As a leader, you will be busy planning for a new phase in the return to work. You’ll be thinking…
Professional Development
Lockdown is easing here in the UK. As a leader you’ll be thinking about what returning to the workplace might…
Last month I shared five key impacts of listening to others. It seems that many individuals and organisations see the…
This question has been on my mind a lot recently. As you know, listening is my thing. I love to…
Are we building common ground, reaching for higher ground or securing the bedrock? We’ve all learned so much this year…
The global pandemic has brought home to us just how complex life really is. The future always was unchartered – but we chose to seek out predictions and forecasts. Now we’ve got to know uncertainty for ourselves. And we’ve learnt that our adaptability helps us live within it and lead others through it.
My invitation to you here is to support yourself, and those you lead, with the shift in identity that uncertainty demands of us. And my challenge to you is to accept that this lifelong quest lies at the heart of our role as leaders.
For me, September feels like the start of a new year. A shift from summer adventures to a more defined routine. And, for many, a new year of learning at school, college or university. It’s a time that demands a quicker pace and a sharper focus. The transition can be challenging in a normal year. This September it’s happening in the face of new uncertainties within our work and learning environments, the possibility of a second wave as autumn draws in, and our concerns for our economy, our businesses and our jobs.
So my invitation to you, as we move into this uncertain phase, is to take a deep breath and find your focus.
Where are we in the lifecycle of this pandemic? Is this the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end? Or half time? And – as our days shorten and shadows lengthen – are we ready for whatever lies ahead?
In this article I want to celebrate the phenomenal flexibility we’ve all mustered over many months. Let’s not take it for granted. Let’s acknowledge it so that we can own this vital capability and continue to adapt in the months ahead.
It’s hard writing about inclusion. How can I do it with any kind of honesty without talking about exclusion. And, of course, exclusion is something that most of us have very little experience of.
We’re learning that we need to do things differently. And as parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, teammates, employers and leaders we have the responsibility – and the power – to create inclusive environments. Many of us are working out what that means for the way we think and behave personally.
Here I share what creating a safe, inclusive space means for me. I offer my thoughts on how we can be truly welcoming by creating environments in which we listen deeply to what others think, feel and want to say.
We’re living through a paradox. A time of unimaginable disruption is being met with the most inspiring examples of human creativity, collaboration and compassion. We face a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tap into the creativity that is innate in all of us, and to express it in our own, unique way. Here I celebrate human creativity, and share my thoughts on how we can release and harness it, in ourselves and others.