Winning without trying.

Sun Tzu’s philosophy was to avoid conflict if possible.  He recognised the waste of resources and the cost of the risk that aggression creates.  Many modern managers think that he was all about fighting, but his philosophy was much ore about fighting without fighting, as Bruce Lee said, and if you have to fight, do …
Continue reading Winning without trying.

Listen to your gut.

It’s not always what you want and it’s not always right, BUT it is at least as good as your head when it comes to emotional response and relationships, and life is all about relationships. A study on gut-feeling as it relates to the longevity of matrimonial relationships indicates that it is a better predictor …
Continue reading Listen to your gut.

Make the new CEO an intern first.

This sounds like a really good idea.   “Experience matters? The Impact of Prior CEO Experience on Firm Performance” discusses research by Monika Hamori of the IE Business School in Spain and Burack Koyuncu of the NEOMA Business School in France which indicates that “past performance is not an indicator of future success”.  That sounds like …
Continue reading Make the new CEO an intern first.

The power of emotional intelligence in a cognitive world.

Breathe to focus. It sounds simple, even foolish, but it’s not. Daniel Goleman recently gave a presentation on his new book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, which was reviewed by IMD.   Goleman explains why attention is a little-noticed mental asset that makes a huge difference in how well we find our way in our …
Continue reading The power of emotional intelligence in a cognitive world.

The “Syndrome of Disavowed Yearning”

It’s a weird idea, but something about disavowed and yearning had some truth in it. Sometimes you wonder if celebrities and successful people are happy.  Sometimes it is easy to wonder if it is possible to have friends when someone is so popular or attractive.  Life must be intense.  It wouldn’t be unreasonable to imagine …
Continue reading The “Syndrome of Disavowed Yearning”

Does philanthropy work?

Yes, of course it does.  But being an analyst, and one who must count the pennies too, it has always been a pertinent question.  I’ve always found it difficult to give money to an organisation that has high paid, educated staff taking a third to half the donations in administrative overhead.  I know that when …
Continue reading Does philanthropy work?

Deepak Chopra on putting together good teams.

Chopra on good teams.  He hits all the right buttons: Since my life’s work has always focused on self-awareness and well being, I have made those two attributes the criterion for people I want to work with. In my course, The Soul of Leadership, I advise employers not only to get references and bios from …
Continue reading Deepak Chopra on putting together good teams.

The god and bad of not having enough …

Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir was reviewed by The Economist here. People can succumb to a “scarcity mindset” when they feel they have too few friends, time or calories, as well as too little money. This mindset has benefits because it helps you focus on pressing …
Continue reading The god and bad of not having enough …

The Bell-Mason Diagnostic explained

A useful introduction to the Bell-Mason diagnostic from http://www.innovationmanagement.org/Wiki/index.php?title=Bell-Mason_Diagnostic THE BELL-MASON DIAGNOSTIC FOR RAISING CAPITAL EXPLAINED Silicon Valley has developed a “genius” business model. You find a genius. You build a business around him. The problem is that geniuses are hard to come by. Perhaps more importantly, this emphasis on inspired, highly caffeinated, insomniac heroes …
Continue reading The Bell-Mason Diagnostic explained

Open business to change the world.

What do you mean open business?  I could tell you, or you could look here … Open business is a concept of doing business in a transparent way, intimately integrating an ecosystem of collaborating participants.  It is a holonic approach. Objectives are multifaceted and recognise the interdependence of organisations and participants.  They recognise natural law.  …
Continue reading Open business to change the world.