Where does leadership begin?
I believe it begins in the moment. To notice the moment requires us to be present. To be present needs a conscious mindset and leadership is then the willingness to accept that we have the power to choose our response to the moment. This is where leadership begins. It is tiny, almost unnoticed, but it… More
Be more kind
A good friend of mine, and someone who is also a great leader and a rare talent, recently introduced me to the music of Frank Turner and a song entitled “Be More Kind”. The friend is Ben Watts the General Counsel at Kent County Council (@benwatts2) I believe that kindness and care make the biggest… More
Ay-Aye, it’s innovation
Innovation is one of those loaded words, capable of suggesting a magical competency (see cliched interview question “Can you give me an example of when you have been innovative?”) or a small sharp stick to poke people with (see cliched appraisal interview feedback “I would like you to be more innovative.”) However, if we unload… More
Don’t be a dick…
Ahead of International Women’s Day, I have written a few thoughts about what men might consider doing to make a positive contribution to the ambition of the movement. In 800 words I am not promising nuanced insightfulness, more the bleeding obvious, and I am sorry if my brevity looks patronising. This is what I think… More
It is always about the moment…
It is the moment that scares me the most. It is not the endless hours, months, even years of confidently talking-the-talk that undermines me; droning on and on, and on, about the planning, the strategy, the big idea, the role, the status, the concept, the skills, the competency, the will or the passion and the… More
We are all just passing through…
This article may sound like I’m a bit pissed-off, but I’m really not. You might read it as a rant against an unfeeling machine, but I would prefer you to read it as a sense-check of your individual power to influence and to make decisions that are good for you and your families. So, here… More
You are not the last to leave the building, please leave the lights on
Light as a metaphor is a familiar device; “she lit up the room with her beauty”; “her erudite explanation enabled her students to see more clearly”; “she was a beacon of virtue” etc. The darker our circumstances feel, personally or collectively, the more we crave the light of understanding and trust. The sense therefore that… More
Where will the lawyers be?
The “B” word, “Brexit”, seems to fill every newspaper, news programme, comedy sketch, social media post, dining room, and pub; in fact it seems to fill every waking moment! Brexit lays claim to a sweep of opinion from, on the side, those who believe it will be the most liberating act of economic self-determination by… More
FEAR HACK – A new book by Hilary Gallo
I am of an age when the word “hack” rekindles memories of a bullying centre-half with a grudge against the world kicking lumps out of my shins on the school football field. Back in the day “Fear Hack” might have been his party piece. Instead Fear Hack is Hilary Gallo’s new book. I intended at… More
This Too will Pass – A Review
“This Too Will Pass” is a new book by Richard Martin describing his personal struggle with anxiety and depression. In the last few years it would be impossible to be unaware of issues of well-being and mental health. We are all lucky that there is more understanding, more resources and more acceptance than perhaps at… More