"We’re all lonely for something we don’t know we’re lonely for." ~ David Foster Wallace Early morning, awake and reading a lovely book by Matt Haig called "The Humans". As I read, I am stopped and mesmerised by this beautiful quote in the book from David Foster...
When I was a young Chartered Accountancy student I had an old MG Midget just like this one. A tiny little car (and yes, somehow I fit in it!), it had a faulty starter motor, so I became very familiar with push starting it. As a relatively big and strong guy with a...
Yesterday's post, "Beauty in Brevity" mused eclectically on the power of art and prose to communicate to us powerfully and rapidly through being concise. Today, I turn that focus to messaging in business and leadership. In many situations, the shorter and simpler the...
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....
Today I was in a great conversation about procrastination. I've written before on this topic several times, so feel free to click the link for several minutes of excellent procrastination time! Today a simple thought to ponder. If you are actually really feeling busy...
This week I went to New York to support my friend, the force of nature that is Rosie Von Lila (for more, see VonLila.com). Her guest at the event was New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake, an inspiring individual indeed. Paolo Coelho's latest email to his...
Socrates distilled wisdom encourages us to "Know Thyself", and I am on a constant journey of self-knowledge. I know I don't have all the answers at any stage in life, I'm constantly curious and like to think I have a "beginner's mind" and, in most areas, a Growth...
I've been writing recently about balance, about having only enough Structure to allow Flow. Today I will share a story, about Flow and Kung Fu Panda! For background, one area of my work is to facilitate leadership meetings for businesses and organisations around the...
I write often about presence, about flow, about stretching out of our comfort zone. I fully embrace that I am a romanticist, an idealist, I look for the best in people and situations, I see people deeply, their ability and opportunity to live their life to their full...
“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” ~ Steve Jobs Yesterday I wrote about "Commitment, Boldness and Magic" from a log cabin under majestic...
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...
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Will Durant An absorbing, energising and inspiring conversation recently has me musing on the process and the act of writing and what it can bring to us. In that conversation, I was nudged...
"Between Stimulus and Response There Is a Space. In That Space Is Our Power To Choose Our Response" That quote is attributed to Viktor Frankl, author of "Man's Search for Meaning", the most personally impactful book I've ever read. Two recent meetings have had me...
Some of us always like to take time to make reasoned, rational, analytical assessments before reaching a decision. Other typically make decisions very quickly and are thought to be highly intuitive. For those who make quick decisions, how do we know if those decisions...
Or is it? I believe in balance and rarely in set answers, in yes or no, either/or, binary choice etc. Being human is complex. We are rational and yet also driven by emotion, by what we sense, what we feel. So, absolutely let us look at what Socrates meant and then...
“Zemblanity, the opposite of serendipity, the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design.” ~ William Safire, The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time One could call this an Unpleasant Non-Surprise. Thanks to my friend Bruce...
"Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises." ~ Rita Golden Gelman A friend shared this with me the other day. I love it ! Allow me...
“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” ~Bruce Lee I've written again and again...
"When you change the way you see things....the things you see change" ~Dr. Wayne Dyer Each week I typically have at least ten 1:1 meetings, some with clients, some with mentees, some with new people, some with longtime friends, colleagues, past clients. This past...
We are the sum total of our experiences. Yesterday's post talked about the power of belief, starting with self-belief. A core to #OpenLeadership is, then, self-knowledge, and recent conversations remind me of this quote : "We are the sum total of our experiences....
A while ago I wrote about one Leadership Superpower, Encouragement. Today I focus on another, Belief, inspired by the brilliant Georgie Loxton (if you want to truly look at what wealth means at all levels for yourself, she is who I refer people to, always). Georgie...
Yes. You. Can. Sharing inspiration from a Para Swimming event.
This week a note. I like to choose to have only enough Structure to allow #Flow, and it feels to me that having set themes for my posts on Fridays (Smashing Paradigms), Saturdays (Writing I love) and Sundays (Movies with Meaning) is now too structured, so after this...
Presence, Seneca, Emotional Equations, The Happiness Equation.
Chapeau to Andrés Iniesta, Derek Jeter, Ed Percival and more. Let us all take endings seriously.
A great quote to begin with ! I am passionate about Diversity of Thought, I am super curious and love to learn from many different quarters and channels (hence my article yesterday: "Synthesising ideas – who inspires you?", listing some writers who inspire me, a group...
One definition of Synthesising is: "combining different aspects of your ideas and research and the ideas of others in order to produce new ideas" Many synthesised ideas are captured in my writing on this site, which is driven by a purpose best stated as : “Our highest...
Is transparency a universal good, or perhaps insistence on transparency indicates a lack of trust ?
Peter Drucker famously said : "Culture eats strategy for breakfast", though I prefer the way Nilofer Merchant put it in this HBR article a few years ago: "Culture Trumps Strategy, Every Time" A core element of Culture is Trust, how we behave around each other, how far...
Weekly series. Do please send suggestions via email, twitter etc. You can send a theme and/or specific movies. Each week we feature three movies with meaning, so send in a movie with a sentence or two on the core meaning you take from it and a clip from the movie that...
Regular readers know that each Saturday I write a "Writing I Love" article, and last week I wrote about Mindset by Carol Dweck. I'd also reference the language and ask you to take a look at it and consider in the context of yesterday's post: "Language shapes the way...
I missed you! Why not? Don't do that! Have a safe flight! (and thanks to a dear friend and colleague for reminding me of this road sign in Cayman!) Four very commonly used phrases that you often use unconsciously. Four phrases that, variously, implant negatives when...
What would it take for you to be rich ? (hint.. perhaps not more money)
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...
Weekly series. Do please send suggestions via email, twitter etc. You can send a theme and/or specific movies. Each week we feature three movies with meaning, so send in a movie with a sentence or two on the core meaning you take from it and a clip from the movie that...
Would you pay more, much more, for someone who takes less time than anyone else to provide you the answers and impact you seek ?