As I was driving down to Heathrow today, I found myself listening, as is my daily habit, to radio 4. There was a disturbing, if interesting piece on the current war trade show, and the exploding( sorry) market for UAVs, or drone aircraft. There was an interview with one of the “pilots” who with some […]
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Edge of Chaos
July 27, 2011 
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No matter where we look at the moment it is easy to come to the conclusion that we are somewhere close to the edge of chaos. The good news is, it’s true. The capabilities of the Internet, social networks, personal communication and ubiquitous information are destroying the areas of cosy competence that many organisations have enjoyed […]
Read moreLeaders with Goals are dangerous?
July 24, 2011 0 Comments
First, let’s be clear about the definition of a leader. If you’re responsible, and autonomous, you’re a leader. If you are accountable to somebody else for the results, you’re a manager who needs to understand leadership to get the job done. Goals provide focus, motivation and measure, but at the same time restrict breadth and overview. […]
Read moreFrom commuting to exploring
July 21, 2011 0 Comments
Until recently, our education and careers were something ofa commute. The routes were clearly mapped, and depending where we set out from,where we ended up was fairly predictable. The higher the “fare” we paid, the easier our commute. It was predictable, and supported the status quo. The fare we paid was determined by the school […]
Read moreWe cannot see what we don’t know how to look for
July 21, 2011 0 Comments
The title is a quote from one of my favourite books, “Iconoclast“, by Gregory Berns. I was reminded of it while listening to an account of the latest observations of the Fermi Space Telescope. Fermi operates at Gamma wavelengths and is revealing things that have always been there but which we have never seen. Since Babylonian times […]
Read moreSelf Reliance Revisited
July 17, 2011 0 Comments
I sometimes wonder how long it will be before we “get it”. We have spent so many years being educated in the context of our “place in society”that we come to accept it is true. Rather like the famous experiments of BF Skinner where rats could be conditioned to stay inside an area long after […]
Read moreThoughts on the trust paradox from 10,000 ft.
July 4, 2011 0 Comments
I have been following the Edge Perspectives blog by John Hagel. His latest post is on the Trust Paradox and comments on the situation that at a time when trust has rarely been more important, the conditions for its existence have rarely been weaker. I was reflecting on this (well some of the time) as […]
Read moreVision under pressure
November 12, 2010 0 Comments
The news this week has been rather like watching and accident we’re powerless to prevent. Having got ourselves into a spin through individual and collective overspending, egged on by financial institutions, we’re now sat in a ditch trying to work out who’s to blame. The problem with this state of mind is that we’re so […]
Read moreConformity
October 28, 2010 0 Comments
I’ve spent the last few days working with exciting people in unexciting businesses. The problem? – the businesses want people to “fit”. They would rather have compliant average, than exceptional difficult. They don’t want the hassle, the tribunals, the danger. I understand. It’s scary. But they also miss out on the breakthrough, passion, and ridiculously […]
Read moreGetting our heads out of the sand
September 24, 2010 0 Comments
My reading of late has uncovered an interesting congruence. It may be that it is in part a reflection of my interests, but nonetheless I think it worth bringing it to your attention. We know from psychologists and neuroscientists that uncertainty triggers much the same responses in us as fear, and that includes seeking safety […]
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