Burying the wild ones: When behaviours out live values
Last week as the summer sun shone, I attended the funeral of a good hometown friend- Steve. He was 52. Too young, too fast, too full-on. Steve lived like he played his northern soul music — loud, messy mixes, with more soul than structure. The kind of guy who’d light up a room with a […]
Aristotle : Your New CEO
Time to rediscover virtue at work? On my shelf rests a dusty black leather-bound copy of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics , which, over the last almost 30 years of ownership, calls out to me on a quinquennial basis. I recently dived back into this material and began to think how in an age driven by speed, […]
“Mountain Strategy: Strategy and Major Project Lessons from the Great Lakeland Mountain Marathon”
Business and major project strategy is often discussed in boardrooms, whitepapers, and away-days with post-it notes and flip charts. But sometimes, the most profound lessons come not from a corporate retreat, but from the sharp sting of wind on a summit ridge, the weight of a sweat sodden pack, and the quiet resilience demanded by […]
Big & Strong: A Year in London; Reflections on World Mental Health Day
I’m sat under a picture in coffee shop in Blackfriars writing this blog for World Mental Health Day. The image is one of a bull with ‘big and strong’ as a strapline. As I reflect on the last 10 months of working in London, especially working across both corporate and public sector environments, I’m struck […]
Ask great questions as to key to develop outstanding strategy
(10 minute read) There have been a myriad of books and articles about strategy development so I’m not sure this contribution aims to say anything revolutionary …but…. working with consulting clients recently across a range of sectors I have noticed common features where strategy development is immediately restricted, and I have some solutions to suggest […]
This Too Shall Pass
A coaching client of mine is in the middle of a separation. It is both painful and complex. She had demonstrated huge compassion and resilience throughout the process but it appears, at present, to have no immediate end in sight…. to the chaos and uncertainty, emotional weight and bandwidth this brings. Asked directly for advice, […]
Craving Simplicity
In simple moments, Life’s beauty quietly blooms, Elegance revealed. I was sitting in my Cumbrian Garden yesterday. The light was starting to fade. At my feet was my labrador Murphy who was drifting in and out of nap time. I had a cold drink to quench my thirst after working hard in the garden cutting […]
“Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast”
Last week I was working with a coachee on a complex issue. She was constantly pushing hard in our conversation towards setting actions and a strategy. It was clear to me that we were yet to fully explore and understand the problem. Not only that but implementing this emerging ‘boot strap strategy’ at the pace […]
Why get out of bed in the morning? Coffee, Mental Health and Ikigai
Why get out of bed in the morning? Coffee, Mental Health and Ikigai The other morning, over my coffee, I allowed my gaze to lazily wander across the bookshelves where it rested on “Ikigai” by Hector Garcia and Francesca Miralles. It’s a beautiful book and one I encourage you to pop out and buy straight […]
What happens when your best just isn’t good enough?
Understanding the differences between ‘good’, ‘good enough’ and ‘best efforts’ are often conflicted and confused within the workplace and indeed in our own heads. From front line delivery through to senior leadership I have experienced this to some extent in almost every team I’ve led. So, let’s explore some concepts around this common problem and […]