Lead Smart Program
Lead Smart is a training program that helps leaders increase their own productivity while also developing the skills to lead productivity within their teams. Based on Dermot Crowley’s book Lead Smart, it delivers leadership-level personal productivity strategies to increase focus, impact and leverage.
Lead Smart Program in action
Imagine leveling up your productivity game to a level where you spend more time, energy and attention on what really matters as a leader
Productivity, especially at the leadership level, is elusive and challenging. Demanding schedules, high levels of communication noise, constant demands for your attention and multiple stakeholders to manage makes for
a busy week.
You may even feel that you are so busy with the day-to-day issues, you are too busy to lead! But that can change.
Lift your productivity to a new level
The Lead Smart program is designed to quickly and efficiently boost the personal productivity of leaders and position them to boost the productivity of their wider teams.
It is jam-packed with highly practical strategies that will shift behaviours, mindsets and even team cultures.
Who is the program for?
Lead Smart is for leadership teams who want to improve how they focus their time and attention, spend more time on the things that have impact, and leverage the productivity across their team.
Whilst the program is usually run with intact organisational or divisional leadership teams, it can be delivered for separate leaders from across your organisation. It can also be tailored to include your extended leadership team, and any executive support in place.
The Lead Smart approach
We believe the best way to change behaviors is to teach the theory of productivity and then apply these strategies directly to the productivity tools at your fingertips like MS Outlook and OneNote. We also explore how emerging AI features within these tools can help leaders and their teams work smarter.
This practical approach to training ensures you start using your new skills and strategies immediately, increasing the chances of long-term behavioral change.
The Lead Smart program is built around three powerful
themes – Focus, Impact and Leverage, which expand from the personal productivity needs of the leader to leading productivity across the entire team
Don’t just take our word for it
Marcus Todd, Executive Assistant, Bank of MelbourneThe Adapt Productivity program is the foundation of my daily work routine, and sets myself and the wider team up for success. Since implementing the program across our network – the team have found their time not only more productive – but are proactively setting themselves up for effective use of their time. Dermot’s real life examples and continued communication allow us to reflect on our current on future state, and adapt to change in an environment increasingly reliant on technology. By following the guidelines of this program, I’ve found my time to be more valued – allowing myself to grow professionally and contribute to the growth of our company.
Michael Rose, Chief Executive Partner, AllensAdapt has helped me and many of my colleagues to improve our effectiveness and sharpen our focus by changing the way we use our technology. Dermot’s approach is straightforward, practical and produces immediate results.
Michael Boyle, Managing Director, HPSpending time with Dermot is essential for executives to navigate the changing hybrid work environment. He brings together years of ideas, philosophies and tips to enhance the way you work. We have rolled out Dermot’s teaching with a number of executives at HP with really great results. Thanks Dermot for your time and sharing your great ideas with us over the last few months.
Lead Smart Participant, ANZFantastic to have a practical session overlayed with the theory. Microsoft 365 is so powerful and we only use 10% of its functionality – the most useful workshop I’ve been to, thank you! One of the most useful training sessions I’ve been to in 20 years at ANZ: practical and able to apply to my daily work. I truly enjoyed this session, I’ve been using OneNote and Outlook for years, but now I’m going to make the most of both!
Lead Smart Participant, ANZIn 20 years at ANZ, this is the most beneficial training that I can take back and apply practically to my role to improve productivity. The session was excellent, and I took a lot away from it and I have already implemented most of the tools and I’m looking forward to sharing learnings with my team. Thanks for the opportunity to attend; I had a number of “light-bulb” moments that provided absolute clarity for me as I was able to connect the dots to free up my time in emails and meetings.
Lead Smart Participant, ANZReally fantastic and practical session. We have access to so many tools but very little training about how to use them. Very grateful to have had the chance to attend this session with Dermot and would love to continue working with him. Great practical session from an experienced expert; would be very keen to attend any other sessions that Dermot facilitates on other modules within his training program.
Lead Smart Participant, ANZHighly engaging presenter and really useful information to build a big picture view to support our work. Dermot was excellent in his delivery of the course, and I took away lots of toolkits and tips on how to improve my personal productivity and effectiveness. I found the content relevant and practical, and I have already been able to implement some of the strategies discussed and look forward to sharing this with my team.
Fiona Geddes, General Manager – Direct Channels Support, Commonwealth Bank of AustraliaDermot’s workshop and 1 on 1 coaching was life changing for my team and me. Personally, I have regained at least 16 hours each week, and my team have become evangelists, converting everyone they meet to their new approach to email and task management.
Denton Pugh, Executive – Small Business Metro, National Australia BankThe feedback from the various leaders across the country after the training has been amazing. I’m constantly amazed at the profound impact your content has on people – it literally changes lives.
Denise Hartman, Leadership Development Manager, Housing PlusAs a Harry Potter fan, I love Dumbledore’s statement that it takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, and even more to stand up to your friends. I would like to borrow from that. It takes a skilled person to positively influence an organisation’s operations, and an even more remarkably skilled person to positively influence an organisation’s culture. You have had, and will continue to have, a significant influence on our culture, Dermot. Thank you.
Lead Smart program overview
Our Smart Work program is designed to deliver highly practical personal productivity strategies, and immediate results
The Lead Smart program has been developed with the productivity of senior leaders front and centre. The program takes a practical approach to productivity, so participants don’t just learn theory – they actually implement it during the training. Technology plays a big factor in our productivity, so all principles are linked to implementation strategies using MS Outlook, OneNote and other MS 365 productivity tools.
Outcomes
- A more focused organising system for meetings and priorities
- Get in control of your inbox and filing system
- Create more balance in your schedule and your role
- Plan and protect time for the work that has the most impact
- Increase prioritisation effectiveness
- Improved ability to plan 1:1 discussions and track assigned work
- A deeper understanding of the causes of productivity friction
- Understand the role of team agreements to drive team culture
Contact us about pricing for your program.
Ready to become more productive?
Our team is here to help your business become the productive powerhouse it needs to be. Let’s have a chat!
FAQs
What is Lead Smart?
Lead Smart helps leaders sharpen their own productivity while building the habits and expectations that make their teams more effective. Based on Dermot Crowley’s third book in the Smart productivity series, the program recognises that leaders face a unique set of productivity challenges: heavier meeting loads, higher volumes of communication, and the need to manage not just their own priorities but their team’s as well. Lead Smart addresses all of this with practical strategies leaders can apply immediately.
Who is Lead Smart designed for?
Designed for senior leaders, executives, and managers who want to enhance both their personal productivity and their team’s effectiveness. It is particularly valuable for leaders who feel stretched across too many commitments and want a more sustainable way of working.
What does Lead Smart cover?
The program covers workload management, balancing meetings with focused work, decision-making, and prioritisation. It also explores how leaders can set clearer expectations around communication and urgency, model the productive behaviours they want to see across the team, and guide their people to work more efficiently using the tools available to them.
How is Lead Smart delivered?
Delivered in small group sessions, online or onsite, with practical exercises grounded in real leadership scenarios.
What results can participants expect?
Leaders report feeling more in control of their time, with a clearer sense of where to focus their energy. They also develop practical strategies for reducing the meeting and communication load on their teams, creating more space for everyone to do their best work.
Can Lead Smart be customised for our organisation?
Yes. Lead Smart can be tailored to your leadership team’s specific context and challenges. It also connects with Smart Work and Smart Teams to create a consistent productivity approach from the individual through to the leadership level.