3 min read
Leadership
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...
8 min read
4 steps to playing the long game
How was your 2020, overall? Mine was a nightmare, to be honest.
2 min read
Is the pain real? precedent, phantom and projection
One of the worst things I’ve experienced in my adult life was a horrific abscess I had in my tooth when I was 22. I was immobilised with pain and the...
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...
4 min read
You can be the one who changes things
It's never been more possible to do great work You are always free to choose a different path Your employer wants you to shake it up. It's never been...
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
Tippity tap, send
Recently, my 9-year-old daughter imitated what people do at work with this handy little phrase: "Tippity tap, send.". With that, she struck an air...
2 min read
Success hack: networking with the right people
The company you keep matters. When you're surrounded by smokers, you're more likely to be a smoker. When your friends are successful at work, you're...
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...
2 min read
How to ask bigger questions
Most meetings and workshops are a waste of time. They're full of people resolving trivial issues that could be handled by email or delegation with...
5 min read
Are you impatient? manage daily annoyances with 4 key strategy skills
In this post Four ways to help you calm your impatient farm: 1. Go back to the future. 2. Get some distance. 3. Remember why. 4. Quit everything. Do...
1 min read
Stop being a hero
I used to think I was a bit of a hero—I was even proud of it. Beating the odds, I shifted my life story from high school dropout, teen mum, and...
2 min read
How to walk the talk
Have you ever had one of those ‘practice what you preach’ moments? Where you realise you need to walk the talk to have any impact? I have those...
1 min read
Learning in lockdown: use crisis to develop new skills
I always have my best ideas on a plane. It's not great in lockdown, I'll admit, but there's something about putting myself in a different situation...
1 min read
Get problems you're proud of
Problems are like cockroaches and glitter - they'll always be there, even after the apocalypse. Solve these, and you'll get new ones. Also, your...
4 min read
Tell, don't sell: how to get what you want at work
I had a great conversation with an IT leader in Australia this week. She was doing good work, but she was feeling increasingly frustrated by people...
7 min read
Learn from your mistakes: make the most of failure
Everybody makes mistakes, but only some people know how to use them to get better. If you've made a mistake this week, that's great. It means you're...
5 min read
Find your why journey update #1
I recently sent out a Wednesday Wisdom about a traumatic time I've experienced in my personal life and business.
2 min read
Stop telling yourself old stories
Welcome to another Wednesday Wisdom, Friend. Every week, I share with you what I'm thinking about life, work, and leadership. This week we're talking...
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...
1 min read
On micro-influence.
Influencer marketing is the most popular guerrilla marketing strategy of the last ten years. In 2018, 81% of marketers reported that influencer...
1 min read
Eiffel tower leadership
Today, the Eiffel Tower is a global icon synonymous with Paris and its allure. But it wasn't always that way. During the tower's construction, many...