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.
Plus One
Oli Barrett is a true gift to the world and business in particular. As he notes at the top of his bio on LinkedIn, what drives him is that he "enjoys connecting people and ideas." It has indeed been a great pleasure to get to know him over recent years, and I love...
Plus One
I’d connected people and ideas by bringing a “Plus One” who normally would not have been there. Bring your own Plus One.
Sharknado thinking
Today, I just got to think. All I did, all day was brainstorm and talk ideas and do, what I call Sharknado thinking. If that shit can fly, your ideas aren’t crazy enough. The workforce today does not make enough time for thinking and expects radical ideas. Won’t work....
To achieve, be ready to fail
This week I've been home in Cayman. Seeing my boys, clients, friends. There are so many wonderful elements of living on that small island of only around 60,000 people, and at the same time, there is an element of "big fish, small pond" mindset, particularly when it...
Watch your language!
When I was a teenager, occasionally at school someone (yes, sometimes that someone was me!) would let slip a swear word in class. The teacher would typically say something like "watch your language!". Interesting turn of phrase, now I think about it! Language is...
Gratitude + Presence
This week I am back in Cayman, with a full week of client meetings, a client workshop, meetings with friends, contacts, and, most of all, my boys. What occurs to me at this moment is the powerful combination of : Gratitude + Presence I do love Emotional Equations, yet...
What moves you? Writing, sound, pictures?
At the Rio 2016 Olympics, swimmers were given free sets of "Beats" headphones. Brilliant product placement, as it had been realised that almost all swimmers like to close themselves off from the world before their race and do so in a cocoon of sound. Recently I...
Writing I Love – Robert Frost
Today two simple shares from some writing I love, from the poet Robert Frost. I've written many posts here on this site around "Writing I Love". Why do I do that on a site about #OpenLeadership. Simple. Leadership starts with "Self-Leadership". Beauty, whether in...
Forget the “Golden Rule”, adopt the “Platinum Rule”
The Golden Rule states: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Platinum Rule: "Treat others the way they want to be treated." The Golden Rule is cited so often it seems like a wonderful and positive aspiration. However, the first time someone tells...
What I’ve learned from a year of writing daily posts
My first daily post on this site was one year ago, October 15th, 2017, with the post "Life is Wild and Precious, Be Present" One year later, this first daily post remains a favourite for me, as does the wonderful poem by Mary Oliver. Today, though, the whole post has...
It’s OK to not be OK
Last week, October 11th, was World Mental Health Day. On September 16th, one of the most highly respected political leaders in the UK, Ruth Davidson, gave a comprehensive and highly open interview with the Sunday Times. The header of the interview reads: "Ruth...
Quiet Leadership – Night Swimming
"Nightswimming deserves a quiet night" ~ REM Leadership takes many forms, yet common to any style is the adage that "it is about what you do, not what you say". For those who model quiet leadership, it is absolutely in what they do, not what they say. This photo from...
Slow down to speed up later
Soon I will be travelling for ten days to Cayman and the USA, blending seeing clients, family, friends. Whilst most of my active clients are on retainers, over the years I've built deep relationships with a number of clients who call me in periodically to support them...
Slow down – what do you see?
Monday 1st October. It is 7:35am. I got out of bed at 5:30am in Edinburgh, then got a bus and then the train through to Glasgow. It is almost freezing, I am kicking myself for not bringing my winter coat. Even though it is early, people are walking at high speed...