When we were taught poetry in primary school, my classmates and I were encouraged to learn verses by heart. The teacher would call upon us during a lesson to stand and recite a poem or a verse. The teacher would call my name: "Mamabolo a re ye, Polokwane..." [Mamabolo, let's hear it, Polokwane...] And then…

Our default state is to judge others by the outcomes we see. And then we expect to be judged by the processes they do not see [if only they would understand my circumstances, they will understand!]. We seek justice when they wronged us, but we seek clemency when we wronged them. We wish them karma…

If you want to be calm under pressure, just start describing yourself [to yourself] as someone who is incredibly calm under pressure. This transformation will not take place over night. But, the next time things go wrong [and, don’t worry, they will], you might catch yourself reacting to the mishap. When you do, write down what…

Busy parking lots tend to be a surprisingly powerful window into someone’s character. The means they use to find a spot and the choices they make when no one they know is watching, e.g. sneaking in ahead of someone who has clearly been waiting, are telling. Double parking, parking on spaces designated for the people…

In the animal kingdom ‘more’ is often the best measure of success. Herds and hoarders have a better chance of survival. But ‘more’ is not always the best measure of human progress. The longest queue is not always a sign of better quality. The most sales don’t always lead to a more sustainable business. The…

1. What problem are we solving? 2. What need are we fulfilling? 3. Who are we solving the problem for? 4. How are we least like the competition? 5. How do we tell that story? 6. Why this, why us and why now? What questions have you asked yourself today?

A business is started to solve a problem. If the problem is solved, the business is no longer needed. Businesses are often guilty of keeping the problem around so they can continue solving it. But, these businesses die eventually, think businesses like Kodak and Blockbuster which refused to accept the onset of digital photography and…

Things that are easy to do: Procrastinate, Criticise a person or project, Destroy spirit, Waste time and resources, Be disorganised, Be negative, Forget commitments or do not bother making them in the first place, Over promise and under deliver, Give in to the resistance, Use fear as an excuse, Never apologise, Sacrifice authenticity and Avoid…

Back in 1984, it was not practical for Richard Branson to think he could launch a better airline with just one secondhand Boeing 747. And yet, that is exactly what he did. It would have easy for Elius Kipchoge to stop trying to beat the record of less than 2 hours and recording 1:59:40, becoming…