“When we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems” (Nelson A Rockefeller) Adversity is a part of all our lives. At times, adversity seems to break the spirit of some. More often, however, adversity brings out the true spirit and character within people and leads them to make the noblest of…
“Sadly, too often, the stigma around mental health prevents people who need help from seeking it” (Michelle Obama) Mental illness is of such significant concern that the World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented a global Special Initiative for mental health. While mental health conditions are on the rise, research indicates that most people who have…
“You made them hate me,” said Ender. “So? What will you do about it? Crawl in a corner? Start kissing their little backsides so they’ll love you again? There’s only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that’s being so good at what you do that they can’t ignore you. I told…
“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…
“I used to think the worst thing in life is to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone” (Robin Williams, 1951-2014) A UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) study by Naomi Eisenberger and Matthew Lieberman discovered that the part…
“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own” (Benjamin Disraeli) When we treat people with respect, we help them gain confidence and reveal inner potential that otherwise might go untapped. Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him or…
“If you are kicking up a storm, don’t expect clear sailing” (P P Sullivan) Although some people allow adversity to bend or break their spirits, others swiftly adapt to their new context and overcome the opposition. The skill to adapt and find opportunities in difficult situations is a sure test of character and ingenuity. Ralph…
Businesses worry about new technologies, but customers are the ultimate disruptors (Suman Sarkar: “Customer-Driven Disruption”) The key to survival in this era of changing customer needs is to focus on and address them quickly so that customers don’t switch to the competition. Since a few bad reviews, social media posts or angry tweets from customers…
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…
The fear of failure is enough to stop many people in their tracks and cause them to give up without even making any further attempts. Is it possible, however, that failure could be just the “force” that one needs to propel one to a place of fresh thinking, new levels of creativity and renewed energy…
Globalisation, made possible over the past half-century through more speedy and efficient forms of travel (commuting intercontinentally) and telecommunications (mobile technology and fast data transfer through the internet), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies and governments all over the world. S Guttal (Globalisation, Development in Practice) notes: “As a complex and…
“People who live in glass houses can’t pretend they are not at home” (Anon) Leadership “busyness” is frequently used as an excuse for a lack of effective employee engagement – managers attending a plethora of meetings, deadlines that have to be met, targets that have to be reached, issues in the production processes that need…
