A note to young leaders. When mentoring, I’m often asked how best to prioritise various projects and objectives. Here’s a rule of thumb that I’ve found helpful as a guide. I call it the 3-2-1 rule. At any given time, you should aim to progress: Three “Horizon 1” projects (impact within 18 months) Two “Horizon […]
A note to young leaders. When I interview, I never ask the cliché question: “So tell me about your biggest weaknesses.” It’s unfair and unrealistic to expect candidates to show that much vulnerability in a job interview. But one question I almost always ask is: “OK, assume you could only use three words/phrases to describe […]
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A note to young leaders. One of the most important lessons I teach when I mentor young leaders is this: The battle is lost or won each day in your morning mind. It is a law of the universe, as certain as gravity, that we cannot achieve or receive more than we think we are […]
To young leaders. Be mindful of your internal dialogue because your life is shaped by your thoughts. Keep your thoughts fixed on what is kind and hopeful. Kind thoughts produce enduring friendships. Hopeful thoughts lead to adventure and growth. Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you. Yet if you […]
Lessons from my father. When I was in my late teens, I said rather casually about a guest who had just left our house: “That guy is a workaholic.” Dad pulled me aside and said: “Son, it’s not for you to judge whether someone is a workaholic or not. It’s for his wife and children […]
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A note to small business owners. In 2000-2002, I worked with the late, great John R Caldon looking at private equity investments in the SME space. These companies typically had revenues in the $1m – $10m range. We looked at an accounting business that had an elaborate 60-page business plan, including an extensive section on […]
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Note to self. “Time that is moved by little fidget wheels is not my time.” The human mind is not a clock. We apprehend the passage of time through the changes we experience. Time is change. So the key to having “enough time” is to relax, to be flexible, to allow change to flow more […]
A note to real estate investors. Real estate is like people, it’s only as good as the company it keeps. So when looking to acquire a real estate asset, spend as much time researching the neighbouring properties. Are they owned by clever, imaginative, can-do people, who are likely to revitalise them and bring a sense […]
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A note to mentors and mentees. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. The role of a mentor is not to explain. The role of the mentor is to reveal, to disclose. The rest is up to the student. They either see or don’t see. Either way, that’s the right outcome. We see when […]