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I have an insatiable curiosity about what’s going on in the world of coaching, business, and leadership, so I stay up to date on all the latest thinking. Read my blog and follow me on twitter and you can, too.
Thinking About Thinking
You know that feeling when you’re halfway through a meeting, and you suddenly catch yourself thinking, “Wait, why do I actually believe that?” That pause, that tiny moment of stepping outside your own brain to look at it sideways… that, my friend, is metacognition in action, and it might just be the most underrated leadership skill of our time.
The Courage to Quit
I’ve been sitting with an idea for a few months now. It started when I read something by Susan David (the Harvard psychologist and emotional agility expert) about the hidden benefit of quitting. She challenges one of the most deeply embedded mantras in our cultural operating system: never give up.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Hard Conversations
In a recent piece, Sonja Lyubomirsky captures something I see often in leadership coaching: the quiet, persistent avoidance of “saying the hard thing.” Her reflection on what researchers call the perspective gap – the mismatch between how bad it feels to say something difficult and how it actually lands with the person hearing it – deserves a permanent spot in every leader’s mental toolkit.
Look Up. Just For a Second
My whole body inhaled when I read a recent article from Pam McLean – Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Hudson Institute of Coaching – on the practice of seeking awe in everyday life. Her ideas stayed with me, and I wanted to explore them in my own way. So here we are.
When You’re Not at Your Best
Have you ever been in the middle of a frustrating meeting, a difficult conversation, or a parenting moment, and thought, who IS this person, and why are they wearing my face?
You snapped when you meant to listen. You shut down when you meant to lead. You defaulted to some version of you that felt suspiciously like your 14-year-old self.
Ten Seconds That Can Change Someone’s Day (And Your Own)
That colour looks really nice on you.
Great job on your presentation. I really think people heard what you said.
Thank you for the extra work you put into that project; you made it so much better than it would have been otherwise.
Read those three sentences again and, this time, imagine hearing someone saying them to you. I’ll wait …
… How do you feel? They’re “just” words and, in this case, completely made up scenarios, but do you notice feeling a little lighter, a little happier, a little more confident?
