Developing Leaders

The latest news and future trends in business

Talent Networker: Dave Matthews

Talent Networker: Dave Matthews

I remember the first time I heard the Dave Matthews Band - it was a summers day driving along the South Coast with Mike (see his post on DMB). I could not quite figure out why this band resonated with me. Boasting a gruff voice, tainted with mud, Dave is not an...

Working Mothers – the debate still rages

Working Mothers – the debate still rages

Michelle Conlin wrote in 2000 for BusinessWeek on how the turn of the millennial would not necessarily solve one of women's age ol dilemmas - how to balance work, marriage and kids. It seems that men just get to carry on, assuming that the women will pick up the child...

RIP:  The Newspaper

RIP: The Newspaper

BBC News (UK Edition) has published a thought-provoking article titled "What will newspapers look like in 20 years?", on the back of The Guardian's decision to switch from 'broadsheet' format to a more compact, practical 'berliner' style. 10 years ago predictions were...

Where do you get your news from?

Where do you get your news from?

I find it fascinating that more and more people are getting their news from "spoof" news shows. The Late Night Shows (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, etc), have always provided light relief, with a few well placed jokes about current affairs up front. But now, with the...

Millennials are not just in our homes!

Millennials are not just in our homes!

Last week I had 2 Millennium generational (Gen Y) encounters. The first one was while visiting a client. A very progressive company with a young dynamic staff. Anyone would give their eye teeth to work in a company like this. When I asked what one issue would they say...

Remind me: How do rules help?

Remind me: How do rules help?

With a few exceptions, rules and regulations only serve to: 1. Divert attention from a company's objectives, 2. Provide a false sense of securty for executives, 3. Create work for bean counters, and 4. Teach men to stone dinosaurs and start fires with sticks. Courtesy...

WOMMA and The Deathmatch

WOMMA and The Deathmatch

WOMMA is an acronym for the newly-formed Word-of-Mouth Marketer's Association. It is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry, and according to the site, a collection of "fantastic brands and marketers who know that happy customers are...

Pay ’em more to keep ’em

Pay ’em more to keep ’em

This morning I heard Thabo Mbeki say something that is very familiar to us. In addressing the high salaries that councilors of local government earn, sometimes higher than his own, Mbeki explained how skills come at a premium in the municipalities … they get...

Pay 'em more to keep 'em

Pay 'em more to keep 'em

This morning I heard Thabo Mbeki say something that is very familiar to us. In addressing the high salaries that councilors of local government earn, sometimes higher than his own, Mbeki explained how skills come at a premium in the municipalities … they get...

Nonstop Innovation

Nonstop Innovation

Inc magazine, July 2005, tells a great story of how one UK company, Cambridge Consultants, gets their employees innovating (read it here). They actively encourage their employees to pursue business ideas. They give them time to develop the ideas, and give them...

Change This

Change This

Change This is a website started a year ago, which aims to get people interacting with high level thinking - rather than just taking up their corners and jousting to the death. Their website says: "In the old days, we had the time and inclination to consider the...

Twitchy Mobile Networks

Twitchy Mobile Networks

Anyone else noticed the 'twitchy' behaviour of South African Mobile Phone Operators (specifically MTN and Vodacom) They're on the offensive with adverts around their cheap calls if you use your phone betwen 17:00 - 20:00. Who uses their phone during this time? Dinner,...

A GOOD airline experience

A GOOD airline experience

With many bad experiences of flying having made their way on to this blog I thought I’d relate some of the excellent service I’ve recently received from Singapore Airlines.Check-in was fairly fast at all 4 of their flights I took – enough counters Movies, ice-cream, food, newspaper, in-flight internetI’d definitely choose to fly with them again.