‘I don’t know’. Using uncertainty as a platform for growth

When ‘leadership’ is confused with ‘the need to know everything’ it can lead to cultures of bluff where people feel it’s more important to give a response (including a wrong one) than acknowledge doubt. Instead, these three simple words from a leader can establish a very different context: I don’t know. “I don’t know” puts the[…]

Disagreement is not disloyalty

It might seem counterintuitive, but formal processes are not a panacea for good governance. Post-mortems of Enron and WorldCom, or closer to home Centro, reinforce that these companies failed despite entrenched controls. What leaders can learn from these high-profile failures it that risk-taking is a cultural issue and that, with respect to decision-making, a culture[…]