Is there a difference between delivering great work and peak performance? Athletes talk about the peak performance ‘flow’ state, a sense of effortless excellence and a calm thrill. Does that translate into the business world? My recent experience writing my second book sheds light on how peak performance really feels. The first book Last year […]
What lies behind our everyday behaviour? Relaxing with my head in a hairdresser’s sink recently, I noticed the salon trainee carefully washed my hair – twice. I had to quietly smile. It reminded me of the story in Benjamin Cheever’s novel ‘The Plagiarist’ when a marketing executive becomes an industry legend by adding one word
This is the ‘Age of Accelerations’* where everything is changing at an eye-watering pace. Technology races ahead, global markets are shifting rapidly, work patterns are moving to transient project teams and a gig economy, and the next generation of workers have hugely different values and expectations of their work life. Predictability has gone out of
Which of the two men pictured is more likely to be an alcoholic? Is it the scruffy man in dirty clothes staggering along the street late at night? That’s certainly a stereotype. However, a recent NHS report shows that adults in the highest 20% income bracket are more than twice as likely to drink heavily
How was 2017 for you? Take a moment to think about your year. Were there a lot of changes or were things steady? If you set goals at the beginning of the year, how did you measure up? Write down three significant moments or events. Now ask yourself how you feel about your year. Do
When you start your own business, you know there will be challenges along the way. You can anticipate some with thorough planning and analysis. Others can take you by surprise. Imposter Syndrome is one such challenge that takes many people by surprise. It is the secret feeling of being a fraud and the fear of
Cutting-edge medical developments are exciting and starting to hold out promises of extension to lifespan and health. Gene therapy, adult stem cells, epigenetics, swarms of miniature robots coursing through the bloodstream targeting infections and cancer alike are just some of the wonders being developed. Sounds amazing, and if you think it sounds like science fiction,
Imposter Syndrome: where high-achieving individuals are marked by an inability to internalise their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” Imposter Syndrome was first identified in the late 1970’s as an experience that affects over 70% of highly successful people at some point in their lives. It’s characterised by feeling like
“To do two things at once is to do neither” Publilius Syrus (85-42 BC) When you ‘pay’ attention, you make a choice to focus on something specific. In that moment, this becomes the centre of your attention. The price that you ‘pay’ for that attention is that everything else around you loses focus. For example,
How Hard is Too Hard? Have you ever witnessed a team member show up for a meeting with a huge stack of papers, when they’ve only been asked for a simple report? That’s a classic sign of over-preparing; putting more time and effort into a project than it requires. Many people would deny that over-preparing
