​Tips to becoming a great leader

Spreading Joy: Sharp Consultancy’s Annual Easter Egg Drive

At Sharp Consultancy, our annual Easter Egg Drive has once again brought together our team, clients, and community to support local charities and spread a little cheer. As a finance and accountancy recruitment business rooted in Yorkshire, we’re proud to use our network to give something back—and this year has been no exception.Led by Tom Davage, Senior Consultant in our South Yorkshire office, our team has been out and about collecting Easter egg donations from our fantastic clients. The generosity shown has been incredible, especially given the ongoing challenges many continue to face. Thanks to everyone who contributed, we were able to deliver meaningful support to three wonderful charities in our region: Paces, a specialist centre supporting children with cerebral palsy and motor disorders; St Luke’s Hospice, which offers compassionate end-of-life care; and The Family Works, a trauma informed, family support project working alongside underprivileged families.Tom, who organised this year’s initiative, shared: “When you hear the stories from the people working within these charities, it really opens your eyes to the challenges others face. If we can bring a smile to someone’s face—even through something as simple as an Easter egg—it makes it all worthwhile. Every bit of support counts.” Seeing familiar donators from past years and welcoming new ones has been truly heart-warming. It’s a testament to the kind and community-minded nature of the businesses we work with. To all our clients who donated, thank you. Your kindness and continued support make this initiative possible and help us make a real difference. If you’d like to get involved next year or learn more about the causes we support, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can keep making a positive impact—one small gesture at a time.

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You’ve worked hard and have just gained a promotion to a new management role. Whether it’s your first time in a leadership position or you’re moving to a new company, here are our suggestions on how to inspire and win the trust of your team.

Start as you mean to go on

Set the tone of your leadership style –people will be watching and listening as they develop their perceptions of you, so it is important that you come across as someone who is confident in the position but is also open to others having the opportunity to share their views.

Inspire from the outset

Make people aware of what it is that you are looking to achieve; ensure that there is clarity to your ambitions and communicate your goals in a way that others can understand what their contribution needs to be and inspires them to work with you to achieve them.

Involve others in making things happen

Good leaders recognise that it is impossible for them to do everything themselves. Delegate and trust others with particular areas of responsibility and give them the tools and the confidence that they need to enable them to develop their own solutions.

Set the right example

Be passionate, enthusiastic and proud of what you are looking to achieve. Recognise and praise the achievements of those around you and be sure to share good news with your team to help them stay motivated and inspired.

Bridge the gap between employees and the senior team

Whilst it is not necessarily possible – or advisable – to be the boss and one of the gang, it is important to demonstrate that everyone is on the same side and is working towards a common goal.

Let people make mistakes

Avoid the temptation of stepping in too early and instead allow people to work through problems and develop possible solutions for themselves, offering support and guidance where it is most needed.

No ideas are bad ideas

Encourage your team to develop ideas and innovate. Give clear guidelines and deadlines to ensure everything stays on track and create enthusiasm for coming up with new and different solutions.

Don’t be afraid to take a few risks

Be prepared to take calculated risks to ensure you continue to move forward with new ideas.

Make strong and credible decisions

Take note of all the information that is available and gather the thoughts and opinions of those around that you trust - when the time comes, have a plan in mind of how you will make things happen.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and see how we can help.