Graham Birkenhead

Leadership & Management

Four People and a Dog

Graham Birkenhead, June 10 2025

You may have heard the saying: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”.  When I first heard that, it struck a chord - it still does - and has now been adopted by that little voice at the back of my mind that keeps reminding me to constantly meet and get to know new

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Leadership & Management

Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat

Graham Birkenhead, May 27 2025

We’ve all heard the saying “Curiosity killed the cat.” But where does that come from, and what was it really warning against? It turns out, the original saying, first recorded in the 16th century, was “Care killed the cat”, where “care” meant worry or sorrow. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that it evolved into a cautionary warning against...

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Leadership & Management

OOh, DAt's a Useful Tool

Graham Birkenhead, May 13 2025

Back in the 1950s, US Air Force Colonel John Boyd was serving as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. His experience in fast-paced dogfighting led him to study decision-making under time pressure. He was especially interested in why American F-86 Sabres were more effective than the technically superior MiG-15s flown by North Korean and Chinese...

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Leadership & Management

Early Birds, Second Mice, and a Dancing Guy

Graham Birkenhead, April 29 2025

In today’s unpredictable world, good leadership isn’t just about moving fast.  Instead, it’s about moving with judgment; it involves knowing when to lead from the front, and when to watch, learn, and move decisively at just the right moment. We all know the old saying:  “The early bird catches the worm”.  And in business, this has often been held...

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Leadership & Management

Please, not another post about Uncertainty!!

Graham Birkenhead, April 15 2025

I know, everyone is talking about uncertainty right now - again. And that’s understandable as there is plenty of it about: tariffs, shifting trade dynamics, economic turbulence, not to mention the various conflicts and environmental issues that have briefly moved out of the immediate media spotlight but haven't gone

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Leadership & Management

Do You Think What You Think You Think?

Graham Birkenhead, April 1 2025

Back in high-school, one of the many books we had to read and discuss was 1984.  Two of the questions we were posed concerned: 'what would have to happen for the world described in that book to come about', and 'what would have to be true for people in that world to not realise what was happening to them'; remember those 2 questions as you read...

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Leadership & Management

There's no Ghost in the Machine

Graham Birkenhead, March 25 2025

The phrase 'the Ghost in the Machine' has long fascinated me, and occasionally has me exploring philosophical rabbit holes as I try to make sense of it - and test it against real world situations. In short, the phrase ‘ghost in the machine’ was coined  by Gilbert Ryle - a British philosopher - in 1949. He was responding to the ideas of René...

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Communication

Marketing without Trust is Just Noise

Graham Birkenhead, March 11 2025

For as long as humans have been around, the ability to decide who to trust  - and who not to trust - has been a crucial part of our survival tool box.  Individually, we human beings are relatively weak creatures, but our strength comes from forming social groups, to work, problem solve, and live together.  And that requires communication and the...

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Leadership & Management

The Fine Art of Not Saying Nothing

Graham Birkenhead, February 18 2025

Feedback is a crucial element in engineering and science, ensuring that systems function optimally within known boundaries. Thermostats regulate temperature by adjusting heating output. Vehicle cruise control maintains speed but adapts to other traffic. Biological feedback loops—such as homeostasis and insulin regulation—help the body stay in...

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Leadership & Management

Trust under Pressure

Graham, January 28 2025

It's that time of year for the release of the latest version of one of the most insightful annual studies; a study that really helps make sense of what we see happening around the world, and which should be part of any company's PESTLE consideration. Each year, the Edelman Trust Barometer surveys thousands of people across the globe (this year,...

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