Thoughts

Want to change how stuff gets done more easily? Try being an ‘experimentalist’. One of my heroes is Leonardo Da Vinci. He valued what he called dimostrazione: a commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. He was someone who was always experimenting. And as a result, his legacy […]

Following the shocking events in Christchurch in March this year, I’ve been reflecting on ‘being with difference.’ It’s hard for me to comprehend how someone could go to such extremes, and I’ve found myself in a strong state of judgment about the shooter’s behaviour. Probably like most of us. And as I notice my judgment, […]

I’ve been in a few conversations recently where people were experiencing the old ’Imposter Syndrome’. That nasty, frustrating jumble of thoughts and feelings that stops us from shining and leading in the way we really want to. Let’s start with this. If you experience Imposter Syndrome, that says to me that you’ve got some humility […]

    Do you want feedback about you when you’re at your best? Are you wondering how you can make a difference to others in the most authentic way? Then read on.   Getting honest, affirming feedback helps you to grow your self-awareness, and better understand what you are all about. In the Havard Business […]

At a recent workshop in Wellington, I was in conversation with a group of senior managers about the people whom they believed were most effective leaders in times of change. After some reflection, here are some of the words that come out to describe those people:   One of the managers stopped for a bit […]

A couple of weeks ago, at our most recent Change Makers workout, our guest speaker lobbed an interesting question to us: “Are you a Builder, or an Architect?” She was referencing The Lego Movie. In Lego society, most people are Builders. The Builders follow the rules, do what’s asked of them, and are good citizens. […]

Last week I was in Perth. It’s great city for kitesurfing. Which is what I learned to do while I was there. Kitesurfing is an exhilarating sport. There’s massive power in the kite, and if you don’t learn to work with it, it’s going to dominate you every time. It will even kill you. I […]

We all harbor two things: A desire to be significant Fears about our ability to be significant These two things compete for our attention all the time. Which one do we listen to? The desire, or the fear? Our desire to be significant is…significant. We want to be seen. We want to matter. As we’ve […]

  Courage is one of those qualities that distinguishes the bold from the bland. When what’s right and what’s safe are two different paths, your degree of willingness to be courageous is what determines the path you take. When what you truly want comes with uncertainty and risk, courage is your link between intention and […]

In sport, there’s a saying that, when heeded, unquestionably boosts performance. “Where you look is where you go.” Similarly, in my years of working with leaders in all sorts of settings, I’ve noticed that a conversation’s outcome depends very much on where the conversation is focused. Take Bruce, an under-pressure senior leader who’s leading a […]