3 min read
Values-based living: the hardest and easiest path to peace
When I was 25, I left my job with two kids, a mortgage to pay, and a husband on apprentice wages. I'd left my policy job in frustration, looking for...
Leadership (3)
2 min read
What got you here won't get you there
Apparently doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. I think that applies to 'doing more of the same thing'...
2 min read
Make peace with problems
Let me paint you a picture of a workshop I facilitated recently. Fourteen senior leaders crowd around the boardroom table of an artful...
3 min read
Get your meetings under control: 6 questions to help you banish back-to-backs
Everyone is having too many meetings. In many teams, people click from one conversation to another, becoming paradoxically more bored and overwhelmed...
1 min read
Don't worry about your culture
I hear a lot about organisational culture. It’s pretty trendy, and seems to be blamed for a full spectrum of ills at work. Makes sense, it’s nice and...
1 min read
Freshen up your focus
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that priorities shift. As we returned to our homes, spent more time with our families, watched our health more...
3 min read
How to find your calm
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are too busy, then you should sit for an hour.” -Old Zen saying I’ve talked a lot...
3 min read
How to take calculated risks: 3 key steps
Fear Is Like Alcohol .. because it makes parties more interesting. JUST KIDDING.Fear is like alcohol because it clouds our judgement. And when we...
2 min read
The problem with authentic leadership
Authenticity is all the rage right now. Companies all over the world are proudly proclaiming how inclusive they are: "bring your whole self to work!"...
7 min read
Why women are so bloody exhausted right now
This week, I had a great question from a Wednesday Wisdom reader. J wrote: "I'd like to ask for advice - especially as a woman - on how to not get in...
2 min read
Strategic leadership: 3 ways to be less operational
Fire fighters have a demanding job. On the one hand, they do all the stuff that we expect in a crisis – like turning up and fighting a roaring blaze...
1 min read
Time to light some fires
Firefighters have a demanding job. On the one hand, they do everything we expect in a crisis, like turning up and fighting a roaring blaze. Behind...
1 min read
It's ok to upset people
I've always struggled to set boundaries. I've been a mother since I was 16 years old, I've been living independently since I was 13 and I spent much...
2 min read
Focus - to have, to do, or to be.
I had a minor mutiny on my hands last week. I got so little “work” done in the last two weeks that my long-suffering Business Manager Diane revolted....
7 min read
How to lead change when people don’t care
It's hard to lead change when people are too busy and distracted to care.
3 min read
Twelve books i enjoyed in 2020
I’m a book junkie - I read over 100 in 2020! Here’s 12 books that I think are worth checking out. Personal development Think Like a Monk by Jay...
1 min read
Leverage as less
Leverage: is it about doing more - or doing better? Doing everything with nothing I love the idea of ephemeralization, the brainchild of clever...
1 min read
Mate, it's just work
Much of my stress comes from work—or at least, that's where I choose to experience it. And I'm my own boss, doing whatever I want! I can only begin...
2 min read
Endings: letting go of the good
Last week, I wrote about beginnings, so it seems fitting to talk about endings this week. Unless you're an immortal with unlimited time, energy,...
2 min read
10 questions to boost your professional credibility
There's a reason every job interview asks the dreaded question: "So, do you have any questions for us?" Gulp. I've got butterflies just thinking...
2 min read
Upgrade your worries: reduce anxiety about your life choices
Welcome to another Wednesday Wisdom. Every week, I share with you what I'm thinking about life, work, and leadership. This week we're talking about...
6 min read
The problem with professionalism: rejecting sameness at work
I was the first person in my family to have a professional job. So at 22, fresh out of university, with two kids in tow, I was terrified of starting...
1 min read
Act as if: how your identity changes your habits
Goals motivate us When I started running, I could only motivate myself to train if I had an event coming up. I started at a 5K, and a few years...
5 min read
How to lead when you're worried
It’s a worrying time to be in charge. How can you be a successful leader when you're worried about the future? We live in a time of unprecedented...