Thoughts

Down the road from my place there’s a takeaway shop called “Mr Pies & Fries.” I’ve never been in there, yet it always grabs my attention. Not because the sign is anything special. It’s because I know exactly what I’m going to get when I do go in there. There’s nothing ambiguous about it. If […]

I’ve been on some great leadership courses throughout my career. I’ve had great teachers. I’ve been exposed to brilliant ideas. And through the shared experience of a course, I’ve developed a rich network of colleagues, many of whom I still connect with today. But none of those courses can compare to the best leadership course […]

You may have noticed that this is the first time that I’ve published something in a little while. That’s because I’ve been in ‘the trough’. The trough is the place between peaks. In surfing, it’s the low point between two swells. It’s where you’re paddling hard, but, to the outside observer at least, there’s not […]

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, […]