This week I was complimented by a reader on sharing some incisive and concise ideas in my daily writing. That is wonderful to hear, as a) I can talk a lot when on a roll (!), and b) I love the Da Vinci adage of: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". The thing...
What we see and do not see is a matter of our perspective. How many pillars are there? The answer is seven. Or, how many women can you see? Most see pillars, only some immediately see beyond to the women. This has me thinking about seeing what others don't see. This...
John Muir I love hiking. I love walking for the purpose of exercise, of a heart rate over 100bpm for hours on end, of the feeling of walking fast and strongly for exercise. I also love to walk for a different reason, to walk to allow the process of walking to clear my...
The late, great Ed Percival This week in Cayman I find myself musing on Perspectives, on Legacy, on Context, all as I am here with my own Context this week of CONNECTION. After two meetings early in the week with a current client and a past client, I find myself...
Lessons learned from working with a master Feldenkrais practitioner . Yoda, a quintessential Master Over a year ago I injured my Achilles badly. No specific event, I simply was walking a lot that summer and it became injured and wouldn't heal. Months later, frustrated...
Coaches do not give advice. What do I mean? Coaching = Asking, NOT Telling When a coach is actually in the role of a coach, when they are coaching, they do not give advice. Ever. However, coaches are also often asked to fill four other roles at times, those of mentor,...
What are your biases? You might say: "I'm not biased". Don't believe me? Try answering these three questions, known as the Cognitive Reflection Test. (1) A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? _...
Taking time to walk to a lunch meeting yesterday I constantly listen to leaders who feel they don't have enough time. If I suggest to them that we take a walk rather than meet in their office, they oftentimes look at me like I'm crazy. Until that is, we actually go...
the Open Leadership model Saying you are vulnerable is not the same as being vulnerable. The four core qualities of #OpenLeadership are: Be HungryBe HumbleBe BraveBe Open Linked to that is Chip Conley's idea of being a "vulnerable visionary" a leader who expresses...
Helping customers find simplicity in a complex world. Inspiration Yesterday I had the privilege of watching an audience with the author Matt Haig at the Edinburgh Book Festival. His writing style is often simple and concise. When asked about this, he noted...
A key passage from Dune around transcending fear, then close with my favourite quote of all time, from Marianne Williamson. In my mid-teens, I read Dune by Frank Herbert, to this day one of my favourite books. It is one of those books that is regarded as "unfilmable",...
Take no credit: Real leaders don't care about receiving credit. Here is a lesson we all need to learn a little more. Yes, definitely me. Over a year ago I reworked this website, right now I'm doing it again. As with last year, I am again seeking professional outside...
If you have not already watched "The Great Hack" on Netflix, I recommend you do so. Now. Many of us are all too familiar with the scandal of how Cambridge Analytica used Facebook user data to influence (fix?) both the 2016 Brexit vote and then the US Presidential...
"I tell my students, 'When you get these jobs that you have een so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else." - Toni Morrison Toni...
Do you dread getting into disagreements? What if I told you that the highest performing teams have the most disagreements? What would it take for you to want to have more disagreements? What if I told you that you could actually look forward to disagreements, even...
Do you send emails after 5:30 pm? Suggestions on business email from "It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work". "It doesn't have to be crazy at work" is a book full of nuggets of wisdom that can change your life and that of those who work with you. Seriously, every single...
Today is the fourth anniversary of the passing of Ed Percival, my greatest mentor in life. Ed taught me so much. As a homage to him, the page on this site focussed on potential clients assessing what they are seeking in a coach and how I work with my clients is called...
Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning "a reason for being". This concept is illustrated with overlapping circles of "what you love" and "what the world needs". A few days ago in "Can you do what you love?", I talked about how we can look to do more of the "what you...
Leading from Purpose is a golden opportunity to bring out the best in your people. "There is a natural pull for executives, even CEOs, to be managers rather than leaders. They can become so focused on profit that they cannot generate profit because they cannot release...
"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist" ~ Pablo Picasso Today a story to illustrate this thought from Picasso. A story of skilled and highly experienced professionals knowing when to throw away the rule book and the script and go with...
"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms" ~ Socrates Yesterday I had a wonderful and inspiring two-hour lunch conversation which became an exploration of the definition of wisdom. The quote from Socrates came to mind, as there was much discussion around the...
"I think the best entrepreneurs are Vulnerable Visionaries. Its a combination of being vulnerable and having confidence." ~ Chip Conley I have referenced Chip Conley in my daily posts multiple times, with his concept of "Vulnerable Visionary" one learning I repeatedly...
A wonderful quote from one of my favourite books, "Dune", the 1965 science fiction masterpiece by Frank Herbert focussed around clans and corporations fighting for power, where power means control of a powerful (interesting that choice of descriptor!) drug that is...
Language, truth and trust, as relates to a recent blog by Seth Godin on different types of truth. One of the things I love about London is the ease of attending talks and workshops and learning from amazing intellects. Last week was one such occasion where I went to a...
"I don't like the term patient capital, that is not long term enough" This line was spoken last night at dinner by legendary Scots investor Sir Angus Grossart. He then noted that he is a long term investor and that he feels he thinks longer term than Warren Buffett. I...
Most of you will know this quote from Steve Jobs, one of several respected business leaders who will give advice along the lines of: Surround yourself with people smarter than you are Today though, let me link this to the idea of giving and receiving advice. Recently...
There are indeed no ordinary moments and life carries on in the people you meet. A personal blog today and also one where I wish to share from what I took from a day of shock news. I write this shortly after receiving the unexpected news that someone very close to me...
Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Capital has a personal net worth reported to be over $18bn, sourced from his hugely lucrative hedge fund business. When he wrote a 7,500-word opinion piece this month called "Why (and how) capitalism needs to be reformed", this created a stir...
Sir Alex Ferguson in customary pose, yelling at his players Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest football coaches, was famous for "giving his players the hairdryer treatment", ie yelling at them. Today a repost of a wonderful interview this week by Kieran Shannon of...
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live...
"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get" A favourite quote of mine from one of the world's great investors, Warren Buffett, a wise elder who I've constantly learned from for well over two decades. Today I'd like you to consider two things. One is the price you...
We've all experienced and given a "non-apology" apology. You know what that feels like to hear and to give. Incomplete or worse. The least apologetic "non-apology" will both try to justify what was said or done with excuses, then say something like "I'm sorry if you...
Recently, spurred by my friend Bruce Peters, I wrote: "Give no advice". Bruce then wrote a follow-up and I feel to share his wisdom, reproduced below. Some advice bears repeating and accentuating (and yes, I get the irony!). From Bruce Peters: Re: "No Advice" Post...
In January I wrote: "Purpose, People, Planet. The new triple bottom line." That article puts forward that it is time for a new triple bottom line, one that creates: "a “Righteous Flywheel”, where the unerring focus on Purpose+People+Planet as drivers allows the...
What if we aim too low? Today three thoughts on that : Seth Godin on the Icarus Deception My own thoughts on what clients ask for most often from me Marianne Williamson and my favourite quote So, thoughts around "what if we aim too low?" Seth Godin and the Icarus...
What do you see first in the picture above? In looking at it, did you notice yourself slowing down and focussing closely on the image? In my most recent three daily posts, I have focussed on a theme of reducing and simplifying. When we do this, we are able to bring...