Lessons from my father. My father was a very generous man. You had to fight him for the bill at a restaurant. He would laugh at all your jokes. He would stay up late to help you think through a problem. Twice, I saw him part with thousands of dollars to bridge the gap between […]
To young leaders. “There’s more than one way of being right.” This was the regular refrain of one of my mentors (the great Stephen Burns), and he was spot on. The vast majority of the problems you will encounter can be solved in multiple ways. Just as there are multiple ways to scale a mountain. […]
A note to young professionals. On the virtues of writing your main goal – and making sure it’s clear, precise, dated and signed. It worked for Bruce Lee. […]
Note to self. “Telling it like it is” rarely makes things better. It should be used as a last resort. “Telling it like it could be” is more likely to lead to positive change. One is backward-looking and judgemental, the other is forward-looking and hopeful. […]
A note to young professionals. If you find your mind wandering while someone is speaking at a business meeting, it’s likely that the presenter is using too many words to convey too little content. If that person is on your team, coach them. If that person is you, ask for coaching. Each and every sentence […]
A note to young leaders. Public speaking is a super power. Its impact is so great that no leader can afford to ignore it. The best advice I received on public speaking was from the late, great John Caldon, former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group. “If you’re feeling nervous before a speech, Adam, it’s because […]
I recently travelled with a colleague and a good friend to Europe to meet with institutional investors. At one of our many airport stops, he pointed out: “Look at all the amazing technology that goes into the front door of an airplane. It’s phenomenal.” Bravo to my colleague. He’s bucked a modern trend. Human beings […]
A note to young leaders. You are sleeping with the enemy. It’s your ego. Ego is a double-edged sword. It’s what gives you the confidence to pick up the phone and make that cold call. But it’s also what can make you self-centred and self-absorbed. Think of ego as a raft that helps you cross […]
A note to aspiring entrepreneurs. Talent without self-belief is useless. Self-belief sets the speed limit of your success. It is literally impossible to rise above the image you have for yourself. So how can you improve your self-belief? Self-belief is high self-esteem combined with a high level of self-knowledge. This is a topic worthy of […]