3 min read
7 ways to feel better about your job
Work is a pain in the proverbial. It's also where most of us will spend most of our waking hours. The average person spends over 13 years of their...
Wednesday Wisdom (6)
2 min read
Embrace your inner rebel
I was at a wedding on Saturday and, thanks to what I was wearing, received some inquiring comments about a tattoo that’s usually covered. It sits...
1 min read
Snow melts from the edges: futurist thinking
I am often astonished at how little some executive teams know about what’s happening inside and outside their buildings.
3 min read
Strategy: not your job?
When the task obstructs the goal Here's a little vignette from my life last week, juggling work, kids, and clients.
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...
4 min read
How to lead people when you’re feeling worried: 5 top tips
In this post: It's hard to lead when you're worried It's OK if you're feeling worried Five things you can do. It's hard to lead when you're worried...
1 min read
Commit or quit
Do you ever sit in a conversation where everybody furiously agrees, leave feeling great about what you’ve decided – but then nothing happens? I see...
1 min read
Earn trust: engaging for change
Imagine proposing at the first introduction. At the Magiq Conference dinner on Monday night, I had attendees do exactly that, by proposing marriage...
3 min read
How to get on top of your stupidly long list
It's the most... overwhelming... time of the yeeear. 🎶
1 min read
What strategic planning is about (and not about)
Last week, I sent you a 4-minute strategy breakdown from a recorded webinar - about what strategy is, and how it works. You flooded our inbox with...
4 minute low-down: what "strategy" is
Here's a four-minute strategy breakdown from a recorded webinar—what and how strategy works. If four minutes is too long, here's the sub-100-word...
2 min read
Nurture a network of freaks
Your peer group will shape you Choose a new normal Be a freak of nurture. Your peer group will shape you The company you keep will shape your life...
1 min read
Reasons, seasons and changing jobs
You're probably familiar with the opening line of a poem by Brian A. Chalker:
6 min read
You deserve this. Bye. (Dealing with jealousy)
Why do people get jealous when you shine? How to recognise that behaviour in yourself. Two things to focus on when people are negative. The single...
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...
6 min read
Pay yourself first
Why you need to pay yourself first My experiment with sequencing Useful strategies for your life An important disclaimer. Why You Need to Pay...
2 min read
Serve the room: questions to ask for leadership success
In local government, many elected members think they must be approachable and responsive to their constituents. They personally follow up on service...
3 min read
A fresh take on SMART goals: Crazy-SMART goals!
Are you aiming too low? What are your most important goals right now? Do you have them written down? If you do, take a moment to pull them out—I have...
1 min read
Happy people don't judge you
Do you find yourself worrying about what people think about you?
2 min read
How to make a good decision
In this post: Decisions are hard. Focus on process, not outcomes. All good decisions contain action. Making decisions is hard work. It’s hard enough...
7 min read
'aha'! meet: the ambitious high achiever
Backache Signs you're an AHA My one question for you A prescription for change. Backache Two weeks ago, I pulled three 16+ hour days in a row. I...
1 min read
Pick your path: boundaries, decisions, focus
What problems are you battling with this week? If it's one of these three things, I have some stuff that might help.
1 min read
Two questions to understand yourself differently
What would you do for free? What are your favourite household jobs? A useful reminder, in case you're doubting yourself What I'd do for free I've...
2 min read
5 career mistakes everyone (from junior to executive) should avoid
A few years ago, I asked a group of public sector executives one simple question: “What are the biggest mistakes you've made in your career?”