2 min read
Time to tell: when to be a more directive leader
How we understand strong leadership has undergone a fundamental transformation over the last decade or two. Traditional ideas about a military-like...
Leadership (9)
1 min read
Public time is public money
What do you do for work?” Gulp. When you work for the government, sometimes it’s tempting not to tell people. Primarily if you work in local...
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...
2 min read
How to focus more clearly
I’ve always been close with my Nanna. I’ve turned to her a lot over the years as I’ve juggled kids, work, study, friends, relationships and...
2 min read
How to get people interested in change
Every time I walk into a workshop with a new group, I have a job to get out of the way: establish credibility and generate interest. Is this partly...
1 min read
Public sector leadership: connect to outcomes
Have you ever caught the show Undercover Boss? It’s just the kind of brilliant mind-numbing reality TV you need for a sick day in bed – which is how...
2 min read
Public sector leadership: Navigating the layer of crazy
I worked with a team late last year who were struggling to reconcile what they saw as the right way forward for their agency, with the fickle demands...
2 min read
New Years Resolution Hack: Aim for habits
Man, do I love the smell of a fresh year. Crispy new stationery, damp summer evenings, long days and warm nights. It’s hard not to feel excited about...
2 min read
New years resolution hack: aim for habits
Man, do I love the smell of a fresh year. Crispy new stationery, damp summer evenings, long days and warm nights. It’s hard not to feel excited about...
2 min read
6 tips for leading through uncertainty
Have you ever heard that old saying: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”? I’ve had a jampacked few weeks facilitating strategy...
2 min read
Resilient people need resilient organisations
There’s a parenting meme doing the rounds that really hit me in the feels recently. It goes “One day I’ll be happy my daughter is an independent,...
2 min read
The curse of common sense
Common sense is a real curse when it comes to solving problems. The Oxford Dictionary defines common sense as: "Sense and sound judgement in...
2 min read
Get over yourself: tackle decision bias
We are all flawed when it comes to making decisions. Like it or not, people are intuitively pretty crappy decision-makers. We often can't see outside...
1 min read
Celebrate failure
Do you think it’s OK to fail? What about your teams, do they feel able to? I’ve had some interesting conversations with people recently about failure...
1 min read
Focus Means Saying No
I came across this fantastic old video while I was procrastinating on the internet today - here's the link for those of you that can bear the crappy...
1 min read
Focus means saying no
I came across this fantastic old video while I was procrastinating on the internet today - here's the link for those of you that can bear the crappy...
2 min read
Respect your paygrade: learn to delegate
Last week, I wrote about the need for strategy to have space – timing, mental and physical space. One simple behaviour will free up 2/3, which...
2 min read
Know your job and do it well
At a conference I attended earlier this year, Matt Church told a story about leadership and team work, using a powerful story about a basketball...