Thoughts

I’ve been trying out a new windsurfing move lately. I’ve been windsurfing for so many years that you’d think I’ve have the sport nailed. But, no, not by a long shot! Windsurfing, especially in the waves, is super-technical. I reckon it’s one of those sports that you can never fully master. There’s always something more […]

A lot of local councils here in New Zealand have recently declared a climate change emergency in their districts. Now, you might think that a bunch of local councils in one of the world’s smaller countries aren’t going to make much of a difference, especially to the global situation. And you might be right. Then […]

If you’re on a mission to make an outsized difference, you’ve signed up for an exciting journey. And also a challenging one. It’s exciting because you’re doing something worthwhile, something with purpose, something that’s going to really make a dent in the universe. And it’s challenging because you’ll come up against inertia. Including those people […]

If you’ve been reading my stuff for a while now, you’ll be familiar with my ‘Year By Design’ practice. Towards the end of each year, I take time out to deliberately design my next twelve months, so I can maximise how I spend my time and create a life that works for me and the […]

I was navigating my way through Sydney airport last week. It was a busy time of day, with plenty of travellers clogging the space. There were big lines everywhere. I was travelling with a group of colleagues. We all knew each other well and we were in a fun, playful mood. And when we encountered […]

Last week, I was lucky enough to listen to and meet James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. The book’s become a global phenomenon. He joined us at Thought Leaders Business School in Sydney to share some of the core ideas in his book. Here are three messages from James that stuck with me. And I […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]