General thoughts and ideas
I always admire those writers who have the discipline to publish consistently regardless of circumstance. I tend to write in spurts. I find that when I become really busy with projects and speaking engagements, my writing suffers. So in case you were wondering why I’ve been so quiet, I thought I’d write a short update … Continue reading A short chronicle of 2016
Last year, while browsing my LinkedIn feed I came across TedX Pretoria’s call for speakers. On the spur of the moment, I decided to nominate myself, never really considering the consequences if I was actually accepted. A couple of weeks later I received the email that my nomination had been successful, and promptly had a “what were you … Continue reading What I learned from speaking at TedX
In a recent Acumen (GIBS Business School’s magazine) there was a pretty scathing piece on consulting with the heading: Consultants or Insultants? The author’s basic premise is that aside from a limited number of tech projects, no self-respecting executive can ever justify the use of expensive consultants and that more often than not they only … Continue reading Reflections on consulting
I’ve been reflecting on how often we allow other people’s (and society in general’s) ‘shoulds’ to influence our choices and even our identity. Now I have to say up-front, some ‘shoulds’ are legitimate, for example, everyone should respect life and not go around murdering other people, and it’s probably best not to cheat on your … Continue reading Don’t allow others (or yourself) to should on you!
Erisychton (Er-is-ya-thon), according to Ovid’s tales from Greek mythology was a wealthy timber merchant and Thessalian King. He was a greedy man who thought only about profit. To him, nothing was sacred. The goddess Demeter had a sacred grove with a special tree beloved by the gods. Prayers of the faithful were tied to the … Continue reading A monster that devours itself: a capitalist’s parable?
“The original definition of ‘courage’ . . . is from the Latin word ‘cor,’ meaning ‘heart.’ And the original definition was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart. And so these folks had, very simply, the courage to be imperfect. They had the compassion to be kind to themselves first, and then to others, because, as it turns out, we can’t … Continue reading Courage
“Confident Vulnerability leaves individuals open, curious, willing to receive others’ perspectives and synergize through their differences. It is a necessary prerequisite to interdependence.” Deanna Murphy (Strength Strategy) The combination of these two terms is really compelling to me. It communicates something powerful and stimulates reflection: Confidence – to be confident in who I am, knowing … Continue reading Confident vulnerability
I find this image incredibly thought provoking. It speaks to me of so many things … choices; agency; victim mentality; short-term thinking; lack of vision; fear of change; ignorance; maybe even commitment i.e. burning a bridge that may tempt you to turn back. It stirs a sadness, but also frustration. Definitely curiosity. Mostly, it makes … Continue reading Who creates our reality?
Although I’ve been actively blogging on www.narrativelab.co.za for several years, I’ve never felt the need for a personal blog. Now that I have decided to spread my wings and explore the world beyond TNL, I find that I have quite a bit to say. I’ve been a business consultant now for for more than 12 … Continue reading Why another blog?
