Vanity Unfair
Many commentators think that we are facing a narcissism epidemic fueled by the internet, instant celebrity, easy credit and cultural pressures that impact us on…
Me, Myself and I
In business, the secret to effectively leading collaboration with others is finding a middle ground between too much and too little team think, where leaders encourage,…
Wood for the Trees
A famous line from Alice in Wonderland is “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there” and here at Optimize we think it’s pretty important…
Pudding Politics
As the festive season’s ultimate celebration looms large in the form of the mighty Christmas dinner we would like to provide a few paragraphs to honour the Christmas…
The Thinking Persons' Olympics
As Calgary debates making a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, as mere mortals we can only guess at the dedication, athleticism, sacrifices and mental fortitude…
Plus Ca Change
Plus ca change is the term often used to express the resigned acknowledgement of the fundamental immutability of human nature – “the more things change, the…
Last Minute Larceny
Leaving things to the last minute is a recipe for disaster and on the way causes stress, anxiety and a series of corners that have been cut. Quality suffers and…
Same Old, Same Old…
We often hear the term ‘innovation’ being used in organizations and generally used appropriately as people recognize that within business, innovation is key.…
Looking the Part
A question we get asked a lot is if leaders are born or made. Apparently this is a discussion that has been undertaken since the time of Plato so clearly there is…
The Blame Game
Blame is an interesting concept and often confused with accountability. We find leaders conceptually accepting that mistakes are a learning opportunity but in the…
Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink
One of the founding fathers of “nudge” theory has been awarded the 2017 Nobel prize for economics. Richard Thaler co-wrote a bestselling book on the nudge concept…
There's No 'I' in Team
….but of course if you look closely you will find the word ‘me’. Here at Zeitgeist we do a lot of work with building high performing teams and of course many…