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Graphics: Bold 'NO' in impactful typography, symbolising resilience and the art of rejection.

How Not to Take “No” for an Answer

Once, after hours at a workshop, the conversation went slightly off the beaten track, and people began to swap stories about what they learned from different challenging or funny moments in their careers. Several times, the topic of resilience came up. It’s one of the most important characteristics a researcher can develop. Everyone has heard …

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Experience the warmth of a heartfelt wish for a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. Discover the beauty in modest aspirations and their impact on our lives.

A Modest Wish

A slightly belated welcome to 2024! In this part of Germany, not much happens before January 6, which fell on a Saturday this year. I will skip the customary wishes for success, health, and happiness this year. My guess is that most of you have more than enough pressure and expectations placed upon you without …

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The Power of Time Off

The Power of Time Off

Many thanks to my colleague Kati Järvinen, for bringing Stefan Sagmeister’s TED talk to my attention. In it, he describes how he made a conscious decision to take a one-year sabbatical every seven years and the impact of this decision. Conceptually, he took five years out of the retirement phase of his life and interspersed them through …

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How to Get Your Project Managers to Tell You the Unvarnished Truth - Leadership Sculptor: Developing R&D Leaders!

How to Get Your Project Managers to Tell You the Unvarnished Truth

Very few people like to have to say “please listen: my project is a dog’s dinner” and, in many organisations, the culture of project management discourages raising such red flags. Gretchen Gavett’s article, “The hidden factor of a failing project” on the HBR blog touches on this topic. In my experience, it’s more a question …

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