Category Archives: Intelligence

Does head or heart win in Dragons’ Den?

Posted on August 17, 2010 by

Ralf’s cones game was the best episode of the series so far. We are taken from the sublime to the ridiculous! I love the pithy common sense Theo Paphitis gives to the emergency window smasher inventor: the kids just won’t be able … Continue reading →

Posted in Dragons Den, Heart v Head, Intelligence, Success, TV reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How does Queen Mary restyle John Peers?

Posted on July 22, 2010 by

Mary Portas shines again with her stylish work on John Peer’s loss-making 80s legend. Mary Queen of shops is again compulsive viewing! John Peers’s salon sits incongruously amidst closed shops in Rochdale. It doesn’t look promising. What can Mary do … Continue reading →

Posted in Failure, Finding success in business, Intelligence, Leadership problems, Mary Portas, TV reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Does the “appraisal sandwich” work?

Posted on July 1, 2010 by

What do I mean by the “appraisal sandwich”? First I tell them something they did well, usually trivial but I make something of it: “well done you have a really tidy desk”; Next I deliver the bad news that they … Continue reading →

Posted in Broken relationships in business, Bullying in leaders, Bullying in the work place, Intelligence | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Do all good things come to end?

Posted on June 30, 2010 by

Will profits always increase? Will our organisation keep growing? Is there any prospect of decline? Up until 2008 every financial forecast I saw seemed to show relentless growth. Not only that, the predicted growth was exponential. The recession has reminded … Continue reading →

Posted in Business life cycles, Failure, Finding success in business, Intelligence, Leadership, Success | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to build a winning team

Posted on June 29, 2010 by

Behind every winning team is a great coach. For example, England’s cricket team has just won the one day series against Australia in 2010. Australia are the side to beat. So how did England do it? Their coach, Andy Flower, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding success in business, Intelligence, Success, Teamwork | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Former champions “crash out”

Posted on June 25, 2010 by

By using emotive words such as “crash out” we magnify failure beyond what it actually is. No, they just lost one more game and omitted to qualify like most of the others. We do the same with success, absolutely glorifying … Continue reading →

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Costly fall outs

Posted on June 17, 2010 by

Falling-out costs millions. Business advisors often suggest good practical measures to increase performance. Tightening stock control, increasing efficiency, lowering overheads all are generally good things. But the most costly damage to businesses I have seen comes from inadequacy in relationships … Continue reading →

Posted in Broken relationships in business, Confidential advice, Failure, Finding success in business, Intelligence, Leadership, Leadership problems | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to beat a great team

Posted on June 16, 2010 by

A mediocre team, that is a team with not the best players, can beat the team with the best players. How is this done? The power of team work is so much greater than the sum of the individual players. … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding success in business, Intelligence, Leadership, Teamwork | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Floored by flaws

Posted on June 15, 2010 by

Character flaws that served us well on the way up can easily be our downfall when we get there. For example, cheating or playing unfairly can gain us an advantage. But when we near the top these flaws become more … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidential advice, Failure, Intelligence, Leader resigns, Leadership problems | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Only the best fail

Posted on June 15, 2010 by

Most of the high profile-corporate failures are staffed by clever people. It’s not lack of ability that lets us down but poor judgement. Sometimes the decisions we make are based on events or relationships from the past. The past informs … Continue reading →

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