Rob Kendall...

Over the last 15 years, I have asked thousands of managers and leaders what they do all day. In response, I hear accounts of endless meetings, emails and phone calls. What's easily missed is that these are all forms of conversation. In fact, most managers say they spend 75% to 90% of their day engaged in the practice of speaking and listening. And yet, how well trained are we in this area? When I ask my teenage children whether they have ever had a lesson on conversation during their school education, they give me one of those blank looks that are reserved for parents who ask absurd questions. How does this add up? We have all experienced teachers who have a string of qualifications next to their name but kill every ounce of educational passion in their young charges. And yet other teachers, who may be less technically qualified, spark... Read More »

It's intriguing that professional sports coaches constantly talk about the importance of mental strength, and yet business leaders rarely seem to refer to it. How come? Surely this quality is equally relevant in both domains.

In collaboration with Dave Fulton and Jim Chaplin from Leading Edge Sport, and Rob Archer from Bloom Psychology, we are kicking off a piece of research to understand the phenomenon of mental resilience. In our view, this is somewhat distinct from the idea of mental toughness, which implies being able to overpower our mental frailties. Our hypothesis is that mental resilience centers on being able to flexibly manage our relationship to what's happening in front of us.

In any sport, there are examples of people who are lauded as the most naturally gifted of their generation, and yet don't make their mark on the highest stage. And yet others, perhaps with less raw talent, seem to have... Read More »