We see this word so often now, but what does it really mean? Authenticity is when your actions are congruent with your beliefs and values, irrespective of what pressures may be applied. To be authentic, it is not enough to know your values, you must be your values. Brene’ Brown describes it as “a collectionContinue reading “What is authenticity”
Author Archives: The Optimistic Cynic
What does your business actually do?
Ask someone what their business does and you’ll usually get an answer about products or services. “We sell tyres.” “We provide accounting services.” “We manufacture widgets.” All perfectly accurate but it completely misses the bigger picture. One of the questions that changed my thinking about business was: What difference does your organisation make to theContinue reading “What does your business actually do?”
It should be simple
We know we should keep it simple. Even the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said “Ask yourself at every moment – is this necessary?” Knowing it and doing it are two different things though. Had a great coffee catch up yesterday with a team who have been successful for well over 15 years using a veryContinue reading “It should be simple”
It is who I am
Lately I’ve taken the unusual step of adding humorous memes to some of my posts on LinkedIn (generally involving coffee). Now I understand that some people may see these as more suited to Facebook than LinkedIn. After all, LinkedIn is a serious, professional platform. This is a deliberate move on my part, with some “professional”Continue reading “It is who I am”
The old bloke is going high tech…
Really looking forward to starting the AI for Charities course tomorrow. Up until now I haven’t paid too much attention to how AI can be used in the sector, mainly because writing, thinking and researching are things I enjoy doing. Now it’s time to broaden my horizons…and become young again (well that’s my plan)
It’s not complicated
We all know that leadership can be lonely, especially in small to medium sized organisations. We’re not perfect, we all have weaknesses. Innovation is great, but there are no rules or history. Who is responsible for keeping our passion alive when we’re knee deep in accounts payable? A sounding board is a relatively new concept Continue reading “It’s not complicated”
Think S for Growth
I’m no academic nor an economist but I do understand how some models and theories can be used to illustrate real world issues. So much advice is around saying that leaders need to work on their business, not just in it. LinkedIn is full of this mantra. Are we doing this though, and if so,Continue reading “Think S for Growth”
It will never be everything
I had another fantastic coffee catch up today – having been head down for three years, I really did miss these mental stimulation opportunities. One of the many topics we discussed was AI and once again I was reminded that no matter how clever it is, it definitely has limitations. AI is really an amazingContinue reading “It will never be everything”
We need to end fragmentation
In case you didn’t notice, it’s hard out there. Increasing number of organisations applying for a smaller pool of donations. New contracts are almost unheard of while compliance is a never ending beast. If we want a thriving charitable sector, we need to be smarter. We can’t keep on setting up new organisations in theContinue reading “We need to end fragmentation”
My cup runs over…
Coffee and a chat is a great foundation for discovery and learning. A gentle 30 minute walk on a clear frosty morning makes to doubly so. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting a small business owner and finding out more about her enterprise. What I loved was how simple it was and yet itContinue reading “My cup runs over…”
