Don’t Waste the Crisis

Caribbean Campari/Aperol mate, outstanding Leadership thinker and all round good guy – Alan Berson, sent me these 10 new questions leaders should be asking themselves right now.

1.    Where is it my responsibility to make a difference for people, not just a profit?

2.    What do I stand for and what am I willing to risk to be that person/leader?

3.    How does converting employees into true stakeholders motivate innovation?

4.    How can I grow new clients and serve them in new ways?

5.    How can I create and back the environment for quick, bold, decision-making?

6.    Where am I the bottleneck?

7.    How and how quickly can I hold difficult conversations and take necessary actions?

8.    In what way do I need to work with competitors to save an industry, not against them?

9.    Is there any limit to new possibilities when I am totally open?

10.   How do my team and I create a successful tomorrow instead of worrying about today?

 

How did you do?

 

KR

What Are You Watching II

As the fightback continues and the world begins to believe in the scientific miracle we are experiencing, we still have a few more months of TV / screen viewing ahead of us before we are all free to enjoy some much needed socialising and going out.

 

Trudy surprised me with a Firestick a couple of months ago so I’ve now added big screen streaming of HBO, Paramount, ESPN and Peacock to my Netflix, Apple and Amazon Prime.  True bliss – if tinged with a touch of gluttony!!!

 

I’ve been enjoying:

-      An all-time favourite – Roberto Saviano’s Zero, Zero, Zero which had it all.  (Please, please – make a second season.)

-      The show that started the whole Saviano thing – Gomorrah Series Three – with Series Four filmed and completed and a Series Five allegedly commissioned.

-      The Deutschland series – 83, 86 and 89.

-      The intriguing Comoran Strike is back in a fourth series – Lethal White.

-      I missed Line of Duty Series Five – got it now, and Series Six premieres March 21^st on BBC.

-      Two soccer documentaries of heroes Paul Gascoigne (Amazon) and the GOAT, Pele (Netflix).

-      Series Five of The Bureau – brilliant French intelligence drama.

-      Two Netflix / UK dramas – Collateral and Hinterland with The Sinner and Monarca still to try.

-      And hopefully the second half of Netflix’ LUPIN mystery/thriller due out in the summer.  The trailer was released this week – and it’s looking great!

 

Happy viewing.

 

KR

Pump Up Your Own Productivity

 

Performance Expert Steven Kotler’s new book “The Art of Impossible” is on my reading list.  60’s classics – resilience, grit and resetting greater goals are given another airing – because they are even more important in our challenging VUCA world.

 

And his three point Personal Productivity tips are exactly what we’ve been advising / coaching throughout this Pandemic period.

Catch Some Quality ZZZ’s

Along with good nutrition, hydration and daily exercise, the human body needs seven – eight hours of restful sleep per night to perform at peak levels.

 

Make Connections

Social support is critical, especially in the current times of less face-to-face contact.  Actively seek out meaningful conversations with loved ones.

 

Manage Anxiety Levels

A five minute gratitude practice, meditation session or a simple workout are all tools that can help calm the mind and control the nervous system.

 

Live Life Slow!

 

KR

Hit Play on Kindness, Respect and Generosity

  

I’ve been a fan/subscriber to Tyler Brûlé’s magazines for 20 years or so (Wallpaper, Monocle and his latest Konfekt).  I love his optimism, aesthetic and curiosity.

 

In the February Monocle, deputy editor Josh Fehnert wrote a great couple of pages on Digital Decency.  A manifesto to bring back humanity, humility and humour (the three Hums) to our on-line selves.  His 10 point plea can be summarised as:

·       Have some Perspective

·       Have Heart

·       Forgive and Forget

·       Learn some Humility

·       Don’t Overshare (part 1)

·       Watch your Tone

·       Don’t Overshare (part 2)

·       Be Humane

·       Ask Permission

·       Seek out both sides of the Argument

 

Technology is everywhere and rules our world.  It has become a weapon of Mass Distraction – and in some cases, Mass Destruction!

 

The costs to our mental health, wellbeing and stress levels can be high.

 

So, let’s all be a little kinder, a little more caring, a little more thoughtful and a lot less aggressive on-line.

 

I’d recommend you read Josh’s article in Monocle, issue no 140 (February 2021).

 

KR

What Have You Been Watching?

 

 ·            I’ve loved Zero Zero Zero on Amazon Prime.  If you liked Gomorrah (I loved it), you’ll like this.  Roberto Saviano’s latest crime / mafia / cartel drama.  Intensely gritty and gripping.

 

·            The Trial of Christine Keeler.  Six part UK drama on HBO.  Brilliant acting, and a pretty accurate picture of 1960’s England – and all its class issues.  This was a big story at the time for me – I was 14/15 and followed every twist and turn – and I relived them all over again.

 

·            The Christine Keeler story put me back into a 60’s mood – so I watched a classic movie from the period – Get Carter with Michael Caine (based on the 60’s under-valued novelist noir Ted Lewis).  Haven’t seen it since it came out.  Brilliant Northern period piece shot in a grimy Newcastle.

 

·            Clive Davis – The Soundtrack of Our Lives – on Netflix.  A documentary of a true music industry visionary.

 

·            The Equalizer.  I loved the Denzel Washington film.  This is lighter, but still fun.  With Queen Latifah in the TV series role.

 

·            Manchester City shooting to the top of the Premier League and still competing for four trophies on NBC/Peacock – twice a week in this crazy year.  Blue Moon Rising!

 

·            Trudy’s been watching The Dig (Netflix), the very funny Schitt’s Creek, Clarice (the Silence of the Lambs spin-off), Grace and Frankie and the latest Costner movie Let Him Go.

 

Happy Viewing!

 

KR

Don’t Worry – Be Happy

 

Wherever you’re living, the worst is now behind us.  The vaccines work.  Science has stood up and delivered, and will continue to do so.  But until we’re all safe, life will remain stressful and full of worry.  Here are four tips to help get us through the next 100 days and make it through to Summer full of Hope and Belief.

·      Find balance in the fear.  When you feel the worst, make yourself visualise the best image instead.  We’ll suck it up now, then we’ll all be vaccinated and it’ll be behind us.

·      Come back into the present.  A mindfulness approach.  Calm yourself by focusing on the now.  Name five things in your room, breathe, realise that in the present nothing bad is happening.  You’re OK.  Relax.  Smile.

·      Control the controllables and let go of the rest.  You can’t control government policy, your neighbours – just stay six feet away from them and wash your hands!

·      Stock up on Compassion.  Be kind.  Be generous.  Pack up your judgmental gene and put it into storage.  Be patient, caring and believe in the best.

 

We’ll make it.

 

Believe in your smile.

 

KR