A note to young leaders. Recently, a good friend of mine, former All Black, Norman Hewitt, passed away too young at the age of 55 from the ravages of motor neuron disease. I will miss him. He brought with him a deep spirituality, grounded in Māori tradition. Norm and I met in 2017 and instantly […]
Read More… from Remembering Norman Hewitt: A Lesson in Ancestry, Purpose, and True Connection
A note to young leaders. Balance, don’t compromise. Balance is harmonious counterpoint. Compromise is mediocrity. The yin-yang symbol is black and white, interwoven – not intermingled. When you work, work. When you relax, relax. Don’t work and think about relaxing. Or relax and think about working. Likewise, when mediating between your preference and your partner’s […]
Read More… from Balance, Don’t Compromise: A Leader’s Guide to True Harmony
A note to young leaders. On creation and recreation. Taoism teaches that our universe is comprised of two complementary and opposing forces that are interacting all the time. Yang is the contracting, giving, energy-expending, forward-moving force. It stands for daytime and creation. Yin is the releasing, receiving, restoring, retracting force. It stands for nighttime and […]
Read More… from Creation and Recreation: Embracing Yin and Yang for Balanced Leadership
A note to young leaders. When in doubt, choose the bolder option. What scares or excites you has more to teach you. […]
A note to young leaders. When is the best time to uproot a weed? While it’s still a sapling. When is the best time to uproot a problem? Before it has time to become a bigger problem. Stop hand-wringing. Start attacking. If brevity is the soul of wit, urgency is the soul of business. […]
Read More… from The Best Time to Act: Urgency Over Hesitation for Young Leaders
A note to young leaders. Is your team cutting stone or building a cathedral? Legend has it that on a foggy autumn day nearly 800 years ago, a traveller happened upon a large group of workers on the banks of the River Avon. He decided to inquire about their work. The first tradesman said: “I’m […]
Read More… from Cutting Stone or Building a Cathedral? Inspiring Purpose for Young Leaders
A note to young leaders. On the importance of action. There are two levels at which truths can be apprehended – intellectually by the mind; or viscerally by the soul. The former is knowledge, the latter is wisdom. And rarely is wisdom achieved other than through experience. We can read a truth, comprehend it, agree […]
Read More… from How Experience and Mistakes Forge True Wisdom
A note to young leaders. If you don’t stand up for your values for fear that you may lose your job, what message are you sending yourself? Here’s the message that your soul receives: Temporary financial gain is more important than my integrity and self-esteem. That’s a dangerous message to send yourself. It’s corrosive to […]
Read More… from Standing Up for Your Values: Integrity Over Temporary Gain
A note to older leaders. This weekend, I attended the 50th birthday of my good friend, Anthony Melov. Later this year, Anthony, together with his wife and two kids, will do 14-days of mountaineering in the Himalayas. Most 30-year-olds would shudder at the prospect of a fortnight of camping in the snow, but not Anthony. […]
Read More… from The Better Half: Embracing Aging with a Positive Mindset and Soulful Wisdom