The Library
The Library
Curiosity is Your Swiss Army Knife for Leading Through Uncertainty
Curiosity is your Swiss Army knife for leading through uncertainty. Because leading in the style of a general commanding his troops from atop a horse on a battlefield just doesn’t cut it anymore. We need something new. We need to not feel the pressure of having to have all the answers. Articles about uncertainty and change usually start with overused old clichés, followed by some brain-twisting acronyms, and then end with a call to action. This one is different: [...]
Should You Make A New Year’s Resolution?
New Year’s resolutions are so last century, right? I mean, who really even believes that they’ll follow through with anything, who believes that they’ll actually make that change? What if you’re going about it all wrong, this year and every year? This post is also available as a YouTube video (click here). Or jump to the audio version. SO HERE we are, going into 2022. Given the two years we’ve had, and the direction that Covid [...]
10 Guidelines for Generating Meaningful Hope
Hope is critical in these tough times. Meaningful hope is not fantasy, it’s real. It’s also not random, it can be generated. Here are 10 guidelines for generating meaningful hope. This post is also available as a YouTube video (click here). Or jump to the audio version. MY OWN experience of going through personal tough times, which I shared in a previous post, taught me that you have to end each day with hope. I also [...]
How to Generate Hope in Tough Times
There are tough times ahead, and what we need is hope. Hope is not random, it can be generated. Experiencing my own tough times has taught me how—and so can you. This post is also available as a YouTube video (click here). Or jump to the audio version. ONE THING you can say about living in South Africa is that we know how to survive through tough and uncertain times. In fact, if you’re alive and [...]
Morning Stretch Exercises for Back & Neck Health
Little matters more for mental clarity, energy, mood and performance than having your back and neck in good working order. Here is a morning stretch and exercise routine that is designed to support good back and neck health. This post is also available as a YouTube video (click here). Or jump to the audio version. Think back to the last time you had a sore, throbbing neck and headache—and hopefully that’s not happening for you [...]
Easy Desk Exercises to Avoid Back and Neck Pain
In the world beyond lockdown, online meetings will most likely become the norm. That will mean a great deal more time at desks and on screens than before. Here is a life-changing, two-minute exercise set that you can do in between Zoom sessions. This post is also available as a YouTube video (click here). Or jump to the audio version . THE WORLD is gradually moving on from total lockdown and into the world beyond. It’s [...]
Equanimity: A Word for Our Time
Equanimity, along with compassion, is one of the most revered virtues in every spiritual and philosophical tradition. Yet it’s almost entirely absent from our corporate leadership lexicon. That says a lot about who and what and where we are. It’s also why equanimity is a word for our time. IF YOU learn to observe your own mind, as mindfulness teaches you to do, you’ll notice two particular things about your thoughts. Firstly, you’ll notice that your thoughts are [...]
The Courage To Lead — What It Takes To Use A Coaching Style
It takes courage to lead. We all know that. It’s even become a catchphrase. Here are five forms of courage – all with parallels in parenting — that are required for a coaching style of leadership. TO DEVELOP a coaching style of leadership takes time. Time for yourself to develop the competence and time for people to get used to it. It also takes time to do the actual coaching stuff, like gaining understanding before asking questions. Then asking [...]
Delegate Effectively by Doing It the Coaching Way
To delegate effectively, and free up time for yourself as a leader, you need to do more than just hand out tasks. It’s about setting up a feedback and learning cycle so that you elevate everybody’s level of work. Here’s how to do it using a coaching style of leadership. PERHAPS THE greatest wish of most corporate leaders today is to alleviate the time pressure they’re experiencing. They know that they could achieve this if they could only delegate [...]