Link Loving 19.05.11

• Alex Evans gives some perspective on the Liam Fox/development hoo-ha.
• Bankrolling the Tunisian revolution. Elissa Jobson.
• Some more glorious US election ads. Scrapbook.
• Brilliant cartoon of Niemöller’s famous quote. You Took That Well.
• The French multinational destroying swathes of Russian forest gets nasty. Bryan Farrell.
• “It’s disrespectful to think your job is over because you’ve told me about a problem.” MPs want to do more than just listen. Tom Baker.
• Lovely interview with Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project. Jules Evans.
• Brett Scott takes a look at social finance and the Big Society Bank.
• Glenn Beck wants a march in Jerusalem. Joshua Keating.

Things You Didn’t Know About Leadership In The Royal Navy

Some wonderful leadership lessons – from askten.

Most people assume the Royal Navy is a rank-and-file organisation where officers have power and sailors obey orders. In fact, the Royal Navy is a highly effective organisation that thrives by empowering sailors.

1. Communicate the mission. Naval officers are evaluated by how well their sailors understand their mission and their role in it. Instead of dictating how things should be done, explain the mission and challenge your people to figure out how to accomplish it.

2. Earn your respect, don’t expect it. Formal authority has little value in today’s world, even in the Royal Navy. To lead effectively, you must earn the respect of your people. That’s the only way your mission will be carried out when you’re not there.

3. Trust your sailors. While there are strict rules of engagement, one of the fundamental principles of leadership in the Royal Navy is to push decision-making to the lowest possible level. Trust your people’s expertise and decision-making and empower them to do what’s right.

Link Loving 18.05.11

• Why smartphones are the new Prius. (Seriously awesome bike alteration ahead.) Paul Davis.
• Hugh Grant thinks that living with tabloid scrutiny is like living under the Stasi.
• Beautiful short video from NY Times on how love endures even cancer.
• Nice guys finish first. David Brooks.
• Is Manchester now Britain’s second city? Paul Vallely.
• A multi-organ donor’s family meet the seven organ recipients. Talk about emotional. NY Times.
• A powerful new documentary about the impact of eating meat. Planeat.
• The Power Shift Europe team reach Ukraine – and a very different political landscape.

28th May – Dates In Diaries

Link Loving 17.05.11

• Is crime the Tory’s weak spot? The Economist.
• Ann Pettifor has a memo for Guido Fawkes. Smackdown.
• Pat Kane argues that the ‘I’m-happy-I’m-green’ consensus won’t placate our lust for novelty.
• Trials never happen because politicians are too scared of hard data on their good intentions. Ben Goldacre.
• What your literary tote says about you.
• I Hear My Mother Calling: A new documentary on women and population. Lisa Hymas.
• Why have successive governments been waging war on one of the world’s best health systems? George Monbiot.
• A Beginner’s Guide to Scottish Independence and Britain. Gerry Hassan.
• Breaking the silence of civil society – why so little noise? Anna Coote.
• Tom Baker does some FOI number digging on the impact of campaigns. First up – DEFRA.
• The wrong reason for gay marriage – it shouldn’t be about economics. Jay Cee Whitehead.
• Activists rebrand the David Koch theatre. Awesome action. Eric Stoner.

Words Of A Rabbi

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am for myself alone, what am I?”

Rabbi Hillel, 1st century

Link Loving 16.05.11

• Seth Godin cares most about what you do when nobody’s looking.
• This guy plays cello and beat-boxes at the same time.
• Totally unexpectedly beautiful. Gelatin cubes falling in super-slow-motion.
• 38 life lessons that Leo Babauta has learned in 38 years.
• Penelope Trunk has five shortcuts to make yourself more valuable. Including this nice speech from Anthony Weiner on the House floor.
• Martin Seligman on the potential of learned happiness.
• Post-election identity crisis in Finland. Anu Partanen.
• Loving the look of NationalField – the new essential tool for any organiser.
• Women are not ‘guys’ and men are not the norm. Powerful piece on sexism in leadership language. Anne Doyle in Forbes.

Meet Han Jones

Hanna Thomas recently came back from a study trip to the US to learn about the Green Jobs movement. A nice little video of her reflections from the Push Europe campaign.

Link Loving 15.05.11

• Your reading list on the Middle East. David Kenner.
• The future of the PR industry. Colin Byrne.
• Do nothing for two minutes.
• Joe Brewer finds the key ingredient for revolutions – and it ain’t this.
• Britain suffers from Nature Deficit Disorder.
• Some more wisdom on consensus decision making from Matthew Herbert.
• Over 100,000 Mexicans took to the streets over last week to protest the war on drugs, impunity, corruption, and violence.
• Saamah Abdallah on nudge economics – Ecuadorian style.

Stories

I’m trying to write my personal statement for graduate school applications at the moment. I wish I could tell a story like these people.