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.
The value of peace of mind
Yesterday I was running an errand and my car unexpectedly and suddenly overheated badly. The red warning light and message made it clear I had to stop the car RIGHT AWAY, so I did. I was only a few miles from home and heading back for my first client call of the day,...
The value of peace of mind
Insurance has a cost, but it also has a value in peace of mind as well as against financial loss.
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...
Is it inconceivable that Brexit will end?
In these times when we can so easily be drawn into a focus on the near term, to the "inconceivable" events on Brexit or other matters, do remember that even Brexit will come to an end. Inconceivable As I write this, yet another episode in the Brexit drama has just...
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...
The more you care for your people, the better your business will perform
"...the more we care for our colleagues, the better the Timpson key-cutting and shoe-repair business seems to perform. Over the past five years, we have opened 1,000 new shops, sales and profits have doubled" James Timpson of Timpson, in the Sunday Times August 25,...
Be an editor
Being an editor can give us more awareness in our lives. Chip Conley, in his focus upon Modern Elder, talks about how in the first half of our lives we focus on accumulating, but in the second half, we can turn our focus to editing. From a place of awareness, we...
Being vulnerable is more than saying you are
the Open Leadership model Saying you are vulnerable is not the same as being vulnerable. The four core qualities of #OpenLeadership are: Be HungryBe HumbleBe BraveBe Open Linked to that is Chip Conley's idea of being a "vulnerable visionary" a leader who expresses...
A coaching tool from the 13th century
Ockham's Razor is one of my favourite coaching tools dates back to the 13th century yet feels incredibly applicable to the world we live in today. "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one" I've been coaching for many years and am often...
Simplicity is harder work than complexity
Helping customers find simplicity in a complex world. Inspiration Yesterday I had the privilege of watching an audience with the author Matt Haig at the Edinburgh Book Festival. His writing style is often simple and concise. When asked about this, he noted...
Finding a moment of Zen
In our busy lives, we all sometimes need to find a "moment of zen". This picture is of "Monarch of the Glen", by Landseer. I wondered what it is that makes a picture of a deer so powerful and famous, until, that is, I saw the picture hanging at the National Gallery of...
Do all CEOs “only care about profit”? No..
Encouraging CEOs and other business leaders to shift focus from Profit to Purpose, People, Planet. "Yes, being all about Purpose, People and Planet is all very well, but CEOs only care about profits!" When talking to people about the new triple bottom line and putting...
Is the tide turning on the purpose of the corporation?
In January this year, I wrote a series of articles around rethinking the purpose of the corporation, then moved towards rethinking the "triple bottom line" (that dates from 1994) to the "new triple bottom line", expressed graphically above. The article that...
Brad Pitt gives a masterclass in Being and Presence.
I recently watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Tarantino and agree with Tom Shone of the Sunday Times that Brad Pitt was the heart of this movie and that he did it so simply and subtly. "Once Brad Pitt stopped “acting”, he became a great movie star...{years ago}...