I read an article yesterday that suggested that Rishi Sunak was ‘behaving like he thought a Prime Minister should’ rather than being himself. Regardless of Politics it had me thinking about the fine line between ‘acting as if’ and being untrue to one’s own essence. The great power of ‘acting as if’ is that it...
If we look across our team or our organisation most people know what they’re doing – there’s a reassuring competence. The work gets done, results get delivered. What may be missing though is whether people know why they’re doing what they’re doing. What’s the higher purpose for their endeavours? We know that purpose, why the...
In a search for great examples of leadership in movies, war, battles and conflict feature heavily as does the call for courage. Undoubtedly we can all associate with the challenges of courage in a conflict situation and especially one involving physical life and death. Reflecting on what we mean by courage in leadership can often...
Okay, so Covid hasn’t gone away but we are learning to live with it in a world of work that is immensely altered for many organisations and their people. Though there has been a return to the office for many it’s on a hybrid basis. The centre of gravity has shifted somewhat from a fully...
Fear is a vital factor in human survival…it protects us in the face of the ‘grizzly bears’ we encounter in life. The challenge though is to know when a fear-based response, running away, burying our heads etc. is the right response and when courage is what’s required. Our systems are crumbling. Uncertainty is rife. Physical...
As soon as we open the subject of masculine and feminine in any context, the temptation is to rush to gender and separation. In inviting us to reflect on the feminine within leadership it’s important to be clear that this isn’t about labelling men and women, male and female leaders even though we can and...
According to Fast Company, reporting on the positioning of the latest range of Apple watches, Apple ‘used to sell wonder, now it sells fear.’ This new range is supposedly about helping us survive the challenges of a difficult and uncertain world. Sure we are living in tough times yet the more we buy into this...
In the past few days we have seen an immense ending as HM Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years of extraordinary service came to an end. The baton and responsibility have passed to her son and heir, taking us into a new era. So far we have witnessed much continuity with activation of centuries old processes...
I sometimes find myself referring to the story of the ‘Boiled Frog’ when reflecting on how easy it is for us to adapt to worsening circumstances. It’s a pretty grim allegory in reality and yet the evidence of its meaning is ever present in our world. On the one hand, it’s great that we are...
How often do you find yourself reflecting on the path not taken? Maybe it’s with curiosity, regret or perhaps relief. On a personal level we are of course faced with many choices and decisions and in each moment, we hopefully do our best to consider all the consequences and impacts – on us and others....