What does it take to make good decisions under uncertainty?

Why do some ideas persist whereas others disappear?

What common principles are in use how to adapt successfully to climate change?

These are a fraction of the questions that I ponder on daily basis in my work as an adaptation scientist. Based at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, Australia, I research the ins and outs of climate change adaptation and try to develop new insights on what successful adaptation looks like.

Significant focus of my work is outlining key adaptation principles, investigating how these have emerged and determining whether they are robust guides to help individuals and organisations to make better decisions.

But I am not just an academic. I search for new knowledge on daily basis for my personal growth as well. I am inherently fascinated by the role that insight and intuition play in decision-making and leadership in a world that is increasingly complex and changing. And I read a lot…

I am a huge leadership fanatic as I firmly believe that good leadership enables better lives and better decisions across organisations and scientific fields. You’ll find me blogging here once a week where I review latest books, literature, news and ideas on leadership, adaptation and decision-making.

About

Most people spend a lot of money to figure out “who they are”. True branding gurus say it’s pretty simple: just list down 3 things you cannot stop doing. That is your personal brand. So, bear with me. These are my top three: Incubator. I can’t stop coming up with ideas for new research projects… Continue reading About

How to create the right conditions for crazy ideas

When I heard Safi Bahcall on Harvard Ideacast talking about his new book “Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries”, there was no turning back. A book about how to foster innovation and breakthrough ideas is simply a must have. A loonshot is an innovation that essentially changes… Continue reading How to create the right conditions for crazy ideas

How to attract the hidden funding opportunities

I spent a day this week at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s conference (CASE ASAP conference) in Brisbane where I attended the role of academic leadership and its linkage to philanthropic funding. CASE focuses on “advancement professionals” who are often the unnoticed group of professionals in organisations who are tasked in leveraging… Continue reading How to attract the hidden funding opportunities

How to immediately boost organisational performance

Countless books, podcasts and articles tackle this fundamental question: how do you boost an organisation’s performance and do it quickly and effectively. Google gives 7,430,000 results for “how to boost organisational performance”. We often look for different metrics across organisations, and make decisions how to run things more effectively in the hope of increasing performance.… Continue reading How to immediately boost organisational performance

Leadership and alter egos: making peer review more humane?

I have been attending this week sessions Manager as a Coach, a support program provided by the university for the staff in trying to get us to think more coach-like in how we manage people. My key takeaway messages are that power is something that is shared, that good leaders and managers focus on giving positive… Continue reading Leadership and alter egos: making peer review more humane?

This is marketing: how to add true value and succeed

 This week I have been reading Seth Godin’s newest book “This is Marketing: You can’t be Seen until You Learn to See”. What has been so refreshing about the book is Seth’s way of simply explaining how ideas work, which issues we should be thinking about when we embark on the journey in discovering and… Continue reading This is marketing: how to add true value and succeed

Why tracking decisions matters both for health and climate  

Much can be said about our individual decisions, and the way we make them. The world is full of advice on this: countless books, webinars, podcasts, online courses and workshops on how you can learn to make better decisions. When it comes to climate related decision-making, some have argued that framing climate change about individual… Continue reading Why tracking decisions matters both for health and climate  

And then there were COP24 outcomes (kind of).

The Paris Agreement was and remains a milestone agreement in climate change policy. Never before have countries spoken in so united voice about what their aspirations are for climate change outcomes, what kinds of commitments they aspired to, and how we can address climate change at a global scale. Yet, strangely these last two weeks… Continue reading And then there were COP24 outcomes (kind of).

Will COP24 deliver the great expectations?

This week in Queensland, temperatures are soaring, with temperature records consistently breaking this week, with potential for fire tornadoes with the strong winds, and also potentially a devastating season for our coral reefs as the summer heat begins. Meanwhile, school children and youth in Australia are staging a campaign and not going to school as… Continue reading Will COP24 deliver the great expectations?

Adult development theory and climate governance

These past weeks are all turning into some sort of a nightmare story specifically for those of us who work on climate change. The World Meteorological Organisation just announced that 2017 is now on record with the highest levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, despite countries committing to cut their emissions. To put it… Continue reading Adult development theory and climate governance

Random acts of initiatives: how to grasp an opportunity

I listened recently to Ryan Hawk’s Learning Leader podcast episode with Seth Godin who is, as anyone in the branding industry knows, an absolute guru when it comes to branding and marketing. The two discussed the concept of random act of initiative where you see an opportunity, grasp it and see what happens. This is… Continue reading Random acts of initiatives: how to grasp an opportunity

Women’s branding: this is how to roar and get results

This week I had the opportunity to attend a Women in Technology event on personal branding and career development for women. Outspoken Women taught us the different aspects of branding, including communication, the role and use of body language, the importance of breathing properly while using your voice, and how to handle “manels”. I was particularly… Continue reading Women’s branding: this is how to roar and get results

How to use social marketing to create impact and change

This week I attended the Change Conference 2018 in Brisbane that focused on social marketing and behavioural change, organised by Griffith Social@Marketing from our Business School. Social marketing is (and yes I had to google this…) “the use of marketing theory, skills and practices to achieve social change”. The conference featured a great line up of… Continue reading How to use social marketing to create impact and change

What you need to know about temperature targets

This week marked the release of the long-awaited Special Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the chances of the world limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. The report has been covered by many prominent scholars already (you can read here Professor Mark Howden’s and Rebecca Colvin’s excellent piece) so I won’t cover… Continue reading What you need to know about temperature targets

Core guiding principles you cannot afford to miss if your goal is ultimate success

My current book is Great by Choice by Jim Collins and Morten Hansen. I am consistently impressed by their data driven and empirically sound findings on why particular companies succeed, excel and why some simply perish. The book is based on rigorous research of 10X companies and their counterparts. 10X companies are companies that have… Continue reading Core guiding principles you cannot afford to miss if your goal is ultimate success

Why leadership development is about consistency extraordinaire  

This week marks the end of my participation in the Coaching for Leaders Academy 2017-2018 cohort. I was accepted to the Academy last October for 12-month training program and I just cannot believe that those 12 months have already passed. It has been 12-months of waking up 4.30 a.m. every second Wednesday to make sure… Continue reading Why leadership development is about consistency extraordinaire  

De-mystifying Creativity: the real strategy to empower the creative you

My latest book purchase is Allen Gannett’s “The Creative Curve: How to Develop the right idea at the right time” . I came across this book first on one of my favourite podcasts “Learning Leader” (episode 268) where Ryan Hawk interviews guests and tries to help us to understand how to reach and attain excellence… Continue reading De-mystifying Creativity: the real strategy to empower the creative you

Why sound decision-making is ultimately about how you deal with surprises

 We often focus on key decisions and are interested in how top performers, such as CEOs and top athletes, make decisions. Apparently, all we need to do is to model their behaviour, glean into their secrets and then implement these in our lives. Research into decision points in particular (what major decisions people have taken)… Continue reading Why sound decision-making is ultimately about how you deal with surprises

Unprecedented yet so close: why heatwaves and flooding could be here to stay

This past week the news have sizzled with news about extreme fire events, large ranging bushfires in Sweden and Greece. Japan declared last week the heatwave a disasters while being faced with an “unprecedented” heatwave. 22 000 people were taken to hospital and this has impacted the elderly in particular. Portugal is set to face… Continue reading Unprecedented yet so close: why heatwaves and flooding could be here to stay

How to create leadership and innovation at work place 

I have just finished reading Richard Feynman’s book “Surely you are joking Mr Feynman!” It’s a unique book in explaining how one of the great minds in physics thought about life, and more importantly how he maintained an innate curiosity and often questioned the very basic assumptions of physics in order to better understand the… Continue reading How to create leadership and innovation at work place 

Is 1.5 degree goal an illusion?

This past week has been quite eventful given that major issues have been either discovered or experienced when it comes to climatic changes. Japan has been experiencing significant floods with never before seen rain events while cities around the word have reported having broken all time heat records. A new study published in Nature used paleoclimatic… Continue reading Is 1.5 degree goal an illusion?

How to measure leadership and adaptation in 3 dimensions

  This past week I had the chance to spend time with some really amazing women who are the next generation of great minds, critical yet equipped with a good sense of humour. In one of our conversations we spoke about leadership and self-perception, and how when we embark on self-development (or start dating), we… Continue reading How to measure leadership and adaptation in 3 dimensions

3 defining features of Adaptation Futures 2018

This week I attended Adaptation Futures conference, a bi-annual conference that is attended by people who work in climate adaptation science, policy and practice. This conference was particularly interesting given that it was held in Cape Town, South Africa, that is going through a severe drought. At some point it was not even clear whether… Continue reading 3 defining features of Adaptation Futures 2018

Is conservation missing the boat on climate adaptation?

This week I have attended the 5th European Congress on Conservation, organised by Society of Conservation Biology. My reason attending this conference is that I am curious as to how climate adaptation is treated/examined in other fields (it’s also in Finland, which of course is a plus). In general, I want to have a better understanding… Continue reading Is conservation missing the boat on climate adaptation?

Time for a new paradigm in capacity building? 

This week a news item caught my attention, an interview piece with Saleem Huq, the director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development. The commentary focused on the issue of capacity building, climate finance and how this is being dealt with in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is often a… Continue reading Time for a new paradigm in capacity building? 

Communicating climate adaptation: what could go wrong?

This past week I have attended the Climate Adaptation 2018: Learn, Collaborate, Act Conference in Melbourne that gathers scientists, policymakers and non-governmental organisations to hear the latest discussions and science on climate change adaptation. I was asked to chair a panel session on Communicating around Climate Adaptation with four super stars: Karl Braganza, Doug Parsons, Hallie… Continue reading Communicating climate adaptation: what could go wrong?

How risk framing, climate and leadership are linked

This past week there was a piece of news that has caught many people’s imagination: the slowing down of Atlantic Ocean circulation. The Atlantic Ocean circulation is a stream that brings warmer water towards north and is the reason why Western Europe can enjoy warm weather during summer. But a new study has found that… Continue reading How risk framing, climate and leadership are linked

3 daily steps that will make you a more mindful leader

In the past few weeks the universe has bombarded me with different postings about leadership and mindfulness. This does not seem like such a trivial matter that it would warrant a separate blog posting. But it turns out being a mindful leader is not a common practice and it’s hard to maintain especially in a… Continue reading 3 daily steps that will make you a more mindful leader

Can we keep a score on climate?

Last week I attended Climate Update 2018 event in Brisbane where we heard from various eminent speakers on the state of climate and what different organisations, such as the Queensland government, are doing in this space. In his presentation at Climate Update 2018, Mark Howden from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change focused on the latest climate science:… Continue reading Can we keep a score on climate?

Why finding a bouncing-ideas-buddy will pay off: the secrets of collaboration

In science and in many related fields, the lone genius assumption persists: that individuals act and think alone, pour themselves over data in solitude and emerge with a solution that is revolutionary and inspirational. Many do buy into this story. Yet, the stories we actually hear are often those of insights that have emerged through… Continue reading Why finding a bouncing-ideas-buddy will pay off: the secrets of collaboration

Why inclusivity should be the new game in town: Women, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and leadership

We often hear about the glass ceiling that stops women in advancing their careers and how that ceiling, in the era of gender equality, is easier to break through. More and more women are becoming directors, earning degrees, and making significant contributions in science, politics, and everywhere else. Given last week was the International Women’s… Continue reading Why inclusivity should be the new game in town: Women, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and leadership

The fine line between productive habits and stalling points

 I came across recently Morten Hansen in Coaching for Leaders episode 337 where Morten discussed his recent book Great at work. Morten’s five year study shows that the most successful people who excel at their work do not work more but less. They are more focused when they work and they also are agile learners:… Continue reading The fine line between productive habits and stalling points

Cyclone Gita and the perils of organising conferences in a changing climate

This past week hundreds of people gathered to Wellington, New Zealand  , to attend the second Pacific Climate Change Conference 2018. The conference, organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Regional Program (SPREP) and University of Victoria, focused on showcasing the latest research in the Pacific Islands and featured several international keynote speakers from… Continue reading Cyclone Gita and the perils of organising conferences in a changing climate

Bats are boiling and green turtles are turning female: how close are we to adaptation limits?

This week’s Twitter feed has been particularly concerning, some would say crazy, regarding the changes and shifts in weather and climate trends that are occurring worldwide. In Australia, bats are boiling in the sky  and the asphalt is literally melting as heatwaves have come through in various parts of the country. In the US, NOAA has… Continue reading Bats are boiling and green turtles are turning female: how close are we to adaptation limits?

Entrepreneurial Editor: How to edit a book more or less gracefully

I have been reading Dorie Clark’s Entrepreneurial You , which is an amazing collection of hands on advice from podcasting to writing blogs to authoring books. Dorie’s main message is that there are multiple ways that we can contribute and develop our careers. What makes the book fascinating is that much of the advice is grounded in… Continue reading Entrepreneurial Editor: How to edit a book more or less gracefully

Podcasts

In late 2016, I was trying to find a podcast that was about climate adaptation and I came across America Adapts, which is currently the number one podcast anything with climate adaptation. I am a big time podcast listener so I contacted the host, Doug Parsons, to see whether he was making episodes about adaptation… Continue reading Podcasts