Personal Development
The first red flag of burnout: Chronic exhaustion
A bit like a candle burning down, burnout is a slow burn. It doesn’t happen overnight. That’s one of the challenges in spotting it. But learning to identify the early-stage signs helps us reduce the chances of burnout going undetected. There are three red flags that leaders can look out for in themselves and in…
Read MoreJust a week until you can discover how to go Beyond Burnout
Drum roll please… Next week, on 9 February, my book Beyond Burnout: How to Spot it, Stop It and Stamp it Out is being released into all good bookstores. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know it’s been an epic journey to write and publish this book. And while it’s rewarding to…
Read More21 leadership habits to cultivate in 2021
I love a good New Year’s resolution; I make them all the time. The trouble is that they often don’t work. We start off with great intentions but, for most of us, by mid-February (if even that long!), we’re tanking. Research shows us that the trick is to focus on positive habits which help you…
Read MoreIcarus: A cautionary tale for the overambitious
When it came to fables and useful myths to demonstrate a point, the Greeks had it going on. The story of Icarus is no exception. In this Greek myth, Icarus follows his father in fleeing the city of Crete. His father cobbles together wings for them both made out of wax and feathers – as…
Read MoreWhy you should uncover your implicit biases (And yes, you do have them)
I have a friend who’s an eye surgeon. He received the top prize for Ophthalmology and Surgery – you know, one of those all-round overachievers who annoys the heck out of you by being a thoroughly nice bloke too. He’s Samoan. He regularly gets mistaken for an orderly in the hospital corridors. Despite him being…
Read MoreWhat I did when my brother called me self-centred: Or, a better way to deal with feedback
Last week, in one of our regular lockdown phone calls, my older brother Andrew called me self-centred. Not in an angry, bitter or attacking way. Just casually, in passing. Like it was an afterthought at the end of his story about a trip to the supermarket, which had resulted in some good deals on mince.…
Read MoreWhy The Best Leaders Make Love Their Top Priority
This week I interview Matt Tenney onlove and leadership. In his inspiring TED talk, author and social entrepreneur Matt Tenney cites compelling case studies and research to help you see why making love a higher priority than profit is not only a more noble and fulfilling way to lead, it’s actually the surprising secret of the best leaders.
Read More3 Simple Steps Leaders Can Take To Improve Their Thinking Skills
When one of the people I respect the most in the leadership world accepts my invitation to do a guest post in The Leader’s Digest, it makes me pretty chuffed. So this is me, pretty chuffed indeed, introducing this week’s guest author, Tanveer Naseer! Tanveer Naseer is an internationally-acclaimed keynote speaker, award-winning leadership writer, author,…
Read MoreBeware the ‘Boss Shadow Effect’
Loads of leaders have a blind spot when it comes to underestimating the shadow they cast. I call it the Boss Shadow Effect. Many of us assume our teams are open and honest with us. About what they’re really thinking about our latest idea, how we ran that Monday morning meeting or what they think…
Read MoreA little bit, done often: why the key to high performance is not what you think
There are two things I do most days which have led to massive improvements in my life. One is to meditate every morning for ten minutes. The other is to exercise most days for a minimum of 30 minutes. In both cases, it’s a case of ‘a little bit, done often’ that’s been the trick…
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