What happens when our morals are detached from our business?

While working in the U.S during the Global Financial Crisis that occurred in 2008/09, I saw the collapse of the housing market, severe falls on Wall Street, companies letting go thousands of employees, and many major financial institutions filing for bankruptcy or being acquired by those in a stronger position. Headlines were dominated by the […]

Making ‘reflection’ a core leadership practice

Returning from a global leadership intensive with participants from Africa, Asia and the U.S, I couldn’t help but notice how challenging it can be to invest adequate time reflecting on our current role, what has contributed to it the most, and what continues to shape the way we make decisions, set goals, and mobilize others. […]

What do you look like on the inside?

In his excellent book, The Leadership Mystique, Manfred Kets De Vries looks at the importance of a leader’s ‘interior’ condition and how this influences all interactions with others (Kets de Vries, 2006). In considering this he asks questions such as: What are the problems that preoccupy this person? What has emotional resonance – or connects deeply […]

In transition? Don’t hurry.

After nearly 25 years as an executive, my season ended differently than I had expected. What I didn’t fully appreciate was how much my identity and reputation had revolved around my role and effectiveness as a leader. Many transition experiences can be traumatic and confusing, and because of this we either avoid them or want […]

Right ladder. Right wall

You may have heard about the person who spent their entire career climbing the corporate ladder only to discover their ladder was up against the wrong wall. Though simple, this illustration highlights a profound question many of us wrestle with. What ultimately motivates us? Obviously career progression will, to some extent, motivate us. But so […]

Have you ever lost your way?

At the risk of revealing how unwise I have been, I can recall numerous times I have been lost. One time as an 8-year old going to the supermarket for the first time after our family had relocated to a new neighbourhood. My mother was horrified when she learned that my brother and I had […]

Where do I start—the best people or the best strategy?

What if I recruit the wrong person? How do I make sure I get a return on my investment and not lose this person to a competitor? Do we need to first make sure we have the strategy bedded down? These are some of the most frequently asked questions I get from leaders in relation to […]

Get me out of this meeting. I’m dying!

In 2004, I accepted a VP role for an organization that was expanding globally, and as a result, I was overwhelmed by the number of meetings I was expected to attend! Frustrated with endless meetings and the lack of decision-making and productivity, it became obvious to me that we didn’t always have the right people […]

The struggle of being ‘in-between’

As a child growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, ‘Gilligan’, ‘Skipper’, the ‘Howells’, ‘Ginger, the movie star’, ‘The Professor’ and ‘Mary Ann’ were familiar names as characters in CBS’ hit television series, Gilligan’s Island. For 98 episodes the characters looked for a way to get off the island where they had become shipwrecked and return […]

Qualities of a good leadership coach

There are some excellent reasons why having an experienced leadership coach can be beneficial— They coach from areas of strength that may not be areas of strength for you They are an objective sounding board that brings significant experience They give you the opportunity to confide in a person with whom there is no conflict of […]