As I wrote in my last post, since turning 50 I’ve found myself wrestling more often with those big, existential questions. It’s a real tension: my mission is to help people connect with information and inspire them to reach their potential, yet sometimes the world stage makes it feel like we're heading in the opposite … Continue reading When the world feels heavy, look closer to home
Navigating faith, doubt, and the second half of life
There’s a phrase that has been knocking around in my thinking for some time now: “the second half of life”. My path toward understanding this transition began, in part, by listening to Fr. Richard Rohr’s book, Falling Upward. The core insight - that wisdom involves embracing doubt and struggle rather than seeking simple answers - … Continue reading Navigating faith, doubt, and the second half of life
Playfulness
Why do we often show up so differently at work than in the rest of our lives? Why do our work selves have to be so different from our everyday selves? Lots of times through my career I've been pleasantly surprised to find out how fun and playful colleagues can be. But you often only … Continue reading Playfulness
Hiut Denim
Last week I visited somewhere I've wanted to go for ages. And I spent more money on a single pair of jeans (again) than I've spent on a whole suit in the past!Why the hell would I do that?1. They are Hiuts. Simply the best quality jeans I have ever owned (this is my second … Continue reading Hiut Denim
Rick Rubin
This is Rick Rubin. One of the greatest record producers of all time. Never heard of him? You'll definitely have heard of some of the bands he's worked with. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer, System of a Down, Adele, Linkin Park, Aerosmith, Jay Z, AC/DC, Run DMC... The llst really does go on and on. … Continue reading Rick Rubin
The dojo
This is my dojo. Wait a minute... Where are the mats? The punchbags? The people in white suits shouting? Well that's one kind of dojo, yes. One in which I have spent a huge portion of my adult life! But the dojo is not exclusive to martial arts. The word "dojo" means a place of … Continue reading The dojo
What three things
I was an event last week and someone asked me: "What are the biggest challenges to growth and future success that your clients face?" I thought about it for a moment and realised that there are three of them. Two that everyone is aware of and one that hardly anyone thinks about. The first two … Continue reading What three things
Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast – Or Does It?
I had a conversation recently with a fellow consultant in which we discussed that well-known business maxim “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. The rationale behind this phrase seems to be that if you have an outstanding company culture, you don’t need to have a strategy. Or conversely, you can have the best strategy in the … Continue reading Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast – Or Does It?
Inertia and momentum
Let’s talk about physics. OK please don’t stop reading, because this is one of the best life hacks I ever learned! Inertia and momentum are two powerful physical properties of matter. In very simple language, inertia is the force which must be overcome in order to start a body moving. Momentum, by contrast, is the force … Continue reading Inertia and momentum
Empathy
There's a fact about the human condition which explains a lot about the ways we often interact. When I do something, I understand my reasons for doing it - all of the reasons, emotions and back-story to whatever that act is. When someone else does something though, we have none of that context. All that … Continue reading Empathy
That Richard Bloke 