What’s one moment in the past year where you felt completely energised?

Not just mildly motivated. Not just productive. I mean truly alive - the kind of energy that makes time disappear, that sharpens your thinking, that leaves you buzzing long after the moment has passed.

I’ve been asking this question a lot lately. And the answers are fascinating.

Because here’s what I haven’t heard:

Influences.

What are yours?

Did you choose them consciously?

When did you last review them?

It’s an important choice that I see from many high-performing leaders and yet they don’t sing it from the rooftops. They just quietly get on it.

Think of a bath. You’re in the bath

As the sun rises today on January 1st millions of people around the world resolve to make this their year of transformation. Whether it’s health, career, or relationships, the start of a new year brings with it a sense of hope and a fresh canvas. But how many of those resolutions truly stick? Research shows that a staggering 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.

Why?

Because we focus on rigid goals without exploring the simple power of experimentation.

A friend asked this question last night.

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, a yearning that keeps coming back to you. Something important, an itch you’ve not scratched”. 

What comes up for you when that question gets asked?

Rate your team’s response from 1-10 to this scenario:

When you propose a new idea, what happens?

1: Groans, rolled eyes, and a “we’re too busy” dismissal.
10: Enthusiasm and a “bring it on” attitude.

Understanding your team’s reaction is more than a diagnostic—it could be the key to achieving your Big Bold Goals. Let’s explore how shifting from resistance to curiosity drives transformative results.

Decisions. We make lots of them every week.

Lots of small ones. Some big ones. Very occasionally some monumental ones.

How much do you think about how you go about making those decisions? 

Your colleagues at work - do they apply more or less rigour to their decisions?

When it comes to moving towards our Big Bold Goals, I believe we should leave no stone unturned to improving our probability of success.

Feels to me like there’s a lot of tension in the world - from war to elections to budgets.

It’s all easy to absorb much of the bad news, to be influenced by it, to allow it to shape our outlook on life.

There’s a sailing analogy - “When you can't change the direction of the wind, adjust your sails”.

Here’s 3 things to think on (aka adjust your sails)…

The world doesn't stand still, and neither should you.

Two weeks ago, I was in the audience at CogX Festival on Leadership hearing from incredible thought leaders on what's changing> Here's some fresh ideas direct from leading thinkers ranging from senior leaders at Google, Open AI, HSBC to policy makers to people tackling the very real issue of Deep Fakes through to Innovators and Entepreneurs.

This is a complex and nuanced question that is not best served with superficial answers.

It requires depth and thinking.

It requires a body of evidence, of stories, of boundary breakers, of visionary thinkers and the teams who work hand in hand with them to make them happen.

My intention is to write a series of articles exploring different sectors, and businesses who are embracing audacity, resilience, and forward-thinking.

Can understanding Trauma help you to be a better leader?

On the back of spending 4 days at Europe’s leading Trauma Conference, I’ve compiled some ideas to share.

In my work speaking to leaders, disruption is everywhere and how we face this disruption..

There are 2 questions that I raise in the article: