GoC executives need to lead differently for more productivity. Especially now.
GoC executives need to lead differently for more productivity. Especially now.
February 17, 2026 – TBS published its response to the Working Group on PS Productivity last December. I honestly can’t tell if it’s a good report…
Return to office
February 6, 2026 – Leading a change that many people don’t like is a true test of leadership – especially if you are one of them…
Everything is a priority. I’m overwhelmed and I’m afraid of choosing wrong.
February 2, 2026 – Many public servants are overwhelmed by the uncertainty about what matters most right now and if they can still show initiative…
Make the next few months boring (on purpose)
January 21, 2026 – Thousands of GoC employees and leaders are now receiving workforce adjustment notice letters. That’s a lot of anxiety landing all at once…
Getting a notice letter isn’t the end of your leadership.
January 14, 2026 – The next few months in the GoC will be quite uncomfortable: Many executives must still lead after learning they could also be laid off…
Leading right now isn’t about certainty. It’s about steadiness.
January 9, 2026 – Across most of the GoC, workforce reduction decisions are still unknown, fatigue is high despite the holidays, and year-end pressure is building…
Life goal !
November 19, 2025 – To be as vibrant and passionate about whatever I’m doing at 83 as McCartney was last night in Montreal…
“You can’t get happy at getting good at something you don’t love.”
October 24, 2025 – You can’t work hard at something without passion. It’s not sustainable. A character on an old episode of Fargo reminded me of this recently…
Great article by HBR about the need to continue investing in senior leaders’ development
October 2, 2025 – But I think the slow down in learning starts lower down – at the DG and director levels….
Last week, I hosted a 400-person webinar on how to lead when you’re not yet in a leadership role.
September 30, 2025 – My message was simple: Leadership isn’t about titles….
I was privileged to work near Ken Dryden…
September 6, 2025 – I was Chief of Staff in the Deputy’s Office when Ken Dryden was Minister of Social Development. I still have a copy of his good-bye to us in early 2006 – summarizing, to me, the essence of why he (we) chose public service…
“They’re lucky they have a job.”
August 1, 2025 – The worst, laziest leadership I saw during the 2012 workforce reduction period? It’s a colleague that said “They’re lucky they have a job”…
Yes, there are cuts. Don’t stop managing.
July 24, 2025 – When budgets are cut, the instinct in Government is often to stop things like talent management, performance feedback…
Every team will feel the cuts. So now what?
July 16, 2025 – In his July 7 message to public servants, the Clerk shared three key words – Focus, Simplify, Accountability. The message is clear – change is coming…
Budget Cuts – “I’ve never done this before.”
July 9, 2025 – “I’ve never done this before.” I’ve heard this from many EXs and managers over the last year or two…
Take a step back. Especially when everything is a “crisis”.
June 30, 2025 – Taking a step back when it matters most sounds wrong at first. But I think professional detachment is an overlooked leadership skill…
Sometimes you just don’t connect with your boss.
June 17, 2025 – Sometimes, two good people just don’t fit together easily. They struggle to communicate, trust each other, get clarity or find a good rhythm…
“Why even bother being an EX?”
June 9, 2025 – I’m seeing a lot of stress on social media by GoC managers and executives and it’s worrying me. Too many doubt the value of leading and feel hopeless…