Not only are there but a few really good leaders that occupy political positions of power in the world, there are even less that have left legacies that lasted. Of course we can’t fully judge the legacies of some of these leaders as they still remain in power, but the worrying signs are all there…
It will probably take many years for the world to recover fully post COVID-19’s impact on life as we currently experience it. Like all pandemics, quite apart from sickness and death, negative ripples touch every part of society – disrupting social cohesion and the economy, thwarting the ability to generate income, initiating mental illnesses, etc….
Taking team time-outs is a common practice in a variety of sports – a time-out being a halt in play which allows a moment for the coach to communicate with the team. Teams/coaches usually call time-outs at strategically important points in the match in order to halt the momentum of the game if it is…
“We don’t seem to be making any meaningful headway. There’s conflict and back-biting amongst team members, each team is very protective of their respective pieces of turf and the business lacks focus”. I hear this quite frequently as I consult with companies – strategic goals not being executed effectively as a result of a lack…
The temptation to set stretch targets to achieve company goals within a short period of time is indeed something that the most realistic of leaders cannot resist. There is, however, a certain limit to which such change initiatives can be actualised as real solutions, as most complex problems are hardly going to be solved within…
“Hope is the only good god remaining among mankind; the others have left and gone to Olympus. Trust, a mighty god has gone. Restraint has gone from men and the Graces, my friend, have abandoned the earth. Men’s judicial oaths are no longer to be trusted, nor does anyone revere the immortal gods; the race…
There seems to be a lot of confusion related to the authority of the manager, especially if the manager has a change project to deliver on behalf of the company. On the one hand, the one managing wants to be able to influence the thinking of the group towards collaboration, the “big picture” and alignment…
Removing clutter is liberating – getting rid of the unnecessary and creating space to think and focus on the truly important. Yes, removing junk takes time, but it does eventually pay dividends with clean desks, open spaces and a more conducive living or working environment. Creeping clutter is more difficult to tackle – this type…
There may be great excitement for most people when moving to a new place of residence – usually an upgrade on what one had previously – but this excitement is typically counter-balanced by the arduous task of packing and unpacking, sorting and throwing out and coping with a messy environment. Of particular irritation is the…
I have an interesting application on my phone which allows me to view the exact location of all domestic and international flights around the world at any time during the day or night. The application provides details of a plane’s registration certificate and flight number, departure airport and destination city, departure and estimated arrival times,…
“Thinking collaboratively is not new. What is new is the increasing complexity of information flow in organisations that calls for high levels of engagement, innovation and collective problem-solving” (Bruce Wellman) The business intelligence context for almost every type of business has changed dramatically in the past couple of decades – the transformation of roles which…
“Nothing kills ‘one team one goal’ thinking like silos” (John G Miller, author of QBQ: The Question Behind the Question) A CEO of a large business recently shared some of his frustrations with me – he complained that he needed to mediate conflict frequently between his senior managers and asked: “Why do people responsible for…
