A definition of insight that’s actually useful

Really you’ve got to feel sorry for insight. This poor little word is so abused and misunderstood that it’s a wonder that it’s managed to survive this long.  But then perhaps that’s its strength?  It’s so nebulous that it can mean whatever you want it to mean – and nobody understands it quite well enough […]

Don’t dream big, dream mediocre

This is a more subtle idea than it sounds, and one that I’ve found to be a key stumbling block for individuals and businesses seeking to perform at a high level. To illustrate the point in a basic way, say you want to be a world-class pianist. Clearly, to reach that level, you will have […]

The utility of the open mind

If you ever read a book on creativity, you will find a recurring theme: the muse. It will be talked about in varying ways, but the central idea is generally the same: that rather than coming up with ideas ourselves, they are instead “given” to us by an outside force (the muse, the universe, God, […]

Before ideas, comes action

In the past 5 weeks, I feel like original thoughts have slowed to a trickle. Perhaps you’ve experienced something similar. Normally as I go about things, new ideas and theories are constantly bubbling up.  Sometimes I’ll get the urge to write something in the most inconvenient of moments – whilst driving, having coffee with someone, trying to go […]

How aggression creates iconic brands

Of all the things a business can aspire to, there is one I believe that outstrips all the rest: to be a case study. Case study businesses are those that other businesses return to, again and again, as a benchmark for how things should be done. Case study businesses are taught in MBA programs, cited […]

Why are smart people so dumb?

“I would rather be governed by the first 2,000 people in the telephone directory than by the Harvard University faculty.” This quote from William F. Buckley summarises an interesting paradox which has been a recurring point of tension in modern Western culture: How can academia be so smart, and yet also so dumb at the […]

Effort is the enemy – why hard work is overrated

Success and effort, we’re assured, are inextricably linked. There is no success without effort, and (short of some cruel misfortune) there is no effort without success. You want something? Then put your back into it. Starting a business? Be prepared to work 20 hour days. This narrative – that sweat is the currency that buys […]

What you need to know about doing a TEDx

A couple of weeks ago I delivered a talk at TEDx Folkestone – a great event and something I feel lucky to have been part of. As you can imagine there’s much more to the process than simply the talk itself, and so I thought I’d jot down my observations in case they prove useful […]

A business should be a creative brief

  A creative brief – for those lucky enough to have never worked in marketing – is a document that advertising agencies give to their creative teams to prompt them to create exciting, on-message ideas. As you can imagine, it’s something that’s pretty important to get right. Get it wrong and not only is it […]