When is an egg not an egg?
A secret in plain sight: When is an egg not an egg? The best-kept secrets are the ones that hide in plain sight. Many people look straight at them, but fewer are truly able to appreciate their significance. Here’s a simple example: I got it from advertising legend...
Post COVID, ‘Best Practice’ won’t cut it
Businesses have to solve their own post-COVID puzzles, not force-fit 'best practice' solutions in areas where there are none.'Best practice' has always been an invitation to undifferentiated blandness, but post-COVID it could be even more dangerous.There are many in...
What my clients taught me that can help you now
One of the great things about advising, coaching and mentoring senior leaders is how much you learn from them! My best clients have taught me a huge amount - sometimes explicitly, but usually by example, or by sharing experiences in between meetings, at airports or...
Leaders: The Reason You Must Stay Positive
I've been talking to chief execs about 'keeping positive'. Some have expressed concerns along the lines: "What if I tell my staff things are going to work out, and they don't?"We don't know the future. But we can shape it (that's why I named the third step of the...
How the crisis can show you your ‘surprise growth resources’
I've been mightily impressed by the way UK supermarkets have adapted to the operational challenges of COVID-19. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised: we already knew they were good at logistics. In other sectors, too, the crisis has highlighted impressive...
Stabilise, Sustain, Shape
Talking with leaders at my online breakfast roundtables about the current virus situation, I've suggested that there are three phases they can use to think through their response. I call them Stabilise, Sustain and Shape. Clients...
