbacks, by trying out a Setback Story
CLAP
Get clear on control with a Clarity Clap
PP Ticon
Everything I Know about Life I Learned from PowerPoint — What we learned and where it led...
Circlestwo
How to be a meaningful mentor, insights from a purposeful podcast
If Then New
Design (and share) your If > Then statements, for a purposefully prompt towards action
Orange
Practice the principles of persuasion from 'Godfather of Influence,' Robert Cialdini.
Screenshot 2021 11 04 at 13 19 02
Six steps for finding focus and flow, with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in mind
MT
Course Pack: Making Time
Screenshot 2024 08 25 at 12 27 41
Great questions to ask in coaching conversations, 1-1's and other curious contexts

Mindful breathing — the foundation of focus and flow

Short, intentional bursts of deep breathing are the scientifically proven and surest way to bring a greater sense of control, calm and focus to your mind and body. The simple steps, and audio guide, in this resource will easily get you experimenting.
Breathman

Mindful breathing — a foundational tool for feeling focussed

Through our collaboration with neuroscientist, and author of How Confidence Works, Ian Robertson we've learned that just as serotonin is the happiness hormone, noradrenaline is the confidence hormone, and confident people have a healthy balance of it.

Noradrenaline is adrenaline for the mind; a neurotransmitter that boosts alertness, stimulates activity in the brain and readies the body for action, which — as Ian points out in his book — is the foundation finding the focus we need to get things done.

There are natural ways that you can boost your mind’s noradrenaline, and the simplest is regular breathing exercises.

Making some time for a short breathing exercise is a brilliant way to immediately find focus, and lift your confidence — particularly when you’re feeling anxious (perhaps before a presentation, or difficult conversation).

Ian explained how closing your eyes, and intentionally, deeply breathing for just a minute or two changes the chemistry of your brain; stabilising your mood and making you more alert and focussed.

A guide for giving it a go

Screenshot 2021 11 29 at 08 20 43

In the audio clip below; coach, facilitator and wellbeing practitioner Katy Kent introduces the technique of mindful breathing. It's a simple, powerful and proven practice for bringing greater clarity — especially at times when our focus naturally drifts, or we become mentally overwhelmed with 'task switching'.

Listen to Katy introduce it in the clip, and then read over the written recap before experimenting with the technique as much as you can today and throughout the week.

Your written recap

1
Think like Dave

Productivity guru David Allen says that ’the mind is for having ideas, not holding them’, explaining that we drain our energy and diminish our focus, by holding too many competing thoughts in our minds all at once. So what if you gave yourself a minute of mindful silence to arrive properly?

2
Take a minute, get comfortable

Intentionally take a minute before a next meeting (or the time you've put aside to work on an important task). Sit upright and comfortable in a posture that feels good for you.

3
And.... breathe.....

Spend a minute breathing slowly and steadily in through your nose and out through your mouth. A good rule of thumb is to exhale for twice as long as you inhale. Notice every inhalation and every exhalation intentionally and consciously. You might find it helpful to try closing your eyes.

4
Notice your breath if your mind wanders

If you get distracted by thoughts or feelings just bring your attention really consciously back to your breath. It’s that simple. The goal is to simply feel calmer and more present — and to achieve greater focus on that meeting, conversation or whatever else is in important right now.

Give this tactic a try today. As simple as it might sound, just slowing down and intentionally carving out that time to clear your mind and bring your focus to what's in front of you right now will pay great dividends in confidence, attention and energy.
See if you can do this simple 60 second exercise in the minute ahead of any meetings or 1-1s you have today — and throughout next week. Get into the mindful breathing habit!

Keen to dig deeper?

You might find this fuller eCourse on Better Breathing worth spending some time with.

Friend of You Can Now, Michael Townsend Williams wrote a brilliant (stocking sized) little book all about breathing. More on that here.

The science of breathing as a way to reduce stress. Interesting insights as always at HBR.

More Resources