“…Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth..” I’ve been humming Happy by Pharrell Williams for the last couple of days. You know how a song gets stuck in your head, and suddenly, everything seems to …
A few years ago, I had a moment of realization that changed the way I think about leadership. I was working on a particularly thorny challenge one of those problems that doesn’t have a clear solution, just layers upon layers of shifting variables. At some point, I found myself longing for a simpler time, a …
The Leadership Catch-22: Why Complexity Trips Us Up (and How to Beat It) A funny thing happens when we face complexity: instead of leaning into it with curiosity, our nervous system often sounds the alarm. Fight, flee, freeze anything but engage. It’s as if our brain mistakes a messy spreadsheet or an uncertain future for …
I remember a moment from my early years as a professional that changed the way I think about work. I walked into a meeting completely drained, deadlines looming, stress mounting, and everything around me felt heavy. Before we started, a colleague paused, looked at me, and said, “Are you okay?” It wasn’t the usual “How …
Imagine being in the captain’s seat of a ship navigating stormy, uncharted waters. The map? Outdated. The weather forecast? Unreliable. The crew? Looking to you for direction. As a leader, it can feel paralyzing when you don’t have all the answers. But here’s the twist: leadership in complexity isn’t about certainty’ s about communication. Jennifer …
On January 27, 1967, a cabin fire occurred during a pre-launch test of the Apollo 1 spacecraft, resulting in the tragic deaths of all three astronauts aboard: Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger B. Chaffee. A huge blow to the morale of the team and the engineers at NASA. A massive overhaul ensued in engineering, flight …
How often do people in your organisation disagree, reveal faults, deliver bad news on that high-stakes launch, without fearing retaliation or push back? Not always.. depends… maybe.. you might say. Unfortunately, a major tragedy a few years ago serves as a reminder that when courageous collaboration, trust and safely speaking up is not prioritized in companies, …
V leads product development in a software development company. In one of our coaching sessions she shared that she is noticing a concerning pattern during her Monday morning team meetings.* Instead of starting the week with energy and enthusiasm, there is an ‘eerie air of despair’ in the room. The dull energy is palpable in …
What does it take for companies to go from ‘good’ to ‘great’? As per Jim Collins’ work on great organisations, one of the important factors in going from ‘good’ to ‘great’ is getting the right people on the bus. Imagine your organisation as a bus and you are the bus driver. The company is at …
We want to share a story with you; a true story. The setting is a corporate boardroom after a poor quarter. The Managing Director asks, very calmly, but seriously, on how the team feels the quarter went. One by one, each functional leader speaks. Each of them is well prepared, anticipating the question and keen …
