“Write drunk, edit sober” is something Ernest Hemingway allegedly once said. I think it is good advice, except maybe for alcoholics! The kind of writing that tends to inspire me is writing that has passion, flow and somehow captures grand ideas in a way that imprints them on both head and heart. It is writing [...]
Barefoot Leadership: The neglected activity of leaders
Play is important. For any child, play is serious stuff and central to their daily activities. We have lots of expressions that would underscore the importance of play (all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy is one I recall). But as adults we don’t really believe it. At least not if we [...]
What’s the cost of a Glass Slipper?
The subject of women at work is fascinating and can be explored endlessly, because it is so nuanced and complicated and of course can be overlayed with culture, socio-economics, geographic location, generation, religion, education levels; and different eras in history to name just a few. What is interesting to me, however, is an emergence of [...]
The best social media policy is based on values – not rules
I have been meaning to write about developing a social media policy for some time now. This is something that I believe can make or break your internal and external social media campaigns. A good social media policy does not restrict people from social media but rather equips them to use social media in the [...]
The best social media policy is based on values – not rules original posted on Keynote Speaker Mike Saunders Blog
The Changing Face of Business
I recently had the good fortune of being invited to the city of Durban, in KwaZulu Natal, to tour around what is probably one of the biggest and most well organized informal markets in the world. Warwick Junction lies in the heart of Durban’s inner city; and is a hugely busy transport interchange between trains, [...]
BRICS: The Building Blocks for Future – and five things smart leaders understand!
It was Jim O’Neill, Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, who some 10 years ago, coined the acronym, ‘BRIC’ – a grouping of emerging economies namely, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Then, in a more recent move, South Africa was added to the club and so ‘BRIC’ became, ‘BRICS’. A recent trip to India [...]
Light-hearted Leadership Lessons from Wembley & the Red Men
It started as an overheard conversation in Delhi, India and ended up as an unforgettable day in London, England. Specifically, Wembley stadium. The over-heard conversation was between delegates on a leadership programme in which I was involved. They were chatting about how one of their number had tickets for the soon to be played FA [...]
Leading Diversity: The Zoo versus The Wild
I was recently asked to write an article for the Switch and Shift leadership blog. I picked up a theme that has been a significant one for our team for many years. It is one that our new business partner, Prof. Nick Barker has most of his professional career working with. It is the topic [...]
When I Grow Up I Want To Be Miss Universe
I am not sure if that is what Jenna Talackova thought when she was growing up as a boy names Walter in Vancouver, Canada, but that is what she has been fighting for a chance to be – Miss Universe in the 2012 contest to be held in Canada. The Miss Universe pageant, which was [...]
Switching off the sun: Preparing for the next generation in the workplace
Hannah (the daughter of a colleague) was strapped in her car seat as her parents headed off for a weekend away. Hannah is a bright, engaging two-year-old and no doubt had thought plenty of thoughts from this particular vantage point, one that I might add she was well accustomed too – as are most two-year-olds. [...]
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