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Lessons in Leadership from Andrew Strauss
Andrew Strauss being interviewed 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) I was lucky enough to hear Andrew Strauss speak about the lessons in leadership he has learnt as a cricket captain and then as Director of Cricket England. Andrew Strauss has led the England cricket team to win the ashes three times. Twice as Captain and once as the Director. Andrew Strauss's lessons in leadership chimed enough with me to make notes. I think everyone could benefit from them. Here is my summary of those lessons in leadership, minus the cricketing examples. Lessons in Leadership People are the most important thing, and you need to focus on them don't let other people do the dirty work, if you are giving bad news then you need to look people in the eye when you do. Everyone has their own perspective, and they all take…
How to Properly Spoil Your Vote
How to Properly Spoil Your Vote What if I don't like any candidate? You might be one of the many people that doesn't like the main parties, and none of the other candidates standing in your area represent your views either. There are several things you can do. 1. Stand for election yourself (or help someone else to run) 2. Vote Tactically 3. Spoil your vote by writing on the ballot paper Spoil Your Vote Properly When it comes down to it and you realise that you really cannot commit to any candidate. Don't be disheartened. Do go to the polling station. Deliberately spoil your vote. Be Deliberate There is received wisdom that most ballot papers are spoiled accidentally. Personally I've spoiled a number of ballot papers and none of them has been accidental. So if you decide to spoil your vote…
Tactical Voting 101
Why you should consider tactical voting, and how to vote tactically. What is Tactical Voting? Share of the vote received by Conservatives (blue), Whigs/Liberals/Liberal Democrats (orange), Labour (red) and others (grey) in general elections since 1832. Table "Summary Results of General Elections 1832–2005 (UK)", British electoral facts, 1832–2006, by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, 7th edition, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7546-2712-8, p. 59. Election 2010 Results, BBC News. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) This is nothing to do with military tactics, no need to dress in combat gear or sneak around. Tactical voting is about looking wider than just your own constituency and trying to understand the best outcome for the party that you believe supports you across the country. Why would I want to vote tactically? Mostly this comes about when the candidate that would best represent you is quite unlikely to win the seat…
Leadership Values – How do they develop?
I'm currently in the midst of the HR component of my current Open University module (B203). It got me thinking about my leadership values and how they developed from my experiences as a leader. Young Leader My introduction to leadership came at the age of 16. As part of my Venture Scout activities I helped out with the 1st Glen Lusset cub scouts. This involved running activities for 7-10 year old boys, including teaching them how to start fires. I then went to university and became a Territorial Army Officer Cadet (at 17 and a half). My first formal leadership training was from the British Army. This training was backed up with practical experience, leading scouts and soldiers (similar outlooks, soldiers are older and have guns). This strongly shaped my leadership values. Civil Service Leadership I joined the civil service from university (after a six month…
Six Steps to Blog Posts People Read
One of my oldest friends asked me for some advice on writing a blog and attracting a following. He asked me because I've been blogging for decades and have written hundreds of posts, the most popular of which get thousands of hits. It made me think, here's how I think you should write a blog that people will want to read. NB lots of people bang on about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) but if you write good content in a readable way then it ought to hit the search engines fine. Well written and thought provoking content presented well will beat keyword stuffing any day of the week. 1. Pick a subject and be insightful By this I mean write about something you really know and care about. A topic you think about and can make insightful or thought provoking commentary…