Shaping an Innovative Governance Innovation with these 7 Questions
Are you dreaming of a different direction or a mixture of what you usually do andsomething quite new? Innovation Governance comes to mind. I am reminded of the words of Ellen DeGeneres. “When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there […]
Sweet Homecoming
Though born in London, I grew up in Belfast. We spent holidays in Atrium and also the Republic of Ireland. This year I decided to go back to Ireland to race my roots. I did not quite know what to expect. Having grown up in care, growing up was a mixed experience. A ‘who do […]
Coaching is a Useful Helping Hand
Coaching is one of the aspects of my work that I absolutely love. An effective coach steps back and the coachee takes centre stage. My joy comes when I see him or her gain more clarity, achieve their goals or become more purposeful and intentional. It really is all about the person being coached. As […]
The Apprentice – Our Leading Light
I confess sometimes I watch mindless reality TV programmes such as the Apprentice. When I read that two apprentices rivals traded insults after cat fights, were at each other’s throats, had a ‘screaming’ row during filming and continued to trade insults on social media, I asked whether programmes such as these display leadership in a […]
Steps to Achieving Effective Governance
Effective governance is achieved by taking a long term view – this can be quite challenging in the face of uncertainty about the future. The temptation can be to make choices based on limited perspectives rather than on the larger picture that would emerge if you seek more information and evidence. There are four […]
Six Golden Guidelines for Effective Governance
I love the line in Pirates of the Caribbean where one of the actors alluded to policies that needed to be adhered to by the Pirates. The other Pirate retorted, ‘they are not so much policies; they are more like guidelines’. With this in mind, I usually find it helpful to reflect on rules of […]
When is Conflict Good ?
African Saying “You have to take your head to the barber in order to get your hair cut.”Insight: There are certain tasks you simply cannot delegate. You identify and prioritise the ones that you (and only you) can get done and take responsibility for those if you want the results you are aiming to get.
Sharing What you Think can Really Impact on How you Do Business
Governance is not just about regulation, policies and procedures: it has a human face too. Board agendas are often cramped, meaning that more personal, sometimes difficult and uncomfortable matters do not get discussed. Sometimes there is a sense of uneasy compromise. But creating an environment where trustees can discuss matters of real personal concern can […]
Time to Think For More Effective Decision Making
In today’s fast moving environment we hardly have time to think or even breathe! Decisions can be made quickly with very little discussion, deliberation or debate. However decisions that have a big impact and long term consequences need more space for consideration, intentionality and purposefulness. Mindfulness demonstrates the importance, in fact the necessity of slowing […]
Servant Leadership a Platform for Effective Leadership
Servant leadership is so impactful, yet many people think of leadership as a means of control and exercising power, sometimes in inappropriate ways. Power used in the wrong way is very destructive, people are bullied, there is a culture of fear and guilt. In the short term, things may appear to be working, but over […]