Our society is constantly changing and we are seeing a rapid acceleration in the development of technologies. The latest expression of this relates to progress in the field of artificial intelligence, of which ChatGPT is the best known and most visible example. All of these changes tend to focus attention on the next key stage,…
Without tension there can be no development, no life. Take a top, for example: unless is kept turning on its axis, it cannot remain upright and balanced. A rubber band, if stretched, stores up energy which is released when the tension is relaxed. Of course, you mustn’t stretch it too far or the rubber band…
From time immemorial and particularly since the mid-20th century, enterprises, institutions (both public and private) and companies have been adopting new forms of organisation aimed at sharing power more effectively, becoming more agile and thus reducing the importance of – or even doing away with – hierarchies. Indeed, in recent years this trend has been accelerating. Wanting…
I’m convinced that some readers will probably already have had a reaction on seeing this “provocative” – or even disturbing – title. Don’t worry. We won’t be discussing gender-related issues or stereotyping. Let’s avoid the danger of misrepresenting and oversimplifying the question of human diversity. Of course, diversity is an asset. We have known this…
Life as we have known it till now has certainly changed: social distancing, working from home, lockdowns, restrictions on leisure activities and many other things have forced us out of our comfort zones. While this has stoked people’s fears and anxieties (please read my article on the notion of courage), it has also driven us…
Are we aware of the impact of our actions, our decisions, our questions, our attitude? I think not. All too often our actions are dictated by our emotions: we fail to step back and take time to understand ourselves and the reactions we trigger in others. We speak here of emotional intelligence. (See my article: Leadership…
Is your business capable of change?Our world is constantly on the move, so we and our employees must be able to adapt, anticipate and develop. Only thus can we rise to present and future challenges. But are we capable of doing so, and is our business ready for it?With inspiration from Isaac Newton, I’m going to…
Have you ever heard it said that everyone has a talent, everyone is talented? Let’s think about what that actually means these days. Do we need talent in our businesses and organizations? And if we do, what are the implications in terms of the development and recruitment of such talents? In my view, everyone is unique,…
If I read all the messages I receive each day concerning the coronavirus, if I listen to all the gossip and insinuations some sources are spewing out, I see the danger of panic spreading and I feel fear rise up in me. Fear for my family, my children, my wife, my 80-year-old mother, my parents-in-law (aged…
Changes, of greater or lesser importance, are a fact of life, whether personal, professional or affecting society as a whole. In 1789, Antoine Lavoisier, the French chemist, philosopher and economist, re-applied the inspired maxim of the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras to the field of physics and chemistry: “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.…