Journal
The Spirit of Belief: Christmas and the Magic of Our Planet
“As the lights twinkle and laughter fills our homes, let’s remember that the greatest gift we can give our children is to cherish the magic of both Christmas and the natural world. We must nurture not only their imagination but also build the legacy of a thriving planet—one filled with wonder and responsibility that will echo through the years to come”.
A Review: Lessons From My Year of Cycling
“The past year has been a remarkable journey, one where I not only challenged my physical limits but also explored the depths of my resilience in the face of trials.
From riding to Cheddar Gorge overnight to conquering Mount Ventoux, right through to recovering from a bike crash and relationship loss, these experiences shaped my year in ways I had never anticipated; guiding my growth both as a cyclist and as a human being”
My 7 Aspirations for Our World - The Essay
“When we acknowledge that we are all from the same ocean, we begin to realise the power of collective action. This concept calls us to work together in harmony, recognising that our individual well-being is inherently tied to the well-being of others. As we navigate the challenges of our world—social injustice, climate change, and economic disparity—it becomes increasingly clear that the solutions we seek must come not from isolated efforts but from collaborative endeavours that embrace the richness of our shared experiences”
Constitution - Stefan’s Week-Notes 14/12/2024
"Constitution, in its broadest sense, refers to the mental and physical endurance we all possess. Our constitution originates from a combination of genetic predisposition, upbringing, and life experiences. From a young age, we acquire the foundations of resilience through challenges faced in our environment, be it in the form of academic struggles, sporting competitions, or social interactions. The lessons learned during these formative years shape our ability to cope with adversity and adapt to change".
The Personality Styles of Work Place Play - The Essay
“Dr. Stuart Brown identifies eight distinct "play personalities," each contributing unique qualities and preferences to the workplace. By recognising these personalities—such as the Joker, Kinesthete, Explorer, and others—leaders can tailor activities to boost morale, engagement, and collaboration”.
The Personality Styles of Workplace Play - The Exec Summary
“Dr. Stuart Brown identifies eight distinct "play personalities," each contributing unique qualities and preferences to the workplace. By recognising these personalities—such as the Joker, Kinesthete, Explorer, and others—leaders can tailor activities to boost morale, engagement, and collaboration”.
Outside - Stefan’s Week-Notes 07/12/2024
““When you witness how ecological diversity enhances resilience and adaptability in nature, you may become inspired to advocate for similar principles within your organisation.
Biodiversity, much like a well-functioning corporation, thrives on variety and collaboration, suggesting that a diverse corporate environment can lead to greater innovation and problem-solving abilities”
Rest - How to get a 25% increase in happiness.
“Spiritual rest is built upon intentional practices that foster spiritual well-being which come from connecting what we do with our hopes and aspirations and clearing our mind of the ‘noise’ which holds us back and keeps us awake at night.
How do you create spiritual rest?”
Essay - Letting Go In Leadership (and life).
“From my perspective, leadership is not just about holding a title; it’s about the ongoing responsibility to foster an environment that encourages innovation, growth, and success for the entire organisation. As I’ve progressed through various stages in my career, I’ve recognised that letting go of certain responsibilities or familiar ties is essential for my development and that of my team.”
Opinion- 7 Reasons Your Strategy Days Aren't Working.
“Drawing from my experiences both in facilitating these sessions and my own professional journey, including my narrow loss on a recent strategy bid, I’ve identified seven key reasons why strategy days often fall flat.
In this blog, we’ll explore not only the reasons behind ineffective strategy days but also how insights from leadership thought leaders—Simon Sinek, Alain de Botton, Brené Brown, and Jacinda Ardern—can inform a better approach”.
FEAR- Stefan’s Week-Notes 30/11/2024
“Female leaders possess unique experiences that foster collaboration, inclusivity, and empathy—qualities essential in today’s complex landscape. Increasing their representation in leadership roles not only promotes equity but also ensures that women’s voices are heard in critical discussions, shaping policies that positively impact communities”.
Tools- 3 steps to Work AND Life Balance
“You only find balance; by leaning into and deciding upon the balance you want. Plain and simple.
What follows are the three elements which I see consistently help my coachees to find greater balance between work and homelife; between - work, rest, play and sustenance”.
Work - Do you have a cause?
“A cause swirls like a rising ocean, connecting every action, meeting and strategy session to a longer term ambition. It makes decisions easier. And the most successful clients I work with feel their cause within their bones.
A role that is not attached to a cause larger than a bottom line, Is a number”.
Opinion- We need more female leaders.
“It's time to dismantle the barriers that continue to hinder women's progress in leadership. Let us advocate for policies and practices that promote gender diversity and inclusivity in decision-making processes. The power to create a more balanced, just, and prosperous world lies in our hands, and together, we can cultivate an environment where all leaders—regardless of gender—can thrive. “
Opinion- Is fear killing leadership?
“We are seeing too many ' at the top', the 'showbiz execs' - parading as leaders - but doing nothing more than 'managing' things.
This is not because they are managing people - if only. No; it's because all they are doing is 'managing the status quo'.
If fear is what stops those with influence from acting, let's change the definition of management, to recognise what we are seeing.
Let the dictionaries and role profiles be amended; I say and let it be writ large, that:
"Management is”
Taper - Stefan’s Week-Notes 15/11/2024
“This week I read a brilliant article on Decision-making in the Broadening perspectives on risk article from the British Psychological Society. What particularly stood out for me within the context of decision making and preventing group bias were the elements of a ‘critical friend’ and ‘reflective practice’. As a coach; thats just the world I believe we should all be operating in”
Sustenance - How Good People Sustain Themselves…
“My client could not have envisaged how much of difference and how revived they could feel after only re-introducing some of the sustained elements, they needed. All it took was ‘Just’ enough for them to get started, see some results, no matter how small and have someone with them to help them keep leaning in - gently at first”.
Absorb - Stefan’s Week-Notes 09/11/2024
“Think, “I want to serve the country” and “I want them to have a service which serves their needs” kinds of good people and “I want to help the NHS be the service we all know and want it to be”.
Play - Good People Play Games too.
“Quite simply, games are being played in work, which effect the delivery of great work by good people. Now, I don’t mean ball games, backgammon or chess or hide and seek as I saw branch teams use as pre opening energisers, in the building society I worked for. No, I mean the political games needed to get ahead, which create the opportunity for good people to lead great things and change”
Activist* - Stefan’s Week-Notes 2/11/2024.
“Societal Focus. What this means for me, is that they can at least unconsciously connect the work they do and the change they want to make to everyone in ‘their’ society i.e. their team and organisation and explain this to those around them. The real growth, through coaching comes in being able to consciously do this across their organisation developing a string foundation for sector wide and cross sector influence”.