Tag: Leadership Consulting
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Blue Sky Thinking in Business
If you’ve spent any time with a child you know they are the epitome of imagination. The simple act of going for a walk can be an elaborate adventure. Suddenly, you’re catapulted to an extraordinary new world. Don’t step on the grass! There are monstrous alligators living there that are invisible due to their magnificent…
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Working in a Multinational Setting
Multinational environments can be a rich place of work. The imagery it can evoke is a tapestry where cultural learning and sharing of ideas and thriving. Yet it can also be an environment of cultural friction, tension, and frustration. Throughout my time in the Canadian Armed Forces I have worked alongside other nations in training,…
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Remote Working
Remote work presents an array of challenges, and it requires strong communication and high levels of trust. Oftentimes group messaging can become overwhelming for individuals. There can be dominant players in the chatroom, distracted conversations, and miscommunication. 1. The Acknowledgment Function When sending emails or chat messages, encourage team members to acknowledge messages even if…
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Imposter Syndrome
What is imposter syndrome and why does it matter? In 1978 Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes developed the concept, originally termed “imposter phenomenon,” which focused on high-achieving women. They stated that “despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who experience the imposter phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and…
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Dropping the Rope
There was a time in my life when I held an unnecessary amount of tension. My natural set-point was stress. I enjoyed being busy and felt lost whenever I had downtime. This was not sustainable and I realized that this way of living was doing more harm than good. “Sometimes holding on does more damage…
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Happiness Formulas
Happiness Formulas. “I figured it out. I know how to be happy.” A few years ago my friend Jet and I had a conversation that has stuck with me to this day and is becoming increasingly relevant in how I manage my perspective. Jet is the kind of person that everyone loves to be around.…
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Seeing the Forest for the Trees
As a kid I grew up in Nova Scotia and I was very lucky that my playground was the Atlantic Ocean. I grew up boating and fishing and even skating on the Ocean in the winter (yes, we had enough ice back then!) I loved nature, I loved being near the water and playing in…
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The Military Planning Process and COVID-19 Vaccines
Is a military approach the solution to current crisis management? In their updates and press releases, political leaders regularly apply military metaphors, using terms such as “wartime posture”, “waging war”, “mobilize”, “join the battle”, and “losing ground”. Applying militaristic metaphors and concepts in business, politics, and industry is not unique to current affairs. In the…
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What I Learned Getting Blown Up
During my six-month tour in Kandahar, I lost 6 of my 9 lives. Some brushes with death were closer than others—the closest was being blown up. In the immediate aftermath of major combat with the Taliban, my squadron was tasked to build a road linking two coalition forward operating bases in what was just an…
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Speak Less and Think More
I believe we should speak less and think more. Speaking less and thinking more demands vulnerability, which is perhaps why many of us fail in this regard. Instead of dialogue, we engage in duelling monologues. We eagerly wait for a break in the conversation so that we can insert our own brilliance—solicited or unsolicited. We…