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.
Give people the chance to live into their potential
Give people the chance to live into their potential When I moved to the Cayman Islands in 1989 there were only 32,000 people, with more than half the workforce imported from other countries. I moved there the day after my 24th birthday, having just qualified as a...
Give people the chance to live into their potential
People have to have proven they have realised their potential before they get given the opportunity to move into a role that requires those skills…
Too hot to think
Today at 8 am it is 27c in London and forecast to hit 39c by mid-afternoon. That is simply too hot. No air conditioning. I can't think in this heat. I could make up all kinds of cool metaphors for business and leadership, the beginning of one coming around the...
Do you shut down your office when it gets too hot?
Should offices shut down when it is too hot? If your staff are going to work less effectively and have a miserable time getting to and from work and being at work in a city not designed for high temperatures, consider this. overheated trains in nearly 40c temperatures...
Don’t send emails after 5:30 pm
Do you send emails after 5:30 pm? Suggestions on business email from "It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work". "It doesn't have to be crazy at work" is a book full of nuggets of wisdom that can change your life and that of those who work with you. Seriously, every single...
Go and learn something totally different
Learn to do something different and add to your current skillset in work or life. This week a friend and his son are taking beginners skateboarding lessons each day. Learning something totally different and unrelated to your work or prior skills in life is now...
Want to be creative? Walk a different route to work
"Innovation = doing things differently and doing different things" I distilled this some years ago into my definition of innovation. Innovation at work is really "buzzy" these days, with book after book, TED talk after TED talk about how we can be more creative and...
Your mind is like a parachute: If it isn’t open, it doesn’t work
"Your mind is like a parachute: If it isn't open, it doesn't work." Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut Today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, July 20th, 1969. It all began with the open mind and huge vision of one man. On May 25, 1961,...
The connectedness of meaning allows ideas to be scaled
Connect with others to add meaning and purpose, then create and build the impact of scale. A line from Nilofer Merchant's recent LI article: "Don’t Be The Lonely Only" reads: "when connected people can do what once only large organizations could; the connectedness of...
Speak out against intolerance
In the environment of intolerance and racism, speak out, take action, don't be silent. Just when we thought the level of intolerance and racism in countries like the US and the UK could not get any worse, over the last few days the US President has not only lowered...
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....
Guest Post: Your pain and where to put it (to work)
A key element of leadership is to stretch and grow (both yourself and your organisation). Sometimes that comes with the risk of failure and so pain. Today a guest post from my friend Christine Locher, fellow coach and all-around learned soul! A key element of...
Language is powerful – what energy sector are you in?
A change of language in the energy sector may powerfully impact that industry. Have you ever said phrases such as?: "have a safe flight" "please don't hesitate to ask" In an earlier post, "the map is not the territory", I wrote about the power of language and linked...
CASE – Copy and Steal Everything
European folklore talks of magpies as birds that steal objects (including, particularly, shiny ones) to make their nests. Someone with a "Magpie Intellect" tends to be known for having a lot of knowledge that they have acquired by voraciously learning from others....