Someone asked me recently “What’s the most important competency of a leader?” I was tempted to say “communication skills” or maybe “resilience” in light of events in recent years. We could debate this for a very long time, but few would disagree that decision making must be up there among the top skills every leader needs. Whatever role … Read More
Over 40 leaders joined Trevor Smith and Stephen Barry at The Sounding Board session on the 7th of June to listen to Hong Kong-based businessman and national-level athlete, Ajmal Samuel. Ajmal’s message of using perseverance and perspective to overcome immense challenges is especially relevant in the difficult times that the world is currently facing. A … Read More
Over the years, it’s been a privilege to meet some amazing leaders and to learn from their words of wisdom. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was from my personal mentor, Ron Hansell. He asked me to memorise this quote: “Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent advantage” … Read More
Executive Coaching has emerged as an essential way of supporting the peak performance of individuals and teams. To read our ‘CEO Today Magazine’ article on the benefits of coaching click here
I was delighted to be invited back to address the DiveIn event in Hong Kong on 29th September. It is the third year running I have been involved in the event and this year I presented ‘Empower Every Voice, Including Yours’. Dive In is a global movement within the insurance sector, supporting the development of … Read More
It’s been exciting watching the Olympic coverage these last few weeks – just the tonic we needed after the challenges of the last 18 months. But now the games are over, I wonder – what can we learn from the world’s elite athletes and, in particular, the gold medal winners? The question on my mind … Read More
Have you ever wondered why sometimes people just don’t behave the way you expect them to?! Here are a few examples to illustrate what I mean: You’ve just delivered a rabble-rousing motivational team talk – yet nothing much happens afterwards. You write a stunning proposal for a client who verbally agrees to proceed – but … Read More
Vaccines may be in short supply, but there is no shortage of things to worry about these days! Whether it’s concern for loved ones, work pressures, money or a host of other issues, worrying is to some extent a natural part of being human. Our brain goes into overdrive while it tries to problem-solve… and … Read More
In order to add value to our clients and business partners, we hosted a series of events with Jonathan Kemp, the creator of an outstanding deep listening, thinking and note taking tool – Smart Wisdom I have been trialling this over the last four months and it’s deepened my thinking and listening during meetings. There … Read More
48 senior leaders were part of an engaging panel discussion at The Sounding Board. A big ‘thank you’ to Christina Lee, Manuel Baigorri and Stephen Barry for sharing their wisdom on sustainability. We discussed practical tips and natural next steps for leaders looking to bring sustainability and business success to the forefront of their corporate … Read More