Systemic Burnout and Overwork
My work brings me into contact with a lot of senior managers, and over the past three months I’ve been working with a number of them across different organisations. There is a common and constant conversation about senior managers feeling exhausted, and expressing concern for their team members’ energy levels too. It seems that we ...
Navigating the white water of life
Life has continued to feel like water rapids for me as 2021 unfolds. After adapting so brilliantly (we all did, right?) to the pandemic last year, what I thought would happen this year has not transpired. Life has handed me something else to adapt to now. And I believe that is the way it’s going ...
Avoiding the negative impact of the ‘crisis’ media narrative
The news cycle has been about crisis for a long time now. Leaders need to manage their own state of mind and that of their people so that they can all adapt in optimal ways to continuing uncertainty. Opportunities exist if you can spot them.
What now when we can’t predict the future but want a better future?
It’s natural to want to return to normal but that future will be anything but normal. We can shape a future that is better: we know how and now is the time. Here’s seven principles to help you.
Helping the unwilling to become willing participants in change
No matter what the change is, there invariably seems to be someone who can be described as ‘resistant to change.’ But are they? Most people can change if it makes sense, and there is a need.
Getting clear about what we mean by ‘change’
Let’s just spend a moment reflecting on what we mean by the terms, change, adaptation and transformation. Terms that are bandied about and used interchangeably in the popular media, however they are different facets of change. Change is a term that can apply very generally, however when I use it, I mean it in the ...
Why do coaching and change go hand in glove?
Change is an emergent process. It is not something that happens because people tell you to change. That’s why so many organisational change initiatives fail to deliver their intended outcomes.
What is reality?
Over the last few months, I have been exploring how I perceive reality. And I came across this TED talk by Anil Seth, which is fascinating. If you are interested in leading change, then how we perceive what is ‘real’ is so important. If we all see something different ‘out there’ then how can we ...
Where to focus your attention?
What’s the root cause? The problem we should really be addressing? Everyone exercising their leadership faces the challenge of needing to decide where to focus their attention. The story below by one of my favourite authors captures our current dilemma beautifully. SINKING SHIP by Daniel Quinn (2018) The ship was sinking—and sinking fast. The captain told ...
Success or failure is never alone
It is tempting, isn’t it, to think of ourselves as singular individuals with our own fears, concerns, aspirations and resources. We are taught in our society that we each need to be independent and stand on our own two feet. But increasingly in my work and life, I am recognising how interdependent we all are ...