The POWER of the STORY
e I thought I would use this period to record some short stories I use to illustrate key themes in my stage talks. This one tells of a moment of utter inspiration when I was in South Beirut in 2006…
BOLDNESS in time of turmoil
In 1968, I was down-and-out in London, when a chance meeting with two Irishmen changed the course of my life – taking me to Dublin and a fresh career as a busker on the City’s Grafton Street. Here, my confidence…
NO NEVER NO MORE
When I speak to people who believe their destiny is carved in stone I tell them countless stories of individuals whose lives spiral out of control, yet find ways out of the abyss and go on to thrive. There are…
HOW TO BE A THINKTASTICALLY BRILLIANT SPEAKER (Part One)
The first in a series of edited tips from one of our most celebrated and influential speakers. Let’s be honest here. When we present to an audience we usually do it to influence them. Whether that audience is large or…
It’s 2016 – Shake Yourself And Get Excited
As we wipe the tiredness from our eyes how easy it becomes to avoid that New Year opportunity to really think afresh about how we approach our life and work. Emails draw us back to discussions we had last year,…
The Keys Are Within Our Sight
Nicholas McCarthy talked of two ambitions when he was very young – to be a chef or a concert pianist. He chose the latter and now with a highly acclaimed album riding up the classical charts he has proven that…
The ‘Alex Ferguson’ Equivalent Who Changed My Life 47 Years Ago
Alex Ferguson described his function as a leader at Manchester United as to make people believe ‘the impossible was possible’. He certainly achieved that in his career. But, it is in that first vital step that I believe he has…
The ‘Ys’ Have It
One student at an event at Stirling University I spoke at last week mentioned that his generation has been described as the lazy generation. I quickly rejected this description as both ‘lazy’ and wildly inaccurate. I have had the privilege…
2030 VISION MAKES CREATIVITY AND COMMUNICATION MUST HAVES
Enter a different world It is predicted that in just 15 years we will see 80% of doctor visits replaced by automated exams, over 90% of all restaurants using some form of a 3D food printer in their meal preparations,…
Let’s Turn Intent Into Action
If policy and good intent were enough our streets will soon be paved with gold, but there are real impediments to progress that we have to sweep aside now. While I find great richness of talent and ideas in schools,…
