Health

The Hidden Wisdom of Those Who Refuse Power

In one of my previous organisations, a senior leader surprised us all by quitting his job and retiring the day he turned 50. We couldn’t imagine why anyone would make such a drastic decision. He was one of the most respected people in the organisation, and we were sure he was on his way to […]

Why Entrepreneurship Isn’t the Freedom You Think It Is

Do employed people think about being their own boss? I meet many smart, young, energetic individuals who are always wishing to own a business. Many of them work for good organizations and many have even built a side gig from something they are passionate about. This is no different to when we were young. The […]

The Digital Escape and the Reality We Avoid

I am not sure if everyone feels it, but I struggle living in two parallel worlds these days. When we exist in the digital world, life seems so easy. Food delivery services will bring you whatever you are craving for and E commerce suppliers will make things coming to your house very easy. You can […]

Beyond Success: Finding Meaning Through Inner Guidance

Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with senior leaders across various organisations, both in my professional career and now in an advisory capacity. These are outstanding individuals who, on paper at least, possess all the requisite attributes; prominent titles, significant responsibilities, and an outwardly successful demeanor. However, when you dig deeper, […]

From Amateurism to Excellence: Reviving True Professionalism

As a society, our culture wants us to conform and follow a laid-down path in life. Innovation requires breaking out of this, which means facing our worries about failure, criticism, and the potential negative impact on our careers. Here is an intriguing experiment; HR managers everywhere should record the start times of all meetings and […]

Freedom of Thought: The Rarest Skill No One Teaches

In one of my previous organizations, the annual appraisal/potential assessment form had an unusual section. It wanted to know if the person being assessed was an ‘independent thinker’. It was unusual because businesses don’t usually allow for much independent thinking! To my mind, an independent thinker is someone who has their own ideas about what […]

True Independence Means Freedom from Validation

I have been pondering the concept of independence. While I see financial and intellectual independence as important I feel true independence means breaking free from the need to seek validation from others. Our society puts a lot of emphasis on getting approval from strangers through physical cues (like clothes, cars, and homes), attention-seeking (likes on […]

Is the modern professional too busy to exercise?

The benefits of being physically active can be a boon to society and to individuals; so why do we not make more time for it? A friend of mine, who is several years younger, went for a regular medical check-up recently. He was told that he had blockages in two of his arteries and was […]