Field Notes

Insights, inspiration and ideas. Observations on real-life challenges that our clients are facing and practical strategies to address them.

Feb 9th 2024

As a CHIEF Guide I am fortunate to be able to attend some wonderful events, most recently where Lisa Sun was the guest speaker. Lisa is person who embodies character, courage and candour in a way that is so engaging and inspiring that I felt compelled to share some of…

Oct 20th 2023

What Triggers You? As leaders, how we handle situations in full view of others can have grave or unintended consequences. Last week, I observed how two clients were triggered by situations and how important it is for such leaders to understand their triggers and how to manage themselves appropriately in…

Jul 28th 2023

This month, a dear friend and I had the privilege of visiting David Hockney’s exhibition: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) in London’s The Lightroom. One of Hockney’s most famous and innovative ideas was his use of “joiners” or photo collages. He would take multiple photographs of a…

Jul 3rd 2023

As the beautiful lawn tennis courts of Wimbledon bristle with excitement this week, I had the privilege of seeing Billie Jean King at CHIEF’s In the Hot Seat interview a week ago, where she shared with us what tennis has taught her. One of the greatest tennis players of all…

Mar 6th 2023

One of the benefits of being in the CHIEF Community is the quality of speakers they invite to their clubhouses. Last night, I was totally inspired by Amal Clooney, Human Rights Advocate. Here are some of the key messages that I took away from her session with us. I hope…

Aug 1st 2022

Summer provides us with precious opportunities to spend time with those we love. We may be spending more time working from home and have more meals with our family than we did pre-Covid, but how much attention and time are we really giving them? One of the most powerful gifts…

Agile from the Marketoonist
Jan 6th 2021

Twenty years ago, 17 software engineers went on a skiing holiday. When they weren’t on the slopes, they shared their frustrations about the way software was being developed at the time. To address these, they came up with a Manifesto for Agile Software Development for faster delivery, greater responsiveness and…

T-Rex Dinosaur Skull
Nov 12th 2020

Everyone agrees that leaders today need to embody vision, energy, authority, and strategic direction. But truly inspirational leaders possess something more – in fact, four distinct qualities. They are able to: Balance sensing with transmitting. They don’t just transmit messages regardless of the context or the climatic conditions. They sniff…

Nov 12th 2020

Many senior teams are being restructured during the current crisis.  The stakes are high. The risks are considerable. Ensuring teams are aligned from the outset is crucial. Studies show that about 80% of aviation accidents occurred when it was the first time the crew flew together. Mistakes in operating theatres…