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.
On time is late
Recently I was asked by a friend to do a favour, to allow someone to book a video call with me to practice their pitch for a project, to have me play the part of CEO of a potential customer. Well, dear reader, they were late. No, they didn't show up at all. As my sons...
On time is late
As my sons were taught by their swimming coaches, “fifteen minutes early is on time, on time is late”.
Numbers Matter, but So Do Emotions
by Carl Richards I seem to have a theme of late flowing through writing and in the people I've been meeting. That theme is ENERGY and is showing up in different ways, as evinced in the blogs of the last week. Nearly two years ago I wrote a short post called: "Cogito...
Procrastinating…again
Today I rode my bike. So what? Well, I hadn't done it in over two weeks. Yup, I'm a sounding board and coach, often my clients ask me to hold them accountable, yet I hadn't got my procrastinating self on my bike for over two weeks. I realise that procrastinating is a...
Coaching – levels of listening
Coaching and Leadership require many types of listening: for words, tone of voice, body language, and energy. Recently I had the pleasure of spending an evening with a group of experienced coaches to explore and share learnings and experiences. As it was the first...
How choosing to trust helped make Avis a giant
A few days ago, a tweet went around that I found striking in how it spoke about the importance of trusting someone you select to do a job. https://twitter.com/davetrott/status/1177932437676015619 I'll share the full story below, for now, my thought is simply that the...
Leaders, think of your people as balls of energy
Imagine all the people you lead as powerful balls of energy and light. The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to...
Be world-class. You never know who is watching
Flowers Sea Swim Cayman - one of the world's top Open Water races While in Cayman this week, I spent time at an event looking to build awareness and reputation for a burgeoning global industry. As I entered the event, one of the organisers recognised me and came over...
Feeling stuck? Invest in growth
This week among my many Cayman meetings I met with a client who worked with me as their coach for years. They shared that they had a sense in Cayman at the moment of "stuck" from some people and businesses. Getting Stuck in old thinking and results Before my trip,...
Omnivalent – what a word!
I've been having an amazing week of CONNECTION in Cayman, full of wonderful meetings and time spent with my sons, with friends, clients, contacts. At one lovely lunch, a friend was asking me about what's next for me in life and work. I tried to find a word to explain...
Ed Percival and his Cayman legacy
The late, great Ed Percival This week in Cayman I find myself musing on Perspectives, on Legacy, on Context, all as I am here with my own Context this week of CONNECTION. After two meetings early in the week with a current client and a past client, I find myself...
Context creates clarity and focus
This week I had a half-day meeting with a client leadership team in Cayman. With a lot happening for them, they were feeling a little "scattered". After talking through a download of much of that in some detail, we elevated the conversation and arrived at a Context...
What will your legacy be?
Legacy Today's theme for me from the first day of meetings this week in Cayman. I started with an early meeting with a client who plans to move to their next exciting career opportunity after years in their current position. Their context for their work with me in...
Cayman from a new perspective
This week I am back in Cayman, my home for more than half of my life, a country that remains my home, though I live in London now. On my first morning here, staying with friends, we spent hours and hours talking over so many things, as good friends do when they get...