As I wait for my TEDx talk to be published live (hopefully end Aug), I am still feeling the warmth from all your lovely messages, thank you all! I have also been doing what I say – living in the happy moment as long as I can, not brushing it aside to get on with the next thing. It was an enormous moment for me, not just because of the privilege of standing on that red circle. Because it took place in Derry – a place where one of my grandparents grew up. A place where I must h

There is a term that’s used often in business management and leadership development, which is “taking the helicopter view”, first coined by the Royal Dutch Shell Company. It may also be described as “peripheral vision”, “bird’s eye view” or “clarity of purpose”. It refers to the ability of a leader to rise above the specifics – the nitty gritty – of a situation and to see it from a distance in its overall context. It is the ability to see the big picture without losing sight

We all know what happens when we plant a seed and feed it. Sometimes a seed is planted though and we don’t see it growing for ages. A bamboo tree for example spends 5 years of its life embedding its roots before it ever flourishes above ground. Every time we say something or don’t say something… Every time we emit a non-verbal signal, expression or feeling… Every time we take a sharp intake of breath, or we sigh… Every time we make eye contact, or not… …we are planting a see

My coaching practice has now moved totally online, and the issues presented to me by clients have moved from a wide variety to one common theme:  ‘How do I lead myself and others through this crisis?‘ This week I thought I’d best serve you by summarising some nuggets of wisdom from an article published in the New York Times this week.  It was written by a former Army General and a former Navy Seal based on their experiences of leading through 9/11. They suggest four behaviour

Everyone was working quietly (to reassure the woman and her husband) but fast. There was perfect teamwork; each had their own role in the emergency. My role was to prepare an IV solution of the drug that was our best hope for regaining control, Syntometrine. The seconds were flying by and I didn’t want to cause any delay. The atmosphere in the room was soaked in the urgency of the moment. My hands started to shake so I focused more on what I was doing; consciously, intent

When we don’t feel confident we lose out on opportunities for business development and/or personal growth. The only person who has ultimate control over your confidence is you.  Just as no-one can give it to you, no-one can take it away from you either, unless you let them. Our inner critic is usually the one thing that affects our confidence the most. We all need to learn to silence our inner critic, or ignore it. We think we have competition from other people, but there is

Or a more direct question would be…how often do you listen – really listen – to someone who is trying to convey their feelings to you? There are plenty of quotes about the subject such as “You aren’t learning when you are speaking” and “We have two ears and one mouth.  Use accordingly” and – this one is on the button! – “Most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand” One way to practise this is when you are thinking about your answer while someone is speaking

Being ‘hooked’ is when you are listening to someone telling a story and something they say brings back a memory of your own.  You tune out of what they are saying because you are now watching the movie of that memory in your head. It reduces your ability to concentrate or focus on what they are saying.  You definitely will miss the subtle cues as they continue to speak – their tone, body language, facial expressions, choice of words. If your memory is negative it may cloud yo

‘Confidence Inside and Out’ – workshops Are you a HR Director or Manager who wants to offer your team a workshop which combines feeling good on the inside with looking good on the outside? In the first workshop of its kind in Ireland, Lisa Nolan, Resilience and Leadership Coach and Maria Macklin, Image Consultant have collaborated to explore the importance of knowing how to align inner and outer confidence. From Lisa your teams will learn the importance of being able to acces