As babies, as young children, and young adults we (hopefully) are taught, eventually, to have and value our independence. Psychologically this is a vital part of our development as we learn to become our own person, find our own sense of self and identity. We separate from the parental guardrails and make our way in...
The legend of King Arthur and his round table is a powerful one and like all myths, legends and fairy tales, it contains many archetypes and principles that are both timeless and great sources of wisdom. One that feels most prescient for today’s world is the expression of cooperative leadership and for this the round...
We all enjoy reminiscing about the past and it can bring much comfort especially when things are so uncertain. Indeed the past can contain many useful pearls of wisdom if we have the ability to stand in an objective space and harvest the value. There are, however, risks with being reliant on the past. By...
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...