What is Leadership?

Leadership is hard to pin down. Leadership means something different to everyone. Leadership is fluid. Leadership is a social construct. Leadership is what it needs to be at the time. Leadership is the execution of a set of values. Leadership has lots of different moving parts. Leadership is hard to define, but it’s not impossible to describe what it looks like.

The 140 Best Articles on Medium in 2015

As 2015 came to an end and I contemplated what 2016 might look like, I thought it might be fun to revisit the best articles Medium had to offer in the past year. So, without further-ado, here’s a list of every Medium article I ‘Recommended’ in 2015. Enjoy.

On organisational culture and productivity

Despite all this attention and effort, the work equivalent of a 24 hour news cycle, no more work is getting done and its quality is no greater. Why? Because busyness is no indicator of productivity. Nor is it a corollary. Busyness is no more than laziness in disguise. The way we’re working is all wrong.

What do you want your legacy to be?: Two steps to becoming Indispensable

When you move on from your current job, what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? It’s a tough question to answer, likely because you’ve never really thought about it before. You should though. And, here’s why.

Everything I’ve Published So Far in 2015

The first half of 2015 has been the busiest I’ve had in years, and it doesn’t look like slowing down. I started my blog in February 2015 and since then, I’ve typically published a couple of articles every month. Some in online publications like Lifehack and Business Insider, others exclusively to my blog, and some I’ve syndicated in my Medium publication, The Monthly Review and on LinkedIn.

The Rule Book: 19 Elite-Athlete Behaviours that will Bring you Success in Life and at Work

As I was reading through the rule book again, it occurred to me that the principles therein aren’t really about basketball or even sports, at all. They’re about how to conduct yourself in life. They’re a framework for success in any field you wish to apply them. They will never get old, outdated or irrelevant. And the best part — anyone can practice them.

How to be More Motivated, Creative and Productive than Ever Before: a short guide to working from home

Just like almost a million other Australians and around one in five Americans, I work from home and it is awesome. But, I haven’t always done it well. Just like so many others, when I first considered working from home full-time I pictured hanging-out on my couch in my tracky-dacks (sweats) with a laptop and a cup of tea. Sounds great, right?

Productivity While Working From Home (the Productivity Podcast with Paul Minors)

I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Paul Minors from The Productivity Podcast. We discuss productivity while working from home, online platforms for managing a business and a team remotely and how to priorities so you’re always working on what’s most important.

15 Signs You Will Become a Great Leader

A leader is as such no matter their position within social or organizational structures. And sometimes, people with the greatest potential for leadership, don’t even realise they have it. Here are 15 signs you are going to be a great leader, even if you don’t realize it right now.

3 Quick Tips for Working Smarter

Working smarter is all about efficient systems and processes, good organisation and avoiding distraction. Here are a few ways I keep on top of things based on these work smarter principles.

It All Starts With Being Awesome At What You Do

Unless you’re awesome at what you do, all the tips and tricks for success in the world aren’t going to help you achieve anything. So, before you go trying any of the strategies in the article (or from any other source for that matter), have a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself: am I awesome at what I do? Am I improving, learning, developing? Do I have goals? Am I focussed on them?

9 Ways Successful People Deal With Anger

By harnessing the positive powers of anger, successful people are more focussed, more assertive and more confident. Successful people deal with anger by cultivating a high emotional IQ through success-breeding habits, routines and practices like these.

How to Manage Optics at Work

So, you’re good at what you do (if you’re not, this article is not for you! Go away, get good at it and come back). You’re putting in the hours and producing high-quality work. So, what else do you have to do to get noticed?

6 Steps to Kick Off Your Staff Engagement in the Right Way

Company culture plays an ever increasing role in business success. The next generation of employees don’t just want to work for you — they expect to play a role in shaping your company’s future. Follow these 6 steps to conduct a staff engagement survey that facilitates constructive dialogue and improves company culture and productivity.

How to Become the Master of Your Inbox

It took some time and perseverance but with a bit of research, planning, dedicated ‘Inbox’ time and a few new rules I got my Inbox down to a more manageable number, kept it there and became more productive. Here’s how I did it and how you can do it too.

How to Learn and Move on From Your Mistakes

In the words of Dale Carnegie, author of one of the most important books on human relations in the history of the world ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’, “A successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way”. Use this four step process to embrace and learn from your mistakes.

My 2015 Better Habits Challenge

We all have vices. Shortcomings and weaknesses that hold us back. In 2015, I’m challenging myself to turn mine into strengths and get out of my own way by developing these habits.