Your first 90 days as a manager: A simple plan that actually works
A simple 90-day plan for new managers: get to know your team and context, set up a rhythm of one-on-ones and team meetings, then build a plan you can deliver.
tools
Positive affirmations for leaders: Woo or worthwhile?
I used to think positive affirmations were a bit silly. Quotes like “I am enough” and “abundance flows through me” feel vague, like the kind of thing you’d see printed on a cheap scented candle. But I’ve been doing daily positive affirmations for a few…
Behind the scenes: Launching our first physical product, the Daily Acts of Leadership cards
I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement as Joel carefully cut open the carton on my dining room table yesterday. Inside was the final piece of something we’ve been working on for months: our first ever physical product, the Daily Acts of Leadership card…
7 things I’ve learnt from working with a manufacturer in China for the first time
The manufacturing work is for custom dice that will be included with our Daily Acts of Leadership cards. It’s been an eye-opening experience, so I thought I’d share a few random observations: 1️⃣ Finding a manufacturer: I connected with our supplier via Alibaba. Much like…
Stop searching for the best productivity apps (and what to do instead)
I’ve spent countless hours searching for the best productivity apps and tools. Asana, Monday, ClickUp, Basecamp, Trello—you name it, I’ve probably tried it. For a long time, I thought the issue was that I hadn’t found the right tool yet. I thought the next app…
Here’s a sneak preview of something we’re working on at the moment
Here’s a sneak preview of something we first started working on four years ago. It’s a planner designed just for leaders. For leaders who want to get their sh!t together, be impactful and eliminate stress. Joel Bailey and I are big believers that simple planning…
Small actions, big impact: Introducing Daily Acts of Leadership
We tend to picture grand things when we think of impactful leadership. But it’s often the small acts that count. Because most of our impact comes day in, day out as we go about our role. And it’s easy to miss these everyday opportunities when…
When the only way up is into management
This cartoon nails it! (cartoon credit: Kendra Allenby, The New Yorker) It’s a common dilemma. One that many of us face at some point in our careers. After years of honing our (usually technical) skills, we’re presented with a crossroad: the only way up seems…
I get frustrated when I see leaders overcomplicate their strategic planning
Here’s what they get wrong: ❌ Taking months to finish the process❌ Distracting their already busy team with endless ‘planning days’❌ Drowning in analysis before even starting the plan❌ Spending a fortune on strategy consultants The truth: ✔️ You can create a solid strategic plan…
AMTAP: As Many Things As Possible.
You’ve probably heard of AMRAP in workouts – As Many Reps As Possible. Let’s apply this to your to-do list. Enter AMTAP: As Many Things As Possible. AMTAP goes against a lot of the conventional wisdom around productivity. Instead of prioritising your work using the…
When you make the wrong hire it’s tempting to blame the person you hired
You’ll want to say things like “they just weren’t a good fit for our team” or “they didn’t live up to their resume”. I know I’ve said things like this. But the best leaders take accountability for their hiring decisions. Here are three things to…
Hiring is one of the highest leverage activities for a leader
Inconveniently, leverage works in both directions, positive and negative. The people you bring onto your team can be the driving force behind your greatest successes or the source of your biggest problems. Bringing in the right people will elevate your team’s performance and make the…
Businesses are stuffed with vague, pretentious-sounding jargon
Here are some of my favourites: No shame if you use these. I do too. They can be handy shortcuts. Once I got past the vagueness, I found most of them useful. My top piece of business jargon? “Organisation Strategy” Here’s why: So, what is…
Sophistication bias is a disease within organisations
Turkish Olympic shooter Yusuf Dekic reminds me of a common problem in management. So many of us overcomplicate things, because of sophistication bias… This is when we ignore simple solutions in search of something more complex, innovative or clever. As a result, we – wrongly…
The best team members demonstrate these behaviours
The best team members demonstrate these behaviours. But other people don’t. What are they? Have you ever noticed that some people are very good at what they do AND easy to work with at the same time? They’re a manager’s dream. Because we spend more…
Introducing our free above and below the line behaviours poster
Many things are out of our control. But we can always choose our attitude and behaviour. And our attitudes and behaviours profoundly affect how impactful we are in our world. They affect how others perceive us. And therefore how open and cooperative they’re likely to be…
Introducing the Strategic Planning Toolkit
We’ve built a Strategic Planning Toolkit so any leader can create a plan for their team or organisation in a few weeks. A free sample is available to download now. Many managers want a plan. But they don’t know how to build one or where…
40 Tips to Find Your Next Superstar Recruit
What makes a good recruitment process? Research shows that three things are most reliable at predicting on the job performance: 1. Work sample tests = 2. General cognitive ability tests = 2. Structured interviews Yet, few recruitment processes include sample work or cognitive ability tests.…
Road testing the MiGoals Progress Journal
Updated: March 2025 I’ve trialled a number of planning journals in the past. None of them really ‘stuck’. Sometimes the planning system didn’t work for me. Or I didn’t like the physical design. Or both. But I remain attracted to the idea of finding a…
Download a free preview of our Strategic Planning Toolkit
Update: Our Strategic Planning Toolkit has launched! Download a free preview here. Most leaders know they need a good strategic plan. But few know where to start. A Google search reveals lots of conflicting information on what a good strategic plan looks like. Most of…