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.
Be Curious and Learn Widely
This week, I went to see Carlo Rovelli being interviewed by Dara O'Briain (best known as a comedian and host, but also a theoretical physicist). Yes, there was lots of talk about theoretical physics, but what came across most strongly for me is how passionately...
Be Curious and Learn Widely
Learning widely aids the ability to both imagine and to connect the dots. To be imaginative takes a variety of thinking and voracious curiosity in…
Marina Abramovic on being present for others
Presence is a key skill for leaders. I seek to learn often and from varied sources around this. One of those sources is Marina Abramovic. Presence, specifically the ability to be 100% present for others, is a key skill for leaders. I seek to learn often and from...
Wilma Rudolph. Leadership, Authority and Influence
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: the potential for greatness lives within each of us. - Wilma Rudolph One of my frequently used phrases is: A leader is someone others choose to follow...
I polish Diamonds
The final step in the process of taking a diamond from the earth to a finished gemstone is polishing. In the language of the trade, "the more sparkle and brilliance a diamond has, the more beautiful it is, and the higher its value will be. It is this step of polishing...
Build Business Valuation – Think in Ink
Valuation model (c) ShirlawsGroup I've been working with a client for about a year now on building their business ready for "What's Next", ie for succession. As part of that, key to the process is developing a Valuation strategy to lift both their profits and their...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy
Today a reminder to myself as a coach. No matter how much expertise and experience I have, the highest value I can give is to suspend ego and listen deeply to understand another person. From that place the deeper shifts and insights are possible for them.
Embrace the Forrest Gump moment
A few weeks ago I had one of those Forrest Gump moments. I stopped, paused, then thought to myself, instead of stopping: “yes, I’ll keep…
Read to collect the dots, write to connect them
I write to share what I learn, and at the same time, I have another reason, as I noted in: “Write to discover your thoughts”.
I am not for sale
I am not for sale, neither is the respect and attention of my audience. I wanted the thousands of regular readers to know that.
Leaders have a responsibility to be understanding
Leaders have a responsibility to be understanding and lenient with those who work for and with you, and to behave well despite the temptations of…
Coaching and Schrödinger’s Cat
Schrodinger's Cat t-shirt image by Chargrilled Schrödinger's Cat is a thought experiment: the cat is both alive and dead until observed, so in a way, the act of observing it changes it's state. I love talking to my dear friend in Rochester, NY, Bruce Peters, he is...
Be your ordinary extraordinary self
In these pandemic days that we live in, sometimes I feel a surrealness to life, particularly when I am at home for a day or two then venture out and then remember these extraordinary times we live in as I walk into a store and don my face covering. These are, indeed,...
The goal of sharing ideas
The "Insights" page that hosts all my daily posts begins: People are my library, my daily writing practice inspired by what I learn: ideas, inspiration, wisdom, and sometimes some eclectic whimsy for good measure, all centred around #OpenLeadership I write to learn...