2 min read
The paradox of public leadership (or: just give them the damn picnic table)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” “I must be cruel to be kind” “The child is the father of the man” Literature is full of...
Decision making
3 min read
You'd never run a business like this! taking the boot out of the public sector volume 2
This week, I continue my 'Taking the boot out of the public sector' series. It's too common to dunk on government, and when even the politicians get...
1 min read
Public services are complex
One of the most popular and least imaginative criticisms of the public sector is that it is less efficient than the private sector. Since the late...
1 min read
How to ask quality questions
Bad questions kill relationships. When we turn up to a meeting, conversation, or email powered by judgement and annoyance, our questions reflect...
1 min read
A strategic choice a day keeps the existential dread at bay
Do you have everything you want? Do you have the resources to close the gap?
4 min read
10 ways to take control of your life
Sometimes, the world spins wildly out of your control, and you forget you have control of your life. Here are ten things you can take charge of right...
1 min read
How to deal with all that pesky sh*t in your life
Don't let trivial shit hijack your potential for a brilliant life. It's one thing to get clear on your most important priorities and zero in on your...
2 min read
Good decisions
When COVID hit, many of us experienced – and are still experiencing – serious financial uncertainty. Businesses lost revenue, people lost jobs, and...
2 min read
Stave off mediocrity with perspective and purpose
I read this little anecdote by Donald Miller a few years ago, and it’s always stayed with me:
2 min read
Push out your payoff
How much time do you spend thinking about the future? How far out are you thinking? An interesting study on mental time travel1, discovered that, on...
2 min read
There is no right decision
This newsletter is brought to you by Not An MBA, the accelerated executive leadership programme that transforms your life and work in just eight...
1 min read
Make the minimum viable decision
What are you tangled up in knots about right now? I bet you've got a decision weighing on you. Whether it's a job offer, a location change, a...
1 min read
How to make tricky decisions
The average person makes 17,000 decisions a day. Most of those are easy, like what to have for breakfast or what time to leave for work, but some are...
2 min read
3 myths about decisions that need busting
I've been interested in what it means to make good, long-term decisions for a long time. Fresh out of university, I entered a policy career, all...
7 min read
When progress goes too far: becoming a top woman manager
Over the weekend, I picked up this delightful little read in my favourite Woodville op shop. At first, I laughed. The cover is dated, the terminology...
2 min read
Fast decisions in uncertain times
When our future is uncertain and our workload is high, we need leaders who can make big decisions fast. As we start the COVID leadership autopsies...
1 min read
Go off plan but stay on strategy
When I was a broke student and single mum, I remember doing countless household budgets to try and keep on top of things. I’d put the ideal budget...
1 min read
How to be more strategic
I teach two-day workshops and eight-week courses on how to be more strategic. I've written you three books on the topic. But you're busy, and you...
2 min read
Preparation beats prediction
One of my favourite strategy workshops to run is about strategic risk - preparing for the worst. I recognise that sounds dire, but I promise it...
2 min read
3 myths about decision-making
I've been interested in what it means to make good, long-term decisions for a long time. I entered a policy career fresh out of university, all fired...
2 min read
How to make a good decision
Making decisions is hard work. It’s hard enough to make choices for yourself - bring other people into the mix, and it can seem impossible. How do...
4 min read
Set your own direction
The unhelpful pressure of a master plan Navigation needs a starting point Get perspective on your past Set your future compass Take the next right...
3 min read
Why now is the right time to start your own business
You already know the benefits of self-employment: freedom to shape your work and lifestyle, earning potential, and more fulfilling and impactful...
6 min read
How to make hard decisions more easily
Have you got a hard choice to make? Whether it's at work or home, having tricky choices ahead weighs on you, even when you aren't actively thinking...