These days, when I see other swimmers on the beach, it feels like I didn’t get the memo. Years ago, before cold water swimming became popular, a dip in the sea required just two things: a swimsuit and a towel. Not anymore. Social media marketers have turned a simple activity into a complex ritual requiringContinue reading “On keeping things simple”
Category Archives: leadership
When working more hours doesn’t pay
Since being a freelancer I’ve learned that sometimes it’s more lucrative to go for a walk than work another hour. It’s a simple arithmetic. As in any business, tracking my time is important. Especially billable vs. non-billable hours. One morning this week I had no meetings, and nothing billable or urgent to do. Normally suchContinue reading “When working more hours doesn’t pay”
Simple questions for meaningful reflection
The end of the year is always a good time to reflect, look back and plan ahead. To this end I have compiled a guide of reflective questions that you may find useful. Whether you want to take stock of your career, leadership journey or life at large, there’s a wide and eclectic range ofContinue reading “Simple questions for meaningful reflection”
Women in leadership
This morning I ran a workshop practicing coaching skills with Women+ in Geospatial mentors. As usual, a fabulous group of people – which makes me wonder: What will the geospatial industry look like when more women are in leadership positions across different sectors? When voices from all backgrounds are represented at every level? Today’s groupContinue reading “Women in leadership”
The surprising superpower of a geospatial leader
This is an abridged version of a blog post I wrote for Réseau, a geospatial network supporting diverse and emerging leaders from the global south. Let’s face it, the world no longer needs heroes. Heroic leaders have had their day. Today even Spiderman or Superwoman – if they were real – would struggle to makeContinue reading “The surprising superpower of a geospatial leader”
Working with the 18%
These photos show spaces where I have witnessed true magic happen. Where people have developed the single most important skill for leadership, changemaking, and impact at work. No slides, no lectures, no role play, no gimmicks. Just a circle of chairs. But it’s not nursery school. Nor is it group therapy. It’s a space whereContinue reading “Working with the 18%”
Taking time
On business trips I always make sure to get some downtime to decompress and find inspiration. Emails can wait! This week I was in London and, through pure serendipity, found out about a free exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery — a selection of Moleskine notebooks used by artists from around the world. Fabulous! Also, IContinue reading “Taking time”
Downsizing
Pip and I are downsizing. The house is too big. The kids have flown the nest. The cat, who saw them grow up, has died. Life has moved on, and we decided to sell up. In a few weeks’ time, our house will be home to a new family. We are moving only a fewContinue reading “Downsizing”
Giving solutions space to emerge by themselves
I spent this week working with 8 leaders and changemakers in Warwickshire. 9 chairs, 1 flip chart, 0 slides. Purely experiential. Because in a complex world there are no clear-cut solutions. We practiced slowing down, noticing, using feelings as data, giving feedback, coaching each other, and being present in a client-centred way. When you enableContinue reading “Giving solutions space to emerge by themselves”
Learning from different occupations
Do you ever look at people in other professions and feel inspired by how they work? I often do. Especially occupations that are very different from my own – more physical, more artistic, or just completely unrelated. Seeing how different people approach different roles makes me wonder what universal lessons we can learn that areContinue reading “Learning from different occupations”
