It’s no surprise that Shane Warne is regarded by the Australian public with such affection. Despite his flaws – who amongst us is perfect? – he was a legendary cricketer, a larrikin, a brilliant commentator, a good bloke and a natural leader. Listen to what Warne had to say about: Teams. “All teams need lots […]
Self-belief. After almost two decades of mentoring young leaders and first-time entrepreneurs, I’m convinced that the single most important factor for success is self-belief. Self-belief means that you see yourself as talented, resilient and destined for great success. Before you can achieve anything great, you must first consider yourself worthy of it. Self-belief is a […]
A note to young leaders. Take pride in being an independent thinker. Once in 1997, the late great John Caldon handed me an Information Memorandum and said: “I think this is a really interesting proposal, Adam, let me know what you think.” The following day, John pointed at the IM on my desk and asked […]
To young leaders. Every business should make enough profit to do five things, and preferably in this order: create a sufficient cash buffer to survive a severe recession invest enough in innovation to become a world leader generously reward its employees give back to the community of which it’s a part generously reward its shareholders […]
Read More… from Five Key Profit Priorities for Business Success
With the end in mind. We are all in the mud looking for a diamond. If we focus on the mud, we will soon give up. If we focus on the diamond, we will surely persevere. Don’t focus on what you’re going through, focus on where you’re going to. […]
The late, great John Caldon – former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group – always took great care when he delivered critical feedback. On one occasion in 1997, John asked me to write a memo about a new business idea that he thought had potential. I must have put in a lazy effort because the next […]
Read More… from How John Caldon Inspired Me to Raise My Standards
Here’s a bit of mentoring advice I regularly give to a new generation of leaders. Up to about the age of 27, you should assume you don’t know yourself all that well. So, be curious and try lots of new roles and skills. But by the age of 30, write down the 2-3 aptitudes that […]
I once asked my father whether I should have kids in the next couple of years or wait until I had established my career first. Dad’s answer was categorical: “Never think that having kids is detrimental to your career. The reverse is true. Whatever kids take away in terms of time and money, they more […]
To young leaders. Noblesse oblige. The more authority we have, the more humility we are called to walk in. When I first joined Macquarie Group in 1994, one thing that stood out immediately was the courtesy with which John Caldon treated all people, regardless of rank. He almost always opened the door for others, greeted […]