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Picture a successful leader at the helm of a great company. What are the qualities that define them? You might now be thinking of a larger-than-life extrovert – someone who thrives on attention, has the charisma to command a room and likes to make a big noise. And it’s certainly true that some of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs are a good fit for this description. But what if I was to tell you that leading a company to greatness required the opposite qualities to this?

What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? It’s probably not a question you’ve had much cause to ponder until now. And if the question seems an unlikely one, you may be even more surprised to learn that, for Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, the answer can be found in economics. Or, to adopt the word they coined to title their seminal 2005 book and describe their field of study – Freakonomics. All of us know that economics is important but, if we’re being

What do hedgehogs, foxes, birds and frogs have in common? Give up? Well, they’re all used to explain the importance of having range. David Epstein’s 2019 book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World makes for a fascinating read, introducing various analogies to explain why having a breadth of knowledge and experience is so vital. Predicting the future Let’s start with the hedgehogs and foxes. Referencing Philip Tetlock’s well-known nicknames, Epstein explains t

When it comes to asking questions, you’ll be familiar with the Five Ws: who, what, when, where and why. These five interrogative words have inherent value. They cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," resulting in our frequent usage of them from a very young age. Much like poor Peggy Schuyler in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton , "how" gets an occasional look-in too (who, what, when, where, why… and how), but from author Simon Sinek’s perspective, no question is more im

If the very idea of delivering a speech to a crowd of people starts making your palms sweat, take some solace in the fact that you’re far from alone. Time and again, study after study has found that public speaking is one of the most common phobias for people around the world.   But it’s also something that a huge number of us are called on to do on a regular basis, and while some people will understandably do almost anything to avoid these high-stress situations, the reality

At a time where businesses around the world are closing their doors, furloughing their staff and relying on Government intervention to pay basic bills, it’s unlikely that anyone thinks this is a great time to launch a new start-up. Unless, that is, they’ve dreamt up a genius, new business model that will thrive in this demanding environment in which we now find ourselves. Drone deliveries don’t sound so preposterous now, do they?! ​ There will come a point in the future when

Anyone who has watched even one episode of  The Apprentice  will surely believe they can do better than some of the half-wits we see racing around London, trying to impress Lord Sugar with their sales patter, savvy-saving and new business plans. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that it’s an entertainment show, not a serious business programme — that the characters on our screens have been hand-picked by producers because of their unapologetic bravado and all-too-often misplaced

I revisited a Q3 2018 report from StartUp Health around digital health funding earlier this week. It contains insights into the most active investors, functions and technologies from January to end of September 2018, and generally paints a rosy picture of growth within the digital health funding landscape.   It’s fascinating stuff. Not least because Q3 2018 achieved the highest quarter performance since tracking began in 2010, with a whopping $4.5bn generated through seed, v

There are many thought-provoking notions to be found within the pages of  It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work  — a strategy for celebrating “calm” in the world of work devised by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. One such notion is that comparison is not necessary —  or in some cases, is altogether detrimental — for the success of a company. Fried and Heinemeier Hansson explain: ​ "Lots of companies are driven by comparisons in general. Not just whether they’re first,

The sheer popularity of books pertaining to the world of work can be visible from a passing glance at a Waterstone’s window display. Time management, how to influence others, how to be less stressed, how to get what you want and feel happy whilst doing so…     Conversely, the supposed “secret” to managing your time more effectively can only be unlocked by spending your precious time learning how to do so.  In most cases, there is no quick fix — no single remedy to a lifelong

I’m not usually one for self-help books. I’ve always felt life lessons are best learned through enduring personal experience, rather than heeding prescriptive advice from writers who enjoy a very different existence to my own. ​ That said,  The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck   had an intriguing title and the coveted New York Times Bestseller accolade — enough to warrant a read from me.  Before reading the book, I was of the view that many of these so-called “experts” in hap