This is a phrase I overheard an orthopaedic surgeon, whose name I can’t remember, jokingly saying. And I was left thinking that the same thing applies in organisations. Leadership, and getting on in working life in general, is not just about structure, about what keeps us going. It also requires a backbone, an inner support […]
Everyone has a cranial spine, but not everyone has a vertebral column. Read More »
I have worked with people for a number of noble reasons. But at one point I realised that somewhere deep down there was another reason: the need to be noticed, to get attention. When it hit me, there was a flash of embarrassment. It made me ask myself, how much in my helping profession do
Is the need for attention a threat or an opportunity? Read More »
Data and analysis, or making sense of it, are necessary, but often organisations see endless data digging-questioning-exploring. Every meeting ends with the task of analysing new data. Decisions get stuck at the level of common sense and this hampers effectiveness. The need to understand seems innocent. Often, however, there is a deeper story behind it
Some things are never fully understood Read More »
This family stuff sounds like an expression of caring and unity. In reality, it often refers to the blurring of boundaries, the dispersal of responsibilities and subconscious dynamics that are not part of the work context. 💥 Work is not family. And it doesn’t have to be and it shouldn’t be. Even if it is
Dangerous sentence: “We are all one big family here at work.” Read More »
The thought that maybe it will really work out is perhaps the scariest thought of all. Not that I will fail. Just that I will succeed. That people will see. That I won’t be able to hide and complain like a victim anymore. Success is terrifying because then I have to carry the burden of
Fear of success as a coping mechanism for Estonians Read More »
“But why does a person become a bad or unpleasant leader?” This question came back to me from a comment on a previous post of mine, where Riin Kadarik raised the idea. No one becomes a leader “by accident”. Everyone is a leader for a reason. Whether it’s a need, a desire to prove themselves,
why does a person become a bad or unpleasant leader? Read More »
The moment you finally take a break, the questions tend to come up:– Is this job for me at all?– Do I really want to go back to it?– Am I really working for 11 months to take 3 weeks off? Sometimes, at the end of the holiday, there’s plenty of energy to go back.Sometimes,
Is work an occupation you rest from or a vocation you live without “rest”? Read More »
Sitting on the terrace, sun beating down, no email, no meeting. Just be. And feeling bored. It is in boredom that new ideas are born. We don’t read emails, we … wood magazines. We don’t plan projects, we notice clouds. And suddenly… an idea comes. A feeling. A new view of ourselves, a new perspective
If leaders were more bored, we’d live in a better world Read More »
As it is customary in Estonia, Midsummer and Christmas are the 2 dates by which everything should be settled and in order – including strategies and goals. Just as around 70% of changes fail to work, around the same proportion of strategies do not materialise, according to various studies. No, it’s not about knowledge, action
Why do 70% of strategies and changes fail? Read More »
Most leadership debates revolve around the same themes: motivation, accountability, performance, commitment, change management, relationships, effectiveness, strategy – in other words, leading the lives of others. Time shows that simply talking about them soon means repeating it all again – the same training, different trainers; the same inconclusive results, new strategies to meet targets. But
When things stop working – uncomfortable but driving questions from customer stories Read More »
