About the Happy Manager

a better way to manage

 

 

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Uncommon Leadership

This site was created in 2007 by Phil Higson and Professor Anthony Sturgess, authors of Uncommon Leadership: how to build competitive advantage by thinking differently.

Both Phil and Anthony are experienced managers and educators who have seen a wide range of working situations. They have been inspired by their work and life experiences to create a website designed to help make the workplace a better place. And who better to make this happen than managers?

Phil and Anthony are founders of the UK-based business, Apex Leadership Ltd, established to promote their keynote speaking, books, learning resources, and writing services. They believe that the quality of their resources, and the messages they contain, can make a critical difference in supporting managers at all stages of their careers, and in all levels of an organization.

Creating a better workplace means more than just improving management skills. It means bringing together ideas that stretch, challenge and stimulate. Ideas that provide a springboard to new practices and insights, ideas that lead to positive impact.

Phil an Anthony firmly believe it’s the manager who plays the critical role in creating that better place. They are committed to helping managers make that positive impact. The Happy Manager is aimed at supporting and developing managers, so they can do the same for the people they manage.

Phil Higson

MA, SFHEA

Phil is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and former Head of Business at the University of Chester. He is a published author and active researcher, with over 40 years experience as a manager, university lecturer, course developer, external examiner, consultant and writer.

He has worked mainly in UK universities although he has also consulted or taught in France, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, Malaysia, Burma and Hong Kong. A former MBA course leader, Phil has also written numerous articles and conference papers on management and leadership.

Before becoming an educator, Phil worked in several small and large organisations, in both the UK and Australia. For ten of those years he managed small, retail businesses, each with multiple outlets. This combination of work experience in small and large organisations, in both private and public sectors, has given Phil a wide ranging perspective on work and management. These experiences, added to his academic research and teaching activities, and to his life-long interest in personal development, have all contributed to the creation of the Happy Manager.

Phil Higson and Anthony Sturgess

Phil Higson and Dr Anthony Sturgess

Professor Anthony Sturgess

MSc, DocEd, FCMI

Anthony is an engaging and thought-provoking speaker, author and leadership educator. He is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, having been a manager in a large, private sector management development consultancy, then Head of Executive Education at the University of Chester.

He has a proven track record in developing award-winning programmes with his clients and has authored or created numerous training and development tools. Anthony’s innovative approaches to developing managers and leaders address the practical demands they face. But they also challenge conventional wisdom, fostering fresh thinking and insight.

After setting up his own business, Apex Leadership, Anthony has returned to university life and is now Professor of Leadership and Business Engagement at Liverpool Business School. He serves on the National Committee for Executive Education of the UK’s Chartered Association of Business Schools. He is also an associate editor of the Journal of Management Development. Anthony’s doctoral research explored how to improve the way organisations engage with universities, and how leadership and management development interventions can be designed for greater impact. His hope is that The Happy Manager will help us all to explore how we can find “better ways to manage”.

I love your site!

I just came across your site while searching for information about time management. You offer a great site for those in need of useful tips, I love your site!

Cherie - United States

...wonderfully uplifting

I am writing a training handbook for my company. May I use the stories on your web page if I give acknowledgement to your site. I find them wonderfully uplifting.

Pat - Zimbabwe

I am impressed

… with the tools and activities that assist managers to assess their situation and ask questions about future direction and improvements. Overall, the [guides] create a solid basis for staff development without being too ‘over the top in theory’. A good blend of practicality and theory to help the audience focus on their own results.

Gareth - China

The site is a great idea!!!

… by the competitors standards it is top notch … it does feel friendly!!!”

Alison - England

I love your website and the encouraging words

PS I am a happy manager!

Velma - Canada

The guides have been great

We’re trying to incorporate one of the exercises into a team event tomorrow. Thank you again for responding so quickly. Kamuela, PVH Corp, Human Resources

Kamuela - United States

I checked out your website – it rocks!

Especially the piece on doing what you love. I liked it so much, I posted it to my link collection.

Alexander - Chief Happiness Officer, Denmark

What a terrific resource site!

I am currently producing learning materials to support the Institute of Leadership and Management’s VRQ at Level 4 and would like to incorporate some of your stuff into the workbooks.

Tony - UK

Thanks very much

I have found these resources really useful :-)”

The Brighter Futures Academy

Vicki - UK

Thank you [for the guides]

I really needed them for a course I was delivering today. I just wanted some good examples and liked your material. Thank you sincerely and I will be back on your site … looking at more of your material. Very much appreciate your wonderful customer service.

Kathy - Australia

I really appreciate your service

I visited your page after searching for the keywords “time management work inefficiency” on Google.

The tips … for clarification of work practices and the steps for combating ‘busyness‘ are very useful.

I really appreciate your service.

Sharma - India

I love your e-guides

I’m teaching team leaders and team members 7 Step Problem Solving and found your site very enlightening and useful for my classes!!!

Kenneth - United States

Your site is wonderful

I do leadership training and your resources have been helpful. Thank you for your well done site.

Pat - United States

Hi there

Thank you for the happiness resources!

Nick - UK

These are fantastic little e-books, very thorough, easy to follow

We’ve used [the guides] as support tools for learners on our talent management programmes which has saved me a lot of time and a lot of money. I’d definitely recommend them.

Kieleigh - United Kingdom

Find your site very interesting

Can I use your material in my session … for the high school students in my school who will be the future citizens of my country?

Margaret - India

I just discovered your wonderful site

I just discovered your wonderful site…

Michael - United States

I am designing a new Management Development programme for my company and your Goal Setting guide has really helped.

I like the way you introduced material I haven’t seen before (SHARP action) & the tools to apply the learning. The price represents really good value for money and I will be checking out more of your material over the coming months.

Matthew - UK

...something worth reading about stress...

Thank you, I trawled the net until I found something worth reading about stress and your site ticked all the right boxes for me. Well done.

Linda - UK

I think your site is fun ... has a good underlying message (and tools! and ideas! and articles! and, and, and!)

… I joke about a lot of this stuff but really do think people take work a little too seriously and it CAN be fun. I think your site is fun … has a good underlying message (and tools! and ideas! and articles! and, and, and!) so I am happily sending it around to all kinds of people.

Kate - United States

Many thanks for the guides

I haven’t yet read [the guides] from cover to cover however they strike me as well written. The language is good and the reader looks to be taken on a journey through the topic, encouraging you to read more. I’ll certainly recommend (them) to any of my colleagues.

Paul - Australia

It has been a sincere pleasure to read your great content

Thanks for your time!

Kaitlyn - United States

This is a great website to visit for anyone searching for team building links!

I’ve been researching user-friendly sites related to team building and I just found the Happy Manager’s team building resource web page. This is a great website to visit for anyone searching for team building links!

Jonathan - United States

I really do find the guides useful

The tools, exercises and the frameworks are brilliant!

Best regards.

Peter - Australia

...read your site from one page to another

I think you’re a genius in problem solving 🙂

Jersey - Indonesia

... all the great tips

Hi Phil/Anthony,

I really like your website and all the great tips. Thank you very much!

Mukesh- India

I found a four article series on your site on self-motivation and thought it would be an excellent resource for our employees

We are currently in the process of creating a page on our company’s internal intranet for our employees to access links and articles on topics like this.

Colleen - United States

I found your site, and find it very interesting

… this is why I added on my blog a part of one your articles even translate it in Romanian …

I would like to continue to share your knowledge about managing the happyness and translate it in my language too for those with less English knowledge.

Lucien - Romania

I just wanted to say what a great site this is!

Excellent information to get everything back into perspective.

Claudio - South Africa

I would love to utilize your articles in our coaching process with managers and leaders

As part of our Relevant Movement services, I would love to utilize your articles in our coaching process with managers and leaders….

…I would also like to list your website as a link from our website to encourage people to read and learn from your materials….

Barb - United States

Excellent really helpful!!

Excellent really helpful!!

Aqsa - Pakistan

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