Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.
Books I Love
Looks like we got ourselves a reader
I am a reader. I love to read. It seems that actually taking time to read books, and particularly to read widely, is increasingly rare.
Dance while the music is being played
Take a moment to be present to the “profound and galvanizing lucidity” of Alan Watts.
Would you rather be a Specialist or a Generalist?
David Epstein's "Range" shows how a generalist can triumph in a world full of specialists. Succeed in any field by developing broad interests and skills. Summer is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, so many will be looking for books to read. So, I just found out...
“WorkAnywhere”. Going beyond “Remote”
A wonderful depiction by Gaping Void of the core messages of the book "Remote" I strongly believe in remote working. However, today let me take it a level further. For now let's call it "WorkAnywhere", as the idea of remote working still implies a paradigm where...
The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them
Trust is at the heart of every relationship in life, personal and professional. How do we build trust? Sometimes we need to take a lot of time and patience to build trust, we analyse, assess, look for evidence and proof points. Sometimes, though, perhaps Hemingway's...
Diversity of Thought – how much is too much?
This weekend the annual Kilkenomics economics and comedy festival in the gorgeous tiny city of Kilkenny. I write this on a Sunday morning musing on diversity of thought and "how much is too much?". We learned that Andy Haldane (Chief Economist of the Bank of England)...
Make your dent in the universe a crater
What is the dent you wish to make in the universe? How can you make that dent into a crater? My answer today? Surround yourselves with people, thoughts, ideas that stimulate you to live your own purpose and you'll make your dent a crater. Let me give you my own...
Beauty in Brevity
Recently I've been musing on the power of art to communicate to us at deep levels with brevity. It occurred to me that writing can also do the same. Around art, I recently had the great pleasure of being invited to accompany someone to an exhibit at Tate Britain....
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...
Writing I Love – Enjoy the Present
Presence, Seneca, Emotional Equations, The Happiness Equation.
Writing I Love – Mindset by Carol Dweck
Having and stimulating your Growth mindset is key for leaders, and so investing time to read widely as well as deeply is one way to give focus to this. With that in mind, each Saturday I post "Writing I Love". Sometimes a business book, sometimes a leadership quote,...
Writing I Love – If – Rudyard Kipling
Having and stimulating your Growth mindset is key for leaders, and so investing time to read widely as well as deeply is one way to give focus to this. With that in mind, each Saturday I post "Writing I Love". Sometimes a business book, sometimes a leadership quote,...
Writing I Love – Malcolm Gladwell – Outliers
Malcolm Gladwell – Outliers – what is an Outlier and what did he mean by the 10,000 hour rule ?
Writing I Love – Eclectic Lines
Having and stimulating your Growth mindset is key for leaders, and so investing time to read widely as well as deeply is one way to give focus to this. With that in mind, each Tuesday I post "Writing I Love". Sometimes a business book, sometimes a leadership quote,...
Writing I Love – The Stolen Child
Leaders are often encouraged to be selfless, to be servant leaders (and other such descriptors). However, our egos are very stubborn. They resist the idea of being selfless, as that means dissolving the ego so as to be of greater service to others, to shift and...
What do you see ?
Tell me what you see here ?.. and then consider the “sliders”, the dimensions discussed in the article. Where do you see yourself ?
Writing I Love – The Little Prince
Paint a picture with words and other will follow. Lessons from Saint Ex.
Writing I Love – The Little Book of Ikigai
Ikigai, Flow and Leadership
Writing I Love – Philosophy from Calvin (and Hobbes!)
Philosophy and Humour from some favourite comic strips
Writing I Love – The Big Leap
#OpenLeadership starts with self-leadership. The Big Leap focusses on a powerful tool for leading self and others, the “Upper Limit Problem”. My experiences and top…
Writing I Love – The Four Agreements
Another favourite book. One I read several times each year. Living the agreements is not the same as intellectually grasping them
Writing I Love – Coelho on Frankl
Two of my favourites, Coelho capturing the wisdom of Frankl (then linking to the Stoics)
Writing I Love – “their finest hour”
The stoic who changed the course of 20th century history.
Writing I Love – How to Stop Time
This week’s post featuring the wonderful novel by Matt Haig and a powerful quote from Montaigne.
Writing I love – Alan Watts and the meaning of life
Take a moment to be present to the “profound and galvanizing lucidity” of Alan Watts.
Writing I love – the Roman Stoics
Stoicism as a tool for leadership and reducing anxiety, quieting the monkey mind
Writing I love – Man’s Search for Meaning
The book I recommend to leaders above all others. Read why
Books I Love – The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
The future is Teal. How self-management, wholeness, evolutionary purpose transform leadership
Books I Love – Give and Take by Adam Grant
Are you a giver, matcher or taker? What happens if you give abundantly?