This actually happened. My wife received an online delivery order. She had paid for it. The items were correct. It had come to the right place. But the rider was unable to hand it over—and so the order went back. The absurd sequence began when Mrs B placed an online order at one of our […]

We all respect thinkers. Well, most of us, anyway. Thoughtful people are of immense value in a world running on shallowness and the absence of critical reasoning. They go deep, and they re-emerge with insights, wisdoms, and solutions that regular people cannot. Many folks like to hang out with proper thinkers, at least some of […]

The pause that saves us Creshonda Smith moved to Italy from America a while back, first to Rome and then to a remote town in the far south. She got a huge culture shock. Not about language, food, or fashion; but about attitudes towards rest. In her words: “For most of my life, being busy […]

I was very lucky when I was young to come across this concept: ACTIVATION ENERGY. I want to show it to you today. If you’re feeling stuck, stranded, unable to get going—this idea may just be the trigger you need. It certainly did wonders for me. In science, activation energy is the minimum energy needed […]

Do you know this word? ENSHITTIFICATION. It’s ugly and accurate. Cory Doctorow coined it. It describes what happens when tech platforms, once useful, go bad. Not all at once, but gradually—and then completely. The pattern is simple—and sadly predictable. When we start a great business, we try to be amazing for our customers. Then, we […]

A plain wooden coffin. No ornamentation, no gilded handles. An ordinary pickup truck, serving as the final hearse. A tombstone bearing just one word: Franciscus. And yet, the world stood still. Presidents, monarchs, patriarchs, imams, rabbis. Heads of state and heads bowed in reverence. All gathered in one of the grandest public squares on Earth, […]

I confirmed recently that I have stopped being a newspaper columnist—after more than two decades. And that the ruckus will continue. I have seen it all over those years. My first columns appeared only in print, for online was not really a thing yet. The very first one got pulled—the editor was afraid it might […]

Which sock do you put on first, right or left? Whichever one it is, I bet you choose the same foot, every time. Most people do. It’s the same with trousers; people tend to start with their dominant foot or leg. Once the routine is established, they stick with it. It’s an unconscious act, repeated […]

Like many around the world, your business might be staring into a fog of extreme uncertainty. Perhaps your government keeps slapping on new taxes—suddenly, haphazardly. Maybe looming trade wars are giving you sleepless nights. Or it could be that new tech and fresh competition have arrived in tandem to feast on what used to be […]

I notice a disturbing trend in the favourite candies I have enjoyed since childhood. The quantities per piece or packet have been gradually shrinking. The packaging is often cheaper and more shoddy. And there is variation in quality depending on the target market: here in Africa, for example, there seems to be an assumption that […]

Richard Branson is dyslexic. The billionaire founder of the Virgin Group suffered at school because his brain was wired differently. Reading and writing was more difficult for him, and in those days dyslexia was not a known condition. He was dismissed as lazy or stupid by his teachers. But he now refers to dyslexia as […]

“The respect a person receives due to wealth is not their own; it is the respect for their wealth.” That was written by the writer Munshi Premchand, perhaps a century ago. A man draped in money is often showered with deference, but let him lose his fortune, and watch how quickly that reverence evaporates. What […]

You reach for a tissue from a brand-new box, expecting a smooth, elegant pull. Instead, nothing budges. That first tissue is glued to the second like a child clinging to its mother’s leg on the first day of school. You poke, you pinch, you wiggle a corner free. Which then rips off in your hand. […]

Some football teams are all fire and fury—quick passing, relentless pressing, constant attacking. Others are patient, methodical, waiting for the right moment to strike. These are tactics—the specific ways a team plays in a given match. But behind the tactics lies something bigger: a strategy. A team’s strategy defines its long-term approach—whether it builds around […]

You stare at your garden as it dries out, waiting for some rain which doesn’t seem to be coming. You finally give in and water the whole place. The very next day the rain comes. You often order food using your go-to app, and it’s always on time. Except the day when you have guests, […]

“In a perfect world…” How many times have you heard that, or said it yourself? The human yearning for things to be better, more conducive, more acceptable, seems to be insatiable. We bring our children up in the pretence that the world is far better than it really is; that life is manageable and addressable, […]

I’m on a roll, ducking and weaving and landing punches, so I might as well continue! Last week I lamented the use of the terms “operational reasons” and “regret” that corporations use to justify endless service failures. This week let’s move on to another such term: “Relationship management.” Many years ago I wrote a piece […]

“Flight 123 to XYZ is delayed due to operational reasons. We regret any inconvenience caused.” How many times have you heard this? How many times have you sighed, rolled your eyes, or muttered in frustration? This phrase, uttered in monotonous tones over crackling airport speakers all over the world, is one of the great corporate […]

We must have passions, we are told—our greatest achievements will come from it. True enough. Humans are creatures of passion. It is passion that sparks our most extraordinary feats, driving us to create, innovate, and pursue our dreams with unrelenting energy. Passion fuels motivation and unlocks the kind of performance that defies expectations, often turning […]

The year began for me with a series of setbacks. Life is often like that; the challenges come thick and fast. It has always been thus, and there is nothing to be done except deal with it. But when the season of setbacks is upon us, we need to step up, focus, stay calm, and […]

Have you ever watched a young cat? Many of these creatures are not “brought up” by their parents—they tend to get separated from their mothers at quite tender ages. Yet they seem to know exactly how to get into hunting positions; exactly how to eat, and how much; exactly how to clean themselves; exactly how […]

I often do walkabouts at interesting organizations when I want to know more about them. Far away from the boardroom and C-suite, down to where the action is. The aim is to look away from the corporate fru-fru and get to the heart of the matter: what’s the vibe here? Are people happy and engaged […]

A New Year is the time to look ahead, to plan for the future, to make preparations. Right? And yet. Last week I closed the year urging you to be aware of the words of the wise since time immemorial. Be present. Be rooted in the here and now. Tomorrow is a dream, today is […]

“Our revels are now ended.” As another year slips away, we can look to Prospero’s famous words from The Tempest for some wisdom. That passage is considered one of Shakespeare’s most poignant reflections on the nature of life, art, and impermanence. The end of a year is a good time to reflect on our “revels.” […]

2024 wasn’t a knockout reading year for me—I just squeaked home with 51 books read. But the top 10 had some knockout entries. As always, an eclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction, old and new books. And these were the books I enjoyed reading—which doesn’t mean you will! ~~~ Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry […]

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead outside a Manhattan hotel in early December. A suspect was arrested a few days later, and revealed to be Luigi Mangione. The alleged perpetrator now faces charges including murder as an act of terrorism. Mangione is Ivy-League educated, and the scion of a well-to-do family. Upon his arrest, […]

I saw Phil Rosenthal attempt to learn dancing in Buenos Aires, in an episode of Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil. When he later spoke to his parents back in the US on a video call, his father gave him this advice: “Your dancing was a little klutzy. Maybe leave that alone and stick to what you’re […]

If you belong to my approximate age-group of humans, you know we were brought up to do things in very specific ways. When we wrote to people, for example, we had to address them as “Dear.” No one stopped to ask: dear? How can a stranger be dear to me? Why would I call them […]