How will I pay for my old age – and yours?
When The Who sang ‘I hope I die before I get old…’ it probably wasn’t a commentary on the care system in 1965 – but it might find a real echo today. The collapse of the £800 million social care … Continued
Will tech platforms harm or help us in emergencies? When unicorns meet circuit breakers
When disaster hits, unicorns – the world’s leading tech platforms – can decide about life and death. Social circuit breakers could ensure that they take us out of the line of fire. People love unicorns. Until they hate them. Under … Continued
The rise of social extrapreneurship?
Social entrepreneurship is all the rage. Delivering social impact through enterprise is lauded by politicians, policy makers and practitioners. Not only should you do well, you should do good as well. It is a message that resonates with many aspiring … Continued
The rise of furniture poverty
Could you live without your bed? Absolutely not! Yet here in the UK, children and adults are suffering as a result of ‘Furniture Poverty’. The low income debt crisis With a large proportion of society on low incomes which have … Continued
Syrian refugees and the need for English language training
Faced with the unprecedented stream of migrants fleeing war and trauma in the Middle East and North Africa, Europe needs to take clear-sighted action. For its part, the UK has agreed to take 20,000 refugees, a significant portion of whom … Continued
Lighting the way to social innovation
Advances in optics means that the 21st century may rely as much upon photonics as the 20th century relied upon electronics, and this development is closely intertwined with social innovation. In fields ranging from renewable energy and sustainable development to … Continued
The paradox of choice for young change makers
In his fascinating book The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less, sociologist Barry Schwartz argues that more choice is sometimes less for companies and their people. Indeed, “Part of the downside of abundant choice is that each new option … Continued
No problem here…..
When issues of women rising to leadership positions arise within organisations there is much squirming in the seats by senior managers (male and female) who invariably believe (or at least articulate) there is no problem here as ability always trumps … Continued
Intrapreneurship: developing innovation ecosystems in big organisations
The leadership literature is rife with concepts regarding the need for bold leaders at all levels who encourage innovation, embrace new thinking, and take risks to achieve success. As a United States Air Force Officer and pilot by trade, I … Continued
Towards 360 degree virtue
Today many organisations want to be virtuous. It is a post-financial crash zeitgeist. Greed and exploitation is passé, so we are told. Being nice to people, the planet and making a profit is becoming de rigour. But can we really … Continued