There are many ways in which people around you can influence you. On the positive side, there are mentors [people who guide you to be the best version of what you aspire] and well-wishers [people who wish the best for you]. On the negative side, there are manipulators [people who try to take advantage of you for their benefit] and underminers [people who…

In a competitive, commercial environment the logic is the more people who know about your business the more successful it will be. So we make noise. We make noise on TV, radio, emails, social media, everywhere we are and everywhere where there are people. Look at me, look at me, buy from me, I am…

Today marks 7 years of writing here on this platform every day. What started out as a rant about the tragic Marikana event has ended up as a daily blog where I shared my thoughts. Initially it was hard to write every day, but over time, it became a habit, and later an obsession. I…

The service at the restaurant is only as good as the investment the manager makes in training the team. The quality of the website’s user experience is a reflection of how many hours the developer spends testing and tweaking. The hours of research the journalist conducts before writing a single word shines through in the…

In the 1960s, the team of researchers at Vicks Corp. were tasked with finding medication for cold and the flu. They came back with a solution that worked well except for one major drawback: it caused drowsiness. Just as they were about to go back to the drawing board, someone [presumably a smart marketer] suggested…

When do we know it is safe to cross the road? How much information do we need about how far away that truck is and how fast it is going to decide whether it is safe to step off the pavement and cross? How much information does your customer need before deciding she trusts you?…

Professor Daniel Kahneman has spent a lifetime researching why and how humans make decisions. His decades of work focused on the two ways we think and decide using one of two modes of thought, System 1 and System 2. System 1 makes fast, instinctive and emotional judgements; and System 2 operates at a slower more…

There is a great story about a decision Sony made when they created the legendary Walkman. Against the advice of market research, Sony’s co-founder had asked the engineering team to build a portable music player that would ease the boredom on long flights. The engineers then came back with what could only be termed a…

Often when I ask entrepreneurs how big is their market, they don't know. Entrepreneurs struggle to assess the size, or nature of their market. They approach their target market as: If this is a problem for me, then it is problem for everyone. If this is a solution for me, then it is a solution…

Instead of always trying to be right and winning, maybe consider: Caring Helping Being human Growing wiser Inspiring others Righting wrongs Upholding values Giving generously Learning patience Prioritising values Practicing empathy Building community Leading thoughtfully Acting with integrity Exploring possibilities Encouraging progress Making a contribution Teaching perseverance Fostering collaboration Experiencing fulfilment Working towards mastery Changing…

Don’t get distracted by always having to be right. The only prize for winning that game is loneliness. There is a difference between what is true and what is useful.  

One of the fascinating vestiges of growing up in education systems that focus on tests is our propensity to ask: “Did I do well?” It is amazing how much progress we make when we replace that question with: “Did I give it my best shot?”