Why I don’t give a toss…
Simon Senek popularised the whole concept of begin with your why. Why your organization exists. Why you do what you do etc. But you know what? I don’t generally give a toss [...]
And the fat bear winner is…
I recently heard about Alaska’s Fat Bear competition – where people voted on the best prepared (read “fat”) bear preparing for hibernation. You can watch a live stream of bears standing in [...]
What if he’s wrong?
I was speaking with a business owner recently, and I brought up the issue of client dissatisfaction, and how would he even know it was happening now. He said, look, if there [...]
Why vision isn’t enough…
Just about every leadership book I’ve read goes on about the importance of “vision” and knowing where you’re going. But unless you have a tangible, implementable strategy to get there, it’s just [...]
What’s your business posture?
Got a meeting with a potential prospect? You show up on time, but they keep you waiting. When you finally sit down, you realize your hour-long meeting is now just 30 minutes. [...]
The problem with Rex
How much do you truly understand about your clients? Why they value and dare I say it, love you? And when was the last time you validated what you think is important [...]
What if you won $100M?
I’ve been thinking, “What would I do if I’d won the Powerball $100 million jackpot”? Yes, the odds are like being stuck twice by lightening in your lifetime. But heck, 2 people [...]
Are you playing to win or to not lose?
I've been thinking a lot about motivation lately, particularly when it comes to playing to win or playing not to lose. Think about any sport with qualification rounds. There's a noticeable difference [...]
The most profound lesson I learnt from Michael Gerber
I often speak with disillusioned business leaders who feel stuck in what seems a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. Putting out fires, juggling resources, handling cash flow, and a million other things. They [...]
The Paradigm Paradox: Why success could breed stagnation
I’m fascinated watching the uptake of AI language models. They’re a profound paradigm shift in how we approach work. Like any new frontier, there will be those who thrive and others who [...]
The Sales Pressure Cooker
What's your intent when it comes to sales? Is it about you winning the deal, or are you tuned into them and what’s in their best interest? If it's all about you, [...]
Curious Leadership
While curiosity may have killed the cat, it’s essential in our roles as leaders. Why are things happening this way? Because they always had. But why? What was the original reason and [...]
What could Taylor Swift teach us?
Success comes from preparation and practice. Be it in leadership or sales performance. There’s an old joke about the famous concert soloist lost on his way to Carnegie Hall. He asks a [...]
Reflect – Learn – Do
The new year is rapidly looming. What will it bring? None of us can predict the future. But we can learn from history. Now is a great time to sit back and [...]
Wow – This is a niche!
Marketing 101 states thou should target a niche market an inch wide and a mile deep. Why? Because you can position yourself as an expert in this field. Your tailored message helps [...]
The sales irony…
There is a big irony in sales. That is, you can’t sell anything unless your prospect wants to buy. Sure, you can badger someone into buying, but that is a) highly unlikely [...]
Sales team holding you back?
“Our revenue has dropped significantly. It’s getting harder to penetrate accounts. Our salespeople aren’t performing.” I hear this a lot when working with new clients. I ask how long the salespeople have [...]
Stop Selling!
I've spent decades working with professionals from various consultancy fields, such as Accountants, Financial Planners, Engineers, and IT specialists. Most loved the technical aspects of delivery. And hated having to sell those [...]
Be careful what you measure
Be careful what you measure – you may not get the results you’re expecting. A few years ago, part of the UK health system wanted to reduce the number of cardiac deaths. [...]
10 minute productivity?
Do you find it difficult to estimate how long a job will take? Put a finger in the air? Then find it expands to the available time you’ve estimated? This happens to [...]
10 Minute Productivity
Do you find it difficult to estimate how long a job will take? Put a finger in the air? Then find it expands to the available time you’ve estimated? This happens to [...]
This evoked a lifetime of curiosity
I was a teenager when I first read Dale Carnegie’s “How to win friends and influence people”. It evoked a lifelong curiosity about what makes people tick and how to deal with [...]
Theory or implementation?
There’s a huge difference between theory and implementation. Especially when it comes to dealing with people. Moving into sales roles, I read tons of books. Went to courses. Studied persuasion techniques and [...]
What you tolerating?
What the standard you walk past? As a leader what will and will you not tolerate? These questions have a profound impact on your business. Chief of Army Lieutenant General [...]
The pressure conundrum
Do you have employees who aren’t stepping up? Performing to the best of their ability? Making mistakes which end up costing you both time and money? As a leader, what’s your take? [...]
Matilda fever – lessons on leadership
Like the nation, Barbara and I have been gripped with Matildas fever. Never thought we’d be sitting both at a live site and glued to the TV watching soccer matches. Watching a [...]
The hidden culprit behind Business failure
The main reason for business failure – isn’t what you might think. According to one of NZ’s most experienced business liquidators, the number one reason most small business owners went to the [...]
When leadership sucks
"I’m REALLY frustrated! Everything seems to sit on my shoulders. My staff don’t take responsibility, stuff doesn’t get done on time, mistakes happen. I’m working very long hours. I’m tearing my hair [...]
When leadership sucks!
"I’m REALLY frustrated! Everything seems to sit on my shoulders. My staff don’t take responsibility, stuff doesn’t get done on time, mistakes happen. I’m working very long hours. I’m tearing my hair [...]
Is this toxic triangle damaging your business?
The Persecutor, Victim and Rescuer. Elements of Stephen Karpman’s drama triangle which have real world consequences in leadership. I’ve witnessed the triangle play out in lots of family businesses and partnerships. And [...]
Could you be Albert?
Business posture means you have a firm unshakable belief that you provide real value and deserve to be respected by your clients. Positioning involves being seen as a credible authority in your [...]
Deadlines – how do you react?
We’re moving house. There’s a defined date – stuff has to be packed and ready to move. Which brings up an interesting topic – deadlines. I’ve been mulling over why we take [...]
Could your leadership be toxic?
Over 40 years I’ve come across a wide variety of leaders. Some great, others positively toxic. I vividly remember one particularly toxic individual back in the 1980’s. Completely autocratic, he [...]
Could swimming improve your sales performance?
I’ve just started swimming again. Or should I say, attempting to . The last time I was in a pool was decades ago. I’ve always had trouble breathing so getting [...]
Challenged?
What happens when you get challenged? As a leader not everyone will agree with you. How you respond is critical. Do you get defensive? Feel resistance? Push back? Or do you encourage [...]
Reframing failure…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship rocket exploded. Maybe not quite the result they’d want. What’s enlightening is their reframe. The SpaceX engineers class the mission a success. They test early and often. They’re [...]
Decisions…
Decisions, decisions, decisions. How comfortable are you making them? Especially the hard ones. Ones where you may not know the outcome. I’ve been reflecting on my own decision-making process. Under what circumstances [...]
Decisions…
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” “I don’t much care where –” “Then [...]
Sports leadership lessons
I’ll be the first to admit – I’m not that interested in watching sport. Having said that, I am very interested in leadership and the lessons you can learn from top coaches [...]
Turning a blind eye?
When working with business leaders, we emphasise that everything starts at the top with your leadership. Leadership ultimately is creating a space where people want to belong. And you as [...]