success
1,070 posts
The Limitations Of Labels
Last week, an Australian journalist was quoted in the media as saying that millennial workers lack resilience. She expressed concern over their need for thanks and hugs. On the same day, our millennial plumber was due to arrive to investigate a leak. Even though we’re isolating during the pandemic,
Trust And Traction
When we want to get a project off the ground, we are often confused about the best way to achieve our goal. We believe if we could only reach more people, we’d immediately have traction. But reach is a poor substitute for the trust of a handful of the right people. A deep connection trumps…
Storytelling For The Rest Of Us
Every decision you’ve ever made was influenced by a story—every single one. From the decision about whether to wear a mask during a pandemic, to the charities you choose to support. A story you heard, the story you believed or that story you told yourself, had an impact on those choices. If stories
We Learn By Doing
When my sons were younger, they loved listening to the straight-talking comedian and radio presenter, Karl Pilkington. One of their favourite Pilkington quotes is: ‘You won’t get anything done by planning.’ They often quoted it to me during exam times when I made hints about the benefits of revision
When Things Catch On
When things catch on, we often assume that their success happened en masse and out of the blue. One day an idea is invisible to us, the next it’s everywhere. The truth about ideas that fly is that they gain traction in increments. One story, one believer, one advocate at a time. We earn the…
Stronger Together
It’s the day before Melbourne cafes close again under reinstated lockdown restrictions. The owner of the Italian restaurant that opened in January is heart sore. We get chatting as I’m paying the bill. He explains that due to then pandemic they’ve been able to have patrons dine in for only nine of t
On Influence
Many of us go through life feeling powerless to change things. After all, not everyone has leadership status or power conferred upon them. We sometimes believe that influence is a top-down construct—that we can have the most influence from a position of authority. Let’s challenge that assumption. Th
Raising The Bar
When I was a teenager, I joined the local athletic club. I’d never been much of a runner, but since I went to an all-girls school, the draw of the athletic club where boys hung out was abundantly clear. It was time to dust off my running shoes. The worst thing about contemplating long-distance runni
A Good Job
George is in his seventies. His hearing has deteriorated over the years, but he’s reluctant to wear a hearing aid. He hates missing out on parts of conversations and often feels isolated because he can’t hear what’s going on. He’s embarrassed about his disability. But he feels self-conscious about w
The Value Conundrum
When I was growing up, my mother tried selling various products from home to earn extra money to support our family. I remember cookware and cosmetics being demonstrated to small groups of her friends over cups of tea and homemade sponge cake in the living room. From day-to-day, Mum used the same ol
Up To Us
Sometimes we choose to focus on those things that no amount of energy and enthusiasm can change. By doing so, we miss the opportunity to have more impact, both on our own lives and in the lives of others. All progress comes from discerning where our effort is best applied, then taking the small step
Start To Finish
Conventional wisdom states that you can never have too much information when solving a problem or executing on a plan. But we all know that information and data alone won’t get us to where we want to go. All problem-solving and innovation require us also to imagine a future we can’t yet see. And per
The Human Advantage
Consider the things we value in our interactions with others—kindness, honesty, patience and empathy, for starters. Now, think about how often you experience them. How many opportunities will you have today to amplify these qualities in your everyday interactions? How many will you take advantage of
Imperceptible Growth
When our kids were young my husband and I charted their growth on a door frame. Every few months they’d stand next to the wall, and we’d mark their height with a pencil. Some months it looked like they hadn’t grown at all. Other times it seemed like they’d shot up overnight. The truth was…
On Failure
I don’t know, are three of the hardest words for fallible human beings to say. We avoid them at all costs and at every turn. Because in our eyes, giving the wrong answer is worse than having none at all. But mistakes are not failings, they are data we can learn from. Every failure inches…
Two Questions For Days Like These
Will we wake up in a few months and lament that we haven’t made more of this time in isolation? The direct impact of current events is largely beyond our control. And yet it affects us indirectly, often in imperceptible ways. There are many things going on in the world that we can’t influence, but…
Build a Reputation
My friend Anna has been going to the same hairdresser for ten years. She’s never trusted anyone else to cut her hair in all that time. Now though, she has no option because her stylist just had a baby, and she’s on maternity leave. When Anna sat in the new stylist’s chair, she was so…
What Does Being Successful Mean To You?
This question about success is one that members of the Right Company have been reflecting on this past week. It seems like a question that should have a straightforward answer. After all, if success is something we aspire to, we must know what our ambitions are. If we don’t know where we want to go,
The Efficiency Paradox
The young woman got off the tram, carried along amid the throng on their way to the various law firms along Collins Street. She walked briskly, heels clacking, her big Beats headphones clamped over her ears. Two bags were slung across her body. One leather contained her laptop, the other made of clo
The Sliding Scale Of Ambition
There are many ways Leanne could leverage the success of her popular hair salon. She could extend her opening hours or enter national competitions. She could hire more stylists and open more branches. She could create a line of hair products or franchise her business process and ideas. But Leanne ch
