Avoiding Ambiguity: The Courage to Speak Up
I’ve noticed in meetings that silence can be mistaken for agreement. In truth, silence is ambiguous. All too often people nod along and actions are assigned. Only when the work stalls does it become clear that other things took priority, or that …
What Do We Value in a University?
This week I’ve been attending education fairs and meeting prospective students and their families. It reminded me that to maximise an outcome you first need to know what you value. Some things are easy to see: certificates, facilities, rankings — and yes, …
The Lessons That Come From Getting It Wrong
In education, as in leadership, we tend to celebrate what goes right. The project that succeeds. The idea that works. The outcome that matches the plan. But often, it’s the times we get it wrong that shape us most. Why We Resist …
Growth Mindset: Evidence and Application
Carol Dweck’s research at Stanford University has reshaped how we think about learning. Her central conclusion is simple but powerful: people who see ability as fixed tend to avoid challenge and give up quickly; those who see ability as developable through effort, …
Writing Papers that Get Published: Solving Problems that Matter
Over three decades I’ve published more than 600 papers and supervised over 60 PhD students. Along the way, I’ve seen what makes the difference between a paper that gets published and one that gets rejected. The difference is rarely about technical quality. …
