It takes a lot to lead well: as well as the operational load of enabling people and processes, there’s the need to inspire and encourage employees to step up when they might not feel ready. It becomes an even weightier task in the face of uncontrollable extraneous circumstances – say, in the face of a global health pandemic that has thrown everything into seeming disarray, adding the management of radical change and anxiety to the leadership mix. As a leader, how do you deal with it?
On balance
On going slow
Pushed to the limits of our being
The political theorist Thomas Hobbes wrote that “we are all matter in motion”. Every element of our being, from the thoughts in our mind, to the cells in our bodies, is in a constant state of migration.
We move location, change the pace of our thoughts, adjust our ideas in response to those of others, shift the parameters and limitations in all that we do, expand and extend, bond and break, knocking against each other, causing a ripple of chain reactions we don’t always fully appreciate.
Is it always wise to make an impact?
Where’s the value in what you do? What is the purpose of your work? Why do you live the life you lead?
These are the questions that regularly occur, in varying word formations, in many of the conversations I have.
Each of those questions assumes an answer, and carries with it the implication that it must be a noble one.
Words to live by when you're struggling to find your own
For days when you feel torn or dissatisfied, when you wake up and all the toughness of determination seems to be weakened for no apparent reason, the words of others can save you.
They can fill the spaces between moments of clarity or confusion with meaning.
Where you stumble to understand let alone express yourself, and where you understand but can’t do the feeling or the knowledge justice, it can be useful to delegate the task of communication.
When actions speak louder than words: Why I’m trailblazing for Oxfam
Newton’s third law of motion tells us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The Buddhist principle of karma similarly teaches us that everything we do, every decision we make, has a consequence. Philosophical determinism suggests that we cannot escape the inherent causality of human existence, and that our actions will inevitably give rise to the effects that reflect our essential morality. Faced with the imbalances that subsequently blight much of our over-exploited, under-resourced, conflict-riddled world, the question is – how should we live?
The restless whirlpool of life
Plant power: The farm that grows salad & life chances
“I’ve seen every sun rise for the last six years. The way I see it, we’re spiritual beings on a human journey. Part of that spirit relies on reconnecting with our roots.” Steve Glover is a man on a mission, and he’s determined to help people who might otherwise find themselves on the fringes of society struggling to find their purpose.
What Does Aldous Huxley’s Island Tell Us About the Essence of Humanity?
In his final novel, Island, Aldous Huxley created a vision of utopia where the Pacific island of Pala is an “oasis of happiness and freedom,” free from the trappings of capitalism, consumerism, and technology. Some say that the Island is an example of humanity at its sanest and most admirable. Yet it ends, predictably, in sorrow, “the work of a hundred years destroyed in a single night.” So, what was Huxley’s point in creating then destroying a vision of paradise?
Bat watching: The art of paying attention
All animals occupy a different niche in space and time. Bats, as the only mammal to have developed the ability of true flight, are uniquely placed to survive in the shadows of the night-time. As well as being ecologically indispensable, they are magnificent to watch. Tuning into their world is a privileged way of gaining access to this world and a poignant reminder of our place in the universal order.
Never mind asking how we ought to live, it’s now about how we survive
What constitutes a meaningful life, what is the point of existence, how do we fulfil our potential in a single lifetime in such a way that contributes to humankind, to the planet? These are the questions that provide the subtext to virtually all human activity and thought. Only we no longer have the luxury of time to contemplate the possibilities because we've antagonised the planet to the point of bringing on our own extinction.
From chaos comes order: Climate change and the case for hope
Only nature can save us now
Irreversible species decline, catastrophic climate change, fresh water shortages and global food insecurity – it can be easy to despair when every day brings another slap in the face of a headline. With each new report, hope can disintegrate as surely as the ozone layer. But it doesn’t have to be like this – if we take the time to pause and reflect on the causes of despair, some say there is a chance we can save ourselves.