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I hear you …
I had the privilege of facilitating a workshop at an hotel in Franschhoek in a beautiful setting in the winelands of South Africa. A lady, who had lost her father in an unfortunate motor vehicle...
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Great gifts to give …. always
I love December – the weather is warming up in the southern hemisphere; the year with all it’s hard work, problems and joys is winding down; family, wherever located, take on fresh significance; and...
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To hear the unheard – listening closely to people’s hearts
In the third century A.D., King Ts’ao sent his son, Prince T’ai, to the temple to study under the great spiritual leader, Pan Ku. Because Prince T’ai was to succeed his father as king, Pan Ku was to...
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Pockets of excellence – identifying the real needs
I have been doing some consulting work with a multi-national company recently, a company that has over two hundred brewing and bottling facilities all over the world. The company is well established,...
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Receiving feedback as a special gift
I am surprised at how many people hate feedback, whether it centres on performance, personality, character or behaviour issues. There seems to be a fear that the one giving the feedback does not have...
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Learning to listen
We hear the stories often – a manager complaining about employee attitudes that are not aligned to company values; a hurt parent remonstrating about a daughter or son who seems to have gone off the...
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Leading by example
Ancient French legend tells the story of a monastery in France that was known throughout Europe for the exceptional leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several monks went on a pilgrimage to...
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Getting back to leadership basics in business
I see it all the time – leaders abusing their power. Instead of enabling the business environment to enhance productivity and engender trust, they manipulate circumstances to suit their own needs....
View ArticleUsing dialogue as an effective component of your change strategy
“You support what you help create” (Alinda Nortje: Executive Chairperson, Free To Grow) In a world of increasing turbulence, including unpredictable financial and socio-political contexts, leaders are...
View ArticleDeveloping an acquired taste for true leadership? It is not just a position
An “acquired taste” is appreciation for something unlikely to be enjoyed by a person who has not had substantial exposure to it. The phrase is typically used in relation to food or beverages (everyone...
View ArticleEncouraging the transformation shift from resistance to commitment
I have recently done some work for a non-governmental organisation – their strategy had changed (what was previously an organisation who themselves implemented projects within communities had now moved...
View ArticleLend a “helping” hand
Many idioms referring to human behaviour are based on analogies to parts of the body, especially arms, hands and fingers (e.g.: to keep one’s fingers crossed, all hands on deck, elbow room, to be on...
View ArticleI understand, do you?
“And the soul is like the eye: when resting upon that which is truth and being shine, the soul perceives and understands and is radiant with intelligence; but when turned towards the twilight of...
View ArticleLeaders, switch the “data-roaming” on
So many managers seem to switch off the possibility of perceptual internal data-roaming when they arrive at the office. Oh yes, they allow incoming calls from clients, digest information at meetings...
View ArticleOn the verge of de-globalisation?
Globalisation, made possible over the past half-century through more speedy and efficient forms of travel (commuting intercontinentally) and telecommunications (mobile technology and fast data transfer...
View ArticleEmotional resonance shows care
It had been a long day for the New York City taxi driver and he was really looking forward to a shower and bed. The evening traffic had been busy and he was tired – he was satisfied with the day’s...
View ArticleThe 24/7 culture of constant change
The temptation to set stretch targets to achieve company goals within a short period of time is indeed something that the most realistic of leaders cannot resist. There is, however, a certain limit to...
View ArticleWorking effectively with a team when most of them want your job
It is true that if you are a successful leader and respected as such by colleagues and other employees alike, many will not only aspire to be like you, but may also indeed crave your position or at...
View ArticleLeaders – listen authentically
The newly-appointed CEO to a giant retailer sat down with his executive team to go through the finances of the group. Pouring through the budget, they came upon a line item with a large associated...
View ArticleDon’t tell me – get it done!
Most customers don’t care about you – they don’t care how good you proclaim to be. They feel nothing about the average experience and knowledge of your employees and they are really not that impressed...
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