Whenever anyone asks me “are you busy?”, I always answer “no”, then after the ensuing awkward pause, add: “always active, never busy”.
Presence
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...
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…
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…
Towards a Quiet Mind
Being around my three boys in Cayman has had the effect of my subconscious allowing me to slow down my mind. I’m grateful for that…
Make your lives extraordinary
Whatever age and stage we are at in life, we can always carpe diem, we can always choose to make our lives extraordinary.
My first quarantine pause
I arrived in Cayman last Wednesday evening, all going smoothly I will get the all-clear to release from it by Tuesday evening. Today, Monday morning, I'm therefore entering day five of six of this quarantine "pause". In short, it has been a very quiet few days,...
Pausing, Together, Patiently
Yesterday I was on a group call around the theme of "the Power of Pausing". As I listened to the esteemed panellists, I recognised that their themes were all around pausing as individuals. It occurred to me that we can also choose to pause, together. I then thought of...
Follow the Energy
In working with leaders, I often refer to the "Three Tenets of Leadership" of: Set and Hold the ContextManage the EnergyCoach, Don't Play For more on what I mean by these three tenets, read the earlier post: "Managing Energy – learning from comedians" So much of...
Slowing down and enjoying the wildflowers
I took this photo two days ago, when a friend came out from London to "fill their cup" (see this recent post "are you tired or are you depleted?") by taking a walk in the country. Over the summer, this area has had much cooler and wetter conditions than normal, which...
Interrupting is simply assaulting someone’s thinking
Moisture Festival 2010, photo by Michelle Bates One of the positives for me of the way we are now meeting and connecting is that a vibrant group has come together under the banner of "Caymanians Overseas", which (for Caymanians Overseas OR in Cayman, meets weekly on...
When you focus on the past, that’s your ego
Last week, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA title in 50 years, led by the stunning talent of 26-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now, watch this post-match interview for the full impact of such wisdom in one so young, which I capture in these anchors he shared:...
Marina Abramovic on being present for others
Presence is a key skill for leaders. I seek to learn often and from varied sources around this. One of those sources is Marina Abramovic. Presence, specifically the ability to be 100% present for others, is a key skill for leaders. I seek to learn often and from...
Be more Polar Bear, do more nothing
Mornin' to you! How is your Sunday looking? Big plans? Here in London, as regular readers will know, we are locked down for, well, the next couple of months or so I'd figure, so I have no plans, nothing I have to do today. Now, when it comes to my work with leaders, I...
Today is a gift. That is why it’s called the present.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it's called the present. Wisdom from Kung Fu Panda 2 As I write this, living in the London area, times are tough indeed. We are seeing a new variant of Covid that is thought to be 70% more...
The Menu is Not the Meal
As we move into winter in this "Pandemic now", a key focus for us (and in my writing) is on "Proactive Resilience". Some thoughts today to support each of us with our resilience. I have been musing recently in my daily posts around layers of context and language. This...
An hour of play
"The Empty" (c) David Ross You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a lifetime of conversationPlato Having looked at the long term weather forecast, I planned to take today off work to wander the hills of Surrey one last...
Give attention to yourself
Pause to reflect on the generosity we can offer by giving attention to and for ourselves. I love this Simone Weil quote, one shared on a group call of "We are Liminal" last week, a bi-weekly/fortnightly connection call for that group. My experience of the group was...
The Perfect 10-Year Plan
Take the time to make your perfect 10-year plan. Limited edition print available from Steve Chapman As I noted in: "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist", one of my favourite wisdom quotes is: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery,...
Being in Flow
MJ's expression after an inexplicable "flow moment" Today I share with you one of the ultimate flow moments in my life so far, one, where I was so deep in "the zone" for hours that astonishing things happened. Through this, I hope this helps you reflect on when and...
Firing on only two cylinders
sPanoz LMP-1 Roadster, powered by a huge 8 cylinder engine When we "fire on all cylinders" it is a metaphor for everything going smoothly and at full capacity and effort. When we are "not firing on all cylinders", then the assumption is that we are under-performing...
Stop waiting for the perfect moment
Perfection is the enemy of progress. Simply act when conditions are right and stop waiting for the perfect moment. GBP-USD has moved from a low of 1.23 to..over 1.28 in the last month This is yesterday's GBP-USD FX chart for the last month. Nearly a month ago I moved...
Lazy Sunday
Over 1,000 daily posts in a row. Some are short and make one or two simple points, some are curated from others, some are long and indepth with many linkouts. Once in a while, though, I feel to simply model what I encourage leaders to do for themselves, which is to...
Marking moments with place
What a view! In this world we currently live in where we "meet" online so much, this week I had a powerful reminder of how a place can mark a moment. First meetings and place I like to start work with new clients by taking half a day with them in their home town, yet...
“the least racist is still racist”
Awareness is the greatest agent for change. So many white people suddenly waking up the last two weeks and educating themselves. Would that more had chosen to be open to uncomfortable truths earlier, yet grateful so many are seeking to learn and listen and more at...
A weekend pause
Remember to take a weekend pause now and then. There are long pauses such as the world being on pause for about three months of lockdown. There are also micro-pauses such as when we think of something to say when listening to someone else, then check ourselves and...
Looking towards the future
I encourage you, as a leader, to focus on "what comes next?", in looking towards the Future. Yesterday was one of my more esoteric posts: "Musings on Time". Perhaps serendipitously, no sooner had I posted it than I had a truly inspiring and energising initial...
Musings on Time
Today I share some musings about Time. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen"opening line from 1984, by George Orwell The bizarre times and national leadership we are seeing often makes me think of Orwell's 1984 of late, but that...
For a limited time only…life
What will you do with your limited time. Do Pause, a book by Rob Poynton Nearly 1,000 posts ago, my very first daily post was: "Life is Wild and Precious, Be Present", musing on presence, purpose, with one of the anchors being a Mary Oliver poem that ends with the...
Be of Integrity
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. "Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching" This phrase has been very much on my mind in the last week or two. Right now we all (yes, me too) face some frustration as we remain at home,...
People are intrinsically good
People are intrinsically good. Those who know me and follow me know that I am deeply grounded in experience, numbers, facts, science, as well as decades of first-hand experience in business and leadership. Today, I share one message for you to consider from all of...
Focus on Now and on the Future
Taking some time to look out past "what comes next" to "what comes in the future" may also support you and your energy in the present. So many people writing to give you advice on what to do, often going into great specifics. Recognise that I'm also doing the former,...
Patience and Expectations
We have expectations and need to have patience to achieve them. Day five of taking blood thinners for DVT and no noticeable change in pain. Ok, so the Doctor told me it would take 1-2 weeks before I noticed a difference, yet I'm still feeling impatient. Also, six...
Mind the awareness gap
Where are your gaps in awareness, and how can you improve them? I sit here early on a Sunday morning writing this, then will steel myself to visit the emergency room at my local major London hospital. I like to think of myself as a pretty aware person in different...
The World is on Pause
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...
Pausing…
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...