I want you in my office. Now. What’s really going on at Yahoo?
The biggest tech news so far this year has been an announcement by Yahoo that they want "all hands on deck" and that all work-from-home is being cancelled as from June. Irked Yahoo employees have leaked the memo that was sent by HR head Jackie Reses. Apparently the...
Smart leadership: The Power of Questions – A (Japanese) Story.
“You can eat an apple,” I said, and gave him the green fruit. It was as if he had seen an apple for the first time. First he just held it there and smelled it, but then he took a little bite. “Mmmm,” he said and took a bigger bite. “Did it taste good?” I asked. He...
Leading Diversity: three simple things you can do
Leading and managing diversity is not optional for the contemporary leader. It is also not as easily done as it is stated! Of course ‘diversity’ is as complex as it is nuanced and much has been said and written on the subject. I am currently in Istanbul doing a day on...
Leading Diversity: three simple things you can do
Leading and managing diversity is not optional for the contemporary leader. It is also not as easily done as it is stated! Of course ‘diversity’ is as complex as it is nuanced and much has been said and written on the subject. I am currently in Istanbul doing a day on...
What Oscar Pistorius And Lance Armstrong Can Teach Us About Needing to Win
As the world turns its attention to the story of Oscar Pistorius and the tragic events that unfolded on Thursday 14th February 2013, with the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, one cannot help but lament the let down that so many South Africans (and indeed...
Women’s Equality is needed everywhere
If you know anything about me, you'll know I am passionate about sport: especially cricket. You'll also know that I am passionate about the roles and place of women in society, and our need to ensure equality and access to opportunities for men and women. I am also...
Leading Diversity: the work leaders cannot ignore
One of the biggest challenges facing leaders today is that of leading diversity. It is also something that leaders cannot ignore, avoid or neglect - although many do. Diversity is a well-worn term and is often confused with variety. In fact understanding the...
Leading Diversity: the work leaders cannot ignore
One of the biggest challenges facing leaders today is that of leading diversity. It is also something that leaders cannot ignore, avoid or neglect - although many do. Diversity is a well-worn term and is often confused with variety. In fact understanding the...
A Trait of Smart Leaders: Seeing With Your Ears – Listening With Your Eyes
How do submarines ‘see’? Well, everyone knows that submarines ‘see’ by using ultrasound…essentially submarines see by hearing, by using their ‘ears’. So should leaders. Social intuition is the term used to describe the ability to spot and read clues around you very...
Do You Know the Enneagram?
If you do, then read on. If you don't, read on too, for you will learn something about this ancient and profoundly accurate tool for understanding and engaging with the different ways in which people think, feel and intuitively 'know'. For those of you who are...
Women need more than words (and binders) to succeed at work
For women to bridge the pay gap in the workplace and to find their way into boardrooms and senior leadership positions they're going to need men's assistance. This is not to patronise women, but simply a statement of the reality of who currently wields the power. What...
Women need more than words (and binders) to succeed at work
For women to bridge the pay gap in the workplace and to find their way into boardrooms and senior leadership positions they're going to need men's assistance. This is not to patronise women, but simply a statement of the reality of who currently wields the power. What...
BIC pens FOR HER! (How not to market to women)
Bic produces pens. They're ubiquitous. You've probably had many of their cheap plastic offerings lying around, rolling around in drawers or down the side of your sofa. Bic recently launched a new range which they thought would be perfect for some of their customers,...
Welcome to Sun City
Last week I began an 8 week journey with 28 prisoners in Johannesburg's maximum security facility, colloquially known as 'Sun City Prison'. The reason it is called 'Sun City' has got nothing to with it bearing any resemblance to the world-known holiday resort which...
Be mindful not to pigeonhole Millennials
Whether you are marketing to Millennials, teaching them, managing, mentoring or working for one, be mindful that you do not make assumptions about them. They are a very interesting generation, full of contradiction and unexpected (often pleasant) surprises. On one...
Do you get Why? How millenial are you?
Here is a short check list: How much television do you watch? How often do you play video games? Do you wear a watch? Do you have a landline in your house (or just a cell phone)? Do you speak on the phone or use instant or text messaging more? How do you use social...
The Olympics as a Filtered Experience
Have you ever watched the Olympics on television outside your home country? The Olympics captivates every country on earth, especially the host nation where it is unexpectedly poignant, yet our experience of this global event is heavily filtered. Imagine a wall of TV...
When you strike Generation Y, you strike a rock
On the 9th August 1956 South African women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in order to protest against the Pass Laws (legislation that required Black African people to carry an identity book which gave them permission to live and work in 'white' areas). 20...
Who owns that dumb corporate rule? No! Really? Why? Who made this rule up?
One blog from Seth Godin stands out for me as being a diamond amongst gems. It was written in 2009 and in it he asks the question: who owns that rule? Seth says: "Every rule needs to be associated with one and only one person who is willing to stand up for it and...
How To Think Like Generation Why
Why would you want to learn to think like a Millennial? Perhaps because you don't understand your children? Perhaps because you are a teacher and you have no idea to connect with them, discipline them, or inspire them to want to know more? Perhaps because you have...