“Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak whispers the o’er-fraught heart and bids it break” (William Shakespeare) The world in which we live is hurting currently – not only are there tensions between factions, conflict between other groups and even nations; not only are there real concerns about global warming, pollution of the…
“Truly empathic leaders can even listen to what is being said in the silence” Recognising, empathising with and showing compassion to those experiencing pain sets some leaders apart from others. Being aware of the feelings of others and how their situation affects their perceptions, these empathic leaders are willing and able to appreciate what others…
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart” (Roy T Bennett) Being a leader is stressful – the constant pressure of being in the public eye and the overwhelming need to be successful. Too often, leaders feel unsafe, as if they are under a microscope,…
Jean Henri Fabre, famed naturalist and explorer of the insect world, was born into a peasant family in France, raising ducklings to make some money. While tending the little birds in a nearby pond, he discovered other smaller creatures that dived, swam or wriggled – beetles, tadpoles, worms, mosquito larvae, newts and many insects. His…
“Becoming the best kind of leader isn’t about emulating a role model or a historic figure. Rather, your leadership must be rooted in who you are and what matters most to you” (Harry M Jansen Kraemer Jr) In the continuing, increasingly complex and changing challenges that our world is experiencing, many of which have potentially…
Being in a leadership position is not for the faint-hearted – effective leadership requires a high level of emotional intelligence and a comprehensive understanding of one’s personal value and contribution ability. Typically, leaders get to occupy their respective management positions due to one or more of the following reasons: Subject matter experts – they know…
Build a team so strong that no-one can point out the leader (Anon) The mark of true leadership lies in the efficacy, confidence and performance of the leader’s team. Too many leaders rely on personal charisma, authority (even manipulation) and other coercion techniques to get the job done, disempowering team members as a result. Trust…
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that is heard by the listener with a delay after the original sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the listener. Well-known echo examples include those produced by the bottom of a…
Employee wellbeing and employee engagement are both critical ingredients of individual and organisational performance. The two concepts are inextricably interlinked, like two trees growing intertwined. When one is damaged, the other also suffers. This concept has become particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not only impacted so many people physically, but, too, has…
“… the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” (James 3: 5) Although the weight of the human tongue is only about 60 – 70 grams, its potential for evil is so great that it has…
Most “Chief Operating Officers” would love them – employees on the shop floor with biologically-enhanced capabilities. Much in the same way that Hollywood created films of super soldiers, like Bloodshot, Captain America and Universal Soldier, and then of course all the super-hero movies, company executives would love to create super-hero employees with the abilities to…
“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads” (Back to the Future – 1985) So much has been written of late about the disruption and subsequent pain that the world has experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have died. Many are hurting. Still more are frustrated by the precautions that are…
