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…
When presidents play God, one is reminded of Martin Luther King’s words: “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Being a good leader in any context is tough – having a worthy vision, communicating with clarity, engaging authentically, empathising with compassion, providing hope, etc. One of the…
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 “expense”. The CEO questioned the number and the finance chief responded: “Shrinkage is included in the budget for theft. Our…
So much is being written about team collaboration and cohesiveness currently – perhaps more specifically, the electronic and digital tools associated with keeping team members in touch with each other and working towards the same goals. So Deloitte, The Digital Workplace, even notes this by means of a definition: “…to solve business problems and operate…
“The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious” (Ted Levitt) Curiosity is a leadership trait that can transform a business to achieve extraordinary results. While some leaders seem to think that when they have found a solution to a particular problem they can stop looking for new ideas, great leaders carry…
“If you’re not willing to accept the pain real values incur, don’t bother going to the trouble of formulating a values statement” (Patrick M Lencioni) In 1994, when Jim Collins and Jerry Porras published Built to Last, CEO’s all over the world starting investing time and energy in developing a set of values for their…
One of the most important actions that executive leaders should be undertaking, especially during the corona virus pandemic, is targeting managers to re-establish their self-confidence. COVID-19 has pulled the rug out from under their feet and most managers, too, are feeling fragile, insecure and unsure. These feelings of insecurity don’t augur well for innovation, creativity,…
Not only are there but a few really good leaders that occupy political positions of power in the world, there are even less that have left legacies that lasted. Of course we can’t fully judge the legacies of some of these leaders as they still remain in power, but the worrying signs are all there…
