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Networking on a Plane

Over the past two months I have been a guest speaker at events in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe and spent quite a few hours sitting on planes in the process of getting from one to the other. I always board a flight with the best intentions of using my time to […]

What ‘The Apprentice’ can teach us NOT to do in business

Clueless recruits fluffing their tasks and vying for the attention of the boss, unscripted snipes and asides, fireworks in the boardroom and car crash TV appeal to the masses…. No, it’s not the Brexit process we’re talking about, but season 12 of The Apprentice (UK). The Apprentice is a BBC staple for the Autumn season, […]

Luan de Burgh speaking in Hong Kong

Luan de Burgh is currently in Hong Kong speaking on ‘Using your Voice Effectively’ to various international law firms and via video link in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore.

Why ordinary people need to understand power

According to Eric Liu, far too many Americans are illiterate in power — what it is, how it operates and why some people have it. As a result, those few who do understand power wield disproportionate influence over everyone else. “We need to make civics sexy again,” says civics educator Eric Liu. “As sexy as […]

What can Donald Trump teach us about Speechmaking?

Halloween is just around the corner… which means that the 2016 US presidential election is a little bit further round the corner than that. On Tuesday, November 8th, the USA goes to the polls and the prospect of Donald Trump becoming officially the most powerful man in the world is something of a Halloween nightmare […]

Telephone Etiquette in a Smart Phone Age

Once upon a time we were shown a vision of the future in popular culture that featured amazing gadgetry which would revolutionize the way we communicated. The visionaries portrayed a world where the wrist watch would be transformed into the ultimate tool of modern life. Of course, this did not come to pass (although Apple […]

How do we want to be connected?

Drawn by the illusion of companionship without the demands of intimacy, we confuse postings and online sharing with authentic communication.  As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication — and asks us to think deeply […]

The Art of Small Talk in Business

In the business world, the devil is far too often in the detail. This doesn’t just extend to the practicalities of the deal, but in actually getting the deal itself. As every businessman knows, the clincher is often in the result of a connection with a peer that smoothes the act of getting the business […]

Managing Talent: From University to the Workplace

On the flipside, this September sees a fresh batch of university graduates beginning their careers. It can be an anxious time for some, as the reality of the workplace kicks in. While a university education is estimated to add £100,000 to a graduate’s earning power over a lifetime, student debt levels are estimated to be […]