Debbie Taylor Moore‘s mother was her most important role model. ‘Leave things better than you found them’, she would tell Debbie, whether it’s a clean kitchen (‘you need to wash those dishes before you leave’) or a tidy house. Debbie aspired to apply this principle to relationships and other situations she encountered – good or bad. 

She brought that philosophy into her work, and it became a fundamental piece of the personal credo that underpins her role as a leader. She wants to leave the people around her better than when she found them. One way she puts this attitude into practice is through giving people the psychological space to take risks. 

Debbie believes psychological safety is the space that allows people to succeed. She firmly believes that in the end we’re all there to accomplish the team’s objectives, whether it’s completing a successful project or meeting a revenue goal. We’re there to produce results. People should feel that it’s safe to take risks, to be wrong sometimes, to make mistakes, she says. Debbie wants her team to feel that being accountable, to be able to fail fast and get back up and start over again without facing shame, blame or retribution, is a good thing.

Debbie’s story is outlined in more detail in the new book, which Dean Phelan and I co-authored – The Gentle Art of Leadership. The insights we gathered from our interviews with 50+ leaders from around the globe and the original research we drew on form the basis of the book. It contains many important themes for us all. 

🙋‍♀️ What type of environment do you believe leaders should foster to get the best from their team? 🙋

Best regards, Brian

Zoom Book Launch – The Gentle Art of Leadership 

Please join us for the online launch of The Gentle Art of Leadership via Zoom from 9.00-9.45am AEDT Wednesday December 4. Time zones in other parts of the globe below. We are inviting everyone who would like to be part of a shift toward gentler, more impactful leadership to join us to celebrate the book’s release. 

Australia – Wednesday December 4

9.00-9.45am AEDT

USA – Tuesday December 3

2.00-2.45pm – PST

3.00-3.45pm – MST

4.00-4.45pm – CST

5.00-5.45pm – EST

UK – Tuesday December 3

10.00-10.45pm – GMT

Zoom Registration Link:

For secure audience management it is essential to register for the Zoom call using this link.

Please feel free to invite others who you think would be interested in the book and discussion. They will also need to register using the link.

Purchase the book:

Amazon Australia

Amazon US