Ideas for the Younger You

I started my first business at 14. I found an abandoned fishing boat, repaired it and starting catching and selling crabs and lobsters from a beach in South Devon.

My son’s now 14 and I’ve been back on that beach with him this week with him repairing my old boat with him. As I spend time talking with him, I’ve shared the things that I know now that I wish I’d known then:

At age 84, what do you imagine you’ll be doing?

Last week, I went with my wife to see the latest Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy. It was inspiring on several levels.

Culture is the Game

“Culture isn’t just one aspect of the game – it is the game” - Lou Gerstner

What is it that defines the highest performing organisations from their competitors? Whilst products, strategies and individuals may come and go, the single most enduring aspect of companies over the long term is their culture.

I often think that the role of a leader is like that of a farmer. Plant seeds, apply sunshine and water and nurture them. It can be hard to see immediate impact, but the green shoots will appear. If I plant a seed today and expect an oak tree to appear tomorrow, the only person being deluded is me.

Change is in the air, but does it have to be that way?

Texas Professor Anthony Klotz predicts the “great resignation” in relation to team members who stayed put during the uncertainty of the pandemic and who are now getting ready to jump ship.

A study by Microsoft found that 41% of the global workforce would consider leaving their current employer within the next year.

We’ve got a blame culture…

One of the comments that came out in the discussions whilst running a workshop yesterday for 35 leaders across Europe and North America.

Many of us will recognise this and may have worked in teams where this happens. Some may still be there.

You’ve only got two choices:

1. accept it.

2. do something about it.

Do you think of yourself as:

1. big picture or

2. detail focused?

Or perhaps, you see yourself as

1. goal focused or

2. process focused?

Looking after those in our teams has never been more important. As mental health awareness week kicks off, it's one of the simplest things to remember that listening and genuinely caring for our team sits right at the core of what it means to be more human.

It's not just the right thing to do for the mental health for each and every one of us. It's also fundamental for success in your team.

Why aren’t you getting the best out of your people?

The past few weeks I’ve noticed an uptick in business activity. The economic indicators are pointing towards one hell of a boom in prospect.

Whilst it might not feel like that for you right now, this is what the data I’m paying attention to is pointing at.

The last 12 months have presented one set of challenges.

The next 12 months are likely to present a different set of challenges.

What’s your teams identity?

I see lots of ambitious companies shaping the identity of their team using the construct of "we are ..." and {insert relevant company name like #weareCisco}

It's a powerful way of creating identity, community and a sense of togetherness.

Here's my question.