Something I’ve observed in many leaders is the feeling that they have to have an answer when asked a question. Not so. And not even for the reason a thousand coaches have told you, which is to be vulnerable. There's a deeper reason. Which is that often it's not really ...
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"I cannot judge what he did, because I did not have his information". A particularly sage comment from the then 82-year-old Lee Kuan Yew, former Prime Minister of Singapore. Judgement is in many ways the same as advice. When we give advice, it is from our perspective, which is always ...
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It’s a funny thing I notice about LinkedIn. Posts about vulnerability, authenticity and psychological safety get a lot of interaction. Which is great, as these are important, if nuanced, topics in leadership. However, posts about some of the harder parts of leadership, such as dealing with an underperforming team member, ...
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“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” What is true of "men" in Edmund Burke's famous quote is true of any social unit - communities, companies, governments. I believe most humans are good, and the vast majority are not intentionally bad ...
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The killing of George Floyd is unconscionable not just for its brutality and inhumanity, but for its inevitability. Because in societies whose actions value the lives of some less than others, oppression doesn't start with a policeman crushing a neck. It takes deeper roots to lead to these kinds of ...
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It never ceases to amaze me when SMEs voluntarily kill off their own advantages. One of the beauties of being relatively small is that we can be nimble. We can respond or pre-empt quickly. We don't need to get 8 levels of approval, manage 9 competing quarterly-bonus obsessed execs and ...
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"It would be a tragedy if after spending $10-20tn of public money we simply rebuild the same unequal, vulnerable and high-carbon economy we had before." Dr Andrew Steer, president and CEO of World Resources Institute. I couldn't have said it better. But beyond saying it, we actually need to act ...
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I was asked on Monday if I know a leader who over-communicates. Honestly? I've neither known nor often been one who's communicated enough. It's a top 3 concern in every leadership team I've worked with. Often number 1. (Though I have known many a leader who sometimes talked too much! Guilty ...
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