1 min read
Throw your raft in the ocean
In an old Buddhist parable, a man is trapped on one side of a rushing river. On this side of the river, there is great danger and uncertainty; on the...
Wednesday Wisdom (8)
1 min read
Facilitate meaning through experience
I've been lucky to spend some time with Optimal Workshop recently. One of the coolest things about their office is the large library in the main...
2 min read
Disagreement needs dignity
I had a positive social media experience this week (...I know right?!). Someone with a large public following had posted an open question about a...
1 min read
4 ways to move fast without breaking things
Hi, I'm Alicia McKay, a serial fast-moving thing-breaker. It's one of my best qualities - I execute ideas quickly and fix them as I go. I'm often on...
4 min read
How to define leadership in the real world
Leadership is all the rage, but if you're sick of swimming in buzzwords, you might find yourself asking what it really means. Read on for a real...
1 min read
How to stick to your strategy throughout the year
Goals and dreams that seem exciting and doable when we prepare our strategy and plan can feel impossible a short time later once we're drowning in...
1 min read
How to make your problems useful
There's no way to avoid problems, I'm afraid. Problems are like cockroaches and glitter: even when the world ends, they'll still be there.
2 min read
Stop using meetings to build your culture
When I run Meetings that Matter, I challenge learners with this controversial idea:
2 min read
How to be a strategist: 3 things to do today
I've been thinking again about how to answer the dreaded BBQ question - you know, the one: "So, what do you do for work?"
2 min read
It's just work: how to put work into perspective
On Sunday night, I went to check my calendar for the week. I knew I had a bit on, but I wasn't too worried. Until I got to Thursday. At that point,...
3 min read
Always be a beginner
On Saturday, I went to my first creative writing workshop. I walked in fairly confident. I've published two books (non-fiction), and I write daily. I...
1 min read
Your real value is converting uncertainty
Nobody knows what they're doing. Nobody. We're all winging it. Every time we face a problem, we dig through mental filing cabinets and muscle memory....
2 min read
The benefits of getting bored: get unstuck
I like making and discovering new things. It's a bit of a problem because as soon as I've made something, I'm bored with it and looking for something...
End like you mean to continue
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...
2 min read
Obsessions: the perfect way to avoid things
I'm kind of intense, once I get *into* something. This time last year, I got into houseplants. It started with 6, and just a few weeks later, I had...
3 min read
The 5 most important (untaught) leadership skills
The world of work is different As the nature of work changes, new technology is introduced, and social norms evolve, we need different skills from...
2 min read
Are you flexible?
Do you know that saying that courage isn't an absence of fear; it's feeling fear and doing it anyway? I had a dose of that this week. A couple of...
2 min read
Treat yourself how you treat others
FREE GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER WORKBOOK One of the nicest things about lockdown was the feeling that you could relax a little. Be yourself. Let a few...
1 min read
Do, then decide
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...
7 min read
Embrace meh: 6 surprising benefits of feeling like shit
Feeling like sh*t, or 'FLS', is one of the most common elements of the human experience. I dare you to find someone who’s got through a week without...
3 min read
Leading through change: the power of language
“Words create worlds” - JONATHAN FRANZEN Two years ago, I conducted a personal experiment after reading James Clear's Atomic Habits. To be more...
2 min read
Intangible assets: create business value that lasts
I was listening to the radio this morning when a soundbite caught my attention - a business expert talking about "intangible assets." I've been using...
12 min read
How to identify, set, and defend your boundaries
It's hard to set boundaries. We don't want to let people down or look bad. But when we refuse to draw a line in the sand about what we will and won't...