Latest news with #Elkington
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Want To Be A Better Manager? Stop Being Nice.
Heather Elkington was on the brink of a major career milestone: helping to sell the startup she'd helped scale, GoProposal, to a global corporate powerhouse. As the Operations Director, she'd been the backbone of the business—driving systems, leading teams, and holding it all together. Now, the deal hinged on one thing: how she showed up in the room. She prepared like a pro. Rehearsed every scenario. Nailed her pitch. Then, after the final presentation, the founder of GoProposal pulled her aside. 'Heather,' he said. 'I need to give you some feedback. You talk too fast. I can't understand what you're saying.' It stung. Of course it did. She'd poured everything into this moment— only to hear that something as basic as her delivery might be undermining her key message. But instead of brushing the feedback off, spiraling, or getting angry, Elkington did something else: she got curious. Why was she talking so fast? As she dug in, she uncovered something surprising. Her pace wasn't just a habit— it was rooted in a deep insecurity. And understanding that about herself gave her power. The feedback, as tough as it was to hear in the moment, became a turning point. It set Elkington on a path of growth that would eventually take her to the TEDx stage and into boardrooms of global companies. The founder's comment was honest, but it wasn't cruel. It was kind. Because real kindness, as Elkington writes in her upcoming book, Your Boss Era, doesn't always feel comfortable. According to Elkington, there are four things every manager should understand before embracing kindness as a feedback strategy for their team members. Master these, and you'll compel respect while empowering your team to grow. Being nice means keeping the peace. Being kind means helping someone grow. The difference might sound subtle, but according to Elkington, it's one every leader needs to master. 'Being nice is about staying pleasant, avoiding conflict, and making sure everyone feels good in the moment,' she writes. 'It often means sugarcoating feedback, dodging hard conversations, and saying yes just to keep people happy.' Kindness, on the other hand, is active. It's generous. It's honest. It's telling someone the truth— not to criticize, but to help them grow and improve. Nice feels good now. Kind pays off later. Elkington says she sees niceness often show up for managers in three ways: softened feedback, avoiding issues, and overaccommodating team requests. These may smooth things over in the short term, but they will cost you respect, clarity, and long-term growth. Take feedback, for example. When managers bury the message in a compliment sandwich, it gets lost. Nothing changes. Frustration builds. And team performance ultimately suffers. Instead, Elkington suggests being direct, but supportive. Try: 'I need to talk to you about the deadlines we've been missing. It's becoming a problem, and I want to help you get ahead of it. Let's figure out what's going on.' The same principle applies to team support. Saying yes to every ask may feel generous, but it creates dependence and drains your focus. A better move? Step back and show trust. 'I'm confident you've got this. Give it a shot, and come to me if you get stuck.' That's not stepping away. That's stepping up as a leader— and building a team that's capable, confident, and resilient. According to Elkington, being kind means choosing clarity over comfort. It means building a culture where people know where they stand with leadership and feel safe to stretch, stumble, and grow. Not because you're nice. But because you care enough to lead with honesty and maintain a growth-oriented mindset. The hardest conversations at work are often the most important. And according to Elkington, that's exactly where kindness—not niceness—should take the lead. 'If niceness is about avoiding discomfort and keeping things light in the short term,' Elkington writes, 'then kindness is about growth. It's about earning respect through integrity and trust, not through being the manager who just wants to be liked.' Tough conversations are part of the job. Someone's falling short of expectations. Conflict is bubbling up. Feedback needs to land. Avoiding those moments might feel safer, but it leads to slipping standards, missed expectations, and a culture that starts to settle for 'good enough.' And the people who need help the most? They're the ones you fail by saying nothing. Elkington says your team can feel the absence of feedback. And over time, accountability gives way to silence and distrust of leadership. Tough conversations don't create conflict— they simply surface it. And when handled well, they become turning points. Kindness is choosing long-term growth over short-term ease. It's saying what needs to be said, and helping someone rebuild and rise. Your team takes its cues from you. If you dodge the hard stuff, they will too. But if you lead with clarity—even when it's uncomfortable—you create a culture of openness and trust. And that trust is contagious. Yes, giving feedback is hard. But avoiding it doesn't protect your people— it holds them back. Honesty clears the air. It saves time. It unlocks potential. When people know where they stand, they move with confidence. That's how trust is built— and how high-performing teams stay that way. Kindness isn't a free pass to be blunt. And this, Elkington says, is where many leaders get it wrong. 'There's a big difference between being honest and being hurtful,' she writes. 'Most people who fall into this trap don't even realize they're doing it.' They think they're being direct. What they're really doing is bulldozing— delivering feedback with no regard for tone, timing, or outcome. That's not leadership. That's laziness. Anyone can point out what's wrong with someone's performance. The real work is doing it in a way that helps someone grow and move forward. Let's say a team member isn't pulling their weight. You could say: 'You're not doing your job properly.' But that only puts them on the defensive. A better version? 'I've noticed some of your recent work hasn't met the standard we agreed on. Let's talk about what's going on and figure out how to get things back on track.' Same message. But now, it's honest and supportive. That builds trust and drives action within your team. According to Elkington, bluntness kills psychological safety. Thoughtful honesty, however, builds it up. It tells your team you care, you're paying attention, and you want them to succeed. Before delivering feedback, Elkington suggests asking: What's the issue? Why does it matter? What's the next step? That's her three-part framework: Be specific about what's not working. Connect it to the bigger picture. Offer a path forward. Strong leaders don't avoid hard conversations, but they don't charge into them unarmed, either. They balance truth with empathy. They know when to speak, how to say it, and how much to share. That's the difference between feedback that breaks people down and builds them up. Honesty is one of the most powerful tools a leader has. It reduces confusion, clears up frustration, and keeps small problems from becoming big ones. And according to Elkington, trust—the foundation of any great team—starts with being honest in a leadership role. But that doesn't mean saying whatever pops into your head whenever you feel like it. It means knowing when honesty creates clarity, and when it just adds noise. Elkington's simple advice to managers: stop being nice. Start being kind. It's a small shift, but a powerful one. 'Make honesty and kindness your values,' she writes, 'and you won't just become a better leader. You'll build a culture where people can thrive, grow, and rise to their full potential.' Because kindness doesn't just build trust. It sets you apart as a manager. And when you lead with clarity and care, you unlock something bigger: the ability to inspire, motivate, and elevate your people. That's what next-level leadership looks like in 2025.
The Herald Scotland
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
PGA Championship of 1995 was another sore one for Monty
As the closing round of the weather-delayed PGA Championship was set to unravel tonight at Quail Hollow, many of you will be watching on and listening to the sing-song delivery of Sky television's lead commentator, Ewen Murray, putting another major championship to bed. Thirty years ago in 1995, Murray was working himself and everyone else into a giddy fankle as Montgomerie put all and sundry through the wringer during a nail-nibbling, nerve-shredding and ultimately agonising finale to the PGA Championship at storied Riviera in Los Angeles. 'Oh, he's got it,' roared Murray as Monty trundled in a raking birdie putt from 20-feet on the final hole to force a play-off with Australia's Steve Elkington. 'Oh yes. Oh yes. What a finish from Colin Montgomerie.' It certainly was. With a valiant, do-or-die charge that could've earned him a Victoria Cross, Montgomerie, who was five off the 54-hole pace set by Ernie Els, birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th in a thrilling 65 which left the Scot tied at the top with Elkington on 17-under. Elkington was no final round slouch either. He blasted a 64 to barge his way to the front. 'The round of my life,' he gasped. Back to the 18th they would go for the sudden-death shoot-out. "It's a terrible feeling when someone makes a long putt to tie you and put it into a playoff," Elkington added. "But you re-group and you try to birdie the first hole." And he did, the rascal. Elkington, with a similar putt to the one Montgomerie had holed in regulation, knocked it in from about 20-feet. Monty, from just inside his rival, narrowly missed on the right and the vast Wanamaker Trophy ended up in the clutches of the Aussie. A couple of years after losing out to the aforementioned Els in a three-man play-off for the US Open at Oakmont, Montgomerie was left nursing another sair yin. 'So near and yet so far for Colin Montgomerie,' said Murray with a lament that could've been accompanied by the sombre skirl of a lone piper. 'It's so sad there has to be a loser. He's taken it on the chin a few times in the last couple of years. But he'll come back for more.' You couldn't keep Monty down. At the 1997 US Open at Congressional, he was right in the merry midst of it again but a bogey on the 71st hole dropped him from a tie for the lead, and he lost by a single shot to Els. In the 2006 US Open, meanwhile, a chaotic conclusion saw Monty rack up a shattering double-bogey from a perfect spot in the 18th fairway at Winged Foot and he eventually finished joint second, just a stroke behind Geoff Ogilvy. A faded 7-iron into the last was a trademark shot that Monty had built a garlanded career on. It failed him when it mattered the most, though, as he caught it heavy and watched his ball plunge into the unforgiving greenside rough. 'I messed up,' he grumbled in the gloomy aftermath. Monty's 1995 PGA Championship disappointment, of course, was a very different loss. 'He (Elkington) won the tournament, I did not lose the tournament,' he said at the time through gritted teeth. 'All I can say about myself is that I did nothing wrong. I was standing on the 18th fairway when he finished, and I knew I needed a birdie. I take it as a positive that I achieved that.' Montgomerie's defeat to Elkington was the Ryder Cup talisman's fifth successive play-off loss in all competitions. 'It went through my mind, my play-off record, and I felt the law of averages had to take effect sometime,' he said. 'I felt that it was my turn. But it wasn't to be. 'What did I think when he sank his putt for a birdie (in the play-off? Well, I've played enough golf to expect the unexpected. I was hoping he doesn't do that sort of thing. But he did. And all credit to him.' The PGA Championship would be Elkington's one and only major triumph. "The first one is always the hardest one, they say," Elkington said. Poor old Monty would've agreed with that.
BBC News
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Thrilled Bugle family find 'malteser shaped' egg
A family has said they are "thrilled" to have found a small round chicken egg. Josh Elkington, from Bugle, near St Austell in Cornwall, said the egg was laid by one of his brown Brahma chickens called Julie. His mum, Anna Elkington, said the little egg was in the "shape of a chocolate Malteser". "It was so unexpected and we laughed for hours over how small this egg was," Mr Elkington said. 'So rare' It comes after a round egg sold at Bearnes Hampton Littlewood Auctioneers in Exeter for £420, with proceeds going to the Devon Rape Crisis Elkington said: "We're thrilled to have something that is known to be so rare that it's almost one in a billion."We're excited that it's something we can show off to people."The British Egg Industry Council estimates 11.9 billion eggs are produced in the UK each year.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Lincolnshire farmer's 'heart sinks' when dogs chase her flock
A sheep farmer says her "heart sinks" whenever she gets a call to say a dog is chasing her Elkington, 38, from Gelston Lamb in Lincolnshire, said incidents involving loose dogs were "awful" and put her animals under Elkington said some owners were not aware of a dog's natural instinct, which can kick in when pursuing sheep, leading to "heartbreaking consequences"."They think the dog is playing, they're not, they are wanting to kill," she said. A flock of her sheep was displaced on 8 April after a loose dog chased them through fields and near a railway crossing."It pushed the lambs through the electric fence, across fields and into dykes," she said."The lambs got stuck, we had to pull them out."Ms Elkington said the situation was stressful for her animals. "They could've had a heart attack," she to Section 9 of the Animals act 1971, landowners can shoot a dog if it is worrying livestock as long as there are no other reasonable means of ending the attack."No farmer wants to do that, but they are allowed to," Ms Elkington said even dogs who are well trained can become fixated on sheep during a chase."It's so simple, put your dog on a lead," she added. Local business owner Chloe Watson runs Tilly's Off Lead Play Park and has two fenced-off fields where dogs can run 29-year-old, who also has a background in farming, said the issue had become more common and believed dog owners should be more mindful of their animals."It's very important for them not to be off the lead in the countryside to not only protect livestock but wildlife as well," she said."It's becoming more of a regular occurrence and worry for farmers. There are a lot more sites like this popping up, so hopefully it will start to reduce."DC Aaron Flint, from Lincolnshire Police's rural crime action team, said loose dogs in areas around livestock can cause "stress, injury and death to animals", as well as a detrimental impact on farmers."When dogs off leads do behave in this way, it is a criminal offence called worrying livestock," he said."We would always ask dog owners to be responsible and keep their dogs on leads when they are close to livestock to avoid this risk."Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
