As a teenager I did a lot of hiking. I learnt a rule that I thought might save my life. The rule was: if you’re lost in the wilderness, head downhill. The idea was that eventually you’ll find a watercourse which will cross a road or lead to where people…
67. Why do we fail?
Why is it hard to pick winners from losers in a job interview? Why do some plausible and seemingly capable leaders fail catastrophically? There’s a surprisingly fine line between failure and success and it’s hard to see. Especially if you only look quickly. Bad behaviors are easy to see at…
65. Where do you stand?
Sporting analogies are used a lot in the Leadership Industry. Teams, coaches, winners, losers, tenacity, grit, inspiration… Most people who follow a team sport can name a great Coach who has led teams to success. There’s one aspect of the “Coach as a Leader” story that’s critical but often missed,…
64. What can we learn from Flowers..?
We can learn from Flowers. But not usually leadership lessons. Here’s one… Flowers are part of a plant’s reproductive process. They’re vital to the creation of new organisms. They’re also temporary. Many flowers come and go over the life of the tree. Cherry blossoms get a lot of attention but…
62. What have you done?
Every leader must carry it. The need to Achieve. Not success, though everyone enjoys success. The need to get things done. Achievement isn’t just about targets or deadlines, though these can mark the spot where achievement is gained. Achievement is that inner drive to gets you to the target, the…
61. Not Personality ?
Beware the Personality trap. Personality can get you authority but it won’t help you make better decisions. Popularity or Power can be achieved by managing Perceptions. By Personality. Is the key to leadership in how you interact with others? Empathy, assertiveness, listening, inspiring, or dominating? Maybe it is? If personality…