Freedom Inside Constraints
The Legendary Basketball coach John Wooden[1], would begin each new season by sitting down his…
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Are You Willing To Pay The Price?
‘If you don’t get what you want, it’s a sign either that you did not seriously want it, or that you tried to bargain over the price’. Rudyard Kipling Any goal or ambition worthy of the name has a price but often we fail to recognize this or ask…
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What Do You Notice?
‘Clarity begins with realizing what we do not notice—and don’t notice that we don’t notice’. Sir Alex Ferguson the legendary former coach of football club Manchester United was quite clear in his leadership philosophy and approach to coaching that the ability to notice what was going on, to…
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Good or Bad? Your Choice
‘Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference.’ Winston Churchill There is an old story about a little girl walking past a building site. As she walks by, she asks in turn 3-workmen what they are doing? The first replies that he is laying bricks. The second…
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What Do We Remember?
‘…a war begun for no purpose, carried on with a strange mixture of rashness and timidity, brought to a close after suffering and disaster, without much glory attached either to the government which directed, or the great body of troops which waged it. Not one benefit, political or military, was…
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Are You Listening Or Just Letting Me Speak?
‘The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place’ George Bernard Shaw We know that good communication depends in good measure on listening but we mostly spend too little time thinking about what that really means. Listening is usually passive, in the sense that it…
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Crisis Leadership – Beyond Pants & Pencils
“This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you’ve got a moment, it’s a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour portage, and an enormous sign on the roof, saying ‘This Is a Large Crisis’. A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me two…
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