Successful organisations run on goodwill. Goodwill leads to the application of the discretionary effort that people choose to exercise.  It takes time to build; can easily be damaged; and once it is gone it is difficult to get retrieve. We need to create organisations where goodwill can take root, grow and flourish. Goodwill is built through establishing deep and authentic relationships with people; and creating an organisational culture built on trust, values and integrity.

People co-create the organisations they work in; therefore, leaders must listen to their people. Leaders can be found at all levels within an organisation not just in the higher echelons. We need to support all leaders to engage with their colleagues, understand their experiences, their challenges and their aspirations in order to understand and positively challenge the culture and create people who cannot imagine not achieving.

Organisations are defined by how they treat people who get it wrong. I don’t mean those who purposefully and maliciously screw-up: I mean those who have tried and may have fallen short, or those who have taken a wrong turn or those who have experimented but it hasn’t worked out. Through supporting these people, encouraging self-reflection, we can learn from them. We shouldn’t castigate them, if we do so we dampen the entrepreneurial spirit and all we are encouraging is a culture where people are afraid to be different and to do things differently.

I believe in asking the naïve questions. If you are thinking it, then others are thinking it too. The naïve question is often the most powerful, it can open up conversations and help people see things from alternative perspectives. We also should not be afraid to play. We have all learned and developed through play, we should do more of it.

We make connections with people through stories. There is power in metaphors and story-telling. Through stories we can build a deep understanding within and between individuals since stories can resonate with the values and beliefs of diverse audiences.