Raise Your Game

• You've just won a big promotion and your new boss has high expectations.
• You have an important meeting and want to make a constructive impact.
• You're thinking of restructuring the team and need to show clear leadership.
• You know you're capable of so much more and need to grasp the opportunity.

Meanwhile, you're drowning in a sea of unanswered email and voicemail… How can you raise your game and achieve your full potential?

Peter Shaw, professional coach and author, shows how combining self-belief with practical action creates the basis for powerful change, helping you step up to the next level. Learn how to identify your strengths, take bold but calculated risks, build your network of supporters, convert your critics, live your values and find fulfilment and joy.

Acknowledgements vii

Foreword by Suma Chakrabarti xi

Introduction xiii

Section A: Take Stock 1

1 Develop your strengths 3

2 Understand your least strong areas 11

3 Embed your values 23

4 Create an equilibrium 37

Section B: First Steps 47

5 Address your self-doubt and your fears 49

6 Believe you can do difficult things 59

7 Know who your supporters and stakeholders are 65

8 Take some risks 73

Section C: Up the Pace 79

9 Stretch your muscles 81

10 Influence others and convert your critics 91

11 Understand how you respond to problems 101

12 Warm down thoroughly 109

Section D: Grow the Momentum 119

13 Keep your focus 121

14 Grow your resilience 129

15 Build your team 135

16 Renew your freshness 143

Section E: Where Next? 151

17 Keep an open mind 153

18 Recognise when the tide turns 159

19 Know what matters to you 167

20 Renew your vision 173

Section F: To What End? 179

21 What is fulfilment for you? 181

22 How do you want to be remembered? 187

23 What about family and friends? 193

24 Where does joy fit in? 197

Conclusion: Next Steps 203

Selected Bibliography 205

Index 209

Peter Shaw is a Partner at Praesta Partners, global leaders in executive coaching with offices all around Europe, S Africa and with KRW International in New York. Their clients include senior people in the public, private and voluntary sectors including permanent secretaries, high court judges, ambassadors and chief executives. Peter was formerly a director general within government and a member of five different government department boards. He also mentors staff in the colleges where he is a governor and people in his local community. He has written many articles on leadership and published a number of business books. Peter regularly leads workshops on the themes of his books in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The pressure’s on…

• You’ve just won a big promotion and your new boss has high expectations
• You have an important meeting and want to make a constructive impact
• You’re thinking of restructuring the team and need to show clear leadership
• You know you’re capable of so much more, and need to grasp the opportunity

Meanwhile you’re drowning in a sea of unanswered email and voicemail… How can you be at your best in these challenging times?

Peter Shaw, professional coach and author, shows how combining self-belief with practical action creates the basis for powerful change, helping you step up to the next level. Learn how to identify your strengths, take bold but calculated risks, build your network of supporters, convert your critics, live your values and find fulfillment and joy