A search of “burn-out” delivers 485 million results. How strange to be so attached to a word that has no clinical or biological substance. A year ago, the World Health Organisation included “burn-out” as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress. This is an error second only to their mishandling of Covid-19. First, humans do […]
How to improve virtual connection
Sustain the messy, transformative work of real connection One day last week, like many of you, I spent fifteen hours on a computer. This included four group webinars (one of which was a hundred faceless people), six Zoom meetings, and the normal transactional activity of small business. Closing my screen at 7pm, I felt strangely […]
Leadership in Crisis
Deep Leadership Skills for Leaders and Senior Teams Rarely do we encounter times when deep leadership is so critical. The world and its operating systems are thrown into a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) crucible. Leadership is deeply challenged. In time, history will create stories of who failed and who prevailed. For now, the […]
Re-imagine
A call for courageous leadership From the perspective of ecosystems, biodiversity, and resilience, Covid-19 is a gift that no one expected. We have once in a century opportunity for creative leadership. This camera trap photo at dam in the Timbavati (Greater Kruger), overlays the action. A leopard with two cubs, hyena bloated with an evening […]
Rise, Phoenix, Rise
Easter celebrates rebirth, creativity and renewal. A man dies. A religion is born. This Easter weekend is a pivot for creative change. A virus is causing suffering and death. Yet, compared with the WHO top seven (heart disease, cancer, injury, lungs, stroke, Alzheimers and Diabetes), Covid-19 is insignificant. Our response, driven out of fear, has […]
Ride the Black Swan: Part 3
Bounce Deliberately The stark reality of Covid-19 and its economic consequences are sinking in. This week, most opinions predict, will be hard. The health and life impact flashes red on our screens daily. Little evidence of containment is detectable. The world economy has slowed. Unemployment is soaring. Our lives have lost rhythm. Uncertainty and fear […]
Ride the Black Swan: Part 2
Engage and Decide After a turbulent fortnight, we are confronted with major life adjustments. Nearly one third of the world is in lock-down. Businesses are closed, streets are empty, skies are clear and most of us are hunkered down in our homes. Life as we know it has stopped. Dismal health and economic consequences loom. […]
Seek and Savour Joy
Make time to discover and savour joy. Every day. Especially now. We wallow in testing times. It is not easy to be locked down at home feasting on fear and gloom. As the world and all of us find ourselves disrupted, make time for joy. This morning, on the Waitemata Harbour, I rediscover the power […]
Ride the Black Swan
Take care of yourself, your family and your teams Nassim Taleb wrote about Black Swan events in 2010. A Black Swan is an improbable event with massive consequences. We are in one right now. Every one of us is facing unknown unknowns. Our savings are impacted. We are concerned about family, friends and business as […]