The Dalai Lama said: “My religion is kindness”, and, by the way, he is a profoundly funny human being, yet I feel sure he has…
OpenLeadership
Learning from the nuances of Autumn
Having lived the majority of my adult life in Cayman, without a noticeable Autumn, I sometimes forget that there are many nuances in Autumn.
To listen more, to share knowledge less?
This week I am attending an event online and was asked to note my speciality, to which I simply wrote: "Listening" Having come back from a short break and paused my daily posting for only the second time in a streak that has continued for well over 1400 posts, I'm...
Cow therapy
Hi. I'm back, five days after my last post.As I noted in my last post, I took a break last weekend to go to Scotland and visit family and friends. It felt a lot longer than four days away, yet in a good way. They say "a change is as good as a rest", so though it felt...
Taking a break
This is a daily blog, daily. For nearly four years, over 1400 posts, I posted every day. Every single day. In late September this year, I chose to pause the blog for a week while I went on a holiday to "switch off". I talk to all of my clients about how they show up...
What’s best for…?
Cop26 WIth Cop26 in the forefront right now, recently I joined a Tortoise ThinkIn on the Cop 26 "Transport Day" that was titled "Too slow, too many cars". "Great!", I thought, it will talk about the need to reduce car journeys and so car use, ownership, emissions and...
Do not feel absolutely certain of anything
Bertrand Russell, philosopher and polymath, gave us ten commandments supplemental to those from the Bible: Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.Do not think it worthwhile to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.Never try to...
Be Passionately Curious, Add Value
Yesterday I finished a client meeting early, but my first train on the journey back only runs once an hour, so I got in a cab at the local train station for the ride to the mainline station to catch the next train back to London. The driver immediately asked if I'd...
Integrity is also doing the right thing when everyone is watching
This morning I am travelling to meet a client, which means trains and tubes (London Underground), as well as walking into and around cafes and restaurants. Wearing masks has dropped right away in the UK. It seems that people follow social norms, so as more people...
Be imperturbable
Ataraxia: at·a·rax·ia (n.): "A Greek term, in which one is imperturbable, full of lucid equanimity and feeling free; tranquility or untroubled mind.” Ataraxia is a new word to me and one I already love. Thanks to Chip Conley and Christine Sperber of Modern...
Ironing, On the Edge
Where I Iron 😉 I moved to Cayman aged 24 on my own, thousands of miles from family, friends and the familiar. It was wonderful, I threw myself into work, sports, meeting new people, learning about my new home. At the same time, sometimes it felt a little...
Be Curious and Abundant and then find others like you
If you had to connect two people on the basis of ONE thing they had in common, and success would be they they REALLY got on... What would be the one thing? Food? Friend? Team? Faith? Pet hate? Band? Or something completely different?Oli Barrett this week on Twitter I...
If you can see the future, what will you do now?
If you take time to look into the future, what then will you choose to do now in order to make that a reality, an…
Leaders ask the right questions
The role of the modern CEO is not to have the right answers, but to ask the right questions and trust the team and the…
Be a force of nature
To follow one’s purpose and commit to being that force of nature is always a source of inspiration for self, and (one hopes) for others.
Dance while the music is being played
Take a moment to be present to the “profound and galvanizing lucidity” of Alan Watts.
When faced with a binary choice, always choose both
First:, “when faced with a binary choice, always choose both”. When faced with options of revolutionary or evolutionary change, then, choose both.
When to work less, when to work more?
Thoughts on when to work less, when to work more, inspired first by Ursula Le Guin, and then by a conversation among parents of adult…
How can I help you?
Today I woke up thinking about helping people. Know that, where given the opportunity to help, that means a lot to me, it is why…
Surprises are a clue that you’re missing something
Surprises are a clue that you’re missing something. Dive in and figure out what.
What will offices look like? I hope not this!
An idea of what offices may look like, from Herman Miller via Bloomberg.
The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve…
“The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” – From Dune, by Frank Herbert
How will we make calls in the office now?
Over the last 18+ months, we have all a) been working away from an office almost all the time, and b) done more and more…
Say thank you when you get on the bus
In most places I have travelled, everyone says thank you to the bus driver when they get off the bus, but in London, it is…
Using they as your generic pronoun
In well over 1400 daily posts on this blog, there are many such stories and I always use "they" as a generic pronoun. Let me tell you a story about why I started this, then talk about why else it matters now more than ever before. I am both open and confidential. I...
Do you question what you have been taught?
…people are educated just enough to believe what they have been taught, and not educated enough to question anything they have been taught.
What else do you notice?
Often I am deeply focussed on what I notice at different levels, whether in a meeting with someone or, in this example, when I am…
Ebbs and Flows
Cycles ebb and flow and have an influence on the weather at any moment. The interaction between these many cycles are a key reason why…
What is in your Zoom background?
This also, for fun, has me feel to share today some of the other items behind me in my zoom background, some clearer than others.
I need more time for stillness
“I need more time for stillness” were the words from a client this week after we had sat out in the Autumn sun in a…
Elite Mindset – the Journey from Good to Great to Elite
I work at any time with a select group of leaders. If you may be ready for the journey from good to great to elite,…
Writing is a Behaviour
Writing is a behaviour. It is something I do, otherwise the crush of thoughts in my head would have nowhere else to go. If writing…
What are you putting back into the river?
Eventually in life, you realize that it’s not what you get to take out of the river, it’s what you get to put into the…
Listen with Passion
“Listen with the same passion with which we want to be heard.” Harriet Lerner. I passionately adore listening to people.
What is your Quest?
If you don’t know where you are going, all roads will take you there, so, what is your quest?
Just enough
This past week, in my conversation with Sam Duong, one of the topics he talked about was his exploration of the idea of “Just Enough”.