When Does Change Happen (how can I spot the before and after)?

When does change happen and how can you spot the before and after? I was talking this week about with someone about ‘better conversations’, how different all their conversations were. But she couldn’t see the join, she couldn’t identify the point at which something switched and everything changed. What’s going on here and why is it so hard to spot?

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Resilience: What if I'm the Exception?

“Resilience is fine in theory, but what if I’m an exception and don’t bounce back?” That’s such a common questions, and, ironic also, that it’s common when we’re asking about being the exception. Resilience isn’t a theory, it’s a description of something that’s real about you, and here’s why and why it isn’t possible for you to be an exception. (whether you believe it or not ;-))

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Who's in the Room? Questioning Assumptions...

A simple question can open up many new roads for us. “Who’s in the room?” is one such question, asked as part of a strategy review. The answer was surprising, and even knowing there are questions that go unasked, assumptions that go unseen and, therefore, unquestioned, can be highly impactful for many of us and the work we do.

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Perceptions and Reality: What Do We See When We Look at the World?

Do we see the world as it is, or as we are? We see these kinds of statements and we kinda know them to be true, but do we really? Do we really see that the world that we see out there is not at all a perception of reality, but a reflection of what’s on our mind. Here’s how it looks to me…

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Leadership Lessons from Counter-insurgency Strategy (I didn't go looking but what I found was illuminating)

Counter-insurgency strategy may be an unusual place to look for leadership lessons, and I didn’t exactly go looking, I was pulled in. What I found there surprised me and challenged me. I should be surprised by this (it happens so often!), but I was. It was a highly relevant and fascinating journey. Read more here...

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Leadership Lessons from Basecamp (which are actually general lessons, of course)

If a company makes what they call ‘a full version change’ in their policies and practices, then it seems worthy of at least a cursory exploration of what’s going on from a leadership perspective, and it’s at least an opportunity to ask the question ‘what would I do?’ Well, here’s what happened when we took a look…

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Influencing: What Does it Take to Really Change Someone's Behaviour?

What does it really take to change, not only what someone says about an issue, but what they actually think and therefore what they do? No matter what we have been told before, there is only really one way that we change, and it’s easier and also more frustratingly nebulous than we think. Read on to find out what it is and how to facilitate it.

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Leading Change: Target v Tactic?

If we only have one tool in our leadership toolkit, we can become blinded to its effectiveness or otherwise. Versus having a good understanding of what we’re aiming for, that ‘feeling’ in a relationship for example. And that, combined with the freedom of mind to pull anything from our infinite toolkit is more likely a winning approach.

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Re-assessing Your Leadership Role: How Has It Changed this Year? (and what does that mean going forward?)?

How do you think about your leadership role compared to pre-pandemic, pre-homeworking, pre-the shifts and changes that have happened for you and your colleagues and staff? I wonder if this question is being asked, and, even if that's a yes, is enough space being allowed for deep reflection?

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Leading with Kindness (without being a pushover): Six Beacons to Illuminate Your Path.

Practical questions on leading with kindness, arising from sitting with a group and finding our way in this landscape. We looked at questions like, 'how do I be the person I want to be and not contaminated by my organisation's culture?' 'how do I maintain kindness when I'm met with anger?' I hope they provide some light on your path.

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