My Library
People are my library, my writing inspired by what I learn: ideas, inspiration, wisdom, and sometimes some eclectic whimsy for good measure, all centred around #OpenLeadership. At the heart of all of this is that I write to share learnings and to discover my thoughts. Over the years i have written (mostly) daily, over 2000 posts and 1,000,000 words (that last part blows my mind, tbh!). Enjoy browsing.
Only respond to emails in your normal working hours
Recently I saw a senior corporate executive include this in their email signature: I work flexibly and in multiple time zones so may be working at times you are not. Please only respond to my emails in your normal working hours I love this, particularly as it is so...
Only respond to emails in your normal working hours
I work flexibly and in multiple time zones so may be working at times you are not. Please only respond to my emails in your…
Cayman and Connecting
So, I'm coming home to Cayman once again for the week of December 9th. CONNECTING is my Context for this trip (see "Setting your Personal Context"). I'll be connecting with my sons and with friends, and with clients for various projects and meetings. Cayman is and...
I do not agree with what you have to say…
I do not agree with what you have to say…but I will defend to the death your right to say it For several years I have gone each year to Kilkenomics, my favourite event of the year. One of the most remarkable things about it is that the panel moderators are...
Do you take time to learn leadership skills from athletes?
From BelievePerform My question today is not CAN you as a leader take time to learn from athletes, but DO you? As an ex-athlete as well as friend, father and colleague to a number of elite athletes and leaders involved in supporting elite athletes, the crossover in...
A Cautionary Tale for a Sunday
As the great Ed Percival always taught me: "never make a point without telling a story". Today, for your Sunday morning delectation and delight, simply sharing the latest from Tim Harford, a great story-teller in written form (who I first discovered through "The...
Knowing yourself
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. - Aristotle The last few weekends have been, as one says in Britain "full-on" for me, including Kilkenomics , before that Basecamp.London, and just the last two days at Meaning Conference then a workshop led by Nilofer...
The day I had a physical breakdown
On the evening of December 26th 2010, Christmas festivities were over. I lay back on the couch to watch a movie but soon fell asleep, only to wake up hours later in some of the most agonising pain I'd ever experienced. I literally could not sleep other than propped up...
What does it mean to learn?
The difference between memorization and learningIn order to learn something, you must understand it. You might become so insightful and facile with the ideas that it appears you’ve memorized them, but that’s just a side effect.Rote memorization can be done in some...
What if life could be a Permanent Sabbatical?
noun noun: sabbatical; plural noun: sabbaticalsa period of paid leave granted to a university teacher or other worker for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked. Recently I was at an event and met someone I hadn't seen for...
Kilkenomics: Mission Accomplished
What happens when you set a vision and then a mission for a business and you achieve them? Do you carry on, or do you pause, assess, then create new ones starting from the foundation of where you are now? Or, do you simply carry on without a "reset", even though the...
Kilkenomics: Learning how to know
Colm O'Regan moderating a Kilkenomics panel Last weekend at Kilkenomics it was, once again, a pleasure to watch Colm O'Regan moderate multiple panels and interview. I've written about "yer man" Colm before and the way he fills his role is exemplary and effortless, yet...
Kilkenomics: Knowledge Speaks, Wisdom Listens
"Models are useful hypotheses guiding rough maps of the terrain"Paul Krugman Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2008 for models and thinking on a particular field. He has also had a unique platform for an Economics professor in writing a twice-weekly...
We are feeling creatures that think, not thinking creatures that feel
"Although many of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, biologically we are feeling creatures that think."Jill Bolte Taylor Recently I was at an amazing two-day collaborative event, Basecamp.London. Each participant chose a "challenge" to be part of....