Innovation is simply doing different things and doing things differently. Two streets away from me is a small bakery business that sells cookies and cakes directly to local area cafés and restaurants. Now, with those all closed, they have turned to local sales and...
My amazing friend Kay Scorah created the concept of hugging meditation. So, we are all "on pause" together across the world, sharing this same unique lifetime experience, as literally billions are staying at home to save lives. Within that, we are all experiencing...
courtesy of Rob Poynton, author of "Do Pause" Exactly a month ago, just after I commenced my focus on offering support through this time, I posted: "Permission to Pause", noting: "for leaders needing to make a decision at this or any other time, consider taking a...
A four day weekend for Easter here in the UK. Though it is easy to allow the days to blend into one another in lockdown, I'm consciously pausing this weekend. Yesterday in: “What can you do to help?” I told the story of picking up a Jigsaw puzzle left outside their...
"What can you do to help?" is an empowering question. Ask it of yourself, and for business leaders, ask it of your team. Today a short tip inspired by a jigsaw puzzle. I filmed this one minute video yesterday as I got home from a walk, inspired by the generous and...
It is time to focus on what comes next. “Go to where the puck is going, not where it has been”Walter Gretzky, to his son Wayne as a young ice hockey player, later to be known simply as "The Great One" At the moment, many of us are primarily or even exclusively...
In these times, it is important to share: be timely, be brief, be expert. "We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return"The Queen, in her four minute address, Sunday April 5th, 2020 Over recent weeks, I have (and continue...
3D colorful signpost with five arrows on white background - "opportunity". Simple question to ask today and each day. Ask this for yourself, also ask this to your team if you have the (now common) daily check in on Zoom. For many, even though we live in uncertain...
What is your time frame for crisis management? "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there."~ Rumi Tip for today: At the start of each week, ask yourself: What is your time frame right now? We are living in fast-changing times....
This image is circulating right now as derivation of a well established model for self-awareness around "Comfort>Stretch>Panic" zones. This current Covid-19 one is valuable as a self-awareness tool so we can move out of fear/panic to more useful places to first...
A quite remarkable story of private and public sector pulling together in multiple countries to get one million N95 masks to the USA from China quickly. A Million N95 Masks Are Coming From China—on the Patriots’ Plane - The Wall Street Journal “In today’s world,...
Scale for Impact model, from: "Leading from Purpose" I developed the model above from my belief that businesses that put Purpose, People and Planet first can and do thrive. They then make a Profit as an outcome of living their Purpose, which is not at all the same as...
At the top of the My Writing page where these daily posts are hosted, I say: I get my best ideas from listening to people. Fortunately, that’s my job. I like to say that people are my library, and my daily writing practice is a way to discover what’s in it: new ideas,...
Yesterday I led a group zoom meeting for the #ESMomentum series being created with true entrepreneurial spirit by Entrepreneurial Scotland for and with their members. So many great tools, tips and learning shared, including this one, shared by Dave Stewart and one he...
At times of crisis, a key role for a leader is to set the tone. Be a thermostat, not a thermometer. Yesterday I shared a press conference by Governor Andrew Cuomo in: "Love Wins". Today a video from my friend and business hero Chip Conley from a blog he wrote...
"At the end of the day my friends, even if it is a long day, and this is a long day, love wins. Always. And it will win again, through this virus"Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, Saturday March 28, 2020 This morning, at the start of another week, simply sharing a...
People Say Nothing Is Impossible, But I Do Nothing Every Day Over the last two weeks of acting on instinct and flipping to opening the diary to offer crisis leadership support, somehow I had over sixty zoom meetings. It has been "purpose-full", fulfilling, energising...
For when you may feel ready to change your perspective, today I share with you a piece of beautiful and soothing wisdom from the wonderful Alan Watts. As I have been writing about and also advising others to do, at this time many of us remain focussed on the present...
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”JRR Tolkien Today's thought. As...
At times of crisis, a simple piece of advice is to focus on what's next. One day at a time, one step at a time. Focus simply on what's next. We are in a time of uncertainty, so focus on what's next as none of us know the answer to "how long will this last?". Now I...
For years I loved to watch "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", which for year after year skewered political idiocy, making serious points with great humour. Every show then finished with Jon saying "here it is, your moment of zen", followed by a short random funny...
In supporting CEOs I have always encouraged being disciplined to have a "one-line job description" of "Keeper of the Vision". That means allowing others to run the business, with the focus of the CEO is purely on ensuring everyone is moving in the right direction...
Viktor Frankl's wisdom, from "Man's Search for Meaning" Over the last week and more, in response to our new global VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment, I have shifted my time to give to the community by supporting leaders through zoom meetings,...
Leaders look at a crisis as an opportunity to rise to the occasion. When this is over, and it will be over, we want to look back at this moment and remember the many small acts of kindness done by us and to us.We want to look back this time and remember how we thought...
On a Zoom Meeting yesterday morning with a brilliant and valued friend in Scotland, we both agreed that this is a time for businesses to focus on simply being there for their clients and customers, and to do this from the power of coming from their Purpose and Values....
The image above is from a blog last week from the amazing Maff Potts of Camerados, who wrote on: "When hugs are banned - when the world finally noticed social distancing". I saw Maff speak at Meaning Conference last year and love what he does. The Camerados movement...
In my daily writing right now I am very much focussed on how I can help my audience of leaders in this current crisis. First a reminder to book a call with me anytime through the button on my site, I'm here to listen! I'm also now giving some granular tips, such as...
Remember the Brady Bunch? Zoom's "Gallery View" looks like this. Remember the Brady Bunch? Zoom's "Gallery View" looks like this. I've been remote working for many years, but this week feels different, the day after the UK was told to stay home. I was on Zoom calls...
As we begin to adapt to the new normal of restricted movement and of uncertainty over what is next, we will all have more questions than answers. At this time, more than ever, it is vital to have someone to talk to. I'm therefore opening up my calendar to do what I...
Pick up the phone and talk to those around you. So much changing so fast around us. Within days the practical reality for many will be that we will be spending a lot of time in our homes, limiting movement and, for the sake of all our community locally and globally,...
A sage friend shared this question with me as one he uses for his mentees when they run into tough times or a crisis. A question like this can really flip the thinking and energy! So, as regards your own Crisis Leadership around Covid-19: Tell me, what good may come...
How do we lead from intention? This week I have been actively and instinctively offering my support in an area I feel I can help, see the post: "Who do you call before making a tough decision?". Beyond that, I've also been posting on Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as...
In recent days I've focussed my daily posts on Crisis Leadership, including the longer post: "Act Now". Today's message is for leaders to communicate a simple and clear message. There is endless commentary on every aspect of Coronavirus Covid-19, but Max Roser has...
"I hereby give you permission to pause - for whatever reason, whenever you feel like it, as often as you like." ~ Rob Poynton "I hereby give you permission to pause - for whatever reason, whenever you feel like it, as often as you like." ` Rob Poynton This week my...
Who do you call before making a tough decision? At this moment it seems every leader is facing uncertainty but also know they need to be decisive about responding to the Covid-19 situation. Many leaders don't really have someone external and objective who will listen...
At the time of writing, Covid-19 is escalating and the impact is growing on humans and business around the world, as I wrote in my last two posts: "Act Now" and "Crisis leadership – This too shall pass". Counter-intuitive though it may seem for some, I encourage...