5 Steps to be Playful in your Life “He dare not come into company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gestures or speeches, or be sick; he thinks every man observeth him.” Robert Burton, 1621, quotes Hippocrates describing a patient. If you are feeling a little uncertain, uneasy, anxious or worried, […]
How to Lead and Support Remote Work
Covid-19 has catapulted us into a strange new world of work. Many of your people are working from home. The initial novelty is wearing off. Business and team leaders wrestle with how to lead and motivate. People leaders wonder how to support people, manage risk and continue learning and development. A New Reality Presents Those […]
How to beat burnout with a growth mindset
A search of “burn-out” delivers 485 million results. The term has little clinical or biological substance but it has become increasingly popular. A year ago, the World Health Organisation included “burn-out” as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress. They agree that it is not a clinical diagnosis. First, humans do not burn out. Second, […]
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. […]