Followership: The leadership conversation we don’t talk about enough
My recent experience in an association I belong to made me dig deeper into an aspect of leadership we do not talk about enough: followership. Leadership books abound. Leadership programmes are everywhere. One of the first things you learn in leadership training is...
A Lesson in Action, Curiosity, and Opportunity
So, it was one of those days that I decided to take a walk in the mall and to my surprise I saw the Body Shop plastered on one of the shop spaces under renovation.The store window glass had body shop posters from ceiling to floor indicating the store was not yet open,...
What Are the Chances?
So, it was my daughter's bestie's birthday yesterday and I dropped her and her brother off. The plan was to come back for them by 6pm. But in my not so unusual fashion, I decided to sit for a few minutes to make small talk with some other parent guests, mummies to be...
When Grief Broke Me Purpose Carried Me
5 years ago, in the thick of the pandemic, a phone call on the night of Easter Monday would change my life. My father, who was in London at the time, was pronounced dead by the plague that ravished the earth. I howled a scream as the deep sorrow shattered the...
What If Terminator Was Really About Us?
What if Terminator the Movie was never really about machines taking over the world but about us?I’ve always loved a good sci-fi movie.And Terminator is one that stuck with me.In the beginning, the machines were the villains, cold, calculating, emotionless.But as the...
Is This a Midlife Crisis or a Mid-Course Reflection?
I recently looked up the word mid life crisis and wondered whether I might be going through one. The unrest and heightened anxiety I've felt lately had made me question my journey.My plan for the year was light, a sabbatical of sorts, to experiment. I reduced my...
People play differently when you’re keeping score…
We romanticise self motivation. We talk about trust and autonomy but let's face it, what percent of people can perform at high standards without being managed? A few years ago, I learned something fascinating while preparing for a session on strategy execution. I came...
When Work Takes You Places
I worked from London this week and I didn't plan to. A phonecall was all it took to change my week's schedule. It was the same way I landed in the US and Kenya and Ghana and Denmark and Gambia and the list goes on to all the places my work has carried me to.My work in...
Leadership without the mask
Have you ever had to hold a smile for a photo longer than you wanted to? Your face aches, and all you want is your real face back. That’s how leadership feels for me sometimes. Some days I’m aligned and energised. Other days it feels like I’m wearing a mask and it is...