“I could leave you, say good-bye. I could love you if I try, and I could, and left to my own devices I probably would,” sang The Pet Shop Boys in 1988. It’s not one of the best songs ever written, but the ‘left to my own devices’ stuck in my mind, and, these days we are often left...Read More
A few weeks ago, I gave the address at the UWA graduation, 18 years after I had graduated there in the same hall. Here’s my speech… and here’s a link to watch (from the 16 minute mark of the night) Well, what an occasion. For those of you graduating tonight, smile, take selfies in your...Read More
As a team exercise, you are given $10 and told to turn that into as much money as you can in a month. What would you do? I used to give my management and marketing class (Year 10s) this challenge in their first lesson, and see what they would come up with. They’d be given...Read More
On Monday, I had the privilege to spend an hour with Marshall Goldsmith, one of the leading executive coaches on the planet and 3 times NYT best selling author. I was struck by his humility, sense of purpose and joyfulness. As someone once wrote about him, in the dictionary against the word ‘Joy’ is a...Read More
A sleazy chat-up line live on TV from T20 cricketer Chris Gayle to a female sports reporter was all the news this week, but in all the analysis, defensive and offensive, something seemed to be missing: a clear definition of the crime he was committing… Sexism. Sexism is prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination against women, on...Read More
The passing of Alan Bond this week has made many think back to the decade of the ’80s with its big hair and even bigger, brasher entrepreneurs. It was the decade that saw a new generation of leaders in Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Richard Branson come into their own (their companies still hold sway to this...Read More
OK, one of my favourite topics – education. I was a classroom teacher for 13 years (3 jobs on 3 different continents) which gave me an insight into perhaps (along with health) the most important of all industries. When I began my first teaching job way back in 1986 (almost 30 years ago, my goodness) I...Read More
I have been fortunate (twice) to see the best rock and roll band that ever strutted the planet, the Rolling Stones, in concert. The first time, 16th July 1990, at Cardiff Arms Park, was possible only because the band had to cancel a few Wembley gigs due to Keith Richards’s injured hand, meaning they threw on the Cardiff...Read More
Fifteen years ago, Lisa and I attended an unforgettable ‘Night with Barry Humphries‘ at the Regal Theatre with a few friends. Having just graduated with my MBA I was back teaching full time and for some reason I was not enjoying it anymore. I didn’t know why, but I was getting around to the notion that a...Read More
A dearly departed former cricket coach of mine used to turn up to training, survey the scene and pronounce “C’mon boys, get organised, we’re not here for a haircut!” We would all groan and start our stretches. “Not here for a haircut” has become a favourite saying. I use it a lot. It’s quirky and...Read More
