A lesson from my father. When in my youth, I protested: “Dad, I’m too busy to do that. I just don’t have the time!” Dad would reply: “That’s fine son but at least be honest with yourself. What you’re really saying is: This is not a high priority for me right now.” I frowned at […]
This story portrays me in a positive light, so you’ll need to forgive my bragging. A few years ago, we received an offer from a US company to acquire one of the firms in which I held a stake. The offer was very lucrative but was 80% scrip, 20% cash. The US company’s CEO flew […]
On the power of prelude. Here’s something I learned from the late, great John R Caldon, former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group. He would almost always begin his phone calls by asking: “Have I caught you at a good time? Is this a convenient time to talk?” It’s surprising how often a simple courtesy such […]
Note to self. I’ve found that anger about the way I’m being treated is not a reliable emotion. I’m too close to the action to judge accurately. But anger about how others are being treated is a more reliable emotion. So I must be careful not to act quickly when I feel I’m being mistreated. […]
To those setting out to build a brilliant career. If your manager asks you for an update on a project that you’re responsible for, give yourself a quick uppercut. It’s a sure sign that you’re not communicating your progress frequently enough. Short, regular updates on your progress help you and your team to win. Master […]
To leaders dealing with the “lockdown blues”. Whether you know it or not, your team is a little on edge. Lockdown gives us more time to think – which sounds great in theory, but thinking all too often leads to over-thinking and over-thinking leads to worry. Worry is the mind spinning its wheels in mud. […]
When I co-founded EG some 20-years ago, I promised myself that I would abide by this principle: “Everyone who joins EG will leave us with higher self-esteem than when they joined us.” To deliver on this promise, I knew we had to do three things consistently well: (1) make everyone in our team feel safe […]
To young leaders. Your first duty as a leader is to raise the self-esteem of your team mates. Why? Because high self-esteem promotes a growth mindset. And without it, constructive feedback is received with a defensive mindset. What’s your second duty as a leader? To provide constructive feedback on a regular basis. […]
The late great John R Caldon, former Deputy MD of Macquarie Group, taught me a valuable lesson in leadership. If he ever spoke critically about me to another person, however mild, he would be quick the following day to say: “Oh Adam, you do know I think this about you, don’t you?” He never wanted […]