Thoughts

You know what’s better than building things up in your imagination? Building things up in real life. – Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is the Way   This period of lockdown has given us a golden opportunity to ask ‘what do we want? For ourselves, for our organisations, and for society. Personally, I’ve become really energised […]

“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 […]

In times of disruption, a focus on time management gives us a sense of control and stability. But if we want to thrive, we need to look beyond simply mastering our calendar.  I wrote this piece before the rise of the Covid19 crisis. I think it’s even more relevant now.   For years, I’ve taken […]

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 […]

“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” John F. Kennedy   Early in my career in Perth, I worked as a Chartered Accountant for one of those big consulting firms. This was back in the day when you couldn’t leave the building without your suit jacket on. You always wore a […]

Over the summer break, I’ve managed to get through a good number of books. The topics cover leadership, organisational culture, the future of work, identity and purpose – all things I’m thinking about right now. I reckon these books are all useful, thought-provoking reads for any leader, change-maker or restless go-getter who’s searching for inspiration […]

Most days when I’m home in Wellington, I take a three minute walk down my street to the local coffee shop for a fix. And not just a fix of coffee. Also a fix of inspiration. This morning, my good man Roger and I chatted away as he made my usual flat white. And then […]

  Last week I was part of a panel at which final year MBA students presented their career strategies for their post-MBA life. This was their final hurdle to completing their MBA at the Auckland Business School, and part of a course called ‘Coaching For Change’ that I’ve delivered there for the past eight years. […]

On my recent windsurfing trip in Western Australia, I noticed an interesting social dynamic. One evening, our crew were sitting and chatting around the campfire. From memory, we were talking about the gay marriage debate that was raging in Australia a couple of years ago. Not a light subject, to be sure. There were two […]