Leadership In Chaos

This episode marks a return. After a pause to reset and refocus, Leadership In Chaos is back. The upcoming episodes are grounded in the Leadership Manifesto . A set of principles for leading and managing in a world that rarely sits still. In this episode, we explore Principle #19: Schedule What’s Important. It sounds simple. But it’s one of the most consistently violated principles in leadership....

I am interrupting the “Confessions of a Guru” series to share a special edition (to coincide with our refresh of the Podcast tile, which I hope you like). 😉 This special three-part edition is about Conversations and why, at this critical time, when we need to have conversations most, we are shunning the opportunity and losing the art.  We started a project 15 years ago called @GreenLine Conversat...

I am interrupting the “Confessions of a Guru” series to share a special edition (to coincide with our refresh of the Podcast tile, which I hope you like). 😉 This special three-part edition is about Conversations and why, at this critical time, when we need to have conversations most, we are shunning the opportunity and losing the art.  We started a project 15 years ago called @GreenLine Conversat...

I am interrupting the “Confessions of a Guru” series to share a special edition (to coincide with our refresh of the Podcast tile, which I hope you like). 😉 This special three-part edition is about Conversations and why, at this critical time, when we need to have conversations most, we are shunning the opportunity and losing the art.  We started a project 15 years ago called @GreenLine Conversat...

I hope you’re enjoying the new series of Confessions of a Guru. Here is our latest episode, Part 5: The Marvels and the Spoon. The “Guru” label is deliberately ironic as, in the age of the un-curated digital platform, everyone - it seems - is suddenly a Guru. Self-proclaimed anyway. 😉 The format is to choose a story from my 30+ years of working with leaders globally, which illustrates the best or...

The New Series Yes, indeed, Leadership in Chaos is truly back with an exciting new series – Confessions of a Guru.  The “Guru” label is deliberately ironic as, in the age of the un-curated digital platform, everyone - it seems - is suddenly a Guru. Self-proclaimed anyway. 😉 The format is to choose a story from my 30+ years of working with leaders globally, which illustrates the best or the worst...

The New Series Yes, indeed, Leadership in Chaos is truly back with an exciting new series – Confessions of a Guru.  The “Guru” label is deliberately ironic as, in the age of the un-curated digital platform, everyone - it seems - is suddenly a Guru. Self-proclaimed anyway. 😉 The format is to choose a story from my 30+ years of working with leaders globally which illustrates the best or the worst o...

The New Series If you haven’t already noticed, Leadership in Chaos is back with an exciting new series – Confessions of a Guru.  The “Guru” label is deliberately ironic as, in the age of the un-curated digital platform, everyone - it seems - is suddenly a Guru. Self-proclaimed anyway. 😉 The format is to choose a story from my 30+ years of working with leaders globally which illustrates the best o...

Leadership in Chaos is back with an exciting new series – Confessions of a Guru.  The “Guru” label is deliberately ironic as, in the age of the infinite digital platform, everyone, it seems, is a guru. By self-appointment. 😉 The format is to choose a story from my 30+ years of working with leaders globally, which, illustrates the best or the worst of some aspects of leadership. After telling the...

The Keynote Season Part 2: The Leadership Contribution Leadership isn’t about position, title, or privilege – although many organizations operate as if it is. Leadership is best seen as a form of contribution. In this episode, we unpack exactly what makes up that contribution.   Insights include: -What is Leadership? -Ask the Audience – we all know great leadership -Organisations are awful at deve...

The Keynote Season Part 3: Create Clarity In times of ambiguity and uncertainty, people look intensely to their leaders. As that leader, if you can be nothing else, be clear. This episode explains why and how.   Insights include: -Why people don’t do what they’re supposed to…and what to do about it -Why Ambiguity is Enemy No1 for High Performance -Leadership’s 2 Clarity Traps -How we judge Ourselv...

The Keynote Season Part 4: Inspire Commitment “The more digital the world becomes, the more we must emphasise what makes us most human” – Jack Ma This episode unveils the 4 Emotionally Intelligent “Cards” that – played right – help build connection and commitment: Humanity’s trump card in an increasingly digital deck.  Insights include: -Leadership is a contact sport -Quality of Interaction = Qual...

The Keynote Season Part 1: Chaos? Always! “Events, dear boy, events” was Harold Macmillan’s succinct reply when asked about the greatest challenge for a statesman.  Well, so too with this humble Podcaster who – through force of “events” - has been absent from the podcast platform for exactly one year today.  The absence, however, hasn’t been wasted and, on this the very anniversary of my previous...

“The most scarce resource in the world today is attention” – Yuval Noah Harari     The only 2 industries that refer to customers as “users” are Big Tech and drug cartels. We live in an increasingly technology-fuelled Garden of Eden – an attention economy where the most sophisticated dark forces are constantly, covertly intent at work to distract you. If time is your most precious asset as a leader...

“Imagination is more important than Knowledge – Albert Einstein ”   What has Art got to do with Leadership? Throughout nearly 30 years of working with leaders and leadership, the very best leaders I’ve encountered all have had one thing in common irrespective of geography or industry: the sensibility of an artist. This was reinforced to me recently when attending a screening of a documentary produ...

Whilst not obligatory that you “love” your people at work - in the amorous sense! - people at least need to know you, as the leader, have got their best interests at heart. On this Valentine’s Day, it is worth remembering that your connection to those that matter makes an enormous contribution to your leadership impact and results.  Here’s one of my favourite episodes “From the Archive”: A timely...

I started the Flow(group) business exactly 25 years ago this month - in January 1998.   I can’t brag, because Google started up the same month.    For context, it was the year Apple unveiled the iMac ; the Bill Clinton / Monica Lewinsky scandal; the FDA approved the Viagra pill (not related); and the NI Good Friday Agreement (definitely not related).    During the time, in addition to the quotidia...

“It’s only when the tide goes out you see who’s been swimming in the nude” – Warren Buffett   As a leader the decision to let people go is never easy, but sometimes necessary. Nonetheless, it is often in these Moments that Matter where leaders show what stuff they are really made of. The current high-profile Tech lay-offs provide a unique test for leaders in a sector that has enjoyed rock-star gro...

“Useless. Shambles. Incompetent. CHAOS” These were the dominant words of a GB News Peoples’ Poll Wordcloud last week as the Tory party unravelled amidst a sequence of bizarre and barely credible events. But what role did Leadership have to play in the absurdist drama and what was it Liz Truss did or didn’t do to contribute to her own ultimate downfall? This episode unpicks the very clear failures...

To be human is to procrastinate. The Greeks even had a special word for it – akrasia – such was its acknowledgement. However, it’s not a great device for leadership effectiveness when keeping focus is critical. The tendency towards Procrastination, and it’s full-sister Distraction, is becoming increasingly a topic of conversation with leaders (I’m engaged with), together with media and public disc...

Normal service is resumed as I return to the Manifesto and explore how to preserve and protect the biggest asset any team has – you as the leader. Often ignoring their own needs and deprived in the service of others, the book title “Leaders Eat Last” promotes the idea of servant leadership (which I applaud by the way) ….however….Leaders Gotta Eat! How does a leader effectively balance doing the be...

I am interrupting normal service for a newsflash! Such has been the demand recently out there for a succinct summary of what it means to be a leader now we are starting The Great Reset for society, work and life, that I have composed a triple-decker episode that roughly mirrors a keynote I’m delivering to address the question. Many of my previous themes are peppered throughout, along with a few ne...

I am interrupting normal service for a newsflash! Such has been the demand recently out there for a succinct summary of what it means to be a leader now we are starting The Great Reset for society, work and life, that I have composed a triple-decker episode that roughly mirrors a keynote I’m delivering to address the question. Many of my previous themes are peppered throughout, along with a few ne...

I am interrupting normal service for a newsflash! Such has been the demand recently out there for a succinct summary of what it means to be a leader now we are starting The Great Reset for society, work and life, that I have composed a triple-decker episode that roughly mirrors a keynote I’m delivering to address the question. Many of my previous themes are peppered throughout, along with a few ne...

We often do our best thinking when we are not thinking. From Archimedes to Newton, great breakthrough discovery examples “away from the job” are rife in science, technology and the arts. It appears that it is often through a break that we really break through Leadership is fundamentally about setting the right direction and making the right choices. Those choices, however, are only as good as the...