I know that talking to people also really enlivens me. I often begin by listening, and then seek to have a conversation that connects dots…
Favourite Quote
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the Life we have lost in living?Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?T.S. Eliot, "The Rock", Faber & Faber 1934. referenced in: "The Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom Chain:The Metaphorical...
Our highest purpose is to share knowledge
"the whole purpose of life has been to pass on what was learned. There is no higher purpose"Morgan Freeman's character explaining what to do to Lucy in the movie of that name Yesterday I was inspired by my guest on #WhatComesNextLive, Gregg Parini. Gregg is in his...
Focus forwards
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”JRR Tolkien Today's thought. As...
Fear and Presence
What are you afraid of, and what does it mean for how Present you can be if you are Fearful versus without fear? Warning, going deep with this post! Please bear with me, I hope the "payoff" at the end is of value to you. Jerry Colonna, Non-Attachment and Fear This...
Perfection is the enemy of Progress
This week I came across this line that stopped me in my tracks: "The desire for theoretical purity strikes me as a critical failure of both mainstream and alternative economics" Later that same day I met up with a start-up founder and we talked about uncertainty and...
Saunter, don’t hike
John Muir I love hiking. I love walking for the purpose of exercise, of a heart rate over 100bpm for hours on end, of the feeling of walking fast and strongly for exercise. I also love to walk for a different reason, to walk to allow the process of walking to clear my...
How to stretch time
Taking time to walk to a lunch meeting yesterday I constantly listen to leaders who feel they don't have enough time. If I suggest to them that we take a walk rather than meet in their office, they oftentimes look at me like I'm crazy. Until that is, we actually go...
Believe the evidence of your eyes and ears
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command...And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed - if all records told the same tale - then the lie passed into history and became truth. George...
You are only as good as your people
"You are only as good as your people and you are the greatest asset we have. You are our high performance system." - Chelsea Warr Recently I had a check-in call with a long-time contact who is a shooting star rising up in one of the world's top financial institutions....
Get clear on the WHY and the HOW is easy
Having a clear why for your purpose can guide the way for the what and how to be achieved. "Les pierres du chantier ne sont en vrac qu’en apparence, s’il est, perdu dans le chantier, un homme, serait-il seul, qui pense cathédrale." This is a quote from Antoine...
Lust for…Responsibility?
A wonderful quote from one of my favourite books, "Dune", the 1965 science fiction masterpiece by Frank Herbert focussed around clans and corporations fighting for power, where power means control of a powerful (interesting that choice of descriptor!) drug that is...
Life is about the people you meet
There are indeed no ordinary moments and life carries on in the people you meet. A personal blog today and also one where I wish to share from what I took from a day of shock news. I write this shortly after receiving the unexpected news that someone very close to me...
Always be learning and growing
Last week Hugh McLeod of Gaping Void published this image with a blog that simply said: When looking for a career, consider this: What is going to make you happy long-term isn’t the salary, isn’t the perks, isn’t the social status. What is going to make you happy is...
Revolut and the cost of toxic culture
Earlier this year I wrote "The fish rots from the head", sharing my experience over the years that toxic culture starts from the top, that: "People observe their leaders, so no matter how much money is invested by HR and LnD in people, if the leadership are not, well,...
Mary Oliver, Poetry and Beauty
Yesterday Mary Oliver died. A quote from her poem "The Summer Day" inspired my very first daily post, "Life is Wild and Precious, Be Present" : “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Today a short...
Everyday Leadership and Legacy
Penny McDowall Receiving the Special Olympics North America coach of the year award I just got news from Cayman that Penny McDowall passed away on New Year's Eve. The short instinctive note I sent to her husband Rod simply said: Such a loss, and such a life. An...
Writing I Love – Eppur Si Muove
“Writing I Love” is an occasional series on this site. Sometimes a book, sometimes a poem, a quote, sometimes simply a line.
Inigo Montoya – Masterclass on introducing yourself
Such a fun meme that went viral a while back, and now my post on this theme is by far the most viewed on this daily blog on leadership. Hmm, so now let me try this out, using the example of introducing myself to someone I am being referred to by an existing client,...
Beauty in Brevity
Recently I've been musing on the power of art to communicate to us at deep levels with brevity. It occurred to me that writing can also do the same. Around art, I recently had the great pleasure of being invited to accompany someone to an exhibit at Tate Britain....
Michael Jordan: I failed, that is why I succeed
I love this quote from Michael Jordan, as it speaks to "Deliberate Practice", a topic I wrote about yesterday, focusing on golf and Ben Hogan, as well as looking to prompt readers to consider where they are deliberate in what they do, whether it be in their personal...
A Trust Story: The Journey is the Destination
Moments of Truth. Do you Trust people in your business to create them?
Favourite quote – Our deepest fear
Yesterday I wrote about flipping procrastination and fear into growth. This reminded me of probably my favourite quote of all time. Given how many quotes I love, the fact that this one stands above all others says a lot to and about me. "Our deepest fear is not that...