Elevated standards create elevated results. You notice this when you work with an outlier. The bar they set is beyond what most people imagine.
Belief
Coaching Mindset and Belief
I always come from a Coaching Mindset, by which I mean this: Coaching Mindset is Belief that the Client has the Answers.
What is Bravery?
Bravery takes different forms, and it is always relative to the individual. Stories here on swim coaching, mental health, and the bravery of a 7…
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...
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 market for something to believe in is infinite
The market for something to believe in is infinite. Yesterday I had one of my regular catch up calls with my friend Bruce Peters. In life, I love deep conversations that get to the heart of things. Every time I talk to Bruce we uncover new things that get to the heart...
Horizontal Leadership
Horizontal Leadership is leading in an inclusive, empowered and trusting way. Sometime over this summer, I will collate some key blog posts and models under a header of #OpenLeadership as a tab on this site. Open Leadership is a move beyond command and control, a move...
Do the people in your circle inspire you?
Just over a month ago a young entrepreneur was killed outside a store he ran aimed at providing inspiration for his community. I didn't know of him, his music, his focus on lifting up his community. However, when his death made the news, I looked him up and this quote...
When a blacklist is, unfortunately, just that
In a post last year: "Diversity of Thought – how much is too much?" I remarked upon a panellist at an event choosing to be present, to listen, then to respond calmly. Within that post I wrote: "..brings to mind to me a quote from 1770 from the Irish statesman and...
Doing what is right – Timpson
Today am feeling inspired by James Timpson of Timpson and his leadership. By doing what is right, he has also found that this has driven both loyalty in his colleagues and making using Timpson a conscious choice for more and more customers. So, what was it he has...
To lead, do these three things
Image by Hugh McLeod, Gaping Void Yesterday I wrote: "Golf Trips and Collaborative Leadership" and went into detail about both the value of Collaborative Leadership and what it takes, at Source, to be a collaborative and open leader (and why golf trips are not a...
Golf Trips and Collaborative Leadership
Collaborative Leadership: "the process of engaging collective intelligence to deliver results across organisational boundaries when ordinary mechanisms of control are absent" Oxford Leadership - Collaborative Leadership White Paper, 2011 The other day a dear friend of...
Brave Thinking and Big Ambitions
The V&A Museum opened in Dundee in 2018, design by Kengo Kuma Today am inspired by a conversation this week about brave thinking and big ambitions. I love to work with brave leaders. One of the four characteristics of people who choose to work with me (see the...
Change takes bravery and belief
A few days ago I shared learnings from Mike Driver in : "Where Entrepreneurialism comes from". Basically Mike said that it can't be taught: "“..entrepreneurialism can’t be taught and the library full of books attempting to teach it are a waste of time. Short of...
Belief and Mentoring
I love the sentiment in that picture above. "It would be a stretch for others to believe in you at a level higher than yourself. Your mentors are an exception." Today I've just had two mentoring conversations and so feel like musing on the power of belief in mentoring...
Beautiful Leadership – Sacha Romanovitch
This is the latest in a sequence of posts on #BeautifulLeadership that all came from tweets and other news items I saw on the same day, November 29th. In the first post, "From Now On", I noted that "at least four wonderful examples of Beautiful Leadership found their...
Hope is an action
"I know in times like this you feel it doesn’t make a difference but keep showing up because hope is an action." ~ Florence Welch Sometimes a single line can move one person or many. Last week I joined 20,000 or so people to see Florence and the Machine perform at the...
Seth Godin, Stet – Bravery to Let It Stand
Seth Godin inspired me to commit to writing daily over a year ago, something he has done for nearly two decades. His posts are without images, vary from a few words to much lengthier pieces, some with many links to the work of others, some with none. Recently he...
Lukewarm is no good
This week was "Roald Dahl day", celebrating and honouring his unique genius. This quote circulated and moved me. On the #BeMoreYou page on this site, I give an expression of what I offer to clients, to #BeMoreYou, and express that as: Be Hungry Be Humble Be Brave Be...
How to be a Master Mentor in Midlife
{I love the generational symbolism of this image. Thanks Chip !} Today, for the third day in a row, I find myself sharing guest posts. Coming off the summer, the "back to school" energy sees collaborative energy flowing all around me, is it the same for you? I have a...
How would you cross the muddy pond?
A story today around one of my favourite leadership phrases: A leader is someone other choose to follow The picture above is of quite the unattractive muddy pond, huh? Now imagine you are a squad of young soldiers on army training. It is cold, wet, you've been out in...
We can all be brave leaders through our individual actions
Today I woke up to see this story of a 21 year old Swedish woman taking a stand against deportation of an Afghan from her country by standing up to prevent her flight from departing. Her name is Elin Errson, and she literally took a stand for what she believed to be...
Commitment, Boldness and Magic
I write this at 7am in a log cabin under two majestic tall pines in the redwood forests of northern California. I came here from London this weekend to attend the wedding of one of our Modern Elder Academy cohort that came together and bonded tightly during our week...
Yes. You. Can.
Yes. You. Can. Sharing inspiration from a Para Swimming event.
Will you always do what is true to you?
First to anchor this beyond yourself, if you lead a business, organisation, movement, know that I see you. Know I see that sometimes you doubt yourself, you don't fully act, say, do what is your absolute truth. I know that. I do it too, we are all human. What are your...
Michael Jordan: I failed, that is why I succeed
I love this quote from Michael Jordan, as it speaks to "Deliberate Practice", a topic I wrote about yesterday, focusing on golf and Ben Hogan, as well as looking to prompt readers to consider where they are deliberate in what they do, whether it be in their personal...
What is your 80 days?
On April 26th, I was at Gleneagles for a truly inspirational and world-class day at the Entrepreneurial Scotland annual conference, themed "Global Mindset, Scottish Heart”. The conference was opened by my friend, the truly inspirational Mark Beaumont, who just over a...
How do you know if you could be an Entrepreneur?
Are you or could you be an Entrepreneur ? Simply be Entrepreneurial ? Find out from these “acid tests”
Smashing Paradigms – Trains without Timetables ?
What if leaders said “I was wrong” ? What could change (and yes, I will utter the words “gun control” here). Thanks to @chipconley @satyanadella…
Smashing Paradigms – “I was wrong”
What if leaders said “I was wrong” ? What could change (and yes, I will utter the words “gun control” here). Thanks to @chipconley @satyanadella…
Smashing Paradigms – What is Bravery?
Bravery takes different forms, and it is always relative to the individual. Stories here on swim coaching, mental health, and the bravery of a 7…
Smashing Paradigms – Ellen
The words of the brave and inspiring Dr Taylor Burrowes on the inspiration and bravery of Ellen DeGeneres
Humble Leadership – “that’s family business”
Who is the greatest Basketball team ever and what can leaders learn from them ?
Belief – The greatest gift you can give someone
Leaders believe in their people, give someone the gift of believing in them