The toughest person to lead
When my mum was dating my dad she tells me that at social events anyone who didn’t enjoy a smoke was considered quite strange and really not socially engaged. Today however, that attitude seems to have been turned on its head. It seems that smokers are considered outcasts, condemned to spend part of their lives outside in any and all weathers.
Any dream will do
I closed my eyes, drew back the curtain, To see for certain what I thought I knew. Far, far away, someone was weeping , But the world was sleeping, Any dream will do.I first heard these lyrics when I was a teenager, and more recently when I started thinking about what they actually meant for me I found an interpretation that really resonated and helped me to understand why I love doing what I’m doing.
It's lonely at the top ...
Where can I find out how to lose some weight, become toned and get fit?That’s the question I needed an answer to if I was to be successful in losing the extra pounds I had managed to accumulate by the time I was in my 30s. Initially I turned to the sports and fitness magazines, only to be disappointed.
The Emperor
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor.Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
Influence: to encourage someone to take action
"Don’t look at them … they’re only showing off!"Don’t look at them. That’s a phrase I seem to hear from the passenger seat quite often when a really nice car drives past catching my attention.
Where are you going to?
"You’re nothing but a dreamer."I never dreamt I’d be able to fit into a 30” waist again. That’s what I thought some years ago when I caught sight of my portly figure.
Party Hats
"All generalisations are false."A couple of years ago we had the most amusing start to the traditional Christmas Day turkey dinner. At the appointed time we all sat down, as usual, proceeded to pour a glass of something cold and sparkling, undo our napkins, and then each of us took hold of a shiny tube and pulled one end or the other in pairs.
Who is your rigger?
"The more you know, the more you know you don’t know."Can you tell me how to do my job? I felt like that was the question I was asking every day when I went to work at my first job after graduating.
Self Control
Tap into your won’t power.It’s really easy to give up smoking, I’ve done it loads of times. I just choose not to for now. Have you ever heard anyone say that? I know I have, and I know that I have been guilty of saying it myself on occasion too.
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Lessons from life’s experiences.Diana Ross sings “Do you know where you’re going to?” as the theme tune to the film Mahogany. This is all about a young black girl growing up in a poor area in Chicago, with a dream of becoming a fashion designer.
PATTERN for Coaching
Learning how to breathe. Can you swim? The first milestone I remember achieving in the pool was when I learned to swim half a width. This opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me. Now, I could dive off the 5m board and wherever I landed I would be able to reach the side. I simply had to figure out which side was nearest.
It’s the way that you do it
T'ain’t what you do. Some years ago while I was managing a control system project, one of the smaller tasks was dragging on and taking longer than planned. I asked the engineer how much time he expected it would take, and I was told “about 2 weeks”. A week later he revised his estimate to be “about 10 days”.
I was an idiot
It's not my hat he chewed. "I’m sorry officer, I was an idiot and I’ll not do that again."It was a nice sunny afternoon and I was motoring along a three-lane highway with my daughter. We were driving to meet the rest of our family and my daughter had just described a situation she faced recently when the driver of a taxi she was traveling in was driving rather fast.
All you can eat buffet
Character and Competence. I’ve just returned from a conference where we had an “all you can eat” style of buffet for every meal. For a few days I was rather like a lottery winner, but with food.
What would you like to drink?
Constant change is here to stay! I was looking for the correctly attributed source of the quote: “Constant change is here to stay.” recently and I failed to locate one.
Creating Margin
Riding on black ice. Some years ago I used to commute to work on a motorbike in all weathers. I recall one particularly snowy winter’s day I became aware that there was probably a stretch of black ice hidden under the snow I was riding on.
Level 4 leadership
Who are you investing in? Mozart is universally acknowledged as one for all types of music down the ages, Gershwin was one for popular music, Lonnie Donegan was one according to Roger Glover (bassist for Deep Purple) and Elvis Presley was one according to Rolling Stone magazine.
I’d forgotten the tune
One way to deal with nerves on stage. I was standing with my son by a small white pavilion, next to the river. The hot Florida sunshine was beating down on us and I could feel small beads of sweat forming on my brow and running down my neck.
PRIZE Winning Leadership
An introduction. I’ve been on a journey. My journey so far includes several seasons, and I hope that I’ll be here to experience and enjoy several more to come.
Paperback Writer
Publishing a book on Amazon. Oh, I could write a book about that! How many times have you heard someone say that when they’ve been through some difficult situation or experience, or when they want to have a gossip about something. Maybe you’ve said it yourself from time to time too.