In the uncertain world we live in, effective leadership bridges the gap to certainty with humble confidence. Today’s high levels of uncertainty are a hangover-inducing mix of at least these 4 factors: increasing interdependencies which make the consequences of our decisions less predictable; fragility as we’ve been sacrificing all redundancy and contingency at the altar […]
Values
You are what you do, not what you say you are.
“You are what you do, not what you say you are.” Simple truth from Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s wonderful book “Let my people go surfing” I’ve known many CEOs launch on an exercise to define their company values. And sadly for most of them, those values rarely make it out of a Word doc (other […]
A CEO’s fundamental duty is to create an environment for their team to flourish
One of the core responsibilities of a leader, if not the core responsibility, is to create a work environment where those who want to grow, and are prepared to commit to it, are able to do so. It doesn’t necessarily need a vast L&D budget (though some is always helpful!). But it does require a […]
Ask not what purpose can do for your profit
With a nod towards JFK… Ask not what purpose can do for your profits, but what your profits can do to serve your purpose. There’s a lot of talk about how purpose makes your company more profitable. With all due respect, that’s a pile of horseploppy. Purpose can enhance your profitability. But I also know […]
Build Back Better means Build Back Kinder
Build back better means build back kinder. With a special responsibility if you lead a company. With talk of a K-shaped recovery, where fortunes ascend for some while they plummet for others, it’s up to all on the ascendant leg of the K to look out for those on the descendent. Not (just) out of […]