The subtitle of The Manifesto for Quiet Disruptors is: because it’s time to change the conversation for good. And as I’ve been pondering the development of The Art of Quiet Disruption, I’ve realised that this change is still at the core. Because what we talk about and how we speak is fundamentally an expression of … Read more
When I got my first CEO job, Steve bought me a little watering can. This was because I love having plants in my workspace. Yet, it was also a visual reminder to water with words of encouragement. Water refreshes and invigorates. We need it to flourish. And similarly, the words that surround us are like … Read more
Alan Moore, in his brilliant new book, Do Build: How to make and lead a business the world needs, asks: How will the language we use define us? Pause and sit with his musings: All culture starts with language. Language is meaning-making; it frames and holds worldviews. Look at our current world and see how … Read more
Words lay the foundation for our perspective and our culture because they are the means we use to describe how we see the world. Our language, and within it our words, shape our reality. I guess this is why I increasingly turn to poetry and the poetic because somehow our current language is not big … Read more
When we stop to listen, we find new voices are emerging—those with the courage to speak about things that matter, without shouting. Voices that are curious about how and why things are, who ask questions that lay bare the status quo. Insights that arise from a breadth of perspective and enable us to see differently. … Read more
When we want something to go faster or smoother, we have two options: Increase the energy Reduce the friction So why do we spend so much on the former? Perhaps because it fits in our culture and is an easier solution. It doesn’t require as much of us. Just effort. That’s all. But it’s not … Read more
Out in the valley this morning I still see evidence of the recent storms. The debris of autumn is starting to pile up in clumps, matted on the ground. The water-gate has harvested sticks, stones and leaves and is holding back the brook like a weir. And in the midst of all of this decay … Read more
Is there really only one way to get from A to B? Our prevailing culture – the way things are done around here – invariably gives us the current shortcut. Dressed up as obvious, single options. Take it or don’t go. But shortcuts come with consequences. So why am I taking this particular route? What … Read more
Just think how much disruption you could cause today. Just by smiling. Of course, a plastic smile or a mask we put on will only go so far. It struggles to really connect. However, there is evidence that as we intentionally exercise our smile muscles, as an act of generosity, then something does start to … Read more
We’ve grown up in a world that says if you get the answer right you get a prize. So if we don’t find the answer we’re obviously not trying hard enough. Or we’re not smart enough. Or we don’t know the system (or the powerful people) well enough. The problem is that whilst some questions … Read more