Thoughts

I was watching my son’s rugby game on the weekend. They took a hammering. And I reckon I know what happened. First, there were the ‘set pieces’. That’s where the game pauses for a bit, usually due to a penalty being given, or a try being scored. The team with the ball takes a moment, […]

I’m often asked by leaders how they can harness the collective energy of a group of people to achieve great things. It seems to be a point of frustration and stuckness for many, so I thought I’d share a story about a meeting that I was lucky enough to be a part of last week. […]

Last week my family and I went on an amazing road trip through the South Island of New Zealand. We took the back roads, including a spectacular four-hour drive on winding gravel roads through Molesworth Station (check out the pic). Our 17-year-old son drove some of the way. He’s had his license for about nine […]

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 […]

  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 […]

Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to observe a large number of ‘fireside chats’: those events where a senior leader comes in and speaks with a group of up-and-coming leaders, usually in the context of a leadership development programme. I’ve noticed two distinct approaches to how the senior leader will show up and engage. […]

I was watching a guitar tutorial on YouTube a couple days ago. The instructor was really good, both as a player, and as a teacher. (By the way, he’s teaching one of the coolest songs you can play on acoustic guitar, ‘Never Going Back Again’ by Fleetwood Mac). Towards the end of the tutorial, the […]