The short-term fix that can create a long-term problem

Stress and fatigue are understandable at certain times of the year – think of the mad rush in anticipation of the holidays, or the lead up to rolling out a major change initiative. But what if exhaustion is starting to creep in earlier than expected? What do you do when you find yourself looking at […]

The subtle way your childhood affects how you lead

We all enter adulthood with thought processes and behaviours learned and adopted from childhood. This is true of every person, whether in a leadership role or not. Children learn and absorb lessons about life through overt teaching by people in their world – parents, grandparents, teachers, peers – and through more subtle ways by observing […]

Is your personal brand trustworthy?

As we step into 2022, whether boldly or with some reservations, there is a degree of uncertainty about how this year will unfold. Over the holiday break you may have paused to reflect on the goals you want to achieve, what really drives you to succeed, who champions you in your pursuits, and what success […]

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The answer to this question can be quite revealing. Do you jump out of bed, ready and excited to work on the day’s projects? Or do you feel rising levels of stress and anxiety the moment you start thinking about your “to do” list? You may prefer to stay in bed pondering what life would […]

How time plays a bigger role in your success than you might think

You’ve set SMART goals for yourself and your team. They’re specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic. You’ve even set the deadline for when you’d like to tick them off your list. But have you ever considered that the time frame you put on your goals is a big factor in whether or not they get accomplished? […]

How do I mobilize my team when working from home?

As the world edges out of lockdowns, businesses are continuing to adapt to new working practices. Many teams may still be finding their feet in the new hybrid working environment where team members are more geographically dispersed with less opportunities for face-to-face contact. Navigating and managing team dynamics is often difficult enough without the added […]

How can I improve my decision-making?

You make thousands of decisions every day—ranging from smaller insignificant ones, to those of great importance. But have you ever stopped to think about how you make decisions? Why is it that some leaders find it easier to make certain decisions than you do? When you are confronted with a difficult decision, do you go with your […]

Humility goes a long way for leaders, but it is not enough to get results

“Egos drive people in every occupation” (Heenan, 2012, pp. 19). Unfortunately, when humility is absent, leaders lose the ability to listen and focus on what is important. Jim Collins describes the resulting behaviors as “arrogant neglect”, and that when this happens, organizations enter the first stage of organizational decline (Collins, 2009, pp. 29). What can prevent this […]

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. […]

“Dad how come you’re not successful anymore?”

These words cut me to the core. I am not sure my 13-year old son, Ryan, fully appreciated the power of those words as they blew away all pretence and laid my heart open and bleeding. It was a real struggle trying to find the words to describe ‘success’ in a way that would make […]