The journey of an ordinary leader who overcame the pressure to do things ‘the right way’ and carved an unlikely path to success. How does a shy, precocious, introvert end up building a national consulting firm from nothing?  The journey of Advantage Management Consulting starts with Gil Davidson but gathers momentum as other amazing people […]

1. It Drives Innovation   Keen learners, those who cultivate a growth mindset within themselves and their broader organizations, are more likely to be early adopters of new technologies, strategies and stay ahead of the curve. People who expect to learn things that require change and entertain new ideas drive innovation. The habit of challenging assumptions […]

And Why so Many Get it Wrong… Nowadays, it is widely accepted that good leadership requires us to employ coaching skills. In fact, many have been told that coaching is now required of them as a key responsibility. This is a wonderful thing in theory, however in practice, there are many misconceptions and gaps in the […]

It is Coaching Week  2017 and  it seems fitting that  we pay tribute to a few of the founders of this amazing profession; Sir John Whitmore, Timothy Gallwey and Laura Whitworth.  Each has had also, unknowingly, shaped the foundation of my coaching. Thank-you to all of you for your integrity and passion that began and continues to impact the now established profession of Leadership and Executive coaching.

Self-deception actually determines one’s experience in every aspect of life…it is the central issue in leadership…To give you an idea of what’s at stake, consider the following analogy.  An infant is learning to crawl.  She begins by pushing herself backward around the house.  Backing herself around, she gets lodged beneath the furniture.

Negative information is often difficult to give.  So much so that we often avoid it. How many times have you bitten your tongue even on something critical because to deal with it would have meant letting the other person know that they hadn’t met expectations or hadn’t got it right?

In his early years Nelson Rolihlahla (meaning troublemaker) was often true to his name.  His childhood had difficulty – losing his father at age 9 and privilege – ‘adoption’ by the chief.  He had access to good education and grew up exposed to high level leadership.  Understanding the broader societal impact of decisions were modelled.

As a brilliant young lawyer from a good family Mahatma Gandhi’s future was bright.  He was on track to be a good lawyer and make lots of money until, while riding in first class on a South African train, he bumped into the realities of colonialism in the form of Apartheid.  He was forcibly told to go into the crowed 3rd class cars.

I got to thinking about leaders I admire.  Obviously I do not know these leaders personally, however, they are all leaders I’ve taken a keen interest in and followed their lives to varying degrees over the years.  In this short, mini-series, I reflect on what appear to be factors that molded them as good, even great leaders.  Leaders who the world is better for them having led.

I got to thinking about leaders I admire.  Obviously I do not know these leaders personally, however, they are all leaders I’ve taken a keen interest in and followed their lives to varying degrees over the years.  In this short, mini-series, I reflect on what appear to be factors that molded them as good, even great leaders.  Leaders who the world is better for them having led.