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.
CEO thoughts – distilled wisdom
Here are some of my "CEO thoughts". Each of these is distilled wisdom all about communication. In my work with Canadian CEOs and leaders over the past decade, one name comes up more than others, Dave McKay of RBC. RBC is the top global banking brand and the top...
CEO thoughts – distilled wisdom
Here are some of my “CEO thoughts”. Each of these is distilled wisdom all about communication.
Beware of simple ideas
Regular readers will know I love to distil to simplicity, with ideas such as Ockham's Razor, the Da Vinci quote "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication", as well as the idea that "if I'd had more time I would have written something shorter". What I don't tend to...
When what’s best for all is best for the individual
When we focus on what is best for society, it should also include what is best for the individual. We live in an era where it feels capitalism has run amok and the wide-ranging teachings of Adam Smith have been woefully inaccurately reduced to the level where many...
Flip your thinking – how long will you live?
Today sharing a story I first heard from Chip Conley sitting on the terrace at the Modern Elder Academy in Baja, days after meeting his amazing Dad. How long will you live? What type of life will you live? Society has deeply embedded structures and beliefs in so many...
Do well by doing good
This week has been absolutely full for me around meetings and events with amazing people and businesses, I feel highly privileged and grateful. A recurring theme has been that we are all on a spectrum in the business between doing well and doing good. I admit that in...
Take the time to write less
On average my daily posts take under five minutes to read, yet an average of over an hour to write. I've taken as long as three days at an offsite with a client leadership team to land on a strategy that is simply one word. When I work on Business Strategy Coaching...
Don’t get better, be braver
Focus on the four characteristics of #OpenLeadership: Be Braver, Humbler, Hungrier and more open. The limits of techniqueIt’s possible that you no longer need to get better at your craft. That your craft is just fine.It’s possible that you need to be braver...
Leading from Purpose
Leading from Purpose scales your impact and, with focus on business principles, make the profits necessary for scale, not simply to enrich shareholders. Putting Purpose first truly drives profit to allow you to further scale your impact.Start to learn how to do this...
Who controls your Cognitive Map?
"..elites in a society typically maintain their power not simply by controlling the means of production (ie money), but by dominating the cultural discourse too (ie a society’s intellectual map). And what is most important in relation to that cognitive map is not what...
To see ourselves as others see us
O wad some Power the giftie gie usTo see oursels as ithers see us!It wad frae mony a blunder free us,An' foolish notion Translation from Scots: Oh, would some Power give us the giftTo see ourselves as others see us!It would from many a blunder free us,And foolish...
Rebuilding Trust
Rebuilding trust in our professional and business relationships is an important step. Trust is at the heart of all relationships, whether business or personal. We also live in a time where trust has been eroded in so many places. One where I feel strongly connected is...
The challenge of writing a blog as a coach
Alex Davids Today simply curating a powerful post from the amazing Alex Davids, a wonderful coach, and past colleague, now part of the Next Evolution Performance team in New Zealand. Everything Alex said echoes strongly for me. In addition, if you are thinking of...
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...