To young leaders. Good luck? Bad luck? Who’s to know? On a flight to Manila on Saturday, I watched the documentary – Shane – a bio pic of the legendary Shane Warne. Two stories really stood out: At about six years of age, Shane suffered a freak playground accident that broke both his legs. With […]
Read More… from Turn Bad Luck into Good with Self-Belief and Tenacity
To those still toiling for their first big breakthrough. The world celebrates victories, moments of triumph, the crossing of the finish line. But looking back on my career, the sweetest memories are of the early years. The sweat and the struggle. The dream and the uncertainty. The many lonely “Rocky steps” moments – staying back […]
Early in my entrepreneurial career, my father overheard me complaining about a supply chain problem. When I got off the phone, Dad smiled and said (in Arabic): “Your curse is your blessing.” “OK … well it sure doesn’t feel like a blessing right now”, was my skeptical reply. What Dad said next has stayed with […]
A note to young leaders. When faced with the need to go faster, most managers default to hiring more people. But that’s lazy thinking. More often than not, the bottleneck is endemic – unclear priorities, poor communication, weak accountability etc. Resources are carbs. Resourcefulness is muscle. Great leaders don’t pile on the carbs. They build […]
Note to self. The smartest guy in the room is often the person who speaks last. […]
To leaders of high growth companies. A note of caution from the late, great John R Caldon, former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group. “The problem, Adam, when a company is growing its head count by 25% or more each year is that within 2-years the newbies will be a majority. If you’re not careful, the […]
Read More… from Protect Your Company Culture Through Strong Leadership
To aspiring leaders. A leader should never lose their temper and should lose it outwardly only for theatrical effect (emphasis). No matter the provocation, stay calm. Train yourself to lower your voice in a crisis – not raise it. You’re much more powerful when you speak quietly. […]
A note to young professionals. Looking for a recipe for happiness at work? Work with amazing people. Do meaningful work. If you must choose between the two, choose the former. Great people can readily pivot a business – but it’s almost impossible for one person to pivot a dysfunctional culture. […]
To aspiring leaders. Working with the late, great John R Caldon – former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group – I noticed that he asked three killer questions immediately after every important business meeting. “How do you think that went, Adam?” “What could we have done better?” “What should we be doing now?” Assess. Learn. Take […]