Ahead of the Pack #5: Leash-free learning, linguistic magic and women rewriting the rules
Black Dog Consultants Ltd
A unique, client-focused network of Trainers, Facilitators & Executive Coaches operating across the Asia Pacific region.
Leash-free learning
We’ve built learning on the idea that there’s always a right answer.
A formula. A process. A neatly packaged skill-set to download into people’s brains.
But while you’re worrying about AI taking jobs, have you stopped to ask if your learning strategy is stuck in the 17th century??
Expertise has a shelf life. The real skill - the one we’re missing - is learning how to not know. How to navigate uncertainty, improvise, experiment and find new answers that don’t exist yet.
Forget the 'wrong-list-itis' of training courses past. If your learning strategy still clings to the Age of Reason...
It's time to let go says Steve Marshall - Director, Leadership Learning at Black Dog Consultants.
Read the Blog: Forget the Right Answers - Learning is About Discovery
Paws for thought
Mistakes aren't the enemy - inaction is.?
The only person who never gets it wrong is the one who never dares to try.
What could you be learning if you stopped playing it safe?
Brain biscuits
As a global consultancy with clients and faculty in every corner of the world, we love coming across new and quirky sayings. Some of these really stood out for us.
The world is full of words we should be using.
Here's a dose of linguistic magic:
Flaneur (French)
Someone who strolls through life, soaking it all in. Basically, a professional people-watcher.
Morgenmuffel?(German)
Someone who does not like to get up early and is grumpy when they do. Some of us can really relate to this one!
Kaizen (Japanese) The art of tiny, daily improvements. One step at a time. Turns out, overnight success is just lots of Kaizen stacked together.
Fudgel (English, 18th century)
Pretending to work while actually doing…nothing. We see you.
Gunnen (Dutch)? Feeling joy for someone else's happiness. No jealousy, just pure good vibes. We love this.??
随缘?Suíyuán (Chinese) Go with the flow. Life’s easier that way. The unofficial motto of our Friday afternoons.?
More is coming in future issues, because language should be fun.
Disruptor diaries
Ten women. Ten stories of courage, grit and impact.
They didn’t wait for permission. They changed the game.
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate them - not just for what they’ve done, but for how they make us think, act and lead differently.
Who inspires you? #IWD2025 and #AccelerateAction
Wild wonders
Move over, superheroes - Mother Nature’s got her own league of extraordinary allies battling climate change.
No capes, no headlines, no fanfare. Just five unexpected animal heroes out there, quietly doing what they do best—stomping, swimming, soaring, digging, chomping and fertilising their way to a healthier planet.
They don’t just survive - they make life better for everything around them. From restoring forests to cleaning up our oceans, these unsung heroes are proof that the planet’s best fixers have been here all along.
One bite, one seed, one ripple at a time.?
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