I’m going to say the unthinkable: fifteen. Fifteen weeks left in this year. If you’re like me, there’s some version of “oh sh&t” going through your head when you read this. And this might be for different reasons depending on where your business is located in the world. For my Australian colleagues, we’re now just one quarter into the June 30 financial year yet clearly looking down the runway to the halfway mark. You may be thinking, are the priorities and strategies...
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Be More Dog
I’m writing this on International Dog Day, so I have a special guest. Meet Freddo. Freddo is my beloved Cocker Spaniel. He’s getting on in years, now 12 and a half (that’s 87 in dog years!), but remains remarkably vibrant and happy. And the more I think about it, the more I suspect Freddo knows quite a bit about sustained performance. It all started many years ago when we re-homed Freddo from an elderly lady who wanted a more of a...
Continue Reading >> Share >The Unity Factor
When I reflect on the stand-out performance of Cabo Verde in the recent FIFA World Cup, I couldn’t go past leadership as a driving force behind their spectacular success. In their first ever World Cup appearance, this tiny island nation became the smallest by population (just under 525,000) to reach the knockout stage. They emerged undefeated from the “group of death,” drew against eventual winners, Spain, then twice came from behind twice against defending champions, Argentina. Their second spectacular equalizer won Goal of...
Continue Reading >> Share >Earned
It’s been almost a month since my family and I returned from the FIFA World Cup in the USA where we were fortunate enough to watch our Australia Socceroos stand on the world football stage. It was a truly epic and awe-inspiring experience for sure. But I wasn’t expecting what I learned, or how it stayed with me long after the final winner had been crowned. Don’t under-estimate Some of the biggest excitement came from the tiniest country in the tournament,...
Continue Reading >> Share >Standards
What happens when the applause arrives Serena Williams just returned to professional tennis after four years away, won in straight sets and then gave herself a C-minus. That caught my attention. I love a good comeback story, but this was more. I’m not a tennis fanatic but even I know she’s broadly regarded as the GOAT of women’s tennis. Six years as world number one. Twenty-three Grand Slam open titles – the world record. One of the greatest atheles of all...
Continue Reading >> Share >To AI, or not to AI
Just finished reading another colleague’s comments about not using AI in their writing. And their concern is valid. There is certainly no shortage of AI generated content attempting to pass itself off as insight and thought leadership. This is particularly prevalent on LinkedIn. Is it the frequent line-breaks or the over-use of certain words like ‘signal’ that weren’t a feature in our writing six months ago? What I’m wondering is: is this now a thing? Do I now need to put my hand up and...
Continue Reading >> Share >Feedback – The Precision of Leadership
It’s interesting how a great manager can stay with you for years, even decades. Early in my career, one gave me some of the best feedback I’ve ever received. I was working in account management, dealing with a tricky client situation. I wasn’t sure how to proceed, so I went to my manager looking for guidance. Her response was simple. “What do you think?” I remember being slightly thrown. It wasn’t the answer I expected. I was looking for direction....
Continue Reading >> Share >Leadership Attention: where attention goes, execution follows
When I sit down with a business owner or leader, they already have a strategy.And more often than not, it’s a good one. That’s not the problem. The opportunity is taking that strategy and turning it into something that actually lands, takes hold, and delivers meaningful impact. So we begin by sharpening it. We make the direction clearer, define the outcomes and translate it so that each part of the organisation can see, in practical terms, what they need to...
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