The 2026 Greater Devon LSIP has just been published and, without any surprise at all, Leadership Skills have, again, been identified as a critical opportunity for development:
“Leadership is a key driver of performance, retention and innovation…”
in a location where business performance is less than optimal:
“The region faces a persistent productivity gap…”
For me, “Leadership” is not a Buzzword. It is an essential commercial requirement which, if competently delivered, optimises the performance of your staff.
It is therefore a process to address our “productivity gap”.
At the most fundamental level, “Leadership” is how you put each member of your team in the best possible situation to optimise their performance. So the question to be answered is:
Are your people, today, THE BEST they can be?
If the answer is “no”, then without a plan to change this situation, you, and your business are going backwards and our regional productivity gap will worsen.
The skills required to lead a team can be very different to those skills required to lead a business, and often includes how to:
- Optimise Operational Efficiency
- Set team standards and processes
- Set meaningful performance Targets
- Develop each person to full competence
- Change and Motivate Team members
- Create a strategic Team Planning
- Deliver Honest, Open and Inspirational Communication
And in the SMDP way, these skills, and more, are embedded in how your Leadership role is undertaken:
- How do you show-up and get respect?
- Clarity of purpose, communication and strategy.
- Honest and consistent plans and actions
- Building and optimising capability and capacity in your team
- Confidence and courage to deliver optimal results
- Leadership, built on relationships, trust, reputation and community (like Greater Devon)
The SMDP Leadership way is about making things better for your team, your customers and your business – Not easier; not more comfortable; Better.
Better clarity. Better decisions. Better conversations. Better results.
Speak with John to arrange an initial conversation to discuss what you are looking to achieve in your business and to see how we can support your plans.
E-mail: john@smdp.co.uk
Website: www.smdp.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnfitzgibbonssmdp (See Client recommendations)
Phone: 07712 650047
John has over 50 years experience in business, over half of them working with Clients to improve the competence of their key staff.
There is little or no academic content to his performance improvement programmes. Everything is based on his personal experience as a commercial salesperson, Team Leader, Sales Manager, Sales Director and Managing Director. He has done it all and got the ‘T-Shirt’.
Because of his background, each element of development is totally practical and can be implemented immediately, and the results of the activities measured.
He has been doing this for over 25 years, and he works with business ranging from start-ups to global organisations.
John is a Devonport lad by birth, but his commercial career took him from the Cotswolds, into Europe, the City of London and the Midlands, but he has now returned to his native South West and lives on Bodmin Moor.
He wants to share his knowledge and experience with local businesses to support them to be even more successful.
Why not try him out – he’ll even buy the coffee!
