Outstanding leaders build a reputation for integrity

Tradesmen turned up this week to repair our shower right on the dot, just as they promised. When we booked them in six weeks earlier, they gave us a clear start date. They sent us a friendly reminder a week ahead and turned up as promised. And when they arrived, they explained each step of … Read more

The power of being curious in leadership and life

You don’t have to be a fan of the award-winning TV series Ted Lasso to relate to the scene where Ted plays a high-stakes game of darts with a wealthy, entitled Rupert Mannion. Ted baits Rupert into a wager by throwing a couple of darts using his weaker right hand, fooling him into thinking he … Read more

Why leaders challenge groupthink and embrace contrarian views

Steve Jobs’s decision to streamline Apple’s product line in 1997 was a pivotal moment in the company’s history. Confronted with a cluttered array of over a dozen Macintosh models, Jobs recognised the need for a radical overhaul. According to Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography, ‘Jobs interrupted a product strategy session, grabbed a marker, and drew a … Read more

Career planning can make your future bigger than your past

Back in the day, I recall in development review meetings my boss asking, ‘Where do you want to be five years from now?’ Maybe you had a similar experience. It always seemed like a tricky question to answer. Who knew five years earlier I would be where I was now? Like most of us, I … Read more

Cultivate ‘the human touch’ to be an outstanding leader

Think of a leader who inspired you, someone you admired and respected. What was it that made them a role model for you? Chances are they had ‘the human touch.’ They connected with you, took an interest in you, your life and your aims. In my case, I experienced a couple of leaders who believed … Read more