In our current turbulent business environment, organisations worldwide are finding it necessary to adapt to ever-changing financial circumstances, revisit product offerings for more nuanced customer needs and strive for innovation and creative solutions to stay ahead of the game. The quest for sustainable growth requires the adoption of new technologies, process re-engineering, restructuring, culture change…
“A good boss makes his men realise they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could” (Charles Erwin Wilson) I am surprised at how many people hate work. Wherever I go, I come across hundreds of people who prefer the duvet rather than…
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit” (Albert Schweitzer) Very few people seem to have “found their voice”. By this I mean: knowing and living…
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do” (Steve Jobs) There are many phrases that describe resistance to the overbearing supervision of one’s boss – don’t breathe down my neck, don’t walk in on me, don’t look…
“Income and wealth may impress your friends and increase your vocabulary, but having a servant attitude and compassion for others will cause people to take notice and give purpose to your life” (Germany Kent) The company was ailing. It wasn’t that their chicken was bad or tasteless – indeed, their range of products was good….
“When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality” (Joe Paterno) Many motivation theories suggest that successful performance hinges on both having the needed skills and, also, the will to use these skills to achieve, but even motivated and skilled teams may fail to perform if they don’t have a…
“It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.” (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and…
I love mental games – solving problems that require the exercise of logic and the ability to get into the mind of the problem’s creator (understanding the sometimes-obscure reasoning that underlies all the issues related to finding a solution). Crosswords, Sudoku, and the Rubik’s Cube, amongst many others, require one’s mental freedom to be able…
“Set team members free to grow within the organisation” (JNM) We all want them in our respective teams – talented people who make a remarkable impact on our team’s efficacy. These ‘stars’ are innovative, positive, future-oriented, visionary and hard-working. They make us look good. Others start noticing our respective department’s inputs and outputs and hail…
Nice words are frequently offered to people when they are dead – in obituaries. Very seldom are people acknowledged for their respective contributions when they are alive. This is unfortunate, as many people across the planet are making significant contributions in many fields and these contributions should be recognised. So saying, I would like to…
“Occasionally the world witnesses a heroic feat or discovers a person with rare talent…but most people know there is another type of greatness that tends to be more quiet by nature, one that generally escapes the headlines. Yet, it is a greatness that, in my opinion, is deserving of higher honour, even more respect. I…
“It is unhealthy to marinate in your own press clippings” (Sam Walton) Humility is the hallmark of true leadership. Those in leadership who display humility recognise that they have been put in a position to serve others, create opportunity for others and bring out the best in others. Humility empowers others. It sets an example…
