I was reminded yet again the power of our conditioning and the conditioned mind.  This is a good thing if our conditioning and framework is a positive one.   But this isn’t always the case.  I had dealings with two wonderful human beings with great minds and compassion – yet both felt terribly felt frozen.  Despite having thought long and hard and being acutely aware that not taking action was costing them time, energy, money and focus – they still felt stuck. According to one – it is “paralysis through analysis.”   But there was more to it. (more…)

Whichever way one looks at it, Paul Henry’s recent comments asking the Prime Minister whether the next Governor-General is going to “look and sound like a New Zealander” are insulting and racist. It falls way below the mark in his role as a TVNZ breakfast host. 

The basic requirement of any job including those in leadership is that we deliver what is expected of that role and take full responsibility for our actions.  When managers, leaders and politicians fail to do this, their leadership including the organization’s culture and ethos are – quite rightly – questioned.

Prejudice and stereotypes invariably blind us. Never mind Sir Anand’s background, calibre and merit in having been an almost perfect fit for the job. He is “culturally different” or more to the point “not white.”  So everything else becomes irrelevant. This is a not a recipe for  building and leading a team, organization or country. (more…)