Thoughts

Towards the end of 2020, I worked with one of New Zealand’s highest profile public sector executive teams. In the year that was, the CEO and the organisation had been under the pump and was in the media spotlight for most of the year. They were keen to reflect and review how they’d led during […]

When we follow the process blindly we can totally miss the point. Last week in a workshop we were served pescatarian muffins. Well, technically just one pescatarian muffin, because there was only one labelled like that. There was a whole other tray of muffins which looked just the same as the solo pescatarian one. I […]

“If you care about what they care about, they’ll care about what you care about.” Anonymous.   I watched The Trial of the Chicago Seven on Netflix the other day. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth the watch. It’s a dramatisation of the 1968 indictment and trial of seven protestors charged with intent […]

“Any idiot can face a crisis. It’s the day-to-day living that wears you out” – Anton Chekhov   Over the past week or so, as COVID-19 has paid another visit to New Zealand’s shores, I’ve noticed how many leaders have yet again gone into the ‘Covid-mode’ of leadership. ‘Covid-mode’ is all about reacting to problems. […]

I was on the train last week, heading into the CBD. As we pulled into Wellington station, the lady sitting next to me caught my eye. She launched into a mini-rant about racism and how she couldn’t believe we hadn’t solved this problem yet. “It’s the 21st century! We should have this sorted by now, […]

As we witness the ferocity of the anger in the protests that have ignited across the US, I’ve been trying to make sense of what’s going on. Here’s one idea I’ve landed on: It’s a powerful example of ‘energy in action.’ Or, more specifically, it’s a huge mass of potential energy being converted into kinetic […]

Remove the peripheral to get to the real. Jenny Brown-Zikic   Last week I went out to dinner with some friends for the first time in eight weeks. After an extended hiatus, the anticipation was high, and I wasn’t disappointed. Meeting face to face rather than through Zoom brought a totally different quality to the […]

“We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature.” – Brene Brown   What Have We Learned? Over the past few days I’ve reflected on what I’ve learned during lockdown. Lockdown has forced me to let go of some of my old habits e.g. commuting […]

If you’re anything like me, the last few weeks have been pretty adrenaline-filled. In trying to adapt to our new, emerging context, I’ve been flat out talking with clients, writing new programmes, delivering webinars and establishing new routines for work and home. While I’m not a fan of it, the word ‘pivot’ would be apt […]

I suspect that the recent decisions made by the New Zealand and Australian governments requiring inbound travellers to self-isolate for 14 days have been an ‘awareness tipping point’ for many. The realities of the Covid19 threat are no longer something happening ‘out there’ in the world. They’re now hitting right ‘here’, where it hurts. I’ve […]