‘Force-multiplication’ is a term used in military science and warfare and refers to an attribute or a combination of attributes that dramatically increases (hence multiplies) the effectiveness of an item or group, giving the troops the ability to accomplish greater things than without it. The expected size increase required to have the same effectiveness without…
Living a meaningful and fulfilled life is not so easy. The challenges of life hit like the waves of the ocean as one difficulty after another rolls in. Amidst such ongoing bombardment, it seems to be ever more challenging to pause long enough to reflect on daily choices and what we want to do with…
David Thomas was born in 1932 to an unmarried mother that he never got to know – he was given up for adoption at 6 weeks old to Rex and Auleva Thomas. Auleva died when Dave was just 5 years old, and he moved with his father (a distant man) around the United States of…
There’s a wonderful sign on one of the lengthy dirt roads in South Africa which reads: “Choose your rut carefully as you will be in it for the next one hundred kilometres”! “Ruts” are not particular to gravel roads, however, but seem to be part of the regular human experience as people get stuck in…
If you have a dream, why wait? Passion follows a dream – not the other way round. There will always be sufficient energy and resources if the dream is big enough. If there is dream clarity, you will be able to start seeing how the various parts of your life intersect and develop a plan…
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. ”So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” (J.R.R TOLKIEN) Deciding what…
“All children are born geniuses; 9 999 out of every 10 000 are swiftly, inadvertently degeniusised by grownups” (Buckminster Fuller) Watching little children at play within the context of a safe environment is fascinating – they live in the ‘now’, their imaginations go into overdrive and the passion they express with every interaction or activity is unparallelled….
“You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present” (Jan Glidewell) Embracing the present is a recognition that life can only be understood backward but that it must be lived forward. Richard L Evans (Tonic for our Times) notes: “Those who gaze too…
“Engagement is an individual’s sense of purpose and focused energy, evident to others in the display of personal initiative, adaptability, effort, and persistence directed towards organisational goals” (Wiley-Blackwell – Employee Engagement: Tools for Analysis, Practice, and Competitive Advantage) Organisations that create a culture of high engagement become more attractive for employees. These organisations manage to…
“When alligators are nipping at your heels, you need to deal with the alligators” (Nick Pearce) Before creating a grandiose vision for the company, the leadership team needs to deal with the crises or at least get them under control. They should focus on putting out the big fires and on anything that can quickly…
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart” (Roy T Bennett) According to psychology research (Lisa Fritscher: Very Well Mind), fear is a primal emotion that involves a universal biochemical response and a high individual emotional response. Fear is helpful when it alerts us to…
A visionary leader, who is inclusive, has the power to transform a culture into a forward-looking, responsibility-taking and high-performing team that is focused on meaning and value. Typically, rules and regulations hold an organisation back from fulfilling its mission – talent gets attracted and commitment gets fostered to the vision, but that enthusiasm gets lost…
