David Slone Blog

Someone commented on LinkedIn that purpose at work is just a con – a way that profit hunger managers and owners can get their staff more engaged, simply so they can earn even more profit. · Owning a business called The Optimistic Cynic, I totally understand the point they’re tryi ...

While only a brief mention here on our television news, the football team San Diego Loyal’s move to walk off the pitch midway through a game following a alleged homophobic slur against one of their players certainly brought international attention to the issue. · Allegations of ...

I haven’t blogged about disability for some time. That doesn’t mean I’ve reached a point of being satisfied, quite the opposite. I can’t change anything that happens in the sector so I’ve been trying to put my energy into positive endeavours and just sitting on any frustrations i ...

We all know the theoretical strategies for when mistakes happen and for most, they’re easy to implement for the little things. · The latest raft of issues about our covid-19 response in New Zealand however, highlights so many things NOT to do. · Now this isn’t a political discuss ...

Since I was a young fellow, a quote from GK Chesterton has always stuck with me. · “One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” · This analogy can be applied to so many different situations in life but the more I ponder the question of leadership, the ...

“The plan only lasts until the first contact with the enemy” is a common statement, obviously originating within the military. Boxing has a similar one where the plan goes out of the window following the first punch to the face. · Many of us have spent quite a bit of time lately ...

Like many of you, I have been reading a lot of people's thoughts and 'advice' about the world post lock-down/pandemic.   · Often they are taking this opportunity to express their hope and belief that the new future will be one where purpose and impact rule the business world. · T ...

Those that know me, or have even met me briefly, will be aware that self-promotion is simply ‘not my thing’. It really is one of my many weaknesses. · That being the case, you will appreciate how important this post is to me. · I’ve written a book! · This post isn’t about sale ...

Two years ago I posted my definition of authenticity. Back then, I described it as "being true to one's own personality, spirit, values and character" ·   · Authentic is still very much one of the current buzz words and for me, once I see a word being used in discussions around m ...

I found myself musing business ‘purpose’ this morning. Being awake at 3:oo am leads to some interesting (or is that confusing) thinking.  · To borrow and ‘repurpose’ a phrase “you don’t choose a passion, a passion chooses you”. So many good people are out there helping organisat ...

Collaboration is a term that is bandied about a lot these days but its meaning has been clouded, quite literally. · A base description of collaboration (thanks to the good folk at Wikipedia) is: Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations working together ...

So much is being written these days about what a true leader is and isn’t. How they operate and how they interact with their teams and colleagues. The focus is now on human leadership, moving people from the system constructed management of days gone by. A large part of my Linked ...

I'm loving my journey into the new world of social enterprise. It's fresh and exciting, people are both innovative and real, it's awesome. · I just have a little itch in the back of my mind. A little feeling that there still looms a danger that Social Enterprise will become "a t ...

More and more we're asking ourselves, how can we support the new generation of social entrepreneur. · The Gen Y's (and an increasing number of Gen Z's) are setting up businesses with a goal of making the world a better place. Environmental, community, health, whatever drives th ...

If you believe the movies, business is a world of corporate cut throats, prowling Wall Street looking for victims to fleece. We all know that our local businesses are nothing like that (in fact I doubt there are many in New Zealand like that), however we all still need to pause a ...

There was a time when doing good was left to those who ran charities, but in recent years we see a growing number of businesses taking on social and environmental issues as a core part of who they are. · Businesses can play their part in building sustainable communities through s ...

This is an article I wrote for the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce (New Zealand). I want to share it because the core theme applies to so many communities. · Businesses can, and must, be a key part of thriving, sustainable communities. · "I've noticed something about business in Ca ...

How we can grow and develop our social sector. · A Paper from The Optimistic Cynic · End Fragmentation · We need genuine collaboration towards shared goals. · Organisational interests need to take a back seat in our drive to achieve these goals.We need to look for partners outsi ...

I have just read an interesting article on Huffington Post about the experiences of an American of Asian descent. People keep asking him where he is ‘really from’, even though he was born in Detroit. He rightly points out that this isn’t asked from the Pakeha (white) Americans. · ...

I have just read an interesting article on Huffington Post about the experiences of an American of Asian descent. People keep asking him where he is ‘really from’, even though he was born in Detroit. He rightly points out that this isn’t asked from the Pakeha (white) Americans. · ...