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
Category: Inspiration
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
Let’s end “hustle culture”
Some years ago, I used to be that guy. The one who was in the gym, on the rowing machine by 6am on a weekday (and with the social media pictures to prove it.) Workout, shower, change, and on the train to the office by 07:30. Just like all of those online influencers, I was … Continue reading Let’s end “hustle culture”
One of the greatest leaders of our time?
When you think of a truly great leader, who springs to mind? Winston Churchill? Mahatma Gandhi? Martin Luther King? All great candidates for sure, but I have another that I’m willing to bet you’ve never thought about. Andrew John Ridgeley. Allow me to explain. Back in the 1970s Georgios Panayiotou (known to his friends as … Continue reading One of the greatest leaders of our time?
Why aren’t more people doing this?
I had a great day this week working with a group of clients at which I introduced some radically different ways of thinking about organisational structure and culture. They were based around a philosophy that I’ve seen implemented over the last few years and which genuinely create a newer, fresher and more effective kind of … Continue reading Why aren’t more people doing this?
What’s a hedgehog got to do with anything?
K.I.S.S. Not the Prince song, the acronym - Keep It Simple, Stupid. It’s blunt advice, but also very valuable. In many areas of life, the simple strategy is often the best one. In his landmark book Good to Great, Jim Collins and his team came across this same thing in all of the successful companies … Continue reading What’s a hedgehog got to do with anything?
I’ll just…
Sometimes it seems like there are too many things to do. A list so full that it's hard to know where to begin. In the face of this overwhelmingly load, we often freeze. Unable to see a way through or even the place to start. The bills need paying Clients are chasing for assignments to … Continue reading I’ll just…
Traffic
When you’re stuck in a traffic jam and look around, what do you see? Other people. They are traffic. Their journey is the root of the problem, keeping you from your important destination. Here’s the thing though. When they look around, what do they see? You. You are also traffic. You are part of the … Continue reading Traffic
You can’t pour from an empty cup
Do you know that (I think) zen story about the master pouring tea for his know-it-all pupil? The one where he keeps on pouring as the tea overflows the cup? The lesson is that in order to learn, it’s important to empty the vessel of preconceived notions and allow the tea to be poured into … Continue reading You can’t pour from an empty cup
That Richard Bloke 