Category: Leadership Insights

Kindness

Kindness

Traveling to Ireland to see my son Thomas and his family was a trip much delayed – almost by five years since the original planning – so it was a much anticipated. In Aotearoa we survived Covid as a community through a lot of goodwill. The rules put on us were followed because we mostly accepted them, even if sometimes we didn’t enjoy them altogether. The consensus fell away when the rest of the world connected and my perception is we’ve lived in a much more divided place. I notice it in micro moments, in traffic, in political discourse and in the unspoken interactions in everyday living.

Crazy traffic outside the hotel in Las Vegas after a four hour drive from LA, driving on the other side of the road. It turned out a concert had just come out – access to the carpark hotel was blocked and 30 minutes to navigate once around the block it was enough: “we’ll take care of it from here, you relax and check in, we’ll look after you” was the relieving narrative from the valet guys.

Rushing from the rental car drop off in the Uber to LA airport to catch the flight to London – anxious about timing: “don’t worry, we’ll get you there real quick”, and he did with help with the baggage onto the trolley too.

Heathrow is an enormous airport, one terminal seems multiples of any local airport. But my experience with four flights is one of kindness, staff checking and rechecking boarding passes for lounge access (first world issues!) and when checking an exception at security, it was warm and done with care.

The experience was repeated almost everywhere – hotel check ins, taxis, the Tube, bus drivers in London who took care to make sure they explained that the bus terminated at Hyde Park Corner – “there’s one right behind if you need to go further”.

It’s the 60th anniversary of James Bond’s “Goldfinger” and the Burlington Arcade in Mayfair has been converted into a haven for Bond fans (me!) including a 007 Store run by Eon Productions – the Producer’s personal assistant during the filing of Skyfall manages the shop – and there’s a very cool bar included. Most people ordered only one drink – shaken of course.

Yes, they had commercial imperatives, but the level of engagement was extraordinary. We’re friends now!

Around the corner in Piccadilly is the jeweller Bentley & Skinner, suppliers to British monarchs since Queen Victoria and recently appointed to King Charles III. It’s also the setting of a great scene from You will meet a tall Dark Stranger and the Sales Manager chatted for ages about the filming, sharing a special moment with the stars of the film and meeting Mr Allen.

It was hard to leave to come back. I hope home is just as kind to me for the rest of the year!

Stephen

One big thing (in a classy city)

One big thing (in a classy city)

When I travelled in my Fiat 125 from Christchurch to my new home in Dunedin as a newly minted Police Constable in the early 1980s, it was the beginning of life long affection for the Edinburgh of the south. Three of us new Constables got “posted” to Dunedin after a year as a police cadet.

Dunedin’s historic Railway Station

One of my colleagues then is still one of my best friends (top 2 rating!) and we flatted for the first few weeks in his mother’s house while she was visiting family in The Netherlands. Then it was boarding with Mrs Martin, who was a regular landlady for new police officers in the southern city. Only downside was the Saturday cook-up of tripe. But she understood nightshift and the need to sleep during the day.

Bridge over the railway next to the historic Railway Station

When I walked up George Street on a crisp evening recently I stopped at 521 – a historic home – where I rented a studio apartment from a local biology professor after Mrs Martin. The home was beautiful and he had divided it into charming apartments whilst keeping the structural design including an elegant ballroom, for common use (although it seemed too good to hang around in for some reason). It’s looking a bit unloved and appears to still be in several flats.

521 George Street

The next morning we spend half a day with a great group of leaders who we’ve been working with for the last few months – developing a new and authentic leadership for the individuals and company. We’ve had story-telling, 360s, a psychometric assessment, and lots of small group work and feedback. Today was about OBT – the one big thing that the leaders have honed to the leadership development opportunity that is going to make the most difference. Something new to work on.

Contemporary office building development by Ngai Tahu
The former police station where I started working in 1982

As I walked past the old police station on my evening’s walk  – now returned to its former glory as offices, I was struck by how fabulous the city looked. Clean, accessible, and stunning architecture, much of it restored. A new precinct in the main street George St – the retail quarter – has a modern pedestrian and two wheeled zone. And grown up playground equipment. Love it!

Giant seesaw as part of the redeveloped George Street retail quarter

Some of our leaders are focussing on bring the right attitude to work – bringing joy and positivity to a world that, right now, can feel pretty tough. Not in a “smile and it will be all good” way, but in an authentic and empowering way that builds trust and working together with care.

I sent some of my photos of the evening’s walk to my friend and former police colleague, now resident in Melbourne for many years. He still has connections to Dunedin – a brother who lives next door to his late mother’s house – where my journey started.

His text back to me read “Dunedin is looking exotic and prosperous. And clean”.  I agree.

And fun too – that seesaw is a must try!

Stephen

Notes:

  • Ōtepoti is the Māori name for upper harbour area where Dunedin city was developed.
  • Dùn Èideann – Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh
  • More photos from my walk:
Entrance to the Chinese Gardens reflecting Dunedin’s association with Chinese immigrants dating back to 1866

Day 31

Day 31

I walked to the Auckland War Memorial Museum and the Cenotaph at the front which felt right on Anzac Day. There were three or four wreaths laid, one by the Museum and another the Mayor of Auckland. For Anzac Day it was extraordinarily quiet, but a few people were milling around, reflecting.  A father and son were flying a kite which looked like the flag of Thailand, although on closer inspection, the father was doing it all.

The Domain – Pukekawa – is Auckland’s oldest park and consists of 75 hectares and includes the Museum and Cenotaph, Wintergarden, Cricket Pavilion, Duck Ponds replete with Auckland Acclimatisation Society plaque. These are the societies we can thank for ferrets, weasels and rabbits being formally introduced into New Zealand. Pukekawa is one of the oldest Volcanoes in the Volcanic field, at 100,000 years old. It was fresh – almost Spring-like today – and it made for a very good walking loop with a slightly sore leg still.

anzac
Auckland War Memorial Museum and Cenotaph on ANZAC Day 2020

On the second part of my walk, up Mt Hobson, I had a chat to Dad who said he’d stood at the letterbox at 6am, heard the Last Post loud and clear and was now preparing a photo montage for Mum’s birthday. Mum has jokingly said that they’re going to their favourite restaurant, but it’ll just be the two of them and Dad reckons the special crockery is coming out!

This is our last weekend in Lockdown Level 4 and the traffic has already started building, somehow in anticipation of Level 3 on Tuesday. That will be a big step back to the new norm, as many more workers can restart and construction can recommence. It’s got to be an ideal time to advance all the projects in Auckland CBD, with minimal traffic and pedestrians to deal with.

It’s occurred to me today that the reality of working from home for me is probably several more months. The logistics of social distancing in a high rise with elevators is going to make it really challenging. So I’m gearing up for the long haul. Part of that will be finding new television series to keep this routine going!

Jerry Seinfeld has a new series starting in May, although I’m not sure if that is NZ – 23 Hours to Kill and it seems to derive inspiration from James Bond. All my best things all in one show!  In a 2017 HBR interview Seinfeld was asked if humour was effective as a leadership tool: “Being funny is one of the ultimate weapons a person can have in human society. It might even compete with being really good-looking.“

Humour has a really important role in leadership. Some people mistake humour as hiding or a cover for something. It can be, but it’s actually really serious business. You can’t be anxious and laugh at the same time, and it’s a great way to break conflict. And a lot of what goes on in business is funny. Even the Elevator rules (well the old ones) – face the door, stare at your phone, don’t talk. But I better stop there – that’s for another day as to write some truths about the things I think are funny in business this late at night, is something I might regret!

Happy Birthday Mum, the ‘rona kept me away.

Stephen

Day 30

Day 30

It’s almost as good as a trip to Europe – Paris and London – replete with car chases, the main scenic attractions, historical buildings. Your film, should you decide to accept it on a Friday Night – Mission Impossible-Fallout. It’s a big film, non-stop action, appropriately big plot – Nuclear bombs to be detonated at three religious sites – and bonus, scenes filmed gloriously in the Southern Alps of the South Island. A helicopter chase through the mountains and valleys – borrowed partly from Bond’s Spectre opening scene – but much more too, and like the best promo for New Zealand tourism.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, South Island, New Zealand
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, South Island, New Zealand

There’s talk we might have a “bubble” with Australia. That would be a great start to get trading and tourism kick started. It would also be a great lifting up of the ANZAC spirit. Relations at a political level with Australia have been under strain recently.  It would be the ideal ANZAC announcement. Two great friends as one.

They’ll be no ANZAC parades but we’ve been told to stand by our letter boxes as a mark of respect in the morning. It’s one of the few times we can feel united in the horrors of wars fought in the past by mostly young men – just boys really – who sacrificed their lives, mostly unknowingly until the end, to create a better world. It’s easy to think the world isn’t a better place – there’s plenty wrong, but there’s also plenty that’s right.

I’m not sure if standing by the letterbox does it for me in an apartment with a panel of letterboxes by the main entrance. On the way into the lift I’ll hit “G” say “At the” and the lift will give it’s sober “going down” and I’ll say “of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.”  I think this almost every time I get in the lift, it’s the way the lift voice says it, so now’s my chance to bring the whole building into thoughts I’ve had for ages.

And I really do think about those sacrifices and hope that once again we can make some good by rebuilding the ANZAC nation back. My paternal grandmother born in Tasmania in 1902, also on a 13th, would be proud of the thought. She’d also smile at the lift sequence. She’d know I meant no disrespect, which I don’t.

So maybe COVID-19 can be an ANZAC force for good.

Stephen

Victor and Ellen Drain 1928