As far as I know, no one has ever asked on their deathbed: “Bring my car or jewellery or coin collection to me, I want to see it one last time.” People approaching their end don’t ask for things, they ask for people. And don’t wait for people to die before you bring them flowers. […]
Read More… from At Life’s End, People Ask for Presence, Not Possessions
Other than in the case of unethical or highly inappropriate behaviour – resist the temptation to respond to isolated incidents, even when disaffected colleagues are urging action. A surprising number of problems disappear all by themselves. We are all entitled to have a bad day once in a while. When our colleagues make a grumpy […]
Read More… from Leading with Forgiveness: Focus on Patterns, Not One-Offs
A great team culture is much like the famed “winged keel” that propelled Australia to victory in the America’s Cup in 1983. The America’s Cup was considered unwinnable. Held every 3-4 years against all international comers, America had a stranglehold on the race having never lost it since its inception in 1851. It was the […]
Read More… from Team Culture: Your Hidden Keel for Unstoppable Victory
Leaders are comfortable with emotion, whenever and wherever it arises in themselves or others. It’s not often that you get to see two modern spiritual gurus, both Nobel Peace Prize winners, dealing with precisely such a situation in real time. But that’s exactly what happens in the excellent documentary, Mission: Joy, which showcases the friendship […]
Read More… from Leaders Embrace Emotion: Comfort Before Courage
Buying books is easy. Owning them is not. To own a book, you not only have to read it – you have to put at least one of its ideas into action. This is why when reading a business book, you should do so with this challenge in mind: What’s one idea I can action? […]
Leaders pay no attention to critics and show no interest in cheerleaders. They treat those two impostors just the same. They insist instead on finding a dedicated but demanding coach. Dr Adam Grant, Professor of Organisational Psychology puts it well: “A critic sees your weaknesses and attacks your worst self. A cheerleader sees your strengths […]
Read More… from Leaders Seek Coaches, Not Critics or Cheerleaders
Note to self. We all look more beautiful in our sleep. Is it perhaps because in sleep all the stress and self-doubt of our wakeful life disappears? Sleep unfurrows our brow. When I think of the happiest people I know – without exception, they are all people who rarely let stress and self-doubt contaminate their […]
Read More… from Note to Self: Beauty and Joy in Restful Peace
A note to young leaders. Business is not that complicated. When you boil it all down, you only need two things: A great product/service that solves a real world problem; and A great way to make it known to your target market. If your business is not succeeding, you are failing at one or both […]
Read More… from A Note to Young Leaders: Business Simplified–Product and Sales
A note to young leaders. For every person climbing the ladder of success, there are ten still waiting for the elevator to show up. Take the much-loved, now legendary Australian cricketer, Michael Hussey, otherwise known as “Mr Cricket”. He was a late bloomer – having played his first test at the age of 30, he […]