One thing that we all have in common is the desire to be happy. Smile if you agree. Have you ever thought about what happiness means? Is it pleasure, satisfaction, joy? Is it the absence of suffering? Is it a destination or a journey? I recently came across a concept of happiness that caused me to reflect …
This short, practical exercise will result in a one page blueprint for action in your 2014. Firstly, spend about 30 minutes looking back on 2013, month by month. Make a list of your successes and disappointments, the positives and the negatives. Next, identify the four or five most important areas of your life eg health, family, …
It is impossible to not acknowledge the passing of Nelson Mandela. He will be remembered as one of the greatest leaders of all time. Here are just three things that all of us can learn from his life. 1. Have a vision. Mandela’s was clear. To unite his country, to free its people from oppression, to …
Commitments made at 11.57 pm on 31 December fuelled by a couple of glasses of bubbles rarely stick. Here are three things you can do now to make sure you can hit the new year running. 1. Start with you. Have a good hard look in the mirror. Where do you need to improve as a …
‘Untrustworthy’ is just about the worst label you can have if you are someone who aspires to lead others. If others think they can’t trust you, they will be reluctant to develop a relationship with you, which then means they are unlikely to follow you. The best way to earn trust? Simply do what you …
We’ve developed a simple test of authenticity. There are 12 statements. You need to give each one a score depending on how often your behaviour matches with the statement. The possible responses are 1 – always, 2 – mostly, 3 – in between, 4 – sometimes, 5 – never. When you have scored each one, add your score up to …
This quote by Henry Ford reminds us that we need to ‘get doing’. Today’s message is about taking action about becoming a better leader. You want to be a better leader. You want to achieve more for yourself and your organisation. You want to inspire more people to better levels of performance. But something is …
Praise and recognition cost nothing, but are the keys to productive relationships and good leading. Research evidence from Kaisen Consulting* shows that a sense of achievement and recognition for good work are far more powerful motivating factors than money. It is not always possible to increase financial rewards for your team, but what is stopping …
Those of you who have been reading my blogs for a while will know that I am unashamedly a fan of Wayne Bennett. For the uninitiated, Bennett is the most successful Rugby League coach of all time. While I am a big fan of the game, he impresses me more by what he does to …
What? Surely that must be a typo? A quick look at your calendar will reveal that there are actually 14 weeks until the last day of 2013.But if you want to get a significant project off the ground in 2013, there are actually only 6 weeks. Exactly 6 weeks from today, the race that stops …